June 2011

IMPORTANT CONGREGATIONAL MEETING SUNDAY, JUNE 19 AFTER WORSHIP.
THE PASTOR WILL MAKE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

Pastor’s Ponderings
Thoughts from Ye Olde Pastor
“Some Thoughts about Anxiety”

It’s summer and, with the climate being as it is in Vermont, it’s a particularly bad time to worry. The weather and the vistas we have just beyond our thresholds are just too good to fritter away on fretting. But when have such considerations kept yours truly from dabbling in the anxious places of one’s mind? It’s all too tempting to sit on the front porch and take in a beautiful sunset with mitigating worries about our old house not selling and other such matters. The somber reports about softening housing markets and a weakened economy echo in the chambers of my soul where worry hangs out with fear.

The winds of the Spirit bear witness to God’s truth on our breezy porch. And the Spirit says, “Phooey!”

Okay; the Spirit doesn’t really quote Donald Duck at such moments; but the Spirit does remind me of the Scriptures.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27

Yes, I guess there is a sense in which the Spirit of Jesus Christ listens to my anxious fears and says the spiritual equivalent of “phooey.”

The most frequent command found in scripture is, “Fear not!”

There are only two places in the New Testament where the words translated “worry” or “anxiety/anxious” are put in a positive light. In both cases the context is caring for the needs of others (Ph.2:20, 1 Co.12:25). God wants us to get out of ourselves - to be free from the web of worry we might weave for ourselves and others.

Most of us cannot help getting worried at times – and God has a treatment plan. It’s called prayer - honest heartfelt prayer. Peter who, like Paul, knew what it was like to be in a tight spot writes, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pt.5:7).”

So why waste a perfectly beautiful time of the year on worry when God wants to help out? There are times I need to remember that and I suppose you do too.

Church News

BIBLE ADVENTURE DAY CAMP
June 22-24th 2011

The Memorial Baptist church of Middlebury will once again be kicking off summer with Bible Adventure Day Camp. This year’s theme will be the Armor of God. The campers will rotate throughout the day to different activities that will include recreation, nature, Bible/theater and arts & crafts.

All children who are entering Kindergarten through entering 7th grade are invited to attend. Camp runs from 10am until 3pm Wednesday thru Friday at Branbury Beach state park. The cost is $10.00 a camper for all 3 days. No need to pay at the gate when you arrive, just tell the rangers you are with the camp. Please join us at 3pm on Friday the 24th when your kids will be demonstrating all that they have learned by putting on a theatrical performance for you!

Campers should arrive with sunscreen already on. All campers will be re-sunscreened mid-day by our diligent anti-sunburn patrol. Bring bathing suits and towels, as all campers will have a time to go swimming and the older groups will have the opportunity to go canoeing with our awesome (and abundant) recreation staff. Please pack a lunch. A healthy snack will be provided mid-morning and we will have plenty of fluids available throughout the day.

Questions? Feel free to call Joelle Logan at 453-6103.

Sharpen Your Knives and other Blades!
Bring in your knives, lawnmower blades and any other things you may need sharpened to John Curler. In exchange for an excellent sharpening job, donations should be made to the Piano Fund. Any questions, please see John or call him at 349-7160. Thank you!

Community Lunch program
The Community Lunch program at the Charter House on Route 7 in Middlebury continues this summer, with lunches served Monday through Thursday each week, June 13-August 11.

We welcome junior Melissa Shapiro as an intern from Middlebury College who will work with us. Melissa will be coordinating meals and helping to serve, so we will need one or two people each time Memorial Baptist helps out. Fruits, desserts and main meals will be needed, and we expect more families to come during the summer with kids home from school. On Monday, August 15, we resume our fall schedule, with St. Stephen’s returning to its own site for Mondays and Tuesday through Thursday meals at the Charter House.

Memorial Baptist will serve lunches every three weeks on Thursdays, June 16, July 7, July 28, August 18, and, looking ahead to the early fall, on Sept. 8 and Sept. 29.

A special thanks to all who have provided food donations or cash to support the program, and to those who come on site to help prepare meals! This is one of many ways the faith communities in town reach out to serve our community.

Please let me know if you can help out any of the dates this summer. -Jeff Rehbach

Sunday School Teacher (and Community Volunteer Extraordinare)

John Curler building with students from the Junior High Sunday School Class.

Top photo: Olivia Nop, Caroline Kimble and Peter Dickerson.

Caring Committee Needs One More!
After a wonderful and busy service as a member of the Caring Committee Team, Wendy Butler is stepping down. We are now looking for another person to work with Sarah Flavell to coordinate meals for members of our church family as needs arise. If you have any questions about the position, you can speak with Wendy, Sarah or Pastor Steve. Thank you!

Senior Rock’rs

The Senior Rock'rs do not meet in July. We will next meet on Wednesday, August 3rd for our monthly get-together at the home of Dave and Jan Miller, 121 Mountain View Drive, Leicester. If you are of retirement age, plan to join us then and enjoy the great time we have at their home on Lake Dunmore.

Family News

Thomas Dickerson will be living on the St. Mike’s campus this summer, doing math research. Hannah Logan was one of three featured soloists for the Spring Concert at Mt. Abe at the end of May. She played Pride and Prejudice (of course) on grand piano with the concert band accompanying her. It was a wonderful performance. You are Invited.... Eagle Scout Award Ceremony for Mark Dickerson Sunday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at Memorial Baptist Church, 97 South Pleasant Street, Middlebury. Light refreshments to follow.

Missions Moments

International Ministries, American Baptist Churches

Carlos Bonilla and Mayra Giovanetti, Spain

Carlos and Mayra, with their children, are in Spain alongside the churches of the Baptist Evangelical Union of Spain (UEBE) in their ministries to migrants, preparing curriculum materials, and training lay persons in the local churches.

They write: The Emergency Relief Funds to support the reconstruction process for the families in Lorca after their earthquakes of May 11th is in the hands of the FBC of Lorca who will, as soon begin organizing the completion of the sanctuary’s basement that was not affected. The idea is to make it their meeting room and a place to organize the food and household items given to them to distribute to those in need as they are able. We must point out that after living as nomads (without a sanctuary) since 2006, they had been meeting at the Red Cross headquarters in Lorca that was crushed in the earthquakes. Therefore, they are now meeting at a neighbors’ house where they bring for each meeting plastic chairs, the pulpit, the Bible, the Communion set, and, the sound and music systems…

First-hand witness: FBC Lorca sanctuary… We left for Lorca to see our UMMBE sisters we had met in previous occasions and meet people from the congregation in Lorca who are also affected by earthquakes. Abigail noticed the mood was improving and, despite the situation still being the same (for now), they are recovering the joy and good humor they are known for. It is impacting to see how aware they are that as a Church they are responsible to serve their neighbor and be a light in the midst of this disaster. It is inspiring to see how even when they are in the same or worse predicament as their neighbors in Lorca (each remodeling/reconstruction project is approximately US$28,600), the Church families are thinking of ways to respond to the communities’ needs. In fact, out of the distribution packages they prepared they have already helped several families that are not from the Church; this has been a witness to those who have received these gifts.

• Pray for the people of Lorca as they rebuild their lives after the impact of the earthquake.
  
• Pray for the Christians in Spain as they reach out in the name of Jesus bringing help and hope.
  
• Pray for Mayra and Carlos as they serve Jesus in Spain.
  
• Pray for their children: Alberto (14), Carolina (11) and Daniela (6).
  

Gordon and Lee Ann Hwang, Japan

Gordon and Lee Ann are serving in Yokohama, Japan. Gordon exercises gifts of service and hospitality. He is partnering in outreach on a nearby college campus and in a fellowship meeting in their home. Lee Ann works full time as an English conversation teacher for junior and senior high students at Soshin School. She also has opportunities to influence students in 2 clubs, through the foreign exchange programs, speaking in chapel and with their home-fellowship meetings.

Gordon writes: I made my second trip to Tohoku about 4 weeks ago. In Morioka, I met Pastor Kondo and his family. He and his church, Morioka Bible Baptist Church, coordinate volunteers weekly to visit Miyako city, about two hours over the mountains on the coast of Japan. He arranged for us to work with a volunteer group from Hokkaido and let us stay at their base camp in Miyako.

With this volunteer group, I helped to pass out some food to tsunami survivors and do some clean-up of debris. The town we visited was Taro, about 40 minutes north of Miyako. Taro was nearly totally destroyed by the tsunami. Near Taro, it was reported that the wave reached a height of 124 feet, about 700 feet from the ocean, and was the largest ever in Japan’s history. At one point, half the residents of Taro, (population 1800) were missing. I met one elderly resident who lived up in the hills above Taro while delivering some food.

My heart breaks for them as they try to rebuild their lives. Electricity, water, and gas services were restored, and the roads are cleared, but their town is no more. Many are living in the evacuation centers and have no where to go since their homes were washed away. Their places of business are gone as well, so it is difficult to know how they can earn a living. Yet, people still have some hope and are not giving up.

At another location in Taro, our team helped clean up the debris from outside an elderly woman’s home. The work is difficult since the mud from the tsunami is heavy. The storm drainage channels were clogged and needed to be cleared. It took 10 people, 3-4 hours to clear the debris. She was so thankful afterward for our help and her smile was heartwarming.. It was a blessing to be of some service. One volunteer remarking on shoveling mud said, “This is the gospel!” because God reached down and saved us through Jesus Christ, so that we can be a help to others. Other members of the team talked with the woman and perhaps God will allow more opportunities to witness in the future.

What impressed me most in serving with this team, was their unity. These volunteers were Christians from many different churches who had not met before this trip. The churches in Hokkaido started a network in order to support the relief efforts in Tohoku. It is probably the first time these churches joined together to serve. Doesn’t the Bible say that in unity, the world will know that Jesus was sent by the Father (John 17:21)? I feel God is using this disaster to bring Christians together in Japan and around the world to serve and pray for the survivors. While this has been a devastating time for many in Japan, maybe it will be a time for revival. Many are still at risk from the trauma and loss.

Thank you for those who have given donations for the relief in Japan. Many have received help because of your generous gifts. Won’t you continue to support and pray for the people of Japan?

• Continue to pray for the people of Japan as they seek to rebuild their lives following the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami.
  
• Pray for the witness of the Christians in Japan as they seek to bring help in the name of Jesus to the many who are in need.
  
• Pray for Lee Ann and Gordon as they serve Christ in Japan, and pray for their children: Naomi (15), Mikki (13) and Matthew (11).