Connections-August-2017

AUGUST 2017 | www.fbcgso.org | 336.274.3286

first baptist church greensboro

p.4 Welcome Rev. Amy Grizzle Kane

New Associate Pastor: Missions

Emphasizing worship, spiritual development, fellowship, and ministry to our city and our world.

Servanthood‌ Being the hands and feet of Christ All of us can make a difference in someone’s life.

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www.fbcgso.org | 336.274.3286 1000 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro, NC 27401

September Connections Deadline: August 15 Email news to gloria@fbcgso.org or bring it to the church office.

Rosemary Kellam, Production Editor Operations Director rosemary@fbcgso.org / x225 Gloria Koster, Managing Editor/Designer Administrative Assistant: Learning gloria@fbcgso.org / x288 Steve Sumerel, Supervising Editor Associate Pastor: Adult Learning steves@fbcgso.org / x233 Teresa Allen, Media Library Director teresaa@fbcgso.org / x229

August 2017

3 Window Gazing

4-5 Connect with Missions

–Meet Amy Grizzle Kane, FBC’s New Associate Pastor: Missions & Community Ministry –Steps to Success Kindergarten Camp –Meet Kim & Marc Wyatt, CBF Field Personnel in NC

6-7 Connect through Service

–Supply Food to the Greensboro Urban Ministry Food Pantry –Deliver Mobile Meals | Donate to StepUp Ministry –Peanut Butter and Jelly Are Needed! | Grace Fellowship Meals

8-10 Reflections

–Snickerdoodles in Shreveport –Reflection on Worship in the Arts Camp –The Road to NYC: CBF Commissioning Service –Reflection on Vacation Bible School

11 Connect with Children

–Greensboro Grasshoppers Game | Summer Activity Photos

Connect with the Weekday School

Steve Cothran, Associate Pastor: Students and Family Life / stevec@fbcgso.org / x235

–The Weekday School Needs Volunteers

12 Gearing Up for a Journey to Downe

Jane Anne Hayber, Administrative Assistant: Music and Worship / janeanne@fbcgso.org / x239

13 Connect with Worship

Marty Kellam, Food Services Director marty@fbcgso.org / x245 Amy Kirkman, Weekday School Director amy@fbcgso.org / x240 Christina McCord, Minister to Children and Families christina@fbcgso.org / x241 Scott North, Church Administrator scott@fbcgso.org / x226 Steve Pressley, Associate Pastor stevep@fbcgso.org / x231 Larry Putnam, Financial Assistant larry@fbcgso.org / x222 Alan Sherouse, Senior Pastor pastor@fbcgso.org / x231 Courtney Stamey, Pastoral Resident courtney@fbcgso.org / x223 Tommy Starnes, Recreation Director tstarnes@triad.rr.com / x251 Doug Vancil, Associate Pastor: Music and Worship doug@fbcgso.org / x237 Terri Vancil, Assistant Pastor: Music and Worship terri@fbcgso.org / x238 2 | Connections

–Worship in the Arts Camp Photos –Tune into live streaming worship services on FBC’s website

13-14 Connect with Adults

–Oasis: FBC’s Summer Sunday School Option –New Books in FBC’s Main Library –Friends Day Luncheon –FBC Trips

15 Connect with College

16 Connect with Business

17 Connect with One Another

18 August Calendar

19 A Thousand Words…

20 Connect with Youth

–Welcoming College Student Visitors | “First Families” –College Birthdays | Wednesday Night Dinner –FBC’s Endowment Trust Fund –July Church Conference Summary | Financial Update –Promotion Sunday | Birthdays | Bereaved

–August Fun | Unidiversity Memories | Fall Middle School Retreat Office Hours: 9 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday Weekends and Holidays: If you have an emergency pastoral care need when the church offices are closed, please leave a message at 338-2438 and someone will return your call.

Window Gazing

By Alan Sherouse

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HE PRAYER OF OSCAR ROMERO” – a stirring prayer penned in 1979 – begins with the line, “It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.” This can be hard in church, especially in a busy summer with so many short views and immediate tasks, like VBS to run, new staff to welcome, youth camp to plan for, trips to take, and vacations to squeeze in. As a pastor friend of mine is fond of saying, we spend so much time on the ground in church when we need to get “up in the balcony” to see the big picture. We need to take “the long view.”

That’s one of the reasons I’m grateful that our church is part of a larger denominational body, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Not only does our affiliation allow us to support missionaries, share resources, and promote a common good out of our shared Baptist identity, it also helps us to step back and see how our work fits into something larger than ourselves.

Each June, clergy and lay representatives from the 1,800 CBF churches gather for CBF’s General Assembly – discussing and celebrating our shared work. I make a point to try to attend each year, grateful for the support of our congregation in doing so. It helps me to gather and learn from the faithful work of other churches within our network.

But those others can also help us to see ourselves anew – helping us notice things we might be too close and shortrange to see. This year, from interactions and reactions around the room, there were three things I saw that I want to share with you.

First, I was blessed to take in the long view of new Field Personnel – or missionaries – being commissioned to serve. This year, CBF commissioned 4 new Field Personnel – among them, our own Rev. Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey.

Lesley-Ann and her family have been a part of our church for many years, as we recently ordained her in conjunction with College Park Baptist. Lesley-Ann and her husband, Blake Tommey, are following God’s call to New York City, where she will serve as Field Personnel in conjunction with Metro Baptist Church and Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries in their ministry to the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. On Friday Night of the CBF meeting, a Commissioning Service was held, during which new Field Personnel stand to be blessed and prayed for by the wider community. It was so moving to place my hands on Lesley-Ann and on Blake, to see Monica and Phil, and to share our church’s love and support in that moment as we consider how that support might continue as our church is part of the work of the Spirit that calls and sends people out.

A second view came in the excitement I sensed from people in our small Baptist world who had begun to hear the news of our new Associate Pastor for Missions and Community Ministry, Rev. Amy Grizzle Kane. While not official at that time, Amy had begun to share with some close confidants and mutual friends, and the enthusiasm from them was another affirmation of the work of our committee, the Kane family, and the Spirit amidst it all to bring us all together for ministry ahead. You have learned of Amy’s significant gifts and graces, and it was exciting to hear the perception from astute colleagues that this is a wonderful match. One minister said, “Knowing Amy and knowing First Baptist, it amazes me how God brings people together at just the right time for the work of the Kingdom.” You can read more about Amy and our call weekend July 16 within the newsletter, as we continue to pray for Amy, Sean, Aaron and Aidan and the ministry we will formally begin together this fall.

A third view was gained cumulatively throughout the week, as I intersected and interacted with so many young ministers who have been a part of the ministry of First Baptist Greensboro. CBF has emphasized “Young Baptists,” as a strategic priority, and is known as a denomination with a great number of gifted young clergy and laypeople. One evening, I dropped in on a gathering for “Young Baptists,” and as I looked about the room I was struck by how many have some point of connection with our church. Some have been interns in a summer or during a school year. Others have been part of our Residency program. Some have served as music interns. Others have known us through our support of the seminaries, or through scholarships we have supported. Several young ministers told me throughout the week what First Baptist had meant to them in these early stages of their career. As we come to the end of a summer with three outstanding interns – Baker, Kaylee, Will, we look ahead to a new year with new interns, and also anticipate the introduction of our next Pastoral Resident in September, and it was so good to be reminded of who we are as a Teaching Congregation.

These three glimpses above remind me that we are a missional church, a church with outstanding talent among our staff and congregation, and a church that is part of shaping a generation of ministers in Baptist life. As we close out the summer and look to the fall, we keep our eyes open and continue to take the long view for the many ways God is at work through the faithfulness of First Baptist Greensboro.

August 2017 | 3

CONNECT WITH MISSIONS Meet Amy Grizzle Kane, FBC Greensboro’s new Associate Pastor: Missions & Community Ministry Amy was affirmed by unanimous vote of our congregation on Sunday, July 16. She was recommended by the personnel committee and Pastor Alan Sherouse after a comprehensive national search. The search committee, chaired by Brad Wall, worked diligently on behalf of the congregation and in the end sensed the Spirit leading our church and Amy together for this season of ministry. Read below for more on our newest Associate Pastor.

ABOUT AMY

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MY GRIZZLE KANE comes to us having served for the last 10 years as the Minister of Adults and Outreach at South Main Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Prior to her ministry at South Main, Amy was a Pastoral Resident at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas from 2005-2007. She is a graduate of Duke University Divinity School (MDiv, 2005) and Furman University (BA in Religion, 2000).

The daughter of a Baptist pastor, Amy’s love for congregational and community ministry has grown throughout her adult life. Amy describes herself as a minister with “a passion for preaching, missions, Christian education, outreach, and crafting faithful worship. I am deeply relational, collaborative, consistently organized, and a creative community builder.” In her call to First Baptist Greensboro, Amy is excited to lead us further in understanding mission and service as integral to a life of faith and an extension of our baptism as followers of Jesus.

A WORD FROM AMY

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AM THANKFUL to be joining the First Baptist family of faith and look forward to knowing and serving alongside each of you. My life experiences have led me to value the wisdom of Scripture, the incarnation of love, the openness of grace, the practice of listening, and the conversation of community. I believe each Christian has a calling to be salt and light to our broken world and I have a great passion for missions and advocacy work both locally and internationally. I can’t wait to put the gifts God has given me to work alongside your gifts as a congregation and am excited to see where God leads us together.

In the Acts account of God giving the promised gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost as the church was born, Peter reminds the new believers that “God’s promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away” (Acts 2:39). God’s promise of love and light and by extension, the call of Christ to share that same grace with our neighbor, is for all of us no matter our age or circumstance. Each of us is uniquely situated to share God’s love with those around us. I understand the Christian church to be a tapestry of God’s people, a steward of God’s resources, and a beacon of God’s hope and justice to the local community and beyond.

Collaborative ministry is part of my DNA and has been a joyful part of my ministerial experience so far; I am excited to join and learn from the amazing team of ministers at First Baptist as well. I am also excited to help offer leadership to the Residency program as I continue to value all I learned and experienced as a former pastoral resident myself.

AMY AND HER FAMILY Amy is married to Sean Kane, and they have two sons: Aaron (4) and Aiden (1).

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CONNECT WITH MISSIONS

Steps to Success Kindergarten Camp at Bessemer Elementary

July 31-August 3 & August 7-10 | 9 am-1 pm FBC is helping Bessemer Elementary School in hosting its 4th annual two-week preparation camp for incoming kindergarten students. Help is needed with breakfast, lunch, music, art, library, PE, reading, and centers. Steps to Success Kindergarten Camp needs four adult and six teen volunteer classroom teaching aids. Teens must be at least rising 7th graders in order to volunteer. Interested persons should contact Sandra Canipe: forsythgirl2207@yahoo.com - 273-6491.

Each month we feature CBF missions work…

KIM AND MARC WYATT– CBF Field Personnel Serving in Research Triangle, NC

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IM AND MARC WYATT are CBF field personnel serving in the Research Triangle, an eight-county region that wraps the capital city of Raleigh. They have long been involved in engaging displaced peoples with holistic ministry beginning their work as CBF field personnel in 1996, serving in Thailand and Canada. Learning and applying a posture of hospitality, they assisted with the start-up of Matthew House, a refugee resettlement ministry based in the heart of downtown Toronto. What followed was nothing short of a movement as other similar ministries emerged across Ontario and Quebec.

The Wyatts’ missional journey brought them back to their home state of North Carolina, where Kim and Marc steward their gifts and experience to help connect resources and mobilize churches to welcome and love their international neighbors.

In October 2015, they established Welcome House Raleigh shaped after their previous ministries to refugees in Canada. Similar refugee ministries are now underway in Wilmington and Durham.

Welcome House Raleigh is a temporary reception home for refugees who are resettled in the area that do not have a place to live upon arrival. The ministry provides a safe home, settlement assistance, and bridges into the community with the main goal of sharing the love of God in Christ Jesus through hospitality and friendship. When permanent housing becomes available, the Wyatts and local partners and volunteers furnish it—even providing culturally appropriate groceries, and help their new friends discover their new American neighborhood.

Welcome House Raleigh is a partnership between the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Raleigh and CBFNC. Welcome House Raleigh is able to provide a safe welcoming home for newly arrived refugees because of the generosity of donors who want to make a real welcome possible for those who have had to flee their homelands. Support for Welcome House Raleigh helps to provide rent and utility start up assistance, culturally appropriate fresh food, household items, other lightly used furnishings, and more.

For more information about CBF Global Missions go to: www.cbf.net/missions NOTE: Information in this article came from CBF’s website: www.cbf.net/field-personnel-list

August 2017 | 5

CONNECT THROUGH SERVICE

Serve: “to render assistance; be of use; help.” FBC’s mission statement emphasizes worship, spiritual development, fellowship, and ministry to our city and our world. FBC members have a track record for helping those in need. Here are a variety of ways in which we can make a difference in someone’s life.

Supply Food to the Hungry through Greensboro Urban Ministry Food Pantry FBC is a collection site for non-perishable food for the Greensboro Urban Ministry (GUM) Food Pantry. Collection bins are in the Atrium. GUM strives to fill the gap between individual income and government benefits by providing emergency food assistance bags, which are distributed through the Emergency Assistance Program. These food assistance bags include fruits and vegetables, grains, and protein, to help ensure that those receiving assistance are eating balanced nutritious meals. When you are at the grocery store, consider purchasing some of these items and place them in the GUM boxes at FBC:

• Protein Sources: Tuna, Salmon, Beef Stew, Spam, Corned Beef, Peanut Butter (18 oz. jar) • Vegetables: Greens, e.g. Turnip, Mixed Vegetables, Peas (green), Tomatoes, Corn, Green Beans • Fruits: Peaches, Pears, Fruit Cocktail, Applesauce • Other Items: Soups, Sugar (2 lbs.), Dry milk, Oatmeal (18 oz.), Macaroni & Cheese, Dry Beans, Rice (1 lb. or larger bags) • Dietary Supplements: Ensure For more information: www.greensborourbanministry.org/services/food-bank

Contact: Robert Angell – rangell@triad.rr.com | 282-3566

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Mobile Meals FBC has been delivering Mobile Meals for over 60 years to people in our community who are unable to cook for themselves. The FBC delivery day is the third Friday of every month.

Volunteers are needed to drive an assigned route each month or you can volunteer as a sub. For more info or to volunteer: Cynthia Townes – cmtownes@yahoo.com | 273-4020 or Anita Philpott philpott4@bellsouth.net | 456-7116.

CONNECT THROUGH SERVICE

StepUp Ministry Second Sunday of each month donate clothing and accessories to StepUp to support their Job Readiness Training program.

“Interview ready” items of clothing and accessories for men and women will be collected. Items needed for men: suits, jackets, slacks, shoes, belts and dress socks. Items needed for women: dresses, suits, jackets, slacks, shoes and accessories (scarves, pins, short necklaces and small earrings).

Items should be clean and need no repair.

Donation receipts will be available. For more information: Shirley Thompson – dcandshirley@twc.com | 274-9622.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Are Needed!

While schools are still out for the summer, many children in our community are left without the nutritious breakfast and lunch meals they receive through school feeding programs.

A quick healthy snack is a PBJ, so let’s fill up the Greensboro Urban Ministry bins with jars of peanut butter and jelly. When you do, you will help fill empty stomachs!

Grace Fellowship Meals First Wednesdays of the month FBC serves the Grace Fellowship Meal to the hungry in our community. On Tuesday evening prior the team gathers in the FBC kitchen to prepare the meal for Wednesday, then delivers and serves the meal on Wednesday evening. Contact: Gayle Wiley – gayle@richardlwiley.com | 852-2768.

August 2017 | 7

REFLECTIONS

The ministry of First Baptist Church Greensboro touches people’s lives in many different ways.

Read about it in their own words on pages 8-10. You will surely enjoy!

SNICKERDOODLES IN SHREVEPORT

By Steve Cothran

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HEY BROUGHT SNICKERDOODLES. Flanked by her sisters, the oldest one came bearing the treasure, and all 3 were escorted by their dad. Why had they come? They were wondering the same about us.

Why had we come all the way to Shreveport—14 hours in 2 days on a bus—from North Carolina? Surely it wasn’t just to sing in their worship service at FBC Shreveport earlier that morning and surely not to judge whether their gym floor provided a better night’s sleep than ours.

No, our reasons were varied: Mission trips are fun, my friends are going, I’ve never been there before, we get to share God’s love, I want to make a difference…

Who would’ve thought one hour would’ve made such a difference? Certainly not us. We sing all the time.

The Vancils have taught them so well that we could sing them in our sleep (and from our expressions, that’s a real possibility!). Besides, this isn’t even a choir tour!

But on mission trips, we do whatever is needed. And FBC Shreveport needs a youth choir, and Minister of Music Glen Adkins is hoping for something to spark their interest. So we started off our week by joining about 15 of their youth for Sunday School and then sharing our musical gifts throughout the worship service.

We do it all the time. No big deal. But any time we offer our gifts to God, it is a big deal because it opens up the door for God to use those gifts to bring more people into God’s family.

And so 3 little girls we didn’t know spent a couple of hours baking snickerdoodles for 27 kids they didn’t know, and then they missed their own youth pool party to deliver those cookies to us in the FBC Shreveport gym. They just wanted to say “Thank you for coming and for singing for us!”

A bus and some baking, some singing and some snickerdoodles. Like a tiny bit of yeast, it doesn’t seem like much at the time, but before you know it, God’s kingdom is starting to grow.

REFLECTION ON WORSHIP IN THE ARTS CAMP

By Donovan Elliott Interlochen Arts Academy, Michigan

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S A YOUNG CHILD, I became enamored with music. More specifically, I fell in love with the saxophone. Indeed, by six years old I had already wanted desperately to play a wind instrument. Of course, at that age, I was simply too young to begin learning an instrument such as saxophone. Nonetheless, I pursued music, and as soon as I was able joined the school choir.

The summer of 2011 was my first year attending the choir camp at First Baptist Church. It was a program recommended to me by my school choir director. As I walked into the sanctuary, my eyes were immediately drawn to the gleaming pipes of the organ, tall and regal in their stature. And then, the sound, the music. What I heard was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, the beauty of organ music. Every day during that week of choir camp, I would enter the sanctuary and be amazed at the sound of the organ, the skill of the organist. It became a ritual of immense pleasure and musical delight. In my next year of camp, the opening tradition changed. As I stepped into the sanctuary I immediately noticed the absence of the music. For the rest of that week, I began camp saddened that there was no organ music. (Of course, by the next year organ music made its return to curriculum). Perhaps spurred by my desire to hear more organ 8 | Connections

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REFLECTIONS REFLECTION ON WORSHIP IN THE ARTS CAMP (continued from page 8)

and my disappointment at the lack of it that second year, I began attending as many organ recitals as I could. This eventually led to the opportunity to begin taking organ lessons. Now, years later I am back in the very same sanctuary that introduced me to the organ, and I am playing the instrument myself.

During the summer of 2012, I began attending summer music programs at Interlochen Arts Camp in northwest Michigan. My experience at the camp motivated me to apply for the boarding program there. During my first year at the boarding high school (Interlochen Arts Academy) I decided to enroll in beginning organ courses. While I had very little piano background and was majoring in saxophone, I still remembered the joy I experienced when I heard the music at First Baptist’s camp. As such, I practiced the organ every day for class and soon moved to the intermediate organ section. I am still attending Interlochen Arts Academy (next year will be my senior year), and at this point I am able to play in organ recitals alongside the organ majors. This summer, I even have the opportunity to attend the Summer Organ Academy at Eastman School of Music. To prepare for the Organ Academy, I have begun practicing at First Baptist. Amazingly, I am now able to confidently and joyfully make music on the same instrument, in the same church that inspired me to learn in the first place.

Thank you to the Vancils and First Baptist Church for the opportunity to practice this summer and for continuing to inspire young, Christian artists through Worship in the Arts Camp.

THE ROAD TO NYC: CBF COMMISSIONING SERVICE

By Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey

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FTER A WEEK OF CBF GENERAL ASSEMBLY, a joyful whirlwind of meeting and reuniting with dear friends and colleagues, my heart is swollen with gratitude and love. This was my first General Assembly as field personnel, and Blake and I quickly learned the tremendous gift of that space. We connected with those who have gone before us in joining God in the transformation around the world and heard the stories of those who have loved and ministered in NewYork City for years. I’m beginning to see how the great big picture of the good work at Metro Baptist Church and Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries extends to the edges of our world.

I met my new Urban Ministry Team members, folks serving in Miami and Atlanta along with Ronnie in New York. The work of these field personnel in their contexts is so wonderfully impactful, it not only makes a difference in their neighborhoods, but has transformed congregations across the country through their partnership. They are all rooted in the deep, patient, hard, solidarity ministry that spreads love and light. I’m excited to learn from them and grow alongside them as we minister together.

The week culminated in the commissioning service of new chaplains, church starters and field personnel. As I made my way to the stage that evening, alongside the Global Missions staff, I felt the joy-filled weight of that moment. My commissioning with CBF carries with it all the discerning work I’ve been doing in the direction of New York City for the past 6 months and in the direction of missions for the past 10 years. CBF’s Global Missions staff handed us prayer beads, and Steven reminded us, “You cannot do this work alone, and we cannot do it without you.”

He is right. We cannot do this work alone. This work, the work of joining God in the vulnerable places around the world, started long before I was born. And the work of Metro Baptist Church and Ronnie Adams in New York City has been cultivating beloved community for decades. This is not work I am beginning, thank God. I am entering into a story that has been going on for a long time—through God’s love and God’s people’s faithfulness. God has done amazing things in Hell’s Kitchen, and the story continues. What an honor to be a part of it all!

I need you to be with me on this journey of extending embrace and bearing witness in New York City. Will you pray for us, support us financially and even come give your hand to the good work happening in New York? What marvelous things we will witness when we join in this work together!

August 2017 | 9

REFLECTIONS

REFLECTION ON VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

By Christina McCord

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URING VBS, WE WELCOMED 140 CHILDREN into First Baptist Church for a transformative week of growing in the knowledge that God built us for a purpose. At “Maker Fun Factory,” children worshipped through songs, made beautiful canvases, played games, shared God Sightings, and visited Bible Quest.

Witnessing the children and volunteers was a site to see! Deep connections were made, and children had a blast while learning that they were created by a God who is constant and created us for a purpose.

During VBS, our 4th and 5th graders participate in mission projects. Monday they learned what Jesus teaches us about serving, and they went into nature to collect flowers to make suncatchers. On Tuesday the focus was loving God’s creatures. They were visited by Donna Lawrence and her rescue dog Susie, of Susie’s Hope, and they made homemade bird feeders. Wednesday, the kids delivered their suncatchers to The Beacon Place where they learned about caring for the sick and those in Hospice Care. They also got a tour of Kids Path by Jane Gibson. They finished off the week by shopping for snacks for Kids Path and making lunch bags for our hungry neighbors.

A huge thank you to the 85 volunteers who made this week possible. Children entered our church doors and experienced a week of spiritual growth while having so much fun. This would not have been possible without the countless hours dedicated by our amazing team of volunteers. During our Thursday night celebration, a visitor came up to me and said “My son goes to all kinds of summer camps like gymnastics camp, sports camp, and art camp.

When I asked him what has been his favorite camp, he said ‘VBS at First Baptist.’”

“Everything that you have made is beautiful.” This line from one of our VBS songs continues to play in my mind these weeks following VBS. Everything that you have made is beautiful. Beautiful. If only we could remember these words. Perhaps it would change the way that we encounter strangers, friends, injustice, neighbors, and ourselves. God made us VERY GOOD, and thanks be to God for this constant reminder to many children and adults during VBS!

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CONNECT WITH CHILDREN

Greensboro Grasshoppers Game August 6 (Su) | 4 pm

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oin your FBC friends for a great afternoon of baseball! We will have reserved seating on the playground side. RSVP to Christina McCord - christina@fbcgso.org with how many tickets you would like for your family.

FBC children and families enjoyed the Sprayground at Keeley Park and Cars Family Movie Night.

CONNECT WITH THE WEEKDAY SCHOOL

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HE WEEKDAY SCHOOL is gearing up for another exciting school year. The school has been freshly painted, teachers are working hard to arrange their classrooms, and plans are being made for lots of new activities for children and events for families throughout the year. Registration is ongoing and one through five day options are available for infants to prek students and is now available on our new website: fbcgso.org/weekday-school For more information please contact Weekday School Director Amy Kirkman - amy@fbcgso.org | x240.

The Weekday School Needs Volunteers The Weekday School is seeking volunteers from the church for a variety of things such as clerical work, helping in classrooms, working in our school garden, and reading to children. Currently, we are in need of assistance to spruce up our garden and outdoor play area for the upcoming year. We are also interested in partnering with church members for service learning projects. Those with an interest in giving their time, gifts or talents, or working with our students and teachers on a service learning project should contact Amy Kirkman.

We would like to encourage a strong partnership between the church membership and the Weekday School and look forward to working together as one church family.

August 2017 | 11

GEARING UP FOR A JOURNEY TO DOWNE

By Steve Sumerel

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HERE IS A SLEEPY LITTLE VILLAGE located in the beautiful county of Kent, about twenty miles from bustling London, England. The village of Downe is home to a little Church of England chapel where, in the mid 1800’s, John Innes served his parish faithfully for many decades. Rev. Innes was especially close to a family who lived in Downe House; the home of Charles and Emma and their eight surviving children. Downe House remains today much as it was then, when it was both the home of the Darwin family and the laboratory of Charles Darwin.

In 1859 the picturesque and quiet little village of Downe became the epicenter of a struggle between faith and science that still reverberates today. For it was in that year that Darwin published “On the Origin of Species.” Though the battle lines were quickly drawn, and public debates and endless articles and books were written on both sides of the issue, the relationship between Charles Darwin and John Innes remained strong. Their relationship, which is chronicled through the preservation of many surviving notes and letters, represents a microcosm of the broader evolution/creation debate.

For many years I have had a fascination (some would say obsession) with the brilliant and tortured life of Charles Darwin and his relationship with the theological currents of his time. In August I shall begin a ten week sabbatical which will allow me time to study Darwin, Innes and the other cast of characters who played out these early years of struggle between science and faith. I will travel to Downe House where Darwin studied nature, and where he suffered chronic illness, keeping secret his theory of natural selection until pushed by friends to publish. I will visit St. Mary’s chapel, where Rev. Innes served and where he defended his friend from attacks by the Church. I will see letters written

by Darwin and Innes and other important correspondence in collections at several locations, including London’s Natural History Museum, and Christ’s College, Cambridge and Oxford.

Upon my return I shall work toward providing two major projects for the church. First, I plan to write a series of lectures/presentations on the intersection of faith and science focusing on the epic struggle between Darwin’ theory on the evolution of species and the traditional biblical interpretation of creation. These presentations will be part of the FRONT series in which we delve deeply into the theology and the history of our faith. Secondly, I will attempt to write a play in which I shall give voice to the major players I shall be studying in England. The dialogue between Darwin and his good friend John Innes will be the primary focus, however other important voices must also be heard; Emma, Darwin’s devoted wife and a very devout Christian, and Alfred Russell Wallace, a naturalist who developed his own theory of evolution, but stopped short of attributing this process to the creation of humanity. And I must throw in some Thomas Huxley, Darwin’s primary mouthpiece in public debate, and the person who loved Darwin as much as he detested the Church of England.

I shall embark on this journey with profound appreciation to our church for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is my most sincere desire that through my projects, our congregation might share some measure of my delight in stepping into history, toward a time when unquestioned orthodoxy was challenged and the landscape of both faith and science would never be the same.

Photos left to right: Downe House, home to Charles Darwin and St. Mary’s Chapel.

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CONNECT WITH WORSHIP

WORSHIP IN THE ARTS CAMP – 2017

NOT ABLE TO BE HERE ON SUNDAY? Our morning worship services are now available for viewing. On the first page of the church’s website ( www.fbcgso.org ) are the following links:

• Watch last week’s sermon • Watch the full service You may tune in live at 10:30 am each Sunday or watch the service at your convenience throughout the week. Past services are also archived at the same location.

CONNECT WITH ADULTS

Oasis:a refuge …FBC’s adult summer Sunday School option

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n the desert, an oasis is a place of rest and replenishment. It is our hope that Oasis will be just that for many of our teachers. Oasis is a combined Sunday School class which meets in room 102.

All classes will have the opportunity to meet, have prayer, count noses and all the other tasks that define individual classes before joining Oasis at 9:30 am. We are using the Formations material. Come for a week, a month, or the whole summer…but come and rest.

CHECK OUT NEW BOOKS IN FBC’S MAIN LIBRARY

• Above the Clouds: 9 Essentials for Thriving at the Peak

by Michael Blackwell • The Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank • What Was the Underground Railroad

by Yona McDonough • Who Was Blackbeard?

by James Buckley, Jr. • Who Was Seabiscuit

by James Buckley, Jr. August 2017 | 13

CONNECT WITH ADULTS

Friends Day Luncheon to Celebrate Our Homebound Members Tuesday, September 19 11:30 am | Fellowship Hall

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T’S TIME TO HONOR our homebound members with our annual Friends Day luncheon, 11:30 am, September 19 in the Fellowship Hall!

As in past years, lunch will be served by FBC ministers and staff. Homebound members and friends will share tables, lunch and conversation. A brief, inspirational program–including a special greeting from the Pastor–will follow.

Once again, our church deacons have agreed to invite our homebound fellow members, and deacons will also be working to arrange transportation. Other members who are interested in transporting and hosting a homebound member should contact Steve Pressley - stevep@fbcgso.org | x232 - and he will assist in coordinating with a deacon.

Deacons and others who are hosting should RSVP Steve Pressley at stevep@fbcgso.org by Friday, September 15.

The event is free for all homebound members, and also for those who transport them and share lunch with them. These include deacons, other church members who host, and any family members or caregivers who assist with transportation.

JOIN US ON THESE FBC TRIPS…

November 2-4 | Yadkin Tours Christmas Shows

Carolina Opry & Alabama Theatre, Myrtle Beach Includes two shows, three paid meals, oceanfront lodging, Supreme Fruit Cake Tour, and shopping at Coastal Mall and Tanger Outlet. $325/person. Sign-up deadline: October. 1.

December 1 | Yadkin Tours American Jubilee Christmas Show October 16 | North Carolina State Fair with AMTRAK. Grandkids welcome! Arrive at the Greensboro Amtrak station at 8 am for departure at 8:39 am. We will leave the state fairgrounds at 5:22 pm and arrive back in Greensboro at 6:54 pm. Signup deadline: August 16. Amtrak has not yet released our group rate ticket prices. More information will be included in our September Connections and in flyers.

To reserve your seats for this trip please go to: www.fbcgso.org/trips 14 | Connections

Rudy Theatre, Selma, NC The American Jubilee Christmas show is a very special treat guaranteed to get you in the spirit of the holidays. Sing along with traditional Christmas favorites like “Silver Bells,” “White Christmas,” and “Christmas in Dixie.” $89/person.

Sign-up deadline: November. 1.

Important Sign-Up Trip Information: To reserve your spot for a trip, go to www.fbcgso.org/trips or contact: Cliff Lowery: 210-6923 – lowerycc@aol.com or Monica Vaughan: 323-0335 – edwinv550@aol.com (NOTE: Payment for the trips cannot be accepted online)

CONNECT WITH COLLEGE

WELCOMING COLLEGE STUDENT VISITORS

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T’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. Parents and teenagers are frantically making sure they didn’t forget anything one month before the movein date. Here in Greensboro we are blessed to have a wealth of colleges and universities, 6 in all counting Guilford College, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro College, Guilford Tech, Bennett College, and NC A & T. Each year in Greensboro there are almost 45,000 college students, and college is a time when students need Christ in their lives the most. Living on their own, they are faced with trials and temptations they may never have faced before.

Hopefully, many of these students will reach out to area churches to find a place to belong. They may not know why they are coming to church, maybe they will just think it is the right thing to do, and with 2 of these colleges being only 2 blocks from First Baptist, many students will try our church. Our congregation can reach out to them. A church of our size can be intimidating (to say the least) to a college student attending for the first time.

We as a congregation can make a difference. We pride ourselves on being a missions-oriented church, and there is a great mission waiting just outside our doors. Most college students will sneak into the back of the sanctuary and try to be inconspicuous. They may not be dressed in their “Sunday best” but they will try to look nice with what they have in their dorm or apartment.

Our number 1 priority is to make them feel welcome! Don’t treat them differently, but greet them as you would any other visitor and make them feel welcome. Even if First Baptist does not become their home, by reaching out and making them feel cared for and loved, they will be stronger in Christ knowing that someone is there.

“FIRST FAMILIES” CARE FOR OUR FBC COLLEGE KIDS AND WE NEED YOU! We had 17 youth graduate from high school this year and they are headed off to college soon. First Families is a program of our College Ministry that connects our college students with a FBC member or family sponsor. Your responsibility as part of First Families is to stay in contact with your student during the school year via emails, phone calls, cards, and maybe a small gift on his or her birthday. If you are interested in our “First Families” program, contact Catherine Little CatherineScottLittle@gmail.com | 856-0623 as soon as possible.

COLLEGE BIRTHDAYS Lindsey Kalish | August 1 950 Barney Road High Point, NC 27265 lekalish@email.meredith.edu

WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER

Join us at FBC Greensboro every Wednesday night for free dinner from 5:30-6:15 pm in our Fellowship Hall - 1000 West Friendly Avenue.

You must make reservations for your meal - Due Tuesday at 12 noon: online at www.fbcgso.org/calendarevents or 274-3286, x245.

Avery Payne | August 18 8191 Portage Road Browns Summit 27214

Joshua Reynolds | August 24

1516 Burlwood Drive Greensboro, NC 27410 whirliesnation@gmail.com

August 2017 | 15

CONNECT WITH BUSINESS

FBC’S ENDOWMENT TRUST FUND

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UMMER 2017 ACTIVITIES AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH have reminded us of our church’s vision—to tell the message of the Good News of Christ by equipping the saints to minister to the needs of a hurting world. Through our ministries we have continued the early church’s charges with camps, Bible school, and mission trips. We have seen members commissioned to service, and have called individuals to continue to equip and challenge our current members to serve.

We have also witnessed the generosity and foresight of the current generation who shares a vision to assist future generations in carrying out the on-going mission of the church. Recent gifts and bequests to the church have shown the vision of individuals who have looked today into the future to help FBC continue our commission to go, tell, and love, meeting the needs of a hurting world.

You can be a part of the life of the church today through your participation in the mission of today’s church, AND you can be a vital part of the FBC of the future through your gifts and bequests to the Endowment Trust of FBC.

ENDOWMENT FUND FAQS

What is an Endowment?

• A financial endowment is a transfer of money and/or property donated to an institution.

• It is unique in that its purpose is not to receive and immediately spend. Rather, it is designed to receive and then invest for income and growth.

• There may be tax benefits for a certain types of donations to the Endowment Fund. Please consult your tax professional for assistance and planning.

What is the purpose of the Endowment Fund and why was it formed?

• The fund was established to provide members and friends a special opportunity to support the long term welfare of the church and its outreach programs.

• The Endowment Fund does not focus on the day-to-day operations of the church. The principle is not touched, in order to perpetuate the Fund.

How can I make a contribution?

• First and foremost, there is always the option of a one-time donation, through the collection, designating “Endowment Trust” on the envelope. You may make a direct contribution to one of our four endowment funds within the trust.

• You can also contribute by remembering the church in your Wills, Estates, and/or Trusts. You can direct the church to apply your bequest to the Endowment Trust, or one of the four current funds within the trust.

For additional information on how you can continue the mission of FBC into the future, contact one of the church pastors; church administrator Scott North or a member of the Endowment Trust Committee: Cheryl Angel, Nancy Culclasure, Mona O’Bryant, Coolidge Porterfield and Brandon Walters.

July Church Conference Summary The monthly Church Conference took place on Sunday, July 16, 2017 in the Fellowship Hall. Church Moderator, Scott Culclasure presided. The following motions was presented and approved by the congregation.

Motion on behalf of the Building & Grounds Committee and the Diaconate: • That $22,500 be appropriated from the Major Maintenance/Capital Improvement Fund to paint the first floor weekday school wing of the Church.

Motion on behalf of the Finance Committee and the Diaconate: • That the Membership approves the sale of a condominium located at 621-D Walker Avenue, property donated by a Church member.

• That the Membership approve the establishment of the Robert and Gladys McCormick Memorial Music Fund, in accordance with the proposal approved by the Finance Committee and the Diaconate.

Motion on behalf of the Personnel and Pastoral Discernment Committees: That Dr. Steve Sumerel be granted a ten-week sabbatical, beginning in August 2017, in accordance with Church policy.

16 | Connections

Receipts & Distributions - 6 Months Ended

6/30/17 Budget 6/30/16 Receipts $ 758,313 $ 836,655 $ 798,837 Disbursements $ 838,679 $ 880,945 $ 860,493 Net Surplus (Deficit) $( 80,366) $( 44,290) $( 61,656)

August 27 is

Promotion Sunday@FBC Kids Move Up | 9:15 am

FBC kids will go to their NEW Sunday School classes for the school year.

Blessing of the Backpacks 10:30 am during Worship

We invite ALL children to bring their backpacks for a special blessing before beginning a new school year.

CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER

August Birthdays (No FBC birthdays 7, 26) 1. Lindsey Kalish, Thomas Rodgers III 2. Sherwood Chesson, Wilma Fortune, Eleanor Patterson, Carol Putnam 3. Eloise Curlee, Larry Pike, Daniel Terrell, Berkley Willis 4. Amy Overman, Suzanne Rohrbaugh, Brian Smith, Cassie Starnes 5. Debbie Huneycutt 6. Max McCracken 8. Karl Lewis 9. Terri Battle, Dan Kennedy, Phyllis Parkerson 10. John Hardy 11. Cary Root, Martin Waitherero 12. Blake Absher, Doug Childs, Sue Weddle 13. Jim Frost, Wright Johnson, Marietta Noel 14. Earlean Price 15. Warren Bass, Keith Burroughs, Betsy Nagpal, Penny Rowe 16. Geneva Metzger, Bill Simmons 17. Jean Bundy, Betty Case, Bob Godfrey, David Rafferty, Joanna Sample 18. Kip Blakely, David Crews, Avery Payne

19. Dale Caldwell, Marie Delgado, Evelyn Polk 20. Paul Brady, David Gilliland, Cookie Hamilton, Jenny Sherouse 21. Adair Suggs 22. Kim Bolton, Patrick Cashwell, Dot Collins, Eddie Wooten 23. Miriam Boroughs, Elizabeth Gibson, Jo Anne Thompson 24. Delmas Bearden, Lorna Lanning, Becky Parham, Joshua Reynolds 25. Martha Chandler, Samuel Lones, Martha Robison-Spangler, Alex Wells 27. Parrish Clodfelter, Rita Harrell, Dot Norris, Willie Pitts, Margaret Raines 28. Rob Young 29. Jeanette Mitchell, Caleb Rainey, Judy Ryan, Lauren Worsley 30. Ruth Caraker, Kathy Sample 31. Nancy Davis, Adair Garner

Bereaved

• The family of John Hardy, Sr., on June 28 August 2017 | 17

WHAT’S COOKING IN THE FBC KITCHEN…

August@FBC A REGULAR WEEKLY SCHEDULE Sunday @ FBC •Bible Study - 9:15 am •Worship - 10:30 am •1 (Tu): Grace Meal Prep. Kitchen, 5 pm •Adults •1 (Tu): WMU Group 2. 102, 7 pm •All Ages •1 (Tu): Youth/Movie Night. 8 pm •Children •2 (W): Grace Meal Pick-Up & Serve. Kitchen, 5 pm •Seniors 6 (Su): Children & Families/Grasshoppers Game.

4 pm • •Missions •6 (Su): Finance Committee. 108-C, 4:30 pm •Weekday School •7 (M): Youth/Kickball. FBC, 12 noon •8 (Tu): WMU Group 4. 204, 10:30 am •Worship 9 (W): Youth/Pool Party.

Location TBA, 5 pm • •Youth •13 (Su): StepUp Ministry Clothing Collection. Atrium, 9 am •16 (W): Building & Grounds Committee. 216, 5:30 pm •18 (F): Mobile Meals. Peace United Church of Christ, 9:30 am •22 (Tu): Senior Adult Council. 216, 2 pm •22 (Tu): Personnel Committee. 216, 7 pm •27 (Su): Worship/Promotion Sunday/Blessing of the Backpacks.

SAVE THE DATE:

Baptism at the Lake

Sunday, September 10 4-7 pm | Camp Weaver This afternoon of food, fellowship, and fun culminates with our lake baptism service and the ordination of our new incoming deacons.

Look for more information in the September Connections.

18 | Connections

s this church year comes to a close, we will have prepared over 13,500 meals. And as always I could not attempt to do this job without the constant reliability of Theo and our other part time staff and faithful kitchen volunteers.

In going over my calendar for this past year, we were able to serve meals to no less than 18 different groups and organizations within our national, state and local communities.

This is above and beyond our usual Wednesday evening, business conference, PrimeTime and staff lunch meals.

This year the kitchen will be closed again for the month of August for our annual cleaning. We will resume our Wednesday night meals on September 6. Theo will provide his famous fried chicken.

Just a reminder that NEW standing or one time reservations need to be made prior to September 6. Please be mindful of your reservation status. Be aware that your reservation is due no later than noon on Tuesday and your cancellation no later than noon on Wednesday. Help us to save on our food costs which continue to increase annually.

Remember that meal reservations can be made via our web site, email, pew cards or by phone for ALL meals.

My email address is marty@fbcgso.org.

My phone is 274-3286, x245.

See you in September!

Sincerely, Chef K

A Thousand Words‌ A picture tells a story just as well as, if not better than, a thousand written words.

Enjoy these pictures that tell stories from our FBC family. Share your photos: #fbcgso on Facebook or Instagram.

Youth Summer Mission Trip to Shreveport, LA

August 2017 | 19

First Baptist Church Greensboro

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

1000 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro, NC 27401 www.fbcgso.org

US POSTAGE PAID GREENSBORO, NC NO. 179

CONNECT WITH YOUTH Regular Event: “Arise” at Grace UMC Tuesdays | 7 - 9:30 am

Youth Fun during August

UNIDIVERSITY 2017…

Join us Tuesdays at 7 am and feed the hungry! Drop-off at 7 am at Grace UMC – Pick-up at Grace UMC at 9:30 am (438 West Friendly Avenue).

• August 1 (Tu) 8 pm: Movie Night • August 7 (M) 12 noon: Kickball • August 8, 15, 22 (Tu) 7 am: “Arise” at Grace UMC August 9 (W) 5 pm: Pool Party Coming Up…

Middle School Fall Retreat

Camp Caraway | September 29 - October 1 Youth will discover a deeper walk with God. $95/person covers food, lodging, t-shirt. Sign-up by September 15.

Register now: www.fbcgso.org/youth

Pictured clockwise from above: Steve Cothran and former FBC youth intern Josh Owens share some Christmas fun; the journey to UT Knoxville begins; this year’s proclaimer was FBC’s Senior Pastor Alan Sherouse.