The Banner | March 25
Seeking to minister in new ways in challenging days!
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
A Message from Pastor Greg
In keeping with our desire to minister in new ways in these challenging days we invite you to go online to worship with us each Sunday morning. If you haven’t engaged in last Sunday’s service (March 22) you can still do by going to Worship Online. This service will be available until Saturday night, March 28.
Then, on Sunday, March 29 you’ll find the new service recording. This week we look forward to welcoming Dr. Keith Bodner back to his preaching ministry. Each week going forward, through the cooperation of our brothers and sisters at First Baptist, Moncton, Dr. Keith will be recording his sermons from their pulpit. We’re grateful for their cooperation in these days.
Worship leaders for this Sunday’s recording include Gloria Tranquilla/Peter and Maureen Steeves leading traditional elements; Jon and Alyse Wilton leading contemporary elements; special music offered by Greg & Rebecca Keezer and leading us in prayer will be Charlie and Donna Colwell. I’ll be along to share a special inclusion for your children.
The technical team bringing this service together will be Seigy and Julia Polyachenko and Kellie and Anthony Brown. We underscore that the recordings are being prepared with a commitment to social-distancing and keeping numbers in the sanctuary at any one time under the maximum of 10 people as required by the Province of New Brunswick State of Emergency directives.
I offer a very big SHOUT OUT to our Technical Director, Anthony Brown, for leading the technological ‘charge’ required to make online service a reality. And to someone I know even better, Claire Geldart, for developing our new streamlined website which offers the online services and various ways to engage in ministry in these days. More about those items below!
Please pray for protection and liberty of the Spirit for those engaging in bringing these services to life and that our online platform will reach beyond the BSBC family to a wider audience needing to know that God is at work in these days.
Yours in continued ministry, Pastor Greg
Praying Church Initiative
We’re building a 7 Day Prayer Team, asking individuals to commit to praying for at least 15 minutes at some point during that day. To help, we’ll send you prayer requests as they become available — as we bring this powerful spiritual discipline to bear on all aspects of the pandemic.
To join our prayer team register online and the church office will send you an introductory email to orient you to this ministry. OR, you can call the church office (458-8348), and provide your email address to partner with us.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18
Caring Church Initiative
Physical isolation can be debilitating and lead to social and spiritual isolation. We want to break that feeling of isolation through a caring phone ministry!
All you need to take part in this ministry is a phone and a desire to make a difference in someone’s day.
We’ll invite you to “adopt” one or two people that you’ll contact bi-weekly to check in on them and filter any needs they have back to the church office. To join our Caring Church Initiative register online and Alyse Wilton, our Church Family Life Coordinator, will send you an introductory email to orient you to this ministry. OR, you can email Alyse and she will get you set up.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6: 9-10
Home (Sunday) Schooling
Parents are invite to pop by our Children’s Resources page to find details about LifeWay Publishing’s offer of free online videos and support materials for parents to engage with their children in Christian education at home.
This is an amazing gift from LifeWay which is the “education arm” of the Southern Baptist Convention.
No One Knows Everything!
That’s why our website invites you to make suggestions about ministries and supportive actions you see that should be considered by church leadership. What ideas do you have OR what blessings have you received in these days that will be an encouragement to others? We’re a team and you’re part of it! Submit your ideas online or contact the church office (458-8348) or email Pastor Greg. Thank you!
Our Prayer Corner
CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY to Mike, Diane and Ashlee Shannon on the passing of Mike’s mother, Ramona Shannon on March 17 here in Fredericton and to Rowan, Jenny and Theo Hampton on the passing of Rowan’s mother, Dr. Janet Louise Hampton on Friday, March 20, 2020, also here in Fredericton. Please remember these families who grieve in the midst of exceptional circumstances. May they know the peace of Christ.
PLEASE PRAY for our seniors friends not always able to be with us…Diana Lapointe, Eldon Maston, Claudia McKiel, Marjorie Miller, Madeline Oliver, Muriel Phillips, and Marie Roberts.
PLEASE PRAY for our Partners in Mission – Charles, Sarah, Lucie, Victoria and Joseph Milette – are waiting for Canadian air transport from Peru back to Canada. Please pray for their safety (in all senses) and adjustment to this very quick repatriation to Canada through the Canadian government.
PLEASE PRAY for Pastor Steve and Cindy Patterson as they engages in a week of vacation from Thursday, March 26, returning to the office on Monday, April 6. Pastor Greg will be available by calling his home (459-6722) or emailing him.
Church Family News
PUPPET PALOOZA – We celebrate innovation in these days and so applaud Erik and Alexandra Dunfield who have committed to writing and presenting two recordings per week of puppet skits based on the parables of Jesus! These will be available on our website starting Friday, March 27. Thanks, Erik and Allie for being a blessing to your our youngest members (and likely not just a few of the older ones, TOO!).
BLOGGING FOR YOUTH – Our Youth and Young Adult Coordinator, Jon Wilton, has started a weekly blog to connect with his peeps! But, Jon’s inspirational thoughts and connections aren’t limited to this age.
CHURCH FAMILY LIFE COORDINATOR – Your Board of Deacons is so pleased to announce the appointment of Alyse Wilton as our new Church Family Life Coordinator (CFLC). We are grateful for Alyse’s ministry as the Interim CFLC through this position since November and look forward to her leadership in these days spearheading our Caring Church Initiative. Alyse can be reached by email at churchfamilylife@bsbc.nb.ca. Thank you, Alyse, for your sense of calling to serve in this way.
ELEMENTARY MINISTRY COORDINATOR POSITION (EMC) As many of you know, we have been seeking a new EMC for BSBC. We invite the congregation to continue to be in prayer as the Education Committee engages in a discernment process with a possible candidate. Thank you for your prayerful support.
BARNABAS WARMING CENTRE – This in from Pastor Steve - “I am very pleased to be writing to tell you that the province of New Brunswick is proactively moving the overnight shelter and offering day time space as well for our homeless. There was a large move on Monday, March 23 to accommodate this new direction to help keep the homeless population safe with proper social distancing. They will be living at Fredericton High School. We have served our community very well with the Barnabas warming centre but as the days have moved along it has become more of a risk. I am very relieved to no longer have to put our volunteers, coordinators and the homeless population at further risk. Not everyone who utilized the Barnabas was homeless but all who came are the less fortunate in our community. Thank you all for your support of the warming centre. I know it has been positive in our relationship with our community!”
HOUSING FIRST INITIATIVE – As with ministries and events scheduled before the closing of the church facility, the Housing First Initiative is being paused for the foreseeable future. The process for engaging with this important question will resume sometime after we are able to gather together in meetings once again. The congregation is encouraged to continue to study the materials provided, formulate questions and “pros and cons” and to pray for discernment for the church family to come, in time, to a decision of “yes” or “no”. Leadership will provide several weeks’ notice before the process, as outlined previously, is undertaken once again.
Community News: A Note from Greener Village
One of the main purposes of Greener Village, Fredericton Food Bank, is to aid in times of natural disaster. What could be considered more disastrous than the current pandemic we find ourselves in?
To complete our mission, we have closed all non-essential parts of our organization and are focusing our efforts on food resource delivery to the public. We are open weekdays for pickups from 9-3. We have modified our method to encourage appropriate distancing between people on site and to encourage proper food safe handling procedures.
If you don’t have access to a vehicle, and you need food resources, call us at 459-7461 and we will arrange delivery to your home. Public transits is not recommended as the new transit hours don’t line up with our hours. We will be doing delivery on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12-3 p.m.
If you want to support the work we are doing, the most effective way to do so is to donate financially online! Visit greenervillage.org/donate or use e-transfer with director@greenervillage.org . If you have food donations to bring in, please come to our back door from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday – Friday and we will place the donation into isolation to ensure no spread will take place. Please note we have limited space to isolate food, so it’s always good to call ahead. As always, we are here to help and we appreciate the support that our community gives to us that allows us to stand in the gap!
