Excerpts from The New Outlook
Mid February 2008

Kim Massie Concert at Second Baptist This Sunday
Celebrated St. Louis Jazz/Blues/Gospel vocalist Kim Massie will perform a concert with the Kim Massie Band in Second Baptist’s Sanctuary of the Beatitudes on Sunday, February 17, at 6:00 p.m. There are no tickets and no entrance charge. 

Her performance at the church is part of our 175^th Anniversary celebration. In addition, February 17 is the 190^th anniversary of the founding of the original “Baptist Church of St. Louis,” which began in 1818 and was the forerunner of Second Baptist. As February is Black History Month, it is a fitting opportunity to celebrate this early inter-racial St. Louis congregation made up of European and African Americans, slaves and free. It was this congregation that defied St. Louis law and began the first Sunday School and the first day school for African Americans in the Missouri Territory. At the intermission the important story of this early inter-racial congregation will be told.

A free-will offering will be taken. After meeting the concert expenses, the remainder of the offering will be contributed to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial under development in Washington D.C.

Two Fellowship and Study Opportunities during Lent
Two opportunities got underway last week, and each will meet four more times. Come and join us!

Sunday Evening Lenten Group
Based on the book Out of Solitude: Meditations on the Christian Life, by Henri Nouwen
Led by Stephen Jones
Soup, Bread, Dialogue and Prayer
5 – 7 p.m. February 24 – March 16 in the Community Room   
This insightful little book explores the balance needed between solitude, compassion, and expectation.

Lenten Bible Study: Great Stories of Heroism and Sacrifice in the Bible
Led by Stephen Jones
Thursday mornings, February 21 – March 13, at 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in the Community Room       
Come any Thursday you are available. This Lenten Bible study will focus upon selected biblical texts that involve heroism and sacrifice.

The Tuesday Koinonia Group will be postponed until a later time.

Get Your Act Together!
It’s time to start practicing! Our annual talent show will be held this year on Saturday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. This is a great time to share your talent, whether it be playing an instrument, dancing, singing, story telling, poetry, comedy, or any other talents you have. A sign-up sheet is in the narthex.

Please bring a dessert to share. The cost is $3 per person. All proceeds go to the youth for camp.

Performers always like a good audience, so please come and cheer them on. You’ll enjoy a fun, lighted-hearted evening and be surprised at what your fellow church members can do!

Attention all singers!

Our church is planning to present John Ritter’s Requiem at this year's Good Friday service, March 21. We need a larger-than-usual choir in order to pull this off successfully, so we are inviting people who do not normally sing with our choir to join us for this event. Requiem is approximately 40 minutes long and consists of seven individual pieces. It is an achingly lovely work, and very appropriate for the season. It features a soprano soloist and will be accompanied by organ and up to six additional instruments: flute, oboe, harp, cello, tympani, and glockenspiel. 

With one exception, we won't be rehearsing this at all during our regular Wednesday night choir practices. The Requiem rehearsals will be three Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. - 12 noon on March 1, March 8, and March 15. The one Wednesday night practice will be March 19 from 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. (when we will be joined by our soprano soloist and some of our instrumentalists). The final practice will be Friday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. with everyone, and then we will perform it later that night during the service at 8 p.m.

We would love to have you come sing with us. If you have friends who sing but don't attend our church, please invite them to come sing with us, too. This should be a wonderful event for both singers and listeners alike!

- Brad and Marilyn Short

Series "What Can We Learn from Quakers?" Continues
Our series on “What Can We Learn from the Quakers?” began last Sunday and will continue for 4 more weeks. Led by Mary Shepardson, it meets in Fellowship Hall at 9:15 a.m.

The Quakers have an outstanding record of balancing attention to their spiritual lives and responding to the needs of the world. Join us as we look at some of their writings. You can find an abridged version of an essay we will be discussing this Sunday at http://www.adishakti.org/_/light_within.htm.

Lenten Worship Theme: “STONES OF FAITH”
“The Stone, rejected, has become the Cornerstone.”
I Peter 2:7; Psalm 118:22; Luke 20:17
Stephen Jones, preaching

Second Sunday of Lent, February 17: “Stones in the Wilderness”
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness invited him to an extravagant display of power. “Command this stone to become a loaf of bread” Luke 4:3ff. 

Third Sunday of Lent, February 24: “Stones in Prayer”
“Is there any among you who, if his child asks for bread, would give him instead a stone?”  Matthew 7:7-12; Luke 11:1-13

Jan Jones Shares Highlights of Baptist Group Founded by Presidents Carter and Clinton
Steve and I attended the New Baptist Covenant Meeting in Atlanta from January 30 – February 1.  In the program booklet, the covenant states:

“We Baptists of North America covenant together to:

 It was an interracial gathering of moderate and progressive Baptists from Canadian Baptist denominations, the Baptist World Alliance, the American Baptists, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Alliance of Baptists, the four major African American Baptist denominations, four moderate Southern Baptist state conventions, and other smaller groups.

The speakers were inspiring. They included former President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Tony Campolo, Marian Wright Edelman (Children’s Defense Fund), Rev. Dr. Charles Adams, former President Bill Clinton, and author John Grisham.  I was inspired by former Surgeon General David Satcher, the pastor of the Baptist church in Gaza City, and by former Vice President Al Gore’s address on global warming.  Former President Carter was very accessible throughout the meetings. I sat one row behind him in a workshop on criminal justice reform.

One of the key questions was, “Is this a Moment or a Movement?” Will progressive and cooperative Baptists find ways to do mission collaboratively, or will we continue to go our own ways? President Carter stated that Baptists are perhaps known more than any other Christian group for our internal divisions. On the final day, new collaborative efforts were announced in a “Summer of Jubilee,” in which Baptists across North America will be urged to use this summer to engage in ministry at the borderlands between the US and Mexico, working with immigrant populations in the city, and ministry along the Gulf Coast. Baptist churches are urged to work together in ministry to prison populations, to children and youth at risk, and environmental action. Over 400 attended a Saturday morning American Baptist breakfast.

I urge you to visit their website, listen to the inspiring speeches and help this new movement among Baptists: www.newbaptistcovenant.org  I have left a program booklet and Summer Action Sheet in the narthex.
Jan Jones

Second’s Kids To Buy a Water Buffalo!
The children of Second Baptist want to buy a water buffalo! For the second year in a row, the children's classes will be bringing in their own money to support the work of Heifer International, an organization which serves impoverished people worldwide. Heifer gives animals to poor families and teaches them to care for the animals in an environmentally responsible way. The families use the animals to improve their own nutrition and to generate income that can enable them to send their children to school and make their lives better. Then these recipients pass on the firstborn of their animals to other needy families.

Since a water buffalo costs $250, the children are asking for your help. During the six weeks of Lent, there will be a decorated jar in the narthex into which you are invited to put your loose change and stray dollar bills. Check out the banner outside the classrooms to see how we’re doing toward our goal. Thanks for your help!

Harris-Stowe University Choir Concert at Second March 30
As a part of our 175^th anniversary celebration, the Harris-Stowe University Choir will present a concert at Second Baptist on Sunday, March 30, at 5:00 p.m. The Choir will perform Hurrah for Hollywood, a group of show tunes, the Choral Finale to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and selected spirituals.

This concert is in memory of and tribute to Dr. John Whitney, former president of Harris College, and Dr. John Ervin, former dean of Stowe College, both of whom served as presidents of Second Baptist Church.

Kits Needed for Disaster Relief
Church World Service, an ecumenical organization that provides relief in times of natural disasters, violence or grinding poverty, is asking us to prepare kits for people in need. Lists of what needs to be included in each kit and samples of each kind are on the table in the narthex. If you can help, please purchase the items on one or more of the lists and pack them according to the directions provided. A small fee of $2 per kit is needed for CWS to process and ship the needed items to their final destination. Please bring your kits back to the church office by February 20. Make your processing check to Second Baptist with a memo “For CWS kits.” The youth are helping with the hygiene kits. Thank you and God bless you for helping others in need.
Mildred Shelton     

Red Hats Meet for Lunch
The Red Hattitudes of Second Baptist will meet at the church at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 23, and go to Josephine’s Tea Room in Godfrey, Illinois, for lunch at noon. All the customers who reviewed Josephine’s on the web gave it 5 stars for great atmosphere, excellent food, friendly service and unique gifts.

The tradition is for ladies over 50 to wear a red hat and those under 50 wear a pink one. But all women are welcome, with or without a hat. Please let Linda Marks know if you are coming so she can make reservations.

Second Offers Language Assistance to Burmese Refugees
The Burma Refugee Mission Group of our church continues to gather each Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m. at New City Fellowship Church at 3502 Grace Avenue at Potomac.  Karen and Chin refugees who live in the neighborhood come to this church for assistance by volunteers from a wide range of churches. Volunteers break into small groups with the refugees and engage in conversation to help them with their English language skills. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Directions: Turn west off Grand Avenue (just north of Gravois) onto Potomac (at Taco Bell). Enter on the Potomac side and go to the second floor.

If you would like to donate winter clothing, warm blankets, school supplies, coloring books, children’s story books, musical instruments, computers, adult bicycles, toiletry items, electric space heaters, and used cars, let someone on our Burma Refugee team know. You can give it to them at church and they can deliver them next Saturday.

Want To Help?
John Mason Peck. . . A Walk in the Woods
Pat Justis is chairing a meeting of anyone interested in exploring the vision of a “walk” through our church campus telling the story of John Mason Peck through some form of sculpture or artistic expression. The group will meet this Saturday, February 16, at 9:00 a.m. in the Community Room.

Jazz and Blues Vespers
Anyone interested in participating in a group to explore launching a jazz/blues vespers at our church will meet together on Sunday, March 2, at noon in the Community Room.

Area 5 Annual Gathering of American Baptists of Missouri
First Baptist Church, Kansas City, MO, Saturday, March 8
Adults $10, Children $5 (younger children free)
Get forms in the church office.

There is a special program for youth: “Triple M: Mission, Meal and MegaFun Day!  (Mission at Bethel Neighborhood Center); Meal at Bethel and Mega-Fun Scavenger Hunt at Oak Park Mall. There are seven “Lunch and Learn” workshops for adults.

We hope for a delegation of all ages from Second Baptist Church at this gathering of Missouri American Baptists! Talk with Stephen Jones for more details.

Check Out This Website
Check out this new website: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith  This is a new interactive website by these two national news organizations and right now it features a front-page article by Brent Walker, director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty. He insightfully addresses the role of religion in presidential campaigns.

Dream Accomplished: Two New Yahama Pianos! 
We now have a major gift to purchase the second 7’6” polished ebony Yamaha piano for the front chancel of the church. Other families and individuals made special donations to make the purchase of this exceptional instrument possible. We give thanks for the major donor and those who made special contributions toward the purchase of this piano. We give thanks to Brad and Marilyn  Short for their leadership in this effort. The piano arrived at our church on Tuesday, and the shorter piano that has been on the sanctuary floor has now been relocated to the choir loft. We hope the chancel piano can be used by piano teachers offering recitals for their students, for special piano concerts, and for jazz and blues concerts in the future. With the near-perfect acoustics of the Sanctuary of the Beatitudes, and this wonderful concert-quality piano, we have a new resource for ministry and outreach!

Holy Week Schedule
Maundy Thursday Agape Meal and Service of Darkness 
March 20, 6:00 p.m.
Finger food potluck, no reservations necessary

Good Friday Concert and Service
March 21, 8 p.m.
Our choir will perform John Rutter’s Requiem

Easter Sunrise Service
March 23, 7:30 a.m.
In the rose garden
Followed by breakfast
Easter egg hunt after the worship service 

From the Pastor
Visions Coming into Reality
When I arrived in St. Louis and began as your pastor, you made it clear that you were ready to envision new possibilities for our church. Some new visions had stirred from my interaction with the pastoral search committee and more emerged from the congregation. We entered into a season of envisioning. Yet, I also heard, “We’ve dreamed before, but very little seems to change.” Well, I am pleased to remind you that new visions are coming into reality all around us!

One tangible sign is the dream of having two new pianos. They are now both in our sanctuary thanks to one major donor family and several others who made special gifts.  Dream accomplished.

Another tangible sign is the new Strategic Plan for a Welcoming Congregation. Nearly 18 recommendations have been implemented or are well on their way. The relocation of the Coffee Fellowship Time, the new worship registration pads, the Welcome Center, the new exterior building entrance lighting, and the first Inquirers’ Gathering are signs of this vision coming into reality.

The new Second Baptist Church website is coming to reality. We announced in our last issue that we have a new website coordinator, a new technical support contractor, and a new and expanding website design. There’s more to come: www.2ndbc.org

The 175^th Anniversary launch in January will continue throughout the year. One highlight will be our celebration this Sunday of the 190^th anniversary of the founding of the original Baptist church of St. Louis with the Kim Massie concert. It is part of our celebration of Black History Month. The Lay Leader Display in the narthex will feature John Ervin.

We have a task force now working on a new monthly jazz and blues vespers, another working on a possible artistic exhibit in our church yard on the life of John Mason Peck, and another proposing new light and banner poles along our Clayton Road lane.

Our Burma Refugee Mission Group has finally found an open door to assist Karen and Chin refugees in St. Louis. We hope to participate with new volunteers in the St. Louis Habitat for Humanity this spring and  summer. After Easter, we will prayerfully discern whether to become a partner congregation with the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America.

More could be added, but it should be obvious that we are dreaming new dreams at Second Baptist Church and actively bringing them into reality. Most of our members have been creatively involved.  God is surely working through us in this exciting first year together. I am grateful to God to be in the midst of this new work with you.
– Stephen Jones

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sun     8:45 a.m.      Adult Choir Rehearsal in Sanctuary 
          9:15 a.m.      Classes for Children, youth and adults
         10:30 a.m.     Worship in the Sanctuary                                                                  
         11:30 a.m.     Coffee Fellowship
Mon   7:00 p.m.       Obsessive-Compulsive Group in Community Room                    
Tue    1st and 3rd    10:00 am, American Baptist Women's Ministries
         6:30 pm         Adult Children of Alcoholics in Community Room
Wed   7:00 p.m.      Choir Rehearsal

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES                    
Feb  17     Kim Massie in Concert, 6:00 pm, Second Baptist Church
Feb 23      Red Hat Lunch, Josephine's, Godfrey, IL, 12:30 p.m.; Meet at church at 11:30
Feb 25      Prostate Cancer Support Group, 7:00 p.m.
Mar 01     Talent Show
Mar 08     Area 5 Annual Gathering
Mar 20     Maundy Thursday Agape Meal and Service of Darkness, 6:00 p.m.
Mar 21     Good Friday Requiem Concert, 8:00 p.m.
Mar 23     Easter: Sunrise Service, 7:30 a.m., Breakfast, Sunday School, 9:15 a.m., Worship 10:30 a.m., Easter Egg Hunt
Mar 30     Harris-Stowe University Choir Concert, 5 p.m.

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