Sunday
August 13th:
Pentecost 10 St. Andrew’s United Church 6036 Coburg Road Worship - 10:30 am Sunday
August 20th:
Pentecost 11 St. Andrew’s United Church 6036 Coburg Road Worship - 10:30 am Sunday
August 27th:
Pentecost 12 St. Andrew’s United Church 6036 Coburg Road Worship - 10:30 am
August 28th
to September 2nd South Stairwell will be closed for major maintenance
Future Dates to Note Sunday September 24th
190th Anniversary First Baptist Church
Sunday
September 24th FBC Choir of the Ages Under Direction of Maestro Bernhard Gueller
Friday
October 13th Harvest Supper
Saturday
November 4th Annual Tea & Sale
And now we want to praise You again for Your servant, Rev. Lynn.
We thank You for her response to Your call to her to come and help us during this time of transition. For her sensitivity and compassion, for her rightly handling of Your truth, her inspirational messages of empathy and empowerment that have been both relevant to our times and relational to our minds and hearts; for her leadership skills and guidance for “such a time as this”, we give You praise and glory. As she takes her leave of us we pray for her continued health and strength as well as further opportunities to serve You. Amen and Amen.
-Rev. Nelson Metcalfe
Reverend Lynn Uzans
Fondly known at FBC as Rev. Lynn
It has been such an honour and a privilege to work alongside Lynn for these past 19 months. When she came in January 2016, she immediately jumped right in, getting to know the congregation and have us start answering questions of where God is calling us. Her grounded spirituality was so evident in all she did, both in the pulpit, around the ta-
ble, over a cup of tea or hallway conversations. Rev. Lynn has helped to foster a sense of deeper community within our church and the greater Halifax area. We will truly miss her gentle guidance, sense of humor and contagious faith. May God continue to guide you, Lynn, in all your future ministry. First Baptist is so grateful. Rev. Jenny Drewitz
Jean Ferguson
MEMBER
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Jean Ferguson first started attending First Baptist when she was very young with her family. She has always felt at home at First Baptist. This year she took on the task of Church Clerk and is enjoying spending time in the archives. She is a graduate from Saint Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce and Human Resource Certificate. Jean is currently working at Bayers Road Baptist Church. In her spare time she enjoys cross stitching and British TV.
Mary began her work with us on June 19th. Known for her strong work ethic, superb people and organizational skills, and ‘can do’ attitude, Mary comes with over twenty years of varied work experience in roles encompassing customer service and finance and administration. With a post secondary diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management, experience as a Hotel Manager and Controller for the Sheraton Halifax Hotel and, more recently, as the Finance and Evening Operations Manager for Ambassatours Gray Line in Halifax, Mary has demonstrated deep abilities in organizational tasks, preparing documents, bookkeeping, project management, and customer service. Mary also has strengths in information technology, having maintained computer equipment for the Sheraton Inn Fredericton in its early years, and she now maintains the web presence for the Hotel Association of Nova Scotia (HANS). Mary is looking forward to this new opportunity to draw upon her past experience and apply her skills in our office administrator role. For the summer months, Mary will continue to work from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please feel free to stop in to say “hello” and personally welcome Mary!
BAPTIZED
Jeiel Ugbebor
Jeiel Odein Chidinma Ugbebor was born on May 2, 2004 to Bennett and Rita Ugbebor in Nigeria. She has 2 other siblings namely Jaaziel (brother 17) and Jesimiel (sister 16). She attends the Gorsebrook Junior High School. Jeiel desires to pursue a profession in the medical line, but not sure which as of now. She loves it here in Halifax. She is nicked named Papula by her mom.
The answer to the "how many keys does our new piano have?" is 89. As seen in this photo, the additional key is to lock the cover.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HALIFAX
HARVEST SUPPER & SILENT AUCTION
Friday October 13, 2017 at 5:30 pm SILENT AUCTION WITH A TWIST!!
We kindly request donations… Do you have a special gift? Do you like to cook (a favorite cake or pie); entertain a small group; knit, sew, or hand craft something fun? What about working in the garden; taking a small group for a sail; or doing odd jobs for a friend? Are you a photographer who would consider a family shoot; or an artist with a flair for colour? OR, Do you have a little collectible, a hand-knit item, or perhaps a special item for re-gifting?
August 13th: Pentecost 10 St. Andrew’s United Church 6036 Coburg Road Worship - 10:30 am August 20th: Pentecost 11 St. Andrew’s United Church 6036 Coburg Road Worship - 10:30 am August 27th: Pentecost 12 St. Andrew’s United Church 6036 Coburg Road Worship - 10:30 am
There are so many gifts that we know others are bound to enjoy. Questions? Contact Dianne, Donna, or Peggy Talk to us, we would love to hear from you. Donna Darrell moreend@eastlink.ca tel 902 422 7884 Peggy Dunbar peggydunbar@eastlink.ca tel 902 477 3891 Dianne Kokesh d.kokesh@bellaliant.net Donations to the Harvest Supper are in support of a community organization TBA
Each congregation will worship in their respective communities beginning the Labour Day weekend, September 3rd.
Our New Senior Minister By the time you read this edition of Voices, our new Senior Minister and his family will have arrived to begin their new life at First Baptist, Halifax. Since the joyful news of the congregation’s call on June 11th, Rusty, Jenny and Addison have been busy telling family and friends; breaking the news to the Congregation of University Baptist in Hattiesburg; sorting and cleaning and selling and sharing and packing and ..... it all sounds exhausting but Rusty and Jenny have said many times how excited they are to be making the move. Their plan is to leave Mississippi about August 1st and to cross the border in St. Stephens as new Canadians over the Natal Day weekend. In the week to follow, Rusty, Jenny and Addison will be settling in and handling all the paperwork that comes with not only a move but also a move to a new country - oh and celebrating Addison's 7th birthday on August 10th. Rusty's first day "in the office" will be August 14th and although we will be worshiping with St Andrews on August 20th and 27th, we will certainly have time and opportunity to bid them a personal welcome. When we return to our own sanctuary on September 3rd, Rusty will preach and we will begin the next stage of our congregational life under Rusty's leadership. On a later Sunday we will have a time to bid a formal welcome and to join together in fellowship following the worship service. To Rusty, Jenny and Addison - safe journeys and safe arrivals. We look forward to greeting you in person and to working together for the work of First Baptist Halifax. David Morse - Diaconate Chair
Sun Sep 24 Sat Sep 30 Sat Oct 28 Sun Nov 5 Sat Nov 25 Sun Dec 3 Sat Dec 16 Sun Dec 17
FBC Choir Alumnae Reunion. All MWJ invited to join. Rehearsal Rehearsal Remembrance Day Service Rehearsal Caritas Rehearsal with Senior Choir at 10am Carols by Candlelight.
For further information, contact our Director of Music, Lynette Wahlstrom. Remember: We call ourselves Men Without Jackets because God never said we needed to dress up to sing his praises. Men Without Jackets: David Mensink, Julian Summers, Peter Fillmore, Anthony Zadeh, Bryan Darrell, Mac Philips, Ian McKee, Jim Stanley, David Bourque, Alan Manchester, Erick Lee, Brian Ashton, Ken Margeson, Nelson Metcalfe, David Dexter, Paul Henderson, John Dalton, David Gibson, Garnet Colwell, Tom Crowell, Alan North, Jeremy Dutcher, Tony Marshall, Kim Davison, Ed Tummers, Dahrl Whitney, Richard MacMichael, Allen Cruess, Benjamin Shaw. Guest organists, Patrick Salah, Shawn Whynot
"We are excited to welcome our new CX7 Yamaha piano to FBC! It arrived from Doctor Piano on July 20th and has settled into our Sanctuary beautifully. The July 30th congregation worshipped with both the Organ and Piano in duo musical leadership, and we look forward to further Worship music in September. Sincere gratitude is expressed to all those who contributed to this music initiative in prayer, finances, and general enthusiasm.� — from the FBC Music Committee.
We are inviting everyone who has been in the Senior Choir to join us on our FBC 10:30 service, Sept. 24th, 2017, for a special 190th celebration focusing on music. Won't it be fun to see faces from our past, and sing together too! Our musical guest is Maestro Bernhard Gueller, from Symphony Nova Scotia.
I noticed a piece in the bulletin talking about the Camino Nova Scotia pilgrimage. I thought it would be something that I could do… walk from Mahone Bay to south end Halifax. After giving it a lot of thought I applied. I arrived in Mahone Bay and met the other pilgrims before starting a walk to Martins River on the rails to trails path. It was exciting and a bit daunting for this senior citizen. However, I was determined to complete the pilgrimage By Bev Smith and off I started. The first day’s walk was short and we arrived at the first church that agreed to billet us. This would be easy, or so I thought until the walk from Martins River to Chester which was longer but still not too bad. The third day was a real test of endurance as it was 27 kms from Chester to Hubbards through a remote trail. I was walking alone as I was slow this gave me the opportunity to meditate, pray and enjoy the beauty of the world our Lord provided for us. I saw beautiful butterflies, a very tiny toad, a snake that was sunning on the path, lady slippers and other pretty flowers and knew I was fortunate to live in such a wonderful country. We were billeted in churches along the way and slept in the sanctuaries. Every morning to start us off we had a time of worship in the sanctuary after packing our “stuff”. After a shared evening meal we ended the day with prayer. Part of the joy of the pilgrimage was the amazing people who had signed up for it. They were from Antigua, Alberta, PEI, Ontario and three of us from Nova Scotia. They were supportive and wonderful company. We bonded very quickly and they made great companions. I was grateful an Anglican church in Boutilier’s Point welcomed the Camino pilgrims and had coffee, tea and juice, treats and conversation it also provided a place to rest our tired feet. The times I walked with another pilgrim gave me a chance to hear their life story and feel their encouragement. I must mention our organizer and caretakers Nicole who organized and Kathy and Sheila. They all provided TLC, excellent meals, help with blisters, some showers, water along the way and a drive when needed along with keeping an eye on their tired charges. For me it can be summed up in participating in a wonderful religious experience, excellent fellowship, miserable blisters and tired feet. I couldn’t do it again but I am very glad I had the privilege to do it once and would recommend it to anyone who likes to walk and desires an experience which has some very wonderful moments that can’t help but be a devoutly reverent experience.
God’s Gift "This month, Lynette is studying with Dr. John Trotter at Berwick Choir Camp. Dr. Trotter is a specialist in “Sacred Choral Music" and can be heard in an interview at this link: https://m.youtube.com/ watch?v=G92133NyAFo
1967
Elsewhere in the world in 1967 . . . Fighting broke out along
the
border
between Syria and Israel leading to what became known as the Six Day War; In New York, almost half
a
million
protesters
marched
from Central Park to the United Nations to
protest
a
Mr. Archibald Thomas continued to transport children from the School for the Blind back and forth to the church each Sunday.
department store fire 323
people.
The fire was believed to have been started as a protest at the American goods sold in
the
store
and
against the Vietnam War; The Boeing 737 was tested on its maiden flight.
At the April meeting of the Intermediate Auxiliary, Mrs. Chesley Croft invited Mr. W. Durnin Liaison Officer for EXPO 67, to show slides of the construction of the site to a congregational meeting in the church hall. They replaced 100 hymnaries and dry-cleaned the Junior Choir gowns.
the
Brussels,
killed
The Auxiliaries enhanced the life of the church in many ways. Mrs. G.J. Colwell was the representative on the House Committee that cleaned and supervised the work within the entire church building. Two washable rugs were donated to the crèche. They sponsored the Tea and Sale, a Coffee Party and a Rummage Sale. They catered the Farewell Party for Rev. and Mrs. Kennedy, the annual general meeting and two Men’s Brotherhood suppers.
Dr. Earl Dexter led an initiative to meet with the various denominational senior high school teachers of the city, including the Catholic schools. Common problems and experiences were discussed with the hope that all participants would benefit from a free and open discussion.
Vietnam War; In
Auxiliaries: Under the capable leadership of Mrs. R.D. Evans and Mrs. C.M. Croft, the Auxiliaries helped with good causes in the community. They knitted 8 sweaters, 23 pairs of socks and 5 pairs of mittens for the Red Cross; made 67 calls to the sick and shut-ins; sent 58 birthday cards to veterans at Camp Hill; gave birthday gifts at Basinview Home. They were represented at Halifax Council of Women by Mrs. H.E. Read, Basinview Home by Mrs. H. W. Tingley, and the VG Hospital Auxiliary by Miss Mary Freeman. They donated money to Grenfell Missions, NS Federation for Alcohol Problems, NS Home for Coloured Children and the Basinview Auxiliary.
Support for churches in new communities. Beechville received $300; Spryfield $200, the Parsonage at Head of St. Margaret's Bay $200. The work at Africville, which was begun by the youth of the church under Rev. Dr. DeWolfe, came to an end. Those concerned took great credit in helping clear away one of the unfortunate places within the city. Connections with the people who used to live in Africville continued through Cornwallis Street Baptist Church. The Social Concern committee, led by L.T. Hancock, turned its attention to self education. The first issue addressed was the local housing problems. Mr. George Miller, the Manager of the NS Housing Commission was invited to educate the committee. Next, they invited Mr. R.J. McCleave, MP, Member of the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons on Divorce to lead a discussion on Canada’s divorce laws. Later, Mr. John Arnott, Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Nova Scotia, led a discussion on capital punishment. Other topics under consideration were International Adoptions and Abortion. The committee prepared statements on all of these issues to be shared with the congregation and the Atlantic Baptist Convention. The Harvey L. Denton Memorial Scholarship Fund contributed $800 annually to assist young men preparing at Acadia University for the Christian ministry. Continued on page 10
Continued from page 9 - 50 Years Ago
The Men’s Brotherhood was led by M.R.Nickerson who arranged four quarterly meetings for the year. Mr. L. Simms spoke about the Department of Manpower. Rev. Dr. Chalmers presented his views of South India. The men collected $257 for financial aid to a Christian Youth School in southern India. Rev C. Taylor spoke about the Institute for Pastoral Training and Mr. Ray March gave a presentation on the Future of the Port of Halifax. Charles Illsley and Dr. M. Foran took charge of the Annual Valentine’s Ladies Night with ninety in attendance. This event was a way of saying thanks to the ladies for preparing the quarterly dinners.
The Property Maintenance: will have the south stairwell out of service from August 28 – September 2nd, for the refinishing of the hardwood flooring, handrails, and stair treads. Alternative routes will be provided to those groups who use our building on a daily basis. Benevolent Funds: are very low right now. We are not in a position to take on any requests for assistance at this time. Donations to the fund would be gratefully received.
Church Office Closure/Vacation Schedule: Please note that the church office will be closed on the following days: Thursday. August 17th, Friday, August 18th, Monday August 21st, and Tuesday August 22nd.
This year’s summer connection partners have been reaching out each week by phone, email, text or in person to get to know each other on a deeper level. Some questions have been: Share a story about a time you saw God was present in someone very different than yourself. Or Where is your favourite place to connect with God during the week? Summer connection questions will run until the beginning of September. But don’t feel like you need to stop connecting then! One partnership from last year still get together. However we as a church can support it, I hope you know that there are people here to chat with and listen. Happy Connecting!
. . .was founded in 1827 as the Granville Street Baptist Church (renamed First Baptist Church in 1886) and is a member of the Halifax Region United Baptist Phone: 902-422-5203 Association as well as the Canadian Association for Baptist Email: office@fbchalifax.ca Freedoms (formerly the Atlantic Facebook.com/FirstBaptistHalifax Baptist Fellowship). We are intentionally ecumenical and Twitter: twitter.com/FBCHfx inclusive in our services (Sundays at 10:30 a.m.) and programs. We are an affirming church.
Rev. Jenny Drewitz
1300 Oxford Street Halifax, NS B3H 3Y8
connect
Photo by Warren Hoeg - June 2016