The LOOP Newsletter | April 2016

2016

APRIL

FAITH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Spring is here!

Second Baptist Church belong | believe | become

A Note From Pastor Jason There are a number of stories we could use to situate our lives into a context right now.

If you’re reading this at the beginning of April, our country is either in the midst of an NCAA basketball championship or the madness of March has come to an end.

Your team either did or didn’t win and that may be the story you’re clinging to. Our country is, of course, in the middle of presidential election campaign. (Quite a dramatic one, in fact!) The election could easily be the story that shapes the months ahead for you. April also situates us firmly into spring, which is often a narrative that feels like hope. Colorful flowers will break through the ground of winter and serve as a vision of warmth and new life.

Spring, campaign season, basketball and so many other smaller stories could easily define this moment in time for you, but I do hope you’ll consider situating yourself in a much larger story in the days ahead.

Today we find ourselves in between Easter and Pentecost. Today the disciples have discovered the empty tomb, have encountered the risen Christ. Today the disciples have been affected by Resurrection power, but today they are also waiting for what’s ahead.

Ahead are life changing encounters with the Risen Christ. Ahead is the Ascension. Ahead is Pentecost. Resurrection has come, Pentecost is coming, and the disciples of Jesus are living in between them in the midst of this season of wonder, hope, curiosity, questioning, transformation and possibility.

May we find ourselves there with them now: renewed by Easter, refreshed by current encounters with the Risen Christ, and reinvigorated with curiosity and hope regarding what is to come.

Like the flowers of spring, salvation continues to spring up all around us. Look for it. Be a part of it. As the story of salvation continues, may it become for us more than just the story of Jesus and His first century disciples. May it become the defining story for each and every one of us as well.

Jason Edwards

Senior Pastor 2

APRIL Table OF Contents Page 3

Churchwide Events Page 4

Featured Studies/Missions Page 5

Students | Senior Adults | Leadership Conference Pages 6-7

Calendar Page 8

Students | Senior Adults | Leadership Conference Page 9

Easter Egg Hunt photos Page 10

Opportunities to serve Page 11

Equipping: New spiritual gifts assessment Page 12

New Wednesday night sessions

2BC in the loop Keeping You

coming up at 2bc . . . churchwide MEN’S BREAKFAST

April 5 | 9:30 a.m. | Social Room Join us for fun, fellowship and our traditional good eats!

Men of all ages are invited! Breakfast is always a tasty treat with plenty of orange juice and coffee to go around.

Men of all ages are welcome. RSVP to Phil Posey: 781-1132 or 507-2575; poseyannphil2@sbcglobal.net.

Are you Interested in Aging Issues?

During 2016, we are offering a free educational series in conjunction with Benton House, Senior Helpers, and Home Health Care Services for anyone wanting to understand issues like Alzheimer’s, becoming a caregiver and care management. The information is for caregivers, families, and anyone wanting to better understand issues and available resources.

First Session: Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s Tuesday, April 12, 7-8:30 p.m. | Social Room A video plus question and answer time based on the book of the same title by Robert Butler, MD. Information will include simplifying the home, watching for behavior clues, and effective communication with those experiencing memory loss.

April 3-May 1 | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room (Rm 301) Connections is a five-week class for new members and those who are new to our congregation. Not only will you explore more about who 2BC is as a faith community and how you can best connect, but you’ll be able to examine your own giftedness and perhaps discover new opportunities for personal growth and ministry while at Second Baptist. Contact Maggie Henderson at 781-2824 or mhenderson@2bcliberty.org to sign up.

Church Conference Meeting

Sunday, April 24 | after 11a.m. service | Sanctuary You have a great opportunity to learn more about the important work 2BC is doing when you attend our next quarterly Church Conference meeting in the Sanctuary immediately after the 11:00 a.m. worship service.

Please note: There will be no Sunday evening activities on Easter Sunday.

The church office will be closed Monday, March 28, in observance of Easter.

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featured studies Searching for Sunday: Featured Study Sundays April 3-24 | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room | led by Kristin Wooldridge

“For a generation that has largely said, ‘count me out,’ church represents a complicated relationship of both longing and apathy. There’s a history there — a past full of confusion and hurt, but a past that often is impossible to abandon. In Searching for Sunday, Rachel Held Evans exposes her own thorny relationship with the church, articulating the concerns, frustrations, and hopes of many of her peers. Through a series of stories told around the church’s sacraments—baptism, confession, and communion, among others—Evans offers the beginnings of a road map back to church and the resurrection that awaits when we are willing to give up and begin again.”

missions Schumacher Elementary Youth Mentors

Next Training March 29 | 10 a.m. | Rm. 303 A Youth Mentor can make a world of difference in the life of a student(s) by spending as little as one hour per week at the school.

To become a Youth Mentor, you need to fill out an application, complete a background check and attend an interview and a two-hour training session. A training will be Tuesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. at 2BC for those who have already signed up to be mentors and also for those who have not yet applied.

If you are interested in becoming a Youth Mentor at Schumacher, contact School Connections Team leader Debbie Lane at debbielane71861@gmail.com or (816)781-9281.

Women’s Spring Brunch April 23 Session with Guest Teacher Dr. Todd Still Sunday, April 24 | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room

We have an exciting one-time opportunity to learn from Dr. Todd D. Still. Dr. Still serves as The William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures in the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University, where he teaches New Testament Studies and Greek courses. Dr. Still holds the Bachelor of Arts in Greek and sociology from Baylor University, the Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He has also studied at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England and the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Additionally, he has served as an Honorary University Fellow at the University of Exeter in Exeter, England.

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Save the date for the Women’s Spring Brunch at 9:00 a.m.

Watch for more details.

Online Book Drive for Megan Yohe's Class in Bogota

Ship or Drop Off Books by April 6 2BC member Megan Yohe teaches 2nd grade at El Camino Academy in Bogota, Colombia. She has a desire to surprise each child in her class with a few of his/her favorite books. Here’s how to help!

1. Access the Book List Google document at 2bcliberty.org/send.

2. Pick a student you would like to support or find a book you would like to purchase. (Each link directs you to Amazon to purchase the book.) Please fill in your name next to the books you are going to order.

3. Ship the books or drop them off to Megan’s parents

by April 6: Kent & Karin Yohe, 1925 Marvel Lane Liberty, MO 64068

students

Senior Adults Senior Adult Coffee & Conversation Monday, April 4 | 10 a.m. | Social Room Monday, April 18 | 1 p.m. | Social Room

Disciple Now Coming April 8-10

April 8-10 | 2BC; host houses around Liberty $45 | Register and pay at 2bcliberty.org/students This incredible weekend for students and their friends is full of fun times, group bonding, and spiritual and social growth! Our theme this year is "Come Together" (it's a Beatles kind of weekend), and our speaker is Kevin Sinclair, Kevin is Minister to Youth/Missions at South Main Baptist Church in Houston. We will focus on a few examples, both biblical and historical, when people have broken down or through the barriers that divide us and sought unity through compassion, understanding, and love (after all, all you need is love).

Register (and pay online!) at 2bcliberty.org/students.

Scholarships are available for 2BC students and friends; inquire by emailing Charles at csmith@2bcliberty.org.

High School Mountain Camp July 16-22

Winter Park, Colorado | Rising 9th - Graduated 12th Registration Deposit Cost: $100 Registration is now open! Visit 2bcliberty.org/students for the registration link.

We will stay at the Winter Park Resort and will meet students from all over the South and Midwest as we get together for Bible study, worship, and small group discussions.

Included in the cost of camp are two daily Activity Passes that will get you into the Winter Park Activity Zone. Alpine slides, mountain trampolining, and lots more! For an additional cost, you also can go white water rafting, horse back riding, or hiking and ziplining.

There is a deposit of $100 due at the time of registration.

After you register online you can give your deposit to Charles or turn it into the church office. Checks can be made out to 2BC.

Our Senior Adult Ministry hosts a twice-monthly Coffee & Conversation in the Social Room open to all. No reservations needed!

save the date Leaders and Leading Conference June 10-12 Hold your calendars! Put it on your phone or tablet now—June 10-12, 2016. If you are an elected or appointed leader or have volunteered to lead some ministry or activity in the church—this retreat is for you. Who could that include? Deacons, Sunday School teachers for all age groups, committee members, mission leaders, Stephen Ministers, team members—all are congregational leaders. You may not be serving in a leadership position but you may be invited by a member of any of these groups to come in preparation for serving in leadership in the future. This will be a unique and valuable experience.

Lance Wallace, Senior Director of Communications and Issues Management, Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, GA., will be our speaker. You will learn, you will be inspired, you will be encouraged. You will be a better leader and our church will be stronger. We kick off Friday night at the church with Nick and Tracy doing a Low Country Boil for us; the retreat continues on Saturday until early afternoon.

Financial Report: Week of March 20 To help keep our church family informed of our finances, we’ll list the total receipts from the past week in the Loop. If you have questions, contact Linda Jones at 816-781-2824 or ljones@2bcliberty.org.

Our Catalyst 2.0 receipts for the week totaled $8,658.47.

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church-wide

calendar

Sunday, March 27 | Easter Sunday Forgiveness Study | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room (Rm 301) Monday, March 28: Church Office Closed for Easter

Tuesday, March 29 Schumacher Youth Mentor Training | 9:00 a.m. | Oak Room (Rm 301)

Wednesday, March 30 | Regular Wednesday Night Sanctuary Activities for Adults/Children/Students (see box below)

Sanctuary

Sunday, April 3

Student Handbell Rehearsal | 8:45 a.m. | Music Suite Children’s Choir Rehearsal | 9:00 a.m. | Rm 402 Connections Class | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room Searching for Sunday | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room Missions Committee Meeting | 4:30 p.m.

Student Choir Rehearsal | 5:00 p.m. | Music Suite (Rm 501) Student Innermission | 6:00 p.m. | Student Ministry Room

Monday, April 4 Senior Adult Coffee & Conversation | 10:00 a.m. | Social Room

Wednesday, April 6 | Regular Wednesday Night Sanctuary Activities for Adults/Children/Students (see box below)

Thursday, April 7 HandsON! 2.0 | 6:45 p.m. | Welcome Center

Sanctuary

Friday, April 8

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) | 9:30 a.m. | Social Room Disciple Now through April 10 Sunday, April 10

Student Handbell Rehearsal | 8:45 a.m. | Music Suite Connectors Spring Meeting | 8:30 a.m. | Social Room Children’s Choir Rehearsal | 9:00 a.m. | Rm 402 Connections Class | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room Searching for Sunday | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room Team Serve Spring Workshop | 2:00 p.m. | Assembly Room Stephen Ministry | 5:00 p.m. | Library (Rm 312) Student Choir Rehearsal | 5:00 p.m. | Music Suite (Rm 501) Student Innermission | 6:00 p.m. | Student Ministry Room Deacons Meeting | 6:30 p.m. | Assembly Room (Rm 302)

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Weekly Wednesday Night Activities

Second Servings Food & Fellowship | 5:45 p.m. | Social Room Beginning Handbells (Grades 4-5) | 6:00 p.m. | Rm 502 Student Formation (Grades 6-8) | 6:15 p.m. | Student Area Sanctuary Handbells Rehearsal | 6:15 p.m.

Second Sessions (Adults) | 6:30 p.m.

Missions Groups (Pre-K-Grade 5) | 6:30 p.m.

Student Watershed (Grades 9-12) | 6:30 p.m. | Missionary House (429 Wilson) Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal | 7:15 p.m. | Choir Room (Rm 501)

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APRIL

Worship Services: Sundays at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday, April 12 MomsNext | 9:30 a.m. | Oak Room (Rm 301) Learning to Speak Alheizmer’s | 7:00p | Social Room

Sanctuary

Wednesday, April 13 | Regular Wednesday Night Sanctuary Activities for Adults/Children/Students (see box at left)

Sunday, April 17

Team SERVE Coaches Meeting | 8:30 a.m.

Student Handbell Rehearsal | 8:45 a.m. | Music Suite Children’s Choir Rehearsal | 9:00 a.m. | Rm 402 Connections Class | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room Searching for Sunday | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room Personnel Committee | 5:00 p.m. | Room 303 Student Choir Rehearsal | 5:00 p.m. | Music Suite (Rm 501) Church Council | 6:30 p.m. | Room 505 S. Dakota Mission Trip meeting | 6:30 p.m. | Assembly Room Student Innermission | 6:00 p.m. | Student Ministry Room

Monday, April 18 Senior Adult Coffee & Conversation | 1:00 p.m. | Social Room

Wednesday, April 20 | Regular Wednesday Night Sanctuary Activities for Adults/Children/Students (see box at left)

Thursday, April 21 HandsON! 2.0 | 6:45 p.m. | Welcome Center

Saturday, April 23 Women’s Spring Brunch | 9:00 a.m.

Sanctuary

Sunday, April 24

Student Handbell Rehearsal | 8:45 a.m. | Music Suite Children’s Choir Rehearsal | 9:00 a.m. | Rm 402 Connections Class | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room Searching for Sunday | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room Church Conference | 12:00 p.m. | Sanctuary Stephen Ministry | 5:00 p.m. | Library (Rm 312) Student Choir Rehearsal | 5:00 p.m. | Music Suite (Rm 501) New Member Fellowship | 5:30 p.m. | Jason and Christy Edwards’ home Student Innermission | 6:00 p.m. | Student Ministry Room

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Sanctuary

Wednesday, April 27 | Regular Wednesday Night Sanctuary Activities for Adults/Children/Students (see box at left)

MOPS Steering Team | 9:30 a.m.

Friday, APRIL 29

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Easter Egg Hunt

It takes lots of helping hands to bring all this Easter joy and fun to so many in our church and community! Thank you!

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Thank you to Mitchell Yoakum and Connie McNeill for the photos!

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serve

Visit 2bcliberty.org/serveat2bc for more information and sign up links.

Meals on Wheels Driver Coordinator

Thank you, Bobbie Chasteen, for coordinating for 20 years Liberty Meals on Wheels began in the Second Baptist kitchen over 30 years ago and has been a part of our local mission partnerships since. Bobbie Chasteen has been a wonderful coordinator in times when Second Baptist is called on to supplement the regular drivers. After 20 years, Bobbie is “retiring,� and we would love to invite another person to coordinate drivers when it is our assigned month. We have a list of 20-25 people who have driven before.

Meals on Wheels brings nutritious noontime meals to people who find it difficult to leave their home consistently or are returning home after a hospital stay. The meals are picked up at the Election Board (Beside the Fire Department on Mississippi) to be delivered by volunteer drivers on assigned routes of up to 6 stops. Most routes take between one half and one hour to complete. For some clients, the driver may be the only eye to eye contact for the day!

If you would be interested in driving or coordinating drivers, contact Mike Lassiter at mlassiter@2bcliberty.org or 781-2824.

Care for Children During the 11a Service

Extended Session is the time when loving childcare providers care for our youngest 2BC members during the 11:00 a.m. service. Ideally, extended session is a service that youth and adults can sign up for two or three times a year. If every parent of a preschooler will take his/her turn, we can make that possible!

For more information about extended session, or to sign up to serve, contact Gwen Phillips at gphillips@2bcliberty.org.

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Do you love taking photographs?

As part of our effort to capture stories of God's work in our congregation, we would like to form a team of photographers who are willing to be ready to snap a photo at times like Sunday services, when new members join, special church-wide events and service ministries (mission trips, etc.). To express interest, contact Kim Halfhill at khalfhill@2bcliberty.org or Connie McNeill at cmcneill@2bcliberty.org. If this brings someone to mind, you could even recommend someone!

equipping update New Spiritual Gift Assessment Tool Second Baptist Church has adopted a new tool, AssessME, to aid you in discovering your spiritual gifts and connecting them to service opportunities within the church.

You can try it today at https://goo.gl/twHxHq 1. Select the button that says REGISTER NOW. You will set-up a personalized login which only takes 2-3 minutes. (Look for the text that says that says “It’s fast and free.”)

2. After you have finished setting up your account, you may login and begin the assessment.

3. The assessment is in four parts. You may take all four at once or break them up. The entire assessment will only take between 15-30 minutes. Your results are automatically imported into the HUB when you are finished.

Note: Under “Skills,” you enter your skills one at a time, but continue to click “Add a Skill” until you’ve entered all the skills you’d like to.

While you are encouraged to complete this assessment online, a paper version is available by contacting the church office at khalfhill@2bcliberty.org or 816.781.2824.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact: Kim Halfhill 2BC Volunteer Director of Equipping khalfhill@2bcliberty.org

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New Wednesday Night Sessions March 30

Pause with us. Take a breath. Slow down your week and stop by.

Eat a meal, have a conversation, renew, turn off the technology, and just pause . . . reconnect with Christ. Practice His presence with us.

SECOND SERVINGS meal & Fellowship | 5:45-6:30 p.m. | Social Room

We request reservations each week by Mondays at noon. Call the church office or visit 2bcliberty.org/sanctuary.

Meal Cost $5: adults | Age 4-12 : $3 | Birth-3: Free | $15/family max.

SECOND SESSIONS Spiritual Development | 6:30-7:15p 2 Esdras | Milton Horne | Rm. 304 This ancient book is not canonical, yet it helps Christians understand the origins of biblical books; it models the nature of protest against God; it assists our thinking about apocalypse and it gives us a glimpse of how ancients thought that biblical books should be read by God’s people.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less | Nick Bartlow | Rm. 306 Do you find yourself busy but not productiove? Are

you ever stretched too thin? Do you ever feel like your time is hijacked by another's agenda? Consider becoming an Essentialist.

Doctrine of Discovery | Mike Lassiter | Rm. 505 This will interest anyone who believes advocacy is part of being a disciple and for those planning to go to South Dakota on mission this year. Google Doctrine of Discovery for more specific information.

Let Your Life Speak | Kristin Wooldridge | Library Rm. 312 Kristin speaks as a fellow traveler to learn to listen to your life and hear what you ar being called to be and do. It's never too late.

Rising Strong | Stephanie Swanson | Oak Room Rm. 301 Brene Brown has ignited a global conversation. Her research has found

that people who recognize the power of emotion and are not afraid to lean into discomfort are people who rise after falling. It is suggested that attendees get the book Rising Strong to go through during the class.

The Advantage | Blane Baker | Rm. 303 Last fall, a panel discussed this book and the potential implications for it to help make us better able to do all that we do. If you missed that or just want more, this discussion is for you.

For kids:

For Students:

Missions education includes the active care for others and Jesus’ example of humbly serving those around us.

The kids engage in hands-on activities, learn about the Biblical foundation for missions, and enjoy fellowship with one another.

Mission Friends | Pre-K/Kind. | Rm 407 Girls in Action (GAs) | Gr. 1-5 Girls | Rm 413 Boys in Action (BAs) | Gr. 1-5 Boys | Rm 404

We focus on the growth and development of our whole selves by intentionally engaging our faith life, interacting with other and integrating key spiritual practices.

MISSIONS (Pre-K–Fifth Grade): 6:30-7:15 p.m.

Formation (Gr. 6-8) 6:15-7:15p | Student Room

Watershed (Gr. 9-12) 6:30-7:30p | Missionary House (429 Wilson St.)

At Watershed,we’ll discuss, challenge, and consider what a Christ-centered life feels like, looks like, and how it manifests in our daily lives.

Second Baptist Church info@2bcliberty.org 300 E. Kansas | Liberty, MO 64068 12

816-781-2824

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