July 1, 2007

Stephen D. Jones Chosen As Second’s Pastor
On Sunday, June 17, the congregation overwhelmingly voted to call Dr. Stephen D. Jones as our new pastor, beginning August 15. After hearing from the Search Committee last Wednesday night, meeting Steve and his wife, Jan, and listening to Steve talk about his ministry style and values at a reception Saturday night, and then hearing a stirring message on “Loving the Questions,” Sunday morning, it became obvious that Stephen Jones is a great match for Second Baptist Church!

A Word from Stephen Jones
"Jan and I were touched by the many conversations and interactions we had with our new congregation throughout the candidating week-end. You seemed ready to open your hearts and your stories to us and for that trust we are deeply grateful. Everything about returning to Missouri and beginning with Second Baptist Church feels right to us. When I read your history book from cover to cover, I realized that this is a wonderful fit! You have been served over your long and illustrious history by pastors who have similar passions and concerns for racial reconciliation, for peacemaking, for hospitality, for inclusion and diversity, and for helping this congregation reach out and impact the entire city. We will cherish your prayers as we return to Seattle and the news of our resignation becomes public. The process of letting go is important and I am sure we will have many wonderful experiences, even as we help people understand the reasons for our departure. We will also cherish your prayers as we look ahead to the transition that awaits us. We will move to St. Louis in early August, treat ourselves to a few weeks to get settled in a new home, and look forward with great anticipation to beginning with you on August 15. Our first Sunday will be August 19. In the meantime, you will continue to be well-served by your gifted interim pastor, Michael Dixon.

"In these times of change and transition, let us anticipate the New Things that God can do with us and through us. See you in August!"
-- Stephen Jones

About Steve and Jan Jones
Steve is currently the coordinating pastor of Seattle First Baptist Church, a downtown church with an average attendance of 250-300. He has previously served churches in Boulder, Colorado; Dayton, Ohio; Wayne, Pennsylvania; and Detroit, Michigan. He has taught part-time in several seminaries and has led conferences and preached all over the world.

He spent a 3-month sabbatical in the Philippines, living and learning alongside pastors there and another sabbatical in 1993 with black, “coloured,” and Asian pastors in the homelands and townships of apartheid South Africa. “I am deeply concerned about racial justice, concentrated poverty, urban renewal, equality and a sustainable environment,” writes Dr. Jones. In each city in which he has served, he has been extensively engaged with community issues. He earned two racial justice awards given by African-American organizations in Philadelphia and was named a Diversity Champion by the Birmingham/Bloomfield Task Force on Race Relations in 2002.

A native of Eldon, Missouri, Steve earned a B.A. in theater and philosophy from William Jewell College in 1970, the M.A. in religious education from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 1972, and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton in 1982.

He has written 5 books: Rabbi Jesus, Learning from the Living Teacher; Faith Shaping. . .Youth and the Experience of Faith; Transforming Discipleship in the Inclusive Church (which we studied here at Second several years ago); and the last four chapters of Reaching Youth Today, Heirs to the Whirlwind. His latest book Peaceteacher, Jesus’ Way of Shalom, was just published. Copies of Rabbi Jesus and Peaceteacher are available for purchase in Fellowship Hall. Proceeds go to The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America.

Steve’s wife, Jan, works as a vocational specialist helping homeless adults find employment in downtown Seattle. She has also been a teacher and occupational re-entry specialist. They have two grown children, Brian, a chef in Detroit, and Janelle, who just graduated from Central Washington University and is beginning an internship in substance abuse prevention with an agency in Detroit.

You can view, hear, or read more of Dr. Jones’ sermons on his current church’s website, www.SeattleFirstBaptist.org.

How They Did It
Many, many thanks to the Minister Search Committee, Fred Adams, chair, Jay Jensen, co-chair, Fran Adams, Judy Comfort, Tim Keeney, Larry Marks, Shari Nelson-Faulkner, Alyson Swarm, and Ed Wakefield, for their discernment and all their hard work in bringing Dr. Stephen and Jan Jones to Second Baptist. Along with a lot of prayer, here’s what they did:
    · Sought an interim pastor and presented the Rev. Michael Dixon as our choice
    · Held meetings with the congregation and developed a list of skills and strengths needed for our new pastor
    · Prepared a Congregational Profile to be used with potential candidates
    · Met with Rev. Muriel Johnson, Area Minister, for a pastoral process training event
    · Reviewed the 60+ profiles she sent us as well as some profiles from Presbyterian, United Church of Christ and Southern
      Baptist potential candidates
    · Selected 20 potential candidates and sent our church profile to them, requesting a response if they were interested,
      including a DVD of their leading a worship event
    · Selected 7 candidates for further conversation
    · Chose 2 of the 7 candidates for interview on-site at Second Baptist
    · Unanimously chose Dr. Stephen Jones as the candidate to be presented to Second as Pastor
    · Arranged to bring Dr. and Mrs. Jones to the church for a face-to-face visit and an opportunity for him to preach at a
      Sunday worship service. Requested a congregational meeting after the service to vote on calling Dr. Jones as pastor of our
      church
    · Drew up a contract with Dr. Jones that includes a time for beginning ministry
    · Will make plans for an Installation Sunday

(List adapted from Fred Adam’s Report of the Search Committee in Second’s Annual Report)

From Our Moderator
Has it been a year already? Elsewhere in this edition of the Outlook you will see recounted the story of this past year’s journey as well as a peek at what is to come. I would like to take a moment to recognize the significant contributions of time and talent that made the journey possible.

First, we had to be prepared for the journey. Thank you to Rev. Bill Rook for preparing us in so many ways for what was to come upon his retirement. Then, once embarked, we needed a guide to keep us on the path. I am very thankful that Fred Adams accepted the task of leading the Minister Search Committee. Fred’s experience from years of service as Area Minister and years of membership at Second Baptist proved invaluable in keeping the Minister Search Committee focused on the tasks that the congregation entrusted to us; first to call an interim minister then a settled minister. The importance of dedicated, quality interim leadership cannot be overstated. We have been exceedingly blessed by the leadership of Rev. Mike Dixon during our search for a settled minister. Mike’s dedication to the furtherance of God’s kingdom can be seen in the implementation of his training in interim leadership, his fine preaching, and his attention to the needs and dreams of our congregation. Fred’s and Mike’s combined efforts have probably shortened our time of transition by six months or more. And we have been doubly blessed by the presence of Sandy Dixon in our lives!

My thanks also go the members of the Minister Search Committee who dedicated many hours in meetings and outside of meetings to ensure that the best possible efforts were made to discern the needs, desires, and dreams of the congregation, to honor those findings, and to seek the best match in a ministerial candidate. Special thanks go to Jay Jensen, who took the baton from Fred during the time he recovered from back surgery; it was a critical time in the Minister Search Committee’s process as we evaluated the final candidates. Fred and Jay then double-teamed the project and worked beautifully together through the final phase of focusing on a single candidate to recommend to the congregation.

I also appreciate the support of the Executive Council throughout the transition; this support can be seen in their approval and coordination of the Visioning Meetings last fall and provision of the budget necessary to call a full-time, settled minister. In a process as complicated and potentially disruptive as transitioning to a new minister can be, the Council is to be commended for seeing to business as usual; the church program and events never missed a beat - carry on!

But no list of thanks would be complete without including the congregation of Second Baptist. Thank you for your confidence in the Minister Search Committee, for your warm acceptance and respect for Mike Dixon and the intentional process of transition that he has led, for your enthusiasm as the process gathered steam and for your patience during the times when progress seemed slow, and mostly for the sense of community that makes it all worthwhile. The congregation of Second Baptist is an amazing group of people.

After a few more weeks of enjoying Mike’s service, we will embark upon another journey. I am confident that the congregation’s collective decision to call Dr. Stephen Jones as minister is the beginning of an exciting new era in the life of Second Baptist Church. A number of people have pointed out to me that they see God’s hand in all that has happened in the journey of this past year. I couldn’t agree more.
Tim Keeney

From Our Interim Pastor, Rev. Michael Dixon
First of all, you have my personal and heartfelt congratulations for your decision to call Stephen Jones as your new pastor. It’s a sign of God’s Spirit at work when a congregation goes through transitions well, and has a sense of unity. From all I’ve heard, everything last weekend went extremely well, and there is a great sense of unity and enthusiasm.

We who are interim pastors try to help a congregation work though a series of interim tasks. The fifth and final task is to help a congregation prepare for its new pastor.

Among other things, this means that we help prepare the way for a good entry process for the new pastor. I have been doing this for the past several weeks, in consultation with the search committee, the Council, and with Dr. Jones, and I will continue to do so as we prepare for his coming. It’s my job to work myself out of a job.

A part of the process of preparing for a new future is saying goodbye well. Sandy and I have been blessed by your friendship, love, and enthusiasm over the past ten months. You are an inspiration to us, and we will have plenty of opportunities to thank you and share our mutual love in the two months ahead.

Second Baptist Church has had a great past, and has possibilities for a great future. Your choice of new pastoral leadership is a first step in becoming open to those possibilities. May God bless you as you continue to grow into the future that God may guide you toward.
Grace and peace,
Mike

Summer Schedule
Children, youth, and adult church school classes are taking a break until Launch Sunday, September 9 The one exception is the “Come On In and Pull Up a Chair” class, which will continue to meet in the church library on Sunday mornings at 9:30 throughout the summer. Those who have been attending other adult classes are invited to join them for mutual encouragement as we all try to live out our faith in the challenges of daily life.

Worship services will be held in Fellowship Hall beginning July 1 until Launch Sunday.

The last choir practice for the summer is Thursday, June 21, at 7:00. And after the practice, it’s Ted Drewes frozen custard!

Vacation Bible School Begins July 22
Children, youth, and adults are all invited to a joint Vacation Bible School Sunday through Wednesday, July 22 – 25, with First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis and the Mennonite Fellowship of St. Louis. The theme is “Experiencing God.” We will gather at First Presbyterian at 6:00 in the evening for dinner, and classes will begin at 6:45 and end at 8:15. Adults can choose between two classes: “Helping Children Experience God” led by Emily Jarrett of First Presbyterian, and ”Experiencing God: Lectio Divina,” led by Mary Shepardson of Second Baptist. Lectio Divina, which means “holy reading,” is an ancient way of praying with Scripture.

The children will explore different ways we can experience God: nature, labyrinths, prayer, and meditation/yoga.

Directions to First Presbyterian: From the Inner Belt, take Delmar east. The church is on the south side of Delmar, across from Midland. The address is 7200 Delmar.

Volunteers Needed for VBS!
We need people to volunteer to:
Set up and clean up dinner. Volunteers for this would need to arrive at 5:30.
Teach the pre-school class
Lead arts and crafts
Lead children’s outdoor activities (labyrinth walking, for example)
Assist in children’s classes

Lessons and activities are already planned, so there is very little you need to do to prepare. If you can help, please sign up on the sheet on the table in the narthex or contact Shari Nelson-Faulkner.

Did you know?
What American Baptist congregation here in the St Louis Area received help in 2006 from ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING?

Now we know
New Journey Baptist Church in South St. Louis City received funding after last year’s storms to help them repair damage.

What can one individual do about the Tsunami, recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes in China, tornados in Iowa? Or about food relief for those affected by war, energy and heating oil for a harsh winter, emergency medicine, clean drinking water? Just Who Is Our Neighbor? That is the theme for this year’s One Great Hour of Sharing. This is THE offering where each giver can make a difference that actually affects people around the world.

A unique thing about the One Great Hour of Sharing is that while it is justifiably used for emergency relief, it has more far-reaching ramifications. It provides funding for development projects all over the world—projects for sustainable living; that is projects that will continually make a difference in the quality of life for people. Less than 10% of the money given for this offering is used for administrative costs; the rest goes directly to relief work. This is an excellent percentage when one is evaluating any charity.

A few years ago, I read an interpretation of the Parable of the Good Samaritan by Biblical Scholar Katharine Doob Sakenfeld that really broadened my understanding of the parable. She said that so many times, society tends to blame the victim. In the Parable, if one takes the dangerous road, it is logical that one will get hurt. The analogy follows through with so many cases of need and poverty; if one needs help. . . it is because of a life style, lack of responsibility, lack of initiative, etc.

This interpretation of poverty is greatly false. There is a cycle of poverty that is self perpetuating: if there is a lack of health care, there is continuing sickness. That leads to difficulty receiving education and child labor/low paying jobs. And that leads to inadequate housing and lack of sanitation that leads to disease which leads to lack of health care.[1] The One Great Hour of Sharing offers each American Baptist an opportunity to share financially through an organization that responsibly gets the money where the needs are. This offering offers each American Baptist an opportunity to joyfully share our abundance with those in need from natural disasters, poverty, war and so many other needs. Give prayerfully, joyfully, abundantly. We Christians know Who is our Neighbor!

Sandy Dixon

[1] www.abc-oghs.org

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Mon 7:00 p.m. Obsessive-Compulsive Group in Community Room
Tue 6:30 p.m. Adult Children of Alcoholics Group in Community Room

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
July 01-Aug 12        Worship in Fellowship Hall
July 01-Aug 05        Barbeque after the worship service. Bring meat for our expert chefs to grill and a side dish to share.
July 22-25                Vacation Bible School
Aug 12                      Farewell coffee for Mike and Sandy Dixon
Aug 15                      Dr. Stephen Jones becomes pastor
Aug 18                      Council retreat at the church
Aug 19                      Welcome coffee for Stephen and Jan Jones