THE LOOP | May Newsletter 2015

MAY FAITH COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Second Baptist Church belong | believe | become MAY 2015

Welcome to Second Baptist CHURCH! Spiritual growth and change happen when we’re in relationship with people who know us well. Connecting with others at Second Baptist is a way to build community and be transformed in your faith. The best way to connect is to jump in.

The 2BC Monthly LOOP is a broader edition of our 2BC Weekly LOOP, designed to give you a bit more detail about our ministries in the month ahead. You’ll find information about upcoming events, classes, and serving opportunities to get you connected to 2BC. Keep this as a reference all month long so you can jump in often!

Jason Edwards Senior Pastor

MAY

Table of Contents Page 3

Coming up at 2BC Pages 4-5

CBF Celebration Pages 6-7

RENOVATIO Guide Pastor Jason’s Sabbatical Pages 8-9

Churchwide Calendar Page 10

Leadership Summit Stephen Ministry Senior Adults | Students Page 11

Church Picnic Pages 12-15

Summer Preview: Summer Fellowship, Studies, Send and Kids Activities

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2BC in the loop Keeping You

coming up at 2bc . . .

New Spiritual Formation Experience

May 10-31 | Bible Study Hour | Social Room-East Side We will offer an entirely new Sunday morning spiritual formation experience from The Work of the People.

Jeff Langford will lead this visual format for small group study. If you have been wanting something that is substantive (some of the most renowned Christian scholars in today’s world) while also utilizing today’s visual technology, come to TWOTP.

Register Today for Graduate Recognition Day

Sunday, May 17, is Graduate Recognition Day where we recognize our high school graduates in the 11:00 a.m. worship.

We will also recognize college or technical school graduates (from December through this summer) in the worship guide and LOOP on Sunday, May 17.

May 13 is the last day to register your graduate to be included in the worship guide. Visit the church office with your name, school, and degree/program.

Wednesday Nights in May

May 6: Children’s Choir Program All four children’s choirs will sing in the Social Room after our Wednesday night dinner. This will be their last chance to sing before the summer break. Join us for a fun night of music and celebrate the hard work of the choirs.

May 13: MIDDLE EAST | Dr. Thomas Howell from 2BC and William Jewell College, an expert on the Middle East, will offer an understanding of the present dynamics in that part of the world and a discussion on what we believe would be Jesus' response.

May 20: RENOVATIO Preview Final evening for Wednesday night activities.

We will offer our blessing to our Senior Pastor, Jason Edwards, and his family as he wll soon begin his sabbatical. We’ll also preview our own summer of spiritual renewal, called Renovatio, which launches May 31. (See pg.

6 for details)

YumYuks (Young Marrieds with Young Kids) Meets Sundays | 4:00-5:15 p.m. | Oak Room It’s a special season of life when you are young marrieds with young kids. Join with others in that same stage in the YumYuks small group to study and share life together.

Email Heather Lewis at heatherlewis35@ yahoo.com for more information.

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CBF Partnership Celebration with Reverend Kasey Jones

Pastor of National Baptist Memorial Church, D.C. and CBF National Moderator, 2014-15

Partnership Collaboration Connection Relationship

Partnership. Collaboration. Connection. Relationship. These are words that describe how 2BC engages in the dream of God in the world. While we are transformed as we journey together, we sense we do so for more than ourselves.The dream of God is a redemptive dream for all of creation and we have the privilege of being a part of it. So, we connect and partner with other missions and ministries doing the same.

The CBF is a network of churches and individuals also on this journey.

We appreciate and respect the approach to mission engagement, value the thoughtfulness of scripture study and application, and sense the community with other churches and individuals we have with the CBF. Why do we value our partnership with CBF? Among many reasons, CBF supports 125 field personnel around the world and serves to strengthen, resource and connect ministers, lay leaders and diverse congregations from across the Fellowship. CBF also provides ministry and advocacy networks and offers anyone with a passion a way to personally engage by being a part of eight mission communities: • Poverty and Transformation Ministries • Medical Ministries • Disaster Response Ministries • Church Starting and Faith-Sharing Ministries • Justice and Peacemaking Ministries • Ministry with Internationals • Education and Training Ministries • Economic Development Ministries In addition to the financial support for CBF ministries and missions, we also support the annual Global Missions Offering, which goes directly to mission needs of the field personnel. This year, the GMO goes specifically to #ENDHUNGER.

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Catalyst 2.0 As part of Catalyst 2.0, we will give an additional $10,000 to the Global Missions Offering to help end hunger.

Connection

THE CBF GLOBAL MISSIONS OFFERING This year the Global Missions Offering is emphasizing world hunger; nationally or internationally, anywhere the 125 field personnel are present provides an opportunity to develop holistic responses to ending hunger.

This is an excerpt from the CBF Blog, written by Emily Holladay: “Imagine moving to a new town because you are trying to flee extreme poverty in your home country in hopes of providing for your family. You travel far from home because you’ve heard of a town with a booming economy where jobs are plentiful.

But when you arrive in the town, you are met with barriers that prevent you from building a life. Fortunately, you are able to find work, but no one speaks your language and you are unable to find affordable housing, medical care or even readily acquire food that you know how to cook.

Many Latino families in Fredericksburg, Va., struggle to find adequate work, housing, medical care and food — along with a language barrier, this turns hope for a better life into a desperate hope for basic dignity.

ministry to serve their new Latino neighbors.

In 2003, the Smiths partnered with the CBF of Virginia. Greg and Sue are passionate that the ability to #EndHunger stems from intentionally upholding the dignity of each individual experiencing life-altering hunger.

‘Food ministry is not only about filling empty stomachs,’ Greg emphasized.

‘Our food relief and hunger relief ministry is about upholding the dignity of the individual and the family. If we provide them with food that they don’t know how to prepare, or that they are not comfortable eating, that might fill their stomachs but that also makes them dependent upon us.

‘It’s very hard for a mom to be able to provide a meal for her family if she doesn’t know how to cook the food that she’s been given, or if she doesn’t believe it’s healthy for her children,’ Sue added.

In the Latino community, a lack of access to food results in much more than hunger pangs. For Latinos, fellowship and community is often built around food and the ability to share meals together.

Taking away that ability not only removes a physical necessity, but it also eliminates an avenue to connect relationally and spiritually to their neighbors.

For many Latinos in Fredericksburg, that story is all too familiar. In addition to these struggles, many find themselves unemployed and fear deportation. Walking into a new town and a new culture full of hope for a better life, they are faced with confusion, skepticism and eventually, desperation. Greg and Sue Smith moved back to CBF field personnel Greg and Sue Fredericksburg in 1999 after more Smith (pictured right) share a meal than a decade of mission work in ‘With the Latino people, sharing Costa Rica, their hearts broke for the and fellowship. a meal is an event;’ Greg said. challenges facing the growing Latino ‘It’s an event where you stay community. Knowing that the magnitude of these challenges long enough to participate in each far outweighed the church and community’s capacity to other’s lives.’” respond adequately, the Smiths created a cross-cultural 5

#ENDHUNGER

COMING MAY 31

RENOVATIO This summer our senior pastor, Jason Edwards, will seek renewal through a sabbatical leave. He and the personnel committee have worked hard to shape an experience for renewal. This will be very good work—for his family, his own person, and for us, the congregation he serves. The pastor’s renewal is only part of the way God would work here. God would also work in us, renewing us for all the same reasons.

A team of Second Baptist Church members and staff have created a guide to help each of us journey toward renewal this summer.

Renovatio is Latin for renewal. As the earth models for us, renewal is essential to our existence. Our Renovatio Guide is designed to encourage us toward renewal, personally and in community, throughout the summer.

The focus of our renewal will specifically be through prayer.

Renovatio will include special prayer guides for our adults, students, and kids. We’ll preview our summer of spiritual renewal on Wednesday night, May 20, with the guides launching on Sunday, May 31.

To offer everyone the most convenient method of use, the adult Renovatio Guide will

be offered via three distribution modes: emailed to your desktop, online via our website, or a printed guide.

EMAIL VERSION | Guide emailed weekly to your desktop If you currently receive our weekly LOOP email you will ALSO receive the weekly Renovatio email on Mondays, no action required.

If you do not currently receive our weekly email and would like to, visit our homepage and enter your email address under “SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES” at 2bcliberty.org, or call the church office (781.2824).

ONLINE VERSION | 2bcliberty.org/renovatio Daily access through your internet browser on our website at 2bcliberty.org/renovatio.

PRINTED VERSION | Full print version To be good stewards of our print resources, we are asking that you request a PRINTED version: PRINT REQUEST REQUIRED @ 2bcliberty.org/renovatio or email: mhenderson@2bcliberty.org

Pastor Jason’s Sabbatical

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Our church staff is eligible to take a two-month sabbatical to refresh and renew in their seventh year of service to 2BC, and Pastor Jason will be taking his sabbatical at the beginning of June. In all, Jason’s leave will total 11 weeks, including nine weeks of sabbatical leave, one week of conference leave, and one week of vacation. This leave time will span from June 1 to August 16, 2015. We wish him and his family blessings during this well-earned time.

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SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH

Church Retreat

vision

Friday, May 29 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 30 9:30-11:30 a.m.

In the Social Room

Retreat is free | Childcare available

Attend the retreat to be part of launching the

Dream Initiative // Vision As a member of the Liberty community, Second Baptist partners with In As Much Ministry, Love INC, Hillcrest Hope and Rebuilding Clay County Together. We recently formed a 2BC School Relations Team, all to encourage and give promise, hopefully as the presence of Christ would, to those in and around Liberty.

Is there something else you know of that needs to be done or is there an opportunity that is underfunded or needs other types of support? At our retreat, we will explore this and determine at least one additional way to continue this promise.

The 2BC Retreat will begin the journey to explore the possibilities. Join us Friday night and Saturday morning and add your voice.

Register at 2bcliberty.org/dream

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church-wide

calendar

Sunday, May 3 | CBF Celebration | 2BC 172nd Anniversary | Food Share Sunday Connections Class | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room (room 301) Lunch/Q & A with Kasey Jones | 12:00p.m. | Social Room Camp SERVE | 1:15 p.m. | Assembly Room (room 302) New member Fellowship | 3:00 p.m. | Jason Edwards’ home

Student Choir | 5:30 p.m. | Music Suite (room 501) Deacons Meeting | 6:30 p.m.

Student Innermission | 6:45 p.m. | Student Ministry Room (room 609)

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

Tuesday, May 5 Women on Mission | 9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room (room 302)

Wednesday, May 6 | Sanctuary Second Servings Food & Fellowship | 5:45 p.m. | Social Room Children’s Choir Program | 6:30 p.m. | Social Room

Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal | 7:15 p.m. | Choir Room (room 501) Friday, May 8 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) | 9:30 a.m. | Social Room Sunday, May 10 Connections Class | 9:45 a.m. | Oak Room (room 301) The Work of the People Study | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room (east side)

Student Innermission | 6:45 p.m. | Student Ministry Room (room 609)

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Tuesday, May 12

MomsNext | 9:30 a.m. | Oak Room (room 301)

MAY

Wednesday, May 13 | Sanctuary Second Servings Food & Fellowship | 5:45 p.m. | Social Room Second Sessions (Adults, Students & Kids) | 6:30 p.m.

Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal | 7:15 p.m. | Choir Room (room 501)

Sunday, May 17 | Graduate Recognition High School Seniors Breakfast | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room The Work of the People Study | 9:45 a.m. | TBA

Student Choir | 5:30 p.m. | Music Suite (room 501) Church Council Meeting | 6:30 p.m. | Room 505

Monday, May 18 Senior Adults : Coffee and Conversation | 1:00 p.m. | Social Room

Wednesday, May 20 | Sanctuary Second Servings Food & Fellowship | 5:45 p.m. | Social Room Second Sessions (Adults, Students & Kids) | 6:30 p.m.

Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal | 7:15 p.m. | Choir Room (room 501) Sunday, May 24 The Work of the People Study | 9:45 a.m. | Social Room (east side) All-Church Picnic | 4:00 p.m. to dark | Bennett Park

Student Choir | 5:30 p.m. | Music Suite (room 501)

Monday, May 25 | Memorial Day Church Office Closed

Wednesday, May 27 Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal | 7:15 p.m. | Choir Room (room 501) Friday, May 28 Church Retreat | 6:30 p.m. | Social Room Saturday, May 29 Church Retreat | 9:30 a.m. | Social Room

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Churchwide Stephen Ministry

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry that equips and empowers caregivers—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting. Stephen Ministry is appropriate for people experiencing: grief, divorce, cancer, hospitalization, physical rehabilitation, longterm care, chronic illness, terminal illness, job loss, loss of a home, military deployment, the onset of a disability, loneliness, spiritual crisis, or other life struggles.

Who Can Receive Care?

A care receiver is a hurting individual from the congregation or the community who receives care from a Stephen Minister. Men are matched with men; women with women. If a care receiver’s needs exceed what a Stephen Minister can provide, the team makes a referral to appropriate professional community resources or other services.

If you are would like to receive care from a Stephen Minister, please contact: Mike Lassiter, Associate Pastor, at mlassiter@2bcliberty.org or (816) 781-2824 ext. 607; Carol Kingery, Referral Coordinator, at ckingery@kc.rr.com or (816) 916-8407.

senior adults

STUDENTS

Coffee & Conversation | Social Room Our Senior Adult Ministry hosts a twicemonthly Coffee & Conversation open to all.

No reservations needed, just bring a friend and your coffee mug!

Monday, May 4 | 10:00 a.m.

Monday, May 18 | 1:00 p.m. : Last Event for the Spring. 2BC Staff will provide treats.

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Stay connected at

Save the Date(s) for Summer Trips!

Senior High South Dakota Trip: The week of June 7. Exact dates and times coming soon.

Senior High Camping Trip: July 7-11. More details to come soon.

Middle School Mission Trip: The middle school students will have a mission/fun trip from a Thursday to a Sunday this summer.

We will get the dates to you soon!

2bcliberty.org

Global Leadership Summit Live Simulcast

Thursday-Friday, August 6-7 | 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Liberty No matter where you lead, The Global Leadership Summit is a world-class experience designed to help you get better and embrace your grander vision—the reason God called you to lead. Broadcast live from Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago to over 375 Premier Host Sites in North America and later around the world, you are invited to join an expected 260,000 leaders in 2015.

Featuring: Bill Hybels • Sallie Krawcheck • Adam Grant • Brian Houston • Ed Catmull • Sam Adeyemi • Sheila Heen • Jim Collins • Albert Tate • Horst Schulze • Dr. Brené Brown • Liz Wiseman • Craig Groeschel

Registration: $149 (by May 10). Twelve $75

scholarships from 2BC will be provided on a first come, first available basis. To reserve your spot and scholarship, email Maggie Henderson at mhenderson@2bcliberty.org or call 816-781-2824.

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Sneak Peek at

Senior Adult Wednesday Nights Out

Wednesdays starting June 3 | 5:00 p.m. | Local restaurants Senior adults are invited to gather on Wednesday nights this summer to enjoy local restaurants and each other’s company! Stay tuned for locations, and contact Caroll Makemson at 816-213-6406 if you have restaurant suggestions.

We like to let the restaurants know how many to expect each week, so we request reservations

by Tuesday at noon each week. Contact Maggie in the church office to make your reservation: mhenderson@2bcliberty.org or 816-781-2824.

Me2 Lunches Are Back!

Join our pastoral staff as they host lunches at various restaurants around the Liberty area. Think of these lunches as a chance to get to know the 2BC staff better, a chance to meet other people from the 2BC congregation, and a chance to simply enjoy some yummy food around the area! Watch for the schedule coming soon!

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Special Summer Weekday Offerings Fridays | 10:30 a.m. | Social Room

All our Grand Adults (seniors who really are grand!) are invited to a special summer offering of Bible study and fellowship. We will meet on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. in the Social Room for a study of Psalms. This beloved Old Testament book speaks to all dimensions of human life. Following the study, those interested will eat together at a pre-selected restaurant. If you are interested, please contact Maggie in the church office at 816-781-2824 or mhenderson@2bcliberty.org.

Oasis for Women

Wednesdays, June 30-July 1 | 10:00 a.m. to noon Ladies, are you interested in a special summer activity just for you? We will gather at the church and study the book The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels by Frank Viola and Mary Demuth. What if we had diaries from the woman caught in adultery, the prostitute who loved much, the desperate Samaritan woman, the woman with a flow of blood and the woman whom Jesus loved? By looking at these encounters and their stories in fresh ways, we will find renewed hope, faith, and love in our own stories and encounter with Jesus.

After the study, we will have a mystery fun experience! Each week you will be told what you will need to bring with you. Some weeks may involve a small cost. There also will be childcare for ages birth through 5th grade for a small fee. Adults will be provided snacks, but please pack a snack for your children. Register at 2bcliberty.org or contact Maggie Henderson at 816-781-2824 or mhenderson@2bcliberty.org.

Sunday Morning Bible Studies Offered This Summer Only!

Sundays this summer | 9:45-10:40 a.m. | Social Room-West side Sundays in June: The Lord and His Prayer by N. T. Wright. Wright is a world renowned professor of New

Testament and early Christianity. This look at the Lord’s Prayer sums up what Jesus was all about in his first-century setting. He locates the prayer, clause by clause, within the historical life and work of Jesus.

Sundays in July: Making the Good News Good Again, Recovering the Wonder of the Gospel by Judson Edwards. Edwards has been a pastor for more than 30 years. In this book, he asks questions shared by many longtime Christians. Wouldn’t it be great if the Bible fascinated us once again? Wouldn’t we do almost anything to sense the presence of God anew in our lives? Wouldn’t we pay almost anything to get the wonder back?

Sundays in August: Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton. This study takes us more deeply into understanding seven key spiritual disciplines along with practical ideas for weaving them into everyday life. Spiritual disciplines open us to God’s transforming love and the changes that only God can bring about in our lives. Barton is a writer, spiritual director and pastoral staff member.

Come join us if you are interested in the topics, your regular class dismisses for the summer, OR if you haven’t found a place to be part of Sunday morning yet. Small group Bible studies and spiritual formation 13 13 groups are important to our being disciples of Jesus.

Windermere

Conference Center June 22–26, 2015 Second Baptist continues to enjoy a good relationship with Windermere Conference Center, located at Lake of the Ozarks.

On June 22–26, we will travel to Windermere to help in various areas as the conference center serves a variety of ministries from around the state and country. College students, recently retired, those with the summer “off,” senior adults or families are all invited to consider joining us in this service opportunity.

Lodging and meals are provided by Windermere, and those who attend will be asked to work in various areas about six hours each day while also enjoying free time.

In the evening we will join in worship with any of the groups Windermere is hosting for the week. We will also have our own short group time to close each day.

Visit 2bcliberty.org/send for a list of tasks you can get involved with. The pace is easy, and there is time for fellowship with others. You can drive separately or ride in a 2BC vehicle.

Please indicate the desire to ride when you sign up. Visit the 2BC website, and under missions, look for the Windermere sign up.

(There is also a RV park if you prefer to stay in your own RV or camping trailer.)

Contact Mike Lassiter at mlassiter@2bcliberty. org if you need more information or want to be a part of this SEND opportunity.

SEND INITIATIVE

2015

SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH

Making space for God’s transforming presence.

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

Grade h t f i F 4 . n ages Childre m. - 12:00 p.m 9:00 a.

SonSpark Labs Overview

SonSpark Labs has kids engaged and eager to learn about God’s plan from the moment they enter the building!

Leaders and volunteers will help kids discover God’s plan for each of them--God’s Plan 4 U = Jesus.

With age-appropriate Bible stories, experiments, games, crafts, snacks and songs, each day of SonSparks Labs VBS involves kids in exploring an amazing aspect of God’s life-changing plan.

By providing opportunities for interactive learning at VBS, we can share with the children in our communities the good news about Jesus and God’s remarkable plan of salvation.

Registration Now Open | Register at 2bcliberty.org/VBS

Stay tuned for an exciting new

“Children’s Arts Week”

Coming late summer! You won’t want to miss it!

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Click here for a direct link to the HUB3 login page FROM our website.

Jump on the HUB3 online From our Homepage @

2bcliberty.org 3

HUB Hint: I don’t understand the 3 difference between the HUB and our church WEBSITE? There is a big difference between our 2BC website and our churchwide communication platform we call “the HUB3”. You get to both via the internet and your desktop browser.

Both offer a full look at 2BC events, but that’s where the similarity ends.

Here is a quick reference of features to help you understand where to go for best results . . .

HUB3 Key Features:

• Secured for congregational use only

WEBSITE Key Features:

• Open to Public • Event information and registration • Sign-up for weekly church e-news • Wednesday night menus/reservation link • Session overview and room locations • Ministry & Missions overviews • Church-wide Calendar of Events • Current media archive: Newsletters,

Worship Guides, Sermon videos, Bridge magazine

• “I Am New” Overview

Great place to get an idea of who we are!

• Catalyst Budget Tracking • Flowers for worship scheduling/ordering • Online Giving/Tithing

(need password from church to access! )

• Overall ministry communication platform (integrated with your own desktop email)

• Congregational Contact Information • Schedule Church Events • View Group/Church-wide Calendars • Personal Contact and privacy preferences • Engage in Ministry via Ministry Teams • Volunteer to serve • Establish your availability/desire to serve and much more . . .

Connect via Social Media Follow @2bcliberty

Second Baptist Church info@2bcliberty.org

300 E. Kansas | Liberty, MO 64068

816-781-2824