E-Link Online -- News of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan

September Events

Clergy Wives Ministry Leadership Group (pictured above) will meet Saturday, September 27, 10:30 – 2pm with lunch included at the St. Francis Retreat Center in Dewitt. For more information and to make a reservation, please contact Pat Hernandez (phernandez@abc-mi.org).

Friendship House Golf Outing: Attention all golfers. Please see this flyer for information about Friendship House's 3rd Annual Golf Outing on September 27. This is a fund raiser to support the ministry of Friendship and Harvest House. Put your foursomes together and call to reserve your spot! We are also looking for hole sponsors and raffle door prizes. -- Dennis Trezona.

October Events

Annual Equipping Event/Annual Meeting, October 17-18, First Baptist Church, South Haven. Register now.

The Rev. Dan Buttry, ABC International Ministries Global Consultant for Peace and Justice, will give three lectures on "Interfaith Courage: It's Our Time Now" at First Baptist Church of Birmingham, September 25, 26, and 28. The lectures will examine contemporary global issues about interfaith relationships with a challenge to action. See the press release from the Church at http://tinyurl.com/5efbem.

Special Alert Regarding Faxed Annual Gathering Registrations

The Region office is unable to process Annual Equipping Event registration forms that are faxed into the office. The colored background on the form makes it unreadable. If you plan to fax in your registration for the Annual Equipping Event / Business Meeting, please download the revised form from the ABC-MI website at http://tinyurl.com/3sghnq. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience in this matter. Thank you. -- Sheila Kaminski

Updated Email Addresses Requested

Richard Reese, MMBB Regional Service Representative for ABC-MI, has discovered that his list of email addresses for MMBB participants (active and retired) is outdated. Help him by updating your email address. Click on the button below. A small window will pop up with a form to fill in. Do it now while you're thinking about it.

Arrivals, Departures, Celebrations, Concerns

§ Pastor Edgar and Sherry Owens celebrated their 25th year of ministry with the Olivet Baptist Church of Lansing on September 14, 2008. In addition, Pastor Owens celebrated his 30th year in ordained ministry.

The celebration included videotaped interviews with church members, musical tributes, and visual displays as well as a reception. Church leaders Gary Cunningham and Dennis Kocsis spoke about faithfulness, and Dr. Michael Williams, Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan, issued a call to the congregation. A gift certificate to a Michigan bed and breakfast, a gas card, and a memory book were presented to the couple.

Representatives from the Lansing Police Department were on hand to honor Pastor Owens with a letter of recognition for his involvement as a police chaplain with the department.

Olivet Baptist Church is located at 5455 Willoughby Road in Lansing. In the past year, the church has doubled the size of its worship space and expanded its media capability. Services begin at 10:45 am on Sunday mornings with Sunday School at 9:30 am. For more information, call 517.887.0988. [click on image to see more pictures]

§ "What does 'repent and believe' mean in this situation? [The current banking and financial crisis] I'm not exactly sure; but I do know that it will involve cheerful generosity. Giving money away is the first great step towards dethroning it as an idol. As long as we are a culture of mammon-worshippers we can expect, quite literally, to pay the price that idols always demand." -- N.T. Wright, washingtonpost.com

§ "If we don't learn to live with one another, we will not live. We will either love each other as neighbors, or we won't be. I believe that it is an insult to me as a Christian to say that I cannot love as neighbor somebody who thinks differently than I do. Where did we ever get that idea? ... If evangelism isn't an expression of love of neighbor, it isn't Christian evangelizing, and love of neighbor includes not only what I say to the neighbor, but how I say that." -- Professor Miroslav Volf, Director, Center for Faith and Culture, Yale Divinity School, in PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly broadcast. See "Editor's Trips" below to view video.

Sowing Seeds of Ministry

Much of our attention these days is on the horrific hurricane that recently ravaged Galveston and the Texas coast. Few may be aware of the tornadoes that touched down in Michigan about a year ago, including one wreaking fear and havoc in the Charlotte area. One church's witness and their connection to ABC-MI made a difference. Here is their story as told by Pastor Robin Crouch of the First Baptist Church of Charlotte:

Numbers mean things in our lives. "9-11" brings a rush of emotions of a terrible terrorist attack on our country. 8-24-07 brings back memories of fear, helplessness and hopelessness to many in our community in Charlotte. On that Friday afternoon a tornado touched down. [Click on images to see larger pictures]
I was nearing the end of a wonderful vacation week enjoying the surf and sand at Myrtle Beach with my wife and daughters. I knew that there was some severe weather in Michigan but was not aware of the extent of the damage until Sunday morning. On Sunday morning I received a call from the Sheriff, a member of our church, asking if I would come to the command center that afternoon. The Sheriff and I visited each home that was damaged and spoke with the families. I have worked with flood victims before but had never seen firsthand the destructive power of a tornado.

Many churches were mobilizing to see that food and water were available and that families had places to stay. Debris was blown into the adjoining fields of hay, corn and soybeans in a way that made any harvesting impossible without cleaning up the fields first. That may seem secondary considering many of these farmers had lost their homes but this was their income source and so cleaning up the fields became a priority. The community responded with many people just showing up to help in any way they could.

On Monday I called the ABC-MI office and asked if there might be some funds available to help with this disaster relief. The response was immediate and I soon had access to money to help these families. It was because of our connection with the ABC-MI that these emergency funds were available and we were able to address some of the immediate needs of these families in distress. It is good to know I am part of a group of churches that sees disaster response and relief as worthy of our mission efforts.

Our prayers go out to FBC Charlotte as they continue their witness and the rebuilding of the tornado area.

It is not too late to contribute to the sowing seeds of ministry Region Offering. For more information or materials, please contact Debbie Hart at the Region office. Furthermore, an offering will be taken at the Friday night worship service of the Annual Equipping Event, Friday, October 17, 2008. You are invited to add to the sowing seeds of ministry Region Offering at that time.

MDA Board Retreat

The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Detroit Association of American Baptist Churches met on September 6 for a planning retreat at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham. The Board approved an increase in hours and responsibilities for office manager Logan Beatty. Board members also recommended receiving into fellowship the Mt. Calvary House of Prayer, where Dr. D.L. Teamor is pastor. Following updates on the past and current work of the association ministry teams, the Board discussed ministry strategy for the next several years and agreed on a three-year emphasis on evangelism, emphasizing discovery (styles and needs), development (programming and resourcing), and debriefing (new learning and continued emphasis). The MDA Board is under the chairmanship of Rev. Ronald Burks, pastor of Palestine Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. [Click on image to see larger picture.]

A Request from the Editor

Since I will not be able to attend the Equipping Event/Annual Meeting next month, I am looking for a few people who plan to attend who are willing to write brief reports of the sessions for publication in E-Link. Please email me ASAP if you are interested. I will give specific assignments to those who volunteer.

I also welcome photos of the various activities. Send them as well to editor@@abc-mi.org.

Two New YouTube Reports from Rick and Anita Gutierrez

The latest video updates from ABC International missionaries Rick and Anita Gutierrez are shown at right. Part one explains the health builder training program in the rural area of Matendeni. Part two features music and pictures of a crusade and outreach with Phoenix Baptist Church in the same area. Play the videos by clicking on the arrow in the screen.

A high quality DVD copy of these videos is available. Send your request to the Gutierrez at this address: bethelhealthbuilders@yahoo.com. Allow about two weeks for delivery.

Anita and Rick Gutierrez, who are both medical doctors, serve in Durban South Africa together with IM partners, the Baptist Mission of South Africa and the Baptist Association of South Africa. They deal with many health challenges especially those associated with cardiovascular diseases, HIV, diabetes, and other health screening services.

They are currently working on improvement of educational materials - videos and written training materials - and existing health builders are being provided with continuing education. In collaboration with evangelists of the BMSA and BASA, evangelical aspect of health builder ministry continues to be strengthened and expanded so that the health builders can teach about HIV prevention in their communities, and also visit people who are newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, teach about drug side-effects, and also nutrition.

The vision is to train up to 100 health builders per year in the areas of heart and artery disease, and/or HIV/AIDS screening, referral and education. This training will be primarily with BMSA and BASA churches, but extended also to other students through the William Carey School of World Mission, and also other local Durban area churches.

Be Surprised by God's People...making a difference!

Have you ever thought, "The needs of people are so enormous; how can we possibly make a difference?" It's a common frustration and the early church shared it also in their day. The powerful news is the early church overcame this frustration the same way we can. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to heal people's hurts and show God's love one person at a time.

The World Mission Offering (WMO) is a very powerful way to say to a world in need that Jesus knows their pain and loves them. Christ wants us to increasingly make a difference in people's lives and in the world by reaching them at their point of need. Last year's offering has allowed us to appoint three new missionaries. We hope to appoint at least seven as we did in 2007. When we invest in the work of missionaries we meet an incredible range of human needs while effectively sharing the good news of Jesus.

Be Surprised by God's People:
Receive. Give. Be transformed!

They were all amazed and glorified God, saying,
'We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:12

We support more than 2,500 short-term and long-term missionaries annually in 76 countries around the world helping to meet human needs. This year International Ministries asks us to look at global mission this way:

We have received from the Lord. Let us also give, be surprised by what God can do, and be transformed by God's grace! WMO is normally received in the month of October. We hope you'll give sacrificially. Debbie Hart welcomes your questions at 800.632.2953 ext. 221 or dhart@abc-mi.org.

Great Summer Education Opportunity

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer Collegium, a Lilly Endowment project in support of small congregations. Twenty-five clergy and their spouses from all Christian denominations will be invited to spend nine days at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, focusing on Body, Mind, and Soul: Celebrating, Strengthening and Sustaining Clergy Wholeness in Small Congregations. The Summer Collegium takes place June 24-July 1, 2009. Applications must be postmarked by December 15, 2008, to be considered. All expenses for the event, including travel, meals, lodging, books, pulpit supply, and child care at home are paid for by the grant. For more information and an application packet, visit our website at http://tinyurl.com/47h5sk or call Marilyn Johns at 703-461-1760.

Camp Lake Louise Seeks Day Sponsors

Camp Lake Louise is now designing the 2009 Calendar / Brochure. Friends of Camp Lake Louise are invited to sponsor a day to honor birthdays, anniversaries, or someone's memory. In doing so you are also helping the camp financially. This promotion has been very popular with campers.

The cost to sponsor a day is a reduced rate of $50 per day. If you would like to honor a family member or friend, indicate the name of the person(s) being honored, the date on the 2009 Calendar that you would like the name(s) to appear, and the occasion.

example: Name: Jim Shorts
Date: April 1
Occasion: Birthday

Send the information along with a check to Camp Lake Louise, 10750 Stafford Rd., Boyne Falls, MI 49713.

Thank you very much for supporting the ministry at Camp Lake Louise.

Dave Johnson
Camp Lake Louise
800.440.1238
davidj@camplakelouise.com

"New Birth, Living Hope"

by Tucker Gunneman

Leading a church to effectively reach its community for Christ is a challenging adventure in these times. It calls for bold leadership, strategic planning, and a strong dependence and trust in God.

The Congregational Missions and Ministries Team of ABC-MI, at their meeting on September 13, 2008, adopted a new Initiative for our Region churches, designed to help struggling congregations live anew into their God given potential to reach their communities for Christ.

This plan, developed by the Consultant for Transitional Ministries, calls for a complete rebirth of who they are, how they do ministry, and their priorities.

It begins with a meeting with the Consultant for Transitional Ministries to explore their readiness for such a journey, which identifies where they are on the Life Cycle of the church (developed by George Bullard),and then moves into a 6-9 month period where they prepare themselves to be a different church, and then a vote to begin a five-year turn-around plan. This plan is called the "New Birth, Living Hope Initiative."

It is an exciting journey of seeing God work in new and marvelous ways in the ministries of their church. It calls for:

† A deeper spiritual journey for your members and leaders
† A dependence and trust in God that will be stretching and exciting
† A new way of leading that is bold, strategic, and intentional
† Learning what God wants your church to be and do, and following it confidently
† New priorities that align with God's priorities for the church
† Creating new or renewing current ministries for your church based on God's priorities
† Changing how you carry out these ministries of your church
† Discerning a new mission focus and setting a vision and goals to see it fulfilled

It requires that the leadership and members of the church be retrained in how they view the role of the church in their community, refocusing on God's priorities, and exercising a deep faith that God will lead them and give them success. Currently there are three ABC-MI churches in the preparation stages of the Initiative, learning new things, and having their faith and presumptions about how to "do church" challenged. There is a growing excitement and they are already seeing God work in small ways that confirm their conviction that He still has more for them to do in impacting their community for Christ.

If this adventure sounds exciting to you and you would like to know more about it, or to discover how your church can explore beginning the "New Birth, Living Hope Initiative" please contact the Consultant for Transitional Ministries, Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman. He can be reached at: 586.219.3392, or by email at tgunneman@abc-mi.org.

Short Notices

Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend the 6th Annual Metropolitan Detroit Association Fall Dinner, November 8, 2008, at First Baptist Church of Detroit. See the letter and flyer. -- Dennis Trezona, ABMEN-MDA. 800-457-5054

Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit will offer the course on Baptist History and Polity (4 credits) in winter term 2009. The class will meet 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on four Saturdays (1/24, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7) and will also require some work via Internet. Dr. Joseph I. Mortensen, adjunct professor at ETS, is the instructor. This course meets a requirement for ordination or recognition of prior ordination in ABC-MI. For more information contact the Seminary or the instructor.

This week's Prayer Call for ABC International Ministries calls attention to the needs of the our missionaries. > > > Go to Prayer Call. To subscribe to the Prayer Call Mailing List register at http://tinyurl.com/6sbgs8.

The Friendship House Newsletter is now provided in both PDF and DOC formats. The DOC format is a much smaller file and will take much less time to acquire on slow dialup connections. Read it in PDF at http://abc-mi.org/elink/fh.pdf or in DOC format at http:abc-mi.org/fh.doc.

The next issue of E-Link Online will be published on October 6, 2008. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by October 2.

Editor's Trips

Disclaimer: listing of these references does not imply endorsement of positions or policies advocated in them by either the American Baptist Churches of Michigan or the editor of E-Link Online. They are provided here for further thought, discussion, and inquiry. Caveat lector. Suggestions for "Trips" and readers' comments are welcome. Send to editor@abc-mi.org.

The Editor

»»  Video clip at right of PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly broadcast reports on Christian-Muslim dialogue at Yale Divinity School. It features Prof. Miroslav Volf of Yale and Leith Anderson, president of the National Assn. of Evangelicals. Click on arrow at lower left to view the video. »»  Evangelicals Debate Use of Torture -- http://tinyurl.com/44psrp
»»  Torture Looks Different Through Lens of Golden Rule -- http://tinyurl.com/5vknhy
»»  Beware of Those Who Are Too Certain About God's Will -- http://tinyurl.com/5z8nwb
»»  Faith in the Economy is Misplaced -- http://tinyurl.com/6zvab5
»»  The Church and the Green Revolution -- Rethinking Use of Space and Staff -- http://tinyurl.com/55hu6z
»»  Denominations Reach Non-Compete Agreement -- http://tinyurl.com/6bow6f