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Excerpts from The New Outlook Mid August 2007
From Our New Pastor, Dr. Stephen Jones Go Ahead, Show Us Your City, Help Us Into
Your Lives! But this beginning feels very important to Jan and me. And the primary “work” ahead of us is to get acquainted with you. We’d love to see St. Louis through your eyes. If there are places you’d like us to see or experiences you’d like us to have, all you have to do is invite us. We’d love to join you. My goal for the Fall is to spend quality personal time with each member of the church. For many, this will mean time spent together in your home. Some will want personal time with me as your pastor and others will enjoy a social time with both of us. This is the first church we have begun as a couple without children in 30 years! So, we have flexibility. Some of you may feel comfortable meeting in a restaurant or some other setting. If you are a confined member, I will come to you! If you want to set up an appointment or an occasion to get together, just call or email. I also love to meet members in their workplaces, perhaps for lunch. So, be creative and think how you can introduce you and your family to Jan and me! We want to be with you in a variety of settings so that we can begin to get acquainted with you, with the St. Louis region and all that it offers. If you’re involved in a personal ministry, I’d love to see what you are doing. Pastoral ministry isn’t so much a role as a relationship. I’ve been a pastor long enough to realize that you don’t just “flip a switch” and expect that trusting relationships happen. Trusting relationships develop, and they require patient time. Because you have been well served by recent pastors, I hope we can soon begin to build trusting relationships. When we drove onto the campus of Second Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon, August 5, we were met by 15 volunteers from the church eager to help us unload my books and office at the church and then move on to our temporary condo. That felt so good to be supported by new friends! Our son, Brian, was with us and he commented later that evening on how friendly and relaxed the people of our new church seem to be. That was exactly our reaction as well. This is a wonderful homecoming for us to return to Missouri. Indeed, that is the topic of my first sermon: “Homecoming!” See you in church this Sunday! Stephen Jones WORSHIP WITH US EVERY SUNDAY AT 10:30 AM Upcoming Sermon Titles: Sunday, August 19: “Home” is a practical, utilitarian word. But it is also a symbolic word. There is no more wonderful thing than feeling “at home” wherever you might be. I suspect most members feel “at home” at Second Baptist Church. But “home” is also a goal as we strive to find that home for which we have been searching throughout our lives. Home is a destination, then, as well. This is my first Sunday to preach as a Missouri pastor, and that deepens the sense of homecoming for me. Sunday, August 26: At the beginning of our relationship as pastor and people, it is important to look at the uniqueness of the pastoral relationship. It is in part professional, but it also deeply personal. We typically think of professionals as needing to maintain some distance from their clients or customers. A pastor enters into the lives of her/his people in a way that few other professionals are expected or allowed. There is a way of thinking of a pastor in an organizational or institutional way. But being a pastor now for 35 years I am deeply aware of how primarily it is a relationship with a people called and designed by God.
Invitation to Join Choir
Our usual routine is to practice Wednesday nights from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Then on Sunday mornings, we gather from 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. to polish the anthem we'll be singing later in that day's service.
This year we will begin regular Wednesday night choir practices on August 29 and September 5. Then, we'll also resume regular Sunday morning practices on September 9, which will be our first Sunday to sing in church.
We know everyone is busy, so we usually start rehearsing an anthem about a month before we perform it. That way, if you need to miss a Wednesday night practice from time to time, it is no problem - you can still learn the piece on other Wednesday nights and be ready to sing on Sunday!
Our choir has become a real community of believers who enjoy singing a variety of music, praying for one another, and leading the congregation in worship and praise. And we have a lot of fun at the same time!
Please come join us! Brad and Marilyn Short #314-963-9286 "
On Sunday morning, August 26, during the announcements, Jim and Mary Shepardson will talk briefly about their experience at last year’s “Week of Guided Prayer,” and Clarence Heller, director of the program, will be available during Coffee Fellowship to answer questions. Participants will carry on their daily lives as usual during the retreat, but will commit to praying privately for 30 minutes each day and meeting privately with their prayer guide each day for 30 minutes at a mutually convenient time. The retreat ends Saturday morning at 9:00 with a 90-minute gathering at Delmar. You can participate in the retreat even if you are not able to attend the gatherings on Sunday and/or Saturday. The registration deadline is September 14. Suggested donation is $50 per person. For more information, pick up a flyer on the table in the narthex Book Group Resumes September 10 The Book Group meets regularly September through June on the second Monday of the month at 2 p.m. We welcome anyone interested in reading and discussing the book chosen for each month. Usually the books are available from public libraries or in paperback editions at local book stores. A list for the year will be discussed at the September meeting. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, call Jane Mahan (454-1380) or Meg Gilmore (994-9971).
From the Dixons
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9030 Clayton Road (at McKnight Road, 3/10 mile west of the Galleria) St. Louis, MO 63117 (314) 991-3424 |