REACHING BEYOND WITH FAITH AND JOY
Last year our church stewardship theme was Responding to God’s Love, We Reach Out to Serve the Needs of Our Church, Our Community, and Our World. This year we will build on that theme by Reaching Beyond with Faith and Joy. Reaching beyond requires us to move into the unknown, to stretch ourselves beyond what we have done before. This can be unsettling but also exciting as we realize that we can do more, reach more, than we had previously thought possible.
In 2020 we will embark on a new way of doing ministry together. After much work, discussion, and prayer we will officially change our church governance structure from the Four Boards, Advisory Council, and many committees to a Unified Governing Board with Ministry Teams for all of our many ministries. This requires us to be flexible, creative, and committed as we make this transition. This will entail reaching beyond our usual patterns and habits to think and work in new ways.
All of this reaching beyond is done with faith and joy. We reach beyond with faith that God is guiding and sustaining us. We reach beyond with joy that, in Christ, we are empowered to serve God and share God’s love with the world. Our ministries are made possible by God’s grace and the support of our members and friends. I thank you for your prayers, your time, your care, and your financial support of our work together. Please join us on November 17 when we will pledge our support for the upcoming year.
Yours in Christ,
Rev.
Karen A. Mendes, Pastor
| Newsletter Deadline for Dec. is Nov. 15th |
GIFT OF TIME
VISITATION
The Congregational Care Committee of the First Baptist Church Diaconate reports that there are currently 11 on the Homebound Members & Friends list. In September, 7 “known visits” were made to 2 homebound members and no “known calls” were made to homebound members and friends.
Other Members and Friends had 1 visit by 1 member and friend.
The committee invites you to help with this ministry.
Please contact Ray when you visit or call a homebound member and friend @araysherrod@hotmail.com. or call 802-864-7179.
WORSHIP SERVICE
Sermons and Texts
Nov. 03 – Rev. Karen A. Mendes
All Saints Day Service
Scripture: Luke 6:20-31
Sermon: The Lives of the Saints
Nov. 10 – Rev. Karen A. Mendes
Scripture: Luke 19:1-10
Sermon: Seeking and Finding
Nov. 17 – Rev. Karen A. Mendes
Pledge Sunday
Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25
Sermon: Creating Joy
Nov. 24 – Rev. Karen A. Mendes
Thanksgiving Sunday
Combined Worship
Scripture: John 6:25-35
Sermon: Bread of Heaven
Nov 10 – All Boards
Nov 17 – Pledge Sunday
Dopp Organ Recital (new date)
Nov 18 – Advisory Council
Nov 24 –Thanksgiving Sunday
Combined Worship
Nov 30 – Greening of the Church Dec 01 – Advent Craft Workshop
Dec 07 – Don Dalton’s 100th Birthday celebration 2-4pm
Dec 08 – Christmas Pageant All Boards
Dec 15 – Christmas Pageant
Soup Supper Dec 16 – Advisory Council
Dec 22 – Christmas Sunday
Dec 24 – Christmas Eve Services
Dec 29 – Christmas Caroling
New and Returning Study and Fellowship Groups
There is more to Church than Sunday mornings!
Weekday Bible Study – Mondays at 11:30am. We are studying the Old Testament book of Exodus. Please join us and feel free to bring your lunch.
Young Adults – Third Sunday of the Month at 11am – College students and young adults are invited for pizza and good conversation.
Baptism Class – Sundays, beginning in late January – This will be a class for youth and adults seeking baptism. For more information, speak with Rev. Mendes.
THE FALL BOOK GROUP is reading Original Blessings by Danielle Shroyer which began on Monday, Nov. 4th at 6:30pm. This challenging book encourages us to rethink our ideas about sin, Jesus, and blessings. Books can be purchased on line. For more information or for help procuring a book, contact Rev. Mendes at 864-6515 or kamendefbc@gmail.com.
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT VOLUNTEERS!
Calling all angels, shepherds, magi, Holy Families, directors, and crew! We will soon be choosing our pageant for this year and finalizing practice times. The pageant cast will be composed of people of all ages and it will be part of our worship service on Dec. 15. Please speak with Rev. Mendes or Jeneve Joslin, Director of Christian Education, if you are interested in participating in any capacity
THANKSGIVING PROCESSIONAL
November 24 is Thanksgiving Sunday at First Baptist. This is another opportunity to feed our community! Please plan to bring appropriate Thanksgiving food items or cash donations to the Processional. These foods and money will be used to feed those among us who need a little extra help and/or have a lot of mouths to feed! If you are aware of folks who can benefit from a food basket and turkey, please speak to Joan Taylor.
ELECTRONIC GIVING IS NOW POSSIBLE through a Donate button on our church website:
http//www.fbcburlingtonvt.com and through a smartphone app called GIVEPLUS. Donations can be set for one time only or to be recurring. The cost to the church for this service is $10 a month and small transactions fees of 2.75% for debit/credit cards or 1.00% for ACH. These fees can be offset by adding that amount to your gift. Our ministries depend on the generous gifts of our members and friends. Thank you for your participation in sharing the love of God in our community and our world.
GREEN STEEPLE WEEKLY NEWS
On Thursdays, look for an email from First Baptist letting you know about upcoming events and opportunities. This will give you a first look at the Sunday bulletin announcements and provide a way for us to communicate beyond the monthly newsletter. If you have information you would like included in the email and bulletin, please get it to Marie at – fbcbvt@gmail.com by Wednesday.
We invite you to donate flowers for Sunday worship. Please sign up on the flower chart in back of the narthex for any Sunday of your choice.
CHURCH GREETING AND REFRESHMENTS
Check it out – New green sign-up chartfor “Greeters & Feeders” in the Narthex. We are offering two opportunities to serve on Sunday mornings by asking for both greeters and providers of snacks. Store-bought cookies are fine! Feel free to sign up for both or one or the other on the round table in the narthex.
A BIG thank you to all that helped with meals for ANEW Place the week of Sept. 22nd – 28th: Gail Holmes, Fern Sparks, Ed Bigelow, Ginger Calder, Peg Randall, Cindy & David Little, Joan Taylor and Betty Capponi.
~ Betty Capponi, Mission Outreach
MISSIONS
The American Baptist Women’s Ministries is seeking funds for the Overland White Cross. The First Crow Baptist Church of Lodge Grass, Montana will be the recipient. A sign-up poster is available in the Narthex. As in the past, we will buy a Walmart card. The deadline to sign up will be December 1st.
We are invited to be prayer partners
with the brothers and sister of our sister church in Puerto Rico, the Primera Iglesia Bautista deMayaguez.
Those interested will be paired up with a person from Mayaguez. You can connect via email, text, snail mail, or Facebook. This is an opportunity for all ages to further the bonds between our communities. Sign up in the Narthex.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS
October has been a joyful time in Church School! We have spent time together exploring Noah’s Ark in our classrooms and as a multi-age group! We also participated in a Pumpkin Carving Youth Event with four other Burlington Churches!
For November, our Bible Story is Baby Moses. In
addition to exploring and discussing the story of Baby Moses, students will be
learning about the art of weaving, basket making and blanket making. Younger
students will make colorful baskets using paper and other materials and older
students will be making reed weaving baskets. Both groups will also be learning
how to make no-sew fleece blankets. Older students will have the opportunity to
participate in a drama storytelling of
the Story of Baby Moses and share their basket making skills in a Second Hour Forum on Thanksgiving Sunday, Nov. 24th. We need some volunteers this month! Please email Jeneve Joslin at Jenevefbc@gmail.com if you could lend a supportive hand in Church School on 11/3, 11/10 and or 11/17.
Updates from the Cooperative Christian Ministry at UVM
I continue to represent
FBC on the board. We are planning for the upcoming academic year.
Our church will be providing the November 5th dinner this year. We are looking for 4 or 5 volunteers to contribute a portion of our First Baptist Dinner for UVM students as part of our Cooperative Christian ministry on campus. We provide one meal a year for approximately 13-15 students. The dinner is held at the interfaith center on Redstone campus. Please consider making chilis, vegan main dishes or side dishes. I will be there at 5pm to greet you when you drop off your food. Please consider staying for the hour dinner to converse with our local students. Please speak to Joan Taylor or Beth Gamache.
I am also looking for two volunteers to serve on the board with me. We are one of six denominations represented on the Cooperative Christian Ministry Board. We meet monthly, a Tuesday evening 5:30 to 7:00. All the other churches have the 3 representatives per the bylaws. Please speak to me for any further questions. I look forward to having fellow FBC members serve with me.
Thank you, Beth (343-2650)
NEW CHURCH GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The Unified Governing Board is comprised of the Church officers, the Pastor, and representatives from 4 Governance Committees (Staff Relations, Finance, Property and TPF) and the 3 Ministry Areas. It will meet monthly in the place of our current Board and Advisory Council meetings. This Unified Governing Board structure will officially begin in February 2020 after the Annual Meeting in January 2020. Portions of our current Bylaws will remain in effect until we have sufficient experience with the new structure to make any adjustments.
The Ministry Teams will be responsible for much of what we do together. These teams are open to anyone who wants to participate and they run the gamut of teaching Church School to cooking soup to calling on the homebound. The teams do not have set terms of service nor do they require monthly meetings. If you feel called to lead a Ministry Team, please speak to one of our current Board Chairs; Joan Taylor, Lois Lynch, Jim Calder, Mark Paulsen, and Marie Morton.
Our Ministry Teams and
Leaders for 2020
In February 2020 we will officially transition from our current Four Boards structure to a Unified Governing Board. In the new structure our ministries will be facilitated by teams of people working together. Below is a list of the Ministry Teams and their team leaders. Some teams are for short term projects and others are ongoing. Please consider to which teams God may be calling you. You can reach out to the team leader for more information.
Outreach
ABC Mission – (Joan Taylor and Nancy Tracy)
ANEW Place – Betty Capponi
FUMC Soup Suppers –
Nancy Danforth
Cooperative Campus Ministries – Beth Gamache
Sister Church Initiative –
Karen Mendes
Marathon Pasta Supper –
Marie Morton
Public Relations –
Fellowship
Welcoming – Pat Boyden
Visitation – Ray Sherrod
Communion – Cindy Little
Prayer Chain – Mark Paulsen
New Member Services –
Karen Mendes
Prayer Topics – Marie Morton
Sanctuary Decorations –
Mark Paulsen
Ushering – Andy Farrington
Mark Paulsen
Frank Swasey
Security – Andy Farrington
Property (Fix It/Clean It) – Andy Farrington
Education
Church School- Jeneve Joslin
Special Events – Lois Lynch
Youth Ministry – Jeneve Joslin (interim)
Adult Christian Education –
Jeneva Burroughs (interim)
Library & Educational Resources- Jeneva Burroughs
Stewardship – Stu Burroughs