Excerpts from The New Outlook
Early September 2007
Fall Launch Sunday September 9: A Special
Schedule
Please note these changes in the Fall Launch Sunday schedule, September 9:
8:30 a.m. – Choir Rehearsal
9:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast in Fellowship Hall, all ages
9:10 a.m. – Children and youth and their teachers/classes will be recognized as
they leave for their Fall Launch sessions
9:15 a.m. – Stephen Jones will lead all the adults in an Envisioning Session. In
August, he led the Church Council in this session to consider 17 possible
visions or ideas for our church. The Council was excited and wanted to share
this with the congregation at the earliest possible opportunity. Don’t miss this
opportunity to “think big” about the possibilities of our church! Stephen says,
“Vision is a driving force within a congregation that enables it to reach new
people, introduce new life and have a wider impact upon the world.”
10:20 a.m. – Classes dismiss
10:30 a.m. – Launch Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary
Fall Sunday Study Opportunities: New Sunday Morning
Schedule!!
Beginning Sunday, September 16, there will be study opportunities for the
congregation. We have decided to change the learning schedule on Sunday
mornings to better accommodate the need for study and the need for transition
into worship. Here’s the new schedule for the fall (except Launch Sunday,
September 9; see above for that schedule):
Beginning September 16:
8:45 a.m. Choir Practice
9:15 a.m. Classes for all ages begin; nursery opens
10:15 a.m. Classes dismiss; congregation greets visitors in the lobby
10:30 a.m. The Congregation Worships in the Sanctuary
11:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship
Children’s Classes
All children’s classes meet in the education
wing. They are:
Nursery: For infants and toddlers through age 2. Care is provided from
9:15 – 11:45 a.m. every Sunday.
Primaries:
Age 2 (or whenever the children are ready) – 1st grade. Kathryn Nall,
teacher
Juniors: 2nd – 5th grades. Dotty Daily, teacher
Middle school: 6th – 8th grades. Shari
Nelson-Faulkner, teacher
Youth Class
High school youth meet in the classroom behind the sanctuary. Melanie
Keeney and Kara Reagan, teachers
Adult Study Choices:
The Bible Study Class,
led by Bill Gurley, Meeting in the Community Room
This class will focus on the book of Genesis, exploring the two creation stories
in Genesis, one of which gives humans dominion over the earth, and the other
commands them to be stewards of the earth. How do those roles fit together?
Meets in the Community Room.
Peaceteacher, Jesus’ Way of Shalom,
led by Stephen Jones, Meeting in Fellowship Hall
Stephen will lead this class based on his latest book. Through lecture and
discussion, Steve will lead five sessions from September 16 through October 14
on the nature of shalom and how “peace” is an inadequate word to translate its
full meaning; an exploration of how to speak in our day of Jesus’ central
teaching of the Kingdom of God; and an exploration of the four chapters in
Jesus’ life as a peaceteacher. Stephen will begin each session with a prayer for
shalom. Come and hear his perspective on why the concept of shalom needs to be
understood in and spoken by the church today. You can purchase Steve’s book at
the church but it won’t be necessary for these study sessions.
WORSHIP WITH US EVERY SUNDAY AT 10:30 AM
Dr. Stephen D. Jones, preaching
Sept. 2: “Work and Rest…God’s Rhythm”
The seven-day creation story isn’t a scientific explanation on how the
world was created. One of its primary purposes is to lift up the centrality of
Sabbath, and God’s rhythm of work and rest. This creation story speaks of God’s
need for both; we certainly know of our human need for balance between work and
rest. And we know the cost of imbalance in our lives.
Text: Genesis 1
Communion Sunday
First Fall Sermon
Series: GATEWAY TO NEW BEGINNINGS
Fall Launch Sunday, Sept. 9: Like a Good Book, Life Has Chapters
Life has endings and new beginnings. We each have chapters in our lives
that represent new beginnings and endings. If we want to understand our lives,
we do well to identify the chapters or seasons of our lives. We are almost
always going through the transitions that these chapters represent.
Texts: A special reading of the
chapters in Jesus’ earthly life found in Mt. 1:18, 2:13; 3:13; 4:1; 4:12-13,
4:18; 4:23; 10:1;
and 16:21
Sept. 16: Gateway to a Road Less Traveled
A New Beginning calls for us to travel a road we have never before taken
and an uncertain destination. Jesus urged us to take the narrow gate.
Text: Matthew 7:13-14
Invitation to Join Choir
We
invite you to join choir this year! You do not have to be an experienced singer
to join - our choir is very supportive and encouraging. All you need is a desire
to come lift your voice in song and praise.
Our usual routine is
to practice Wednesday nights from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Then on Sunday mornings,
we gather from 8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. to polish the anthem we'll be singing later
in that day's service. (Note that this is a change in time.)
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
(at 8:30 a.m. for that morning only),
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
A New Staff Person
We are delighted to share the news that we have extended an invitation to Kara
Reagan to join our church staff as a part-time pastoral intern in her field
education during her middler year at Eden
Theological Seminary. Kara will begin at Second Baptist Church on September
1. We will try to expose Kara to the broadest dimensions of pastoral ministry in
the local church and this means that you will see her leading in worship,
calling on members and eventually, preaching. She also will have two areas where
she will specialize in her ministry with us. One area of specialization will be
in youth ministry, where Kara already has, as a volunteer, a great beginning. We
will be searching for a second area of specialization. She will work 10 hours a
week for the church.
With Kara, we now have a three-person ministry team
with Stephen Jones, Shari Nelson-Faulkner, and Kara. We also have a three-person
staff worship ministry team with Stephen, Brad and Marilyn Short. This promises
to be a very strong year together for our staff.
It’s Good to Have Debbie Back!
Our office was ably staffed by Paula Rardin during
the summer, and likely no one celebrated Debbie
Albu’s return on August 21 more than Paula,
especially since she started teaching a class at St Charles Community College
the same day. Debbie returned from a relaxing summer time with Darrell’s family
in Minnesota. We are delighted to have her back. Her hours continue to be 9 a.m.
– 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Sermons Are a Ministry!
You hear sermons in worship every Sunday at Second Baptist Church. But now
there are two new ways of expanding the impact of sermons, both for your own
reflection, but also for sharing with others. All sermon texts at Second Baptist
Church now appear on our Second Baptist website,
www.2ndbc.org by Monday evening after the sermon has been preached. And
secondly, sermon booklets will be available by the coming Sunday in the church
lobby. These booklets can easily be shared with others. As you listen to a
sermon, ask yourself, “Who do I know that might be helped by this sermon?” And
then decide how you can share the booklet with that person. In this way, we
expand the impact of the sermon with our neighbors, friends and loved ones. If
we ever run out of a sermon booklet, just let Debbie know in the office and we
can print additional copies. As we expand our website, we hope to be able to add
audio so that you can also hear the sermons preached at SBC!
Getting the Word Out!
We are working on a publicity strategy for the
fall to launch this special season in our church’s life, Gateway to New
Beginnings. A full column article appeared on page A27 of the August 25
St. Louis Post-Dispatch announcing the start of Stephen Jones’ ministry
and the upcoming special anniversaries of our church in 2008 (175th
of Second Baptist and 190th of The Baptist Church of St.
Louis). Soon, a new logo for the fall, Gateway to New Beginnings, will be
ready for use. New vinyl signs will appear in our yard on Clayton and McKnight
Roads. And consideration is underway of a major ad in the Post-Dispatch
announcing the uniqueness of our church and our mission in St. Louis. On Launch
Sunday, we will be considering some new visions that could be associated with
A Year of Anniversaries in 2008.
American Baptist Women’s Ministry Resumes
ABWMinistries will meet at the church on
Tuesday, September 4, at 10 a.m., to go to Third Baptist and hear Debra Mulneix,
a missionary to India. Lunch is provided at no charge. Call Mildred Shelton for
more information.
Calling all Red Hattitudes
All women of the church are invited to join the Red Hattitudes at the Missouri
History Museum in Forest Park on Saturday, September 8, at 11:00 a.m. Note
that this is a change in date from the announcement in church on Sunday.
We’ll view the exhibit, "unCommon Threads: Stories of Missouri Brides," which
explores 19th and 20th century fashion and matrimonial customs. Then comes lunch
at Meriwether's, the museum’s restaurant, with great food and a spectacular view
of Forest Park. Please call Linda Marks at 636-527-3082 or the church office for
reservations.
Women over 50, don’t forget your red hats!
Under-50’s wear pink hats. Or just come without a hat if you’d rather.
Book Group Resumes September 10
The Second Baptist Book Group will
resume its monthly meetings on Monday, September 10, at 2 p.m. in the Community
Room. The first book for the 2007-08 year will be A Thousand Splendid Suns,
by Khaled Hosseini, author of the popular novel The KiteRunner.
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).
All-Church Day at the Missouri
Botanical Garden
Everyone is invited to spend a day at the Missouri Botanical Garden with your
Second Baptist church family on Saturday, September 29. We’ll meet in the
upstairs lobby of the entrance building at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $4 per
person. Please sign up in the narthex if you’d like to go.
One of the current exhibits, “Chapungu: Nature,
Man, and Myth” is an extraordinary collection of 23 contemporary African stone
carvings of people, animals and creatures of legend by the Shona artists of
Zimbabwe. Sculptures represent a traditional African family’s attitude and close
bond to nature and the environment, and the myths and legends that enrich the
Shona culture. Other options are the Japanese Garden, the rose gardens, and on
and on.
We’ll have lunch at the Sassafras Café. If you’d
like to tour the Tower Grove House at 1:30, please note that on the sign-up
sheet. Admission is free, but reservations are required, and Linda Marks will
make them for everybody who signs up for the House tour.
A special treat for the kids is the Children’s
Garden, where you can climb into a tree house, explore a
cave, pilot a steamboat, visit a mid-19th century pioneer village, or discover
an Osage camp. The cost for children ages 3 -12 is $3. Adults are free. All
children must be accompanied by an adult.
We’ll be dividing up at least some of the time by
people’s interests. Bring your cell phone and your church directory for easy
re-connecting!
From the Pastor
As I begin as your pastor, I want to share some
general insights about my pastoral style:
 | I am available to you at
points of need and celebration in your life. I cannot do
this unless you share those moments with me. If you know
that you are going into the hospital, if you know that a celebrative moment
approaches, don’t assume I know: tell me.
|
| Be careful telling me
important things in a long line as you leave the church.
If you’re going into surgery, write it down on a slip of paper and give it to
me as you tell me. |
| Tell me about the needs
of others. For starters, I keep a personal prayer list and
I believe in prayer. But also, if you know that someone is
going through a tough patch, and may be reluctant to tell me, let me know.
This isn’t gossip and I won’t betray your confidence.
But I will find some opportunity to come alongside that person and
offer my availability. |
| I won’t betray your
confidences. Please tell me when something is confidential.
For example, I’ve had people tell me that they are going into the
hospital and later I’d discover the person didn’t want anyone to know.
So, let me know what you want kept confidential. |
| I am not the church’s
therapist. That means that while I will begin with you as
you work on your issues, it isn’t healthy for me to see you in therapy. I’m
available always to talk, to support you in short-term issues and to stay
connected while you see a professional. |
| Please never say, “I
won’t bother Steve with this,” or “He’s too busy to be concerned about me.”
It isn’t true. If something worries or concerns
you, I care. |
| When you share a concern
about SBC with me, don’t assume that is tantamount to “things going your way.”
There are lots of opinions and responses in this congregation.
The hymn you deeply dislike may be someone else’s favorite.
We’re trying to build “a big tent.” |
| I am on call 24/7.
That doesn’t mean that I welcome
3:00 a.m. calls, but if you have a
special emergency, wake me up. I’ll meet you at the
emergency room, or come to you and we’ll face a crisis together.
If I can’t be available at that specific moment, you can rest assured I
will come as soon as humanly possible. |
| I enjoy hugging people
and find appropriate human touch to be healing. I
understand some people don’t enjoy hugging. Just extend
your hand toward me in a handshake. |
| I maintain a file in my
office labeled, “Confidential.” I will keep any personal
document you want me to have. Often people have requests
around death, or living wills, or next of kin contact, or something to be read
at a memorial service. Just share it with me. |
| I will take every day of
vacation allotted me. On most weeks, I will take a weekday
off, but always one day off. Right now, I’m not sure what
day that will be. Jan and I are fairly disciplined about
good exercise. Self-care is important to me.
|
| I will make friends in
the congregation. I won’t maintain an “inner circle” and I
will try to develop friendships with everyone. There are
lots of different kinds of friends, but we have no desire to keep our
distance. We both love people and enjoy sharing
friendships. |
| I never expect you to
agree with me. I expect you to take me seriously.
I love lively discussion and honest difference of opinion.
Just allow me the right to my perspective. In the
pulpit, you can rest assured that what I say has been tested in prayer,
spiritual discernment and study. Please don’t expect me to
be consistent. Consistency is over-rated. I’m not
developing a systematic theology. I’m learning how to be
human and faithful and trying to find ways to speak to your humanity and your
relationship with God. |
| I’m an “ideas person.”
I share lots of ideas. Some are good; some aren’t.
I don’t expect them all to be accepted. I love the
give and take of shaping ideas communally. |
| I keep my own schedule.
Chances are whenever you see me I will have my appointment book and we
can schedule a time to be together. And, I’ll look forward
to it! |
