Excerpts from The New Outlook

Mid September 2007

Peaceteacher and Bible Study Classes Begin Next Sunday
Beginning Sunday, September 16, at 9:15 a.m., there will be two new study opportunities for adults.

Peaceteacher, Jesus’ Way of Shalom, will be led by Stephen Jones from September 16 through October 14 in Fellowship Hall. By examining the four chapters in Jesus’ life as a peaceteacher, the class will explore the nature of shalom and how to speak in our day of Jesus’ central teaching of the Kingdom of God. 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. This class is based on Stephen’s latest book by the same name. You can purchase it at the church, but it won’t be necessary for these study sessions.

The Bible Study Class , led by Bill Gurley, will focus on the book of Genesis, exploring the two creation stories. One of them gives humans dominion over the earth, and the other tells them to be stewards of the earth. How do those roles fit together?  Meets in the Community Room.

The “Pull Up a Chair” class will take a break until after the first of next year so they can participate in the other classes.

Note the new Sunday morning schedule:
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 narthex
10:30 a.m. The congregation worships in the Sanctuary
11:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship

Fall Sermon Series: Gateway to New Beginnings
On Sunday, September 9, Dr. Stephen Jones began the fall series, “Gateway to New Beginnings” with the sermon “Like a Good Book, Life Has Chapters.”  If you missed it, you can get a copy on the table in the narthex or go to our website, www.2ndbc.org, and click on “Sermons,” then “September 9.”

Here’s what’s coming up:
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
Engraved Bibles will be presented to our 5^th graders during the worship service.

Sept. 23: Visions and Beginnings
Beginnings occur when we have a vision of how the future can be. Visions are critical to new beginnings. God speaks to us through new visions that seem to “come to us” from above.
            Text: John 1:29-36, Luke 7:18-23

Sept. 30: Risks and Beginnings
There are no beginnings without risks. We are called to take the risks that bring God’s New Beginning into reality.
            Text: Luke 9:57-10:9

Launch Sunday
We got off to a great start! Pastor Stephen Jones led the youth and adults in an envisioning session in which he presented 17 ideas of things we might do as a church, and we were given 5 stickers to put on our top 5 ideas. See the article below and "From the Pastor" for details.

Our kids and their teachers are excited about a new year of learning together.

Comparing the Visions of the Church Council with the Congregation
At the envisioning session with the Church Council on August 18, it was decided to engage the congregation in the same process on Launch Sunday morning. Out of the council’s discussion, several visions were changed and two new visions were added. So, the highest single vote of the Council was to launch an introductory theme this fall, “Gateway to New Beginnings.” By the time of Launch Sunday, this theme had already been introduced. Thus, it wasn’t included in the visions placed before the congregation.  The visions are placed in the order of the most votes to the least.

CONGREGATION                                               COUNCIL

John Mason Peck…Walk in Woods                     Strategic Plan for Visitors

St. Louis Jazz Vespers                                     John Mason Peck…Walk in Woods

Expand website                                                Expand website

Strategic Plan for Visitors                                 St. Louis Jazz Vespers

Join Baptist Peace Fellowship                          Join Baptist Peace Fellowship

Classical Music Concerts on “Green”                    Join Churches Supporting Churches

Sponsor Karen (Burmese) refugees

Baptist Liberty Hallway

Build Habitat for Humanity House

Join Churches Supporting Churches

What is fascinating is that out of 18 choices before the two groups, the top five choices were the same, in slightly differing order.  This tells us that, without consultation, there is consensus within the membership and its leaders as to the direction we want to move.  This consensus is a strong foundation upon which to build.

Looking for That Perfect Tagline
The advertising and marketing world creates taglines that easily describe their product.  For many years, fundamentalist churches have used such words as “Bible-believing,” “Fundamentalist,” and “Soul-Winning” to easily describe their identity to the public.  Here’s one idea that received a lot of conversation at Sunday’s envisioning session:

Second Baptist Church of (Greater) St. Louis
Progressive Baptists since 1833

 How do you feel about what this communicates? It directly addresses the stereotypes people have of Baptists.  It’s like saying, “Argumentative Quakers.” The two words don’t fit together. In our case, this isn’t a new stance. We’ve been progressive Baptists since 1833. That might help our hearers realize that we aren’t following some fad and we’re not talking superficials. It’s in our communal genes. We’re open to other ideas as we try to present ourselves to the public. Let us know your thoughts.

We’re also asking the question about the use of “Greater” in our advertised name. What does it gain us? We aren’t actually the Second Baptist Church of Greater St. Louis because several county churches are older. First Congregational Church of St. Louis and First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis also used to be located in the city and don’t use the “Greater” title. What do we want to communicate and is this extra word helpful? We’d welcome your input.

Gateway to New Beginnings
We’ve begun a worship series by this title. And we’ve erected two large vinyl signs in our yard announcing this new theme. Did you see the seven new signs around Second Baptist Church on Sunday?

1. Two new vinyl “Gateway” signs
2. Two new lettered signs on our front door and office door
3. Two new street signs directing visitors to Sunday parking in the upper lot
4. Replaced hanging sign on McKnight Road with the new Sunday class times. 

Our thanks to Sign Designs, Ltd. on McKnight Road for their great service.

Middle School and Young Youth Groups Have Big Plans

The interdenominational Middle School youth group will have their first meeting of the school year at Second Baptist on Sunday, September 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. We will play games, eat hot dogs, and focus our minds on service. The kids will also be receiving information about the anti-poverty CROP walk in which the group hopes to participate on October 6. 

The 2nd annual middle-school lock-in is scheduled for November 16 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. at First Congregational United Church of  Christ. The theme hasn't been picked yet, but last year everyone had a blast playing Sardines and the Ultimate Game and discussing the Gospel According to the Simpsons, so the lock-in this year should be a treat not to be missed.

The dates for the Young Youth group (3rd to 5th grade) this semester are Sunday, September 30 at Glendale Presbyterian Church and Sunday, October 28 at Faith Des Peres, both from 5-7 p.m.  The October meeting will have a Halloween theme (perhaps with a trip to an actual graveyard!)

Shari Nelson-Faulkner

More about Children in Worship
The last New Outlook noted that the children of Second Baptist would be sharing in congregational worship for a longer time than previously. For the last year and a half the children have been participating in a children’s worship with many of the same elements as “adult” worship: singing, scripture reading, a short lesson, and prayer. 
 

Why the change?  Children need to worship God, just as adults do.  As Ivy Beckwith writes in Postmodern Children’s Ministry, worship is not “a show about God.” It is “something active people of faith give back to God because God is worth worshiping.” It is an essential part of a person’s spiritual formation. But this is more difficult to impress upon children when they are isolated from the rest of the congregation in a small, closely-knit group, especially one so widely spaced in age.  So one reason for the change is to put the “worshipfulness” back in worship for the children.

Worshiping with the rest of the congregation will also, hopefully, help the children learn the rhythms and rituals of worship while growing to see themselves as part of our community of faith.  It will once again encourage the older children to lead in worship by reading scripture and praying, and they and the younger children will see that they are not just receivers of faith, but doers also.
Shari Nelson-Faulkner

All-Church Day at the Missouri Botanical Garden
Saturday, Sept. 29 – Admission $4.
Meet in the Garden’s Lobby at 10:30 am
Sign up in the Narthex!
Fun and beauty for all ages! 

Special Exhibit of 23 African stone carvings from Zimbabwe
Classical Music and Dance: “Rhapsody in Bloom”
Lunch at the Sassafras Café
For a guided tour of Tower Grove House,
sign up for reservations in our narthex.

 We’re Going Green!
The church has secured a cleaning service, Herb ’N Maid, a “green” cleaning service that has already begun their weekly service to the church. Generally, they will clean on Wednesdays. The primary change is that this will require the rest of us to watch for building security, checking all doors when we leave the facility, and checking to make sure we don’t leave lights on in the building. There will be no one going around behind us to lock doors and turn off lights. The money we save by not employing a full-time custodian helps us expand our ministry and programs.

You can help with this environmentally friendly effort to clean the church by bringing old bath or dish towels or unbleached or cotton items to be used for cleaning rags. Please leave them in the office or by the church door. Also needed is someone to wash the rags weekly, ready for Wednesday cleaning. Please call the church office if you can help.

An Invitation to All Women  
The American Baptist Women’s Mission Group would like to invite the women of the church to the Fall Great Rivers Region Area V Rally on Saturday, September 22, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of East Alton, Illinois. If you would like to go to the conference and will need a ride, please contact Mildred Shelton before September 20th. 

Rev. Ron Wenzel and Sheila Goins from Arms of Love Pregnancy Resource Center will speak. Lunch will be served after the program, and then participants will choose workshops to attend. More information about the workshops will be on the church bulletin board.

The Resource Center has requested baby items for the center: Diapers (all sizes), formula, baby shampoo, baby powder, lotion, diaper ointments, cereal, onsies, crib sheets, pacifiers, baby wipes, receiving blankets, sleepers, and any other baby items that would benefit the clients of the center.  Please bring these items to the church narthex near the St. Patrick box before September 21^st. 
Carolyn Humphries

Around the Community
“Return to Little Rock: A Fiftieth Anniversary Memoir”
On Monday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m., at Ladue Chapel, Minnijean Brown Trickey will speak on her experience as one of nine African-American teenagers who attempted to enter Little Rock Central High School in September 1957 after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in the public schools was unconstitutional. They were met by an angry mob and the Arkansas National Guard, posted there by Governor Orval Faubus to prevent them from entering the school. Three weeks later the nine teens were escorted into the school by members of the 101^st Airborne Division, ordered there by President Eisenhower.

Minniejean Brown Trickey has spent her life fighting for the rights of minority groups and the disenfranchised. She will share her continuing experiences in the battle for freedom and equality in America.

Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church is located at 9450 Clayton Road. Parking is expected to be tight; if you’d like to meet at Second to carpool, contact Mary Shepardson at (314) 576-4037 or mary@shepardson.us.

Men's Breakfast
All men are invited to Men's Breakfast on Saturday, September 15, 7:30 am, at Second Baptist Church.

New Wedding Policies and Plans
We have completed a review of our church’s wedding policies and are now preparing a new wedding booklet to give to couples. Our pastor feels that opening the doors to couples outside our church is an excellent outreach. So, we now have a special mention about weddings at Second Baptist Church on our website.  We welcome Linda Marks as our new Wedding Coordinator. Linda will work with couples planning their weddings at Second Baptist.  

From the Pastor
ENVISIONING IS FUN…AND CRUCIAL!

Second Baptist Church seems poised to consider new visions. With two significant church anniversaries approaching in 2008 and a season of hope emerging, it is a great time for us to consider new visions. The responses to the envisioning by both the Council and the congregation were enthusiastic. For that, I am deeply grateful. This envisioning process is built upon the outcome of the church’s visions from last Fall.

In another article, you can see the amazing similarity between the visions selected by the Council and congregation. But, in this article, I want to focus upon the outcome of the congregation’s envisioning, and the next steps. I stressed with both groups that we weren’t in a business session. We aren’t yet making decisions. But we are trying to “think big” and discover new directions.

Here are the visions selected by the congregation in order of preference:

1. John Mason Peck…a Walk in the Woods.  Second Baptist Church “keeps the spirit of John Mason Peck alive in St. Louis.” The idea is to use our six acres to create a “walk in the woods.” Peck spent much of his time in the wilderness on horseback traveling to remote outposts. Our dream is to create a set of two-dimensional relief sculptures on our grounds that depict Peck’s role in the emancipation of African Americans, advocacy for education of children, as a man of letters, advocacy for clergy education, etc. The unveiling of each can be a public event and the grounds could be frequented by interested visitors.

2. St. Louis Jazz Vespers. As a birthplace of blues and ragtime and hot spot for jazz, we could launch a monthly concert series with a worship interlude and attract jazz enthusiasts from around St. Louis.

3. Expand the SBC Website…we need to employ a web engineer and designer to take our website to “the next level of sophistication.”

4. Develop a Strategic Plan to Reach and Welcome Visitors…to include a staffed “Welcome Center” in our narthex. Form a short-term task force to make recommendations.

5. Join the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America…building on our peacemaking heritage for over 100 years. We would be the only St. Louis area congregation to be a covenanting partner of BPFNA.

6. Monday Concerts on “The Second Green”…use our rose garden to have weekly summer classical music concerts for the community.

7. Sponsor a Karen (Burma) Refugee Family…There are 75 Karens who have resettled in St. Louis. The majority of Karens are Baptist. How could we identify and reach out to some of these individuals and families?

8. Baptist Liberty Hallways…Use 8 framed posters as a permanent exhibit in our building to interpret to others our historic Baptist liberties.

9. Build a Habitat for Humanity house in St. Louis alongside a family in need. 

10. Join “Churches Supporting Churches” in New Orleans…ask other ABC St. Louis churches if they would join us in sponsoring one African American Baptist church in New Orleans through this critical rebuilding phase.

This now goes to the Church Council. But if you are interested in any one of these dreams, please speak with Tim Keeney or me. We’d love to hear from you and it will help to know where people want to direct their energies. We hope to have these visions back before the congregation for further response soon! Full copies of the suggested visions are available in the Narthex. 
-- Stephen Jones

 WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sun   8:45 a.m.    Choir practice
        9:15 a.m.    Classes for all ages; nursery provided
      10:30 a.m.     Worship in the Sanctuary of the Beatitudes       
      11:30 a.m.    Coffee Fellowship
Mon   7:00 p.m.    Obsessive-Compulsive Group in Community Room
Tue    6:30 p.m.    Adult Children of Alcoholics in Community Room
       
 
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES                                                          
Sep 15    Men's Breakfast, Second Baptist, 7:30 a.m.
Sep 16    Bible study class on Genesis and Peaceteacher adult series begin
              Middle School Youth Group, Second Baptist, 5:00 p.m.
Sep 17    "Return to Little Rock," Ladue Chapel, 7:30 p.m.
Sep 22    ABWMinistries Rally, East Alton Baptist Church, 9:30 a.m. 
Sep 29    All-Church Day at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, Meet there at 10:30 a.m.
 

9030 Clayton Road (at McKnight Road, 3/10 mile west of the Galleria)    St. Louis, MO 63117     (314) 991-3424