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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
Giving to Aid in a Pandemic
Two weeks ago I responded to an email from a member of our church family, written on behalf of his Bible Study group who wanted to ask how the BSBC family could make a difference in lives during the COVID Pandemic. Seeking to understand how we can give to make a difference.
The Chalmers Foundation
Leading the way is our Chinese congregation who are encouraging their members to make donations in support of the COVID-19 fund at the Chalmers Foundation for our local hospital. They are inviting us to join them in this practical way of touching our world.
The Chalmers Foundation leadership is working alongside Horizon Health Network leadership to determine the areas of greatest needs in our facilities where your donation will have the biggest impact. Donations to this fund will be directed to support the needs of the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital and Upper River Valley Hospital. Your contribution will enable the foundation to have financial flexibility to respond quickly to emerging needs for patients and employees alike. Thank you for coming together to support the needs of YOUR community.
You can visit the Foundation website and make an online donation or you can designate a gift through your BSBC offering by designating it “DECH COVID FUND” and we’ll see that your donation, along with gifts collected by our Chinese congregation, are sent along.
The Benevolent Fund
I also want to remind you of the opportunity you have to designate financial gifts to the BSBC Benevolent Fund. This fund is used to meet the immediate needs of those who live near our downtown campus AND needs within our own church family. We believe that in the coming weeks and months we should anticipate being contacted more often by those needing financial help with rent, power, groceries, medications and more, financial needs created by the needed responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic. If you would like to touch the world through financial giving during this time, please consider our own Benevolent Fund which is administered by Pastor Steve, Deacon Sally Crawford, Lera Beers and Sandra McMullin. Simply designate your gift “Benevolent Fund.”
That initial email came in response to Dr. Keith’s sermon which ended with him challenging us to see the COVID-19 Pandemic as an OPPORTUNITY for the church of Jesus Christ to show the love of Jesus. Here are two financial ways…I encourage you to ask the Spirit of God to lead you to other ways that you can “touch” individuals in our community with Jesus’ love.
Pastor Greg
Worship Online
We anticipate another service of blessing this coming Sunday as thestreetonline.ca offers another new service for an Easter people. This Sunday, April 19 Chris Graves will be leading the traditional worship elements with Graeme Kennedy leading the contemporary elements.
We also welcome Elizabeth Kearns with the children’s time, Stefani Kennedy with the reading of God’s Word and Yewande Akalusi leading us in prayer.
This Sunday, Dr. Bodner takes us back to the book of Acts, chapter 12. This is what he writes about our focus this week: After the most astonishing growth, there is a decided increase in hostility directed against the people of God in Jerusalem, but even the most violent persecution cannot stop the movement of God's word through faithful witnesses.
As always, please pray for protection and liberty of the Spirit for those engaging in bringing these services to life and that our online platform will continue to allow us to broaden our reach with the gospel!
Praying for our Church Family 🙏
Over the next week we invite you to pray daily for members of our church family who are residents of assisted living facilities. As you know, they are cut off from visits of family and friends and many are confined to their rooms in these days. Please pray that the Spirit of God would minister to their spirits and renew their faith and confidence in him.
Betty Haines
Bob Burridge
Claudia McKeill
Daina Lapointe
Doreen Wilson
Eldon Maston
Emily Kathleen Wade
Frank Hillman
Freda Anderson
Jean Young (Currently in the DECH)
Jerry Covey
Joan Hamilton
Lydia Kaine (Currently in the DECH)
Madeline Oliver
Mardi Bartlett
Marjorie Miller
Paul Rouse
Shirley Mollins
Stella Sampson
Syd Grant
“For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”
Resources for Encouragement & Hope
Edifying words are always welcome and I’m grateful to Peter Duguid for suggesting two websites where you can go to find inspiration and hope.
Perhaps the material you find there can be shared with those you call to encourage. Or, maybe, just great truth that will fill your spirit with peace and hope. We commend them to you.
1. HOPE Magazine from the Gideons
This is a digital magazine containing words of Hope from the Psalms and the Book of John.
2. Psalms to Counteract Fear and Stress from the Navigators
This page lists verses of encouragement from the Psalms. You can also download a nicely laid out 2-page PDF format file version of the same thing.
Some New Things
Coffee with Pastor Steve
Hello Zoomers!
We're not going to let this COVID-19 thing keep us from getting together!
Even though it's not quite the same as sitting together at Second Cup or Timmy's, it's still making connection to say hello!
I would like to welcome you to come together in a Zoom call on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm, beginning next week, April 21.
We’ll meet online to visit with one another (who do you think will be there?) and I’ll end our call with a word from THE WORD and prayer.
If this is something you would like to participate in, please contact Naomi at the office to confirm your current email address, so she can help keep track of who I’ll be sending the Zoom invites out to! (receptionist@bsbc.nb.ca OR call 458-8348).
If it's too late for coffee, have an herbal tea instead!! See you next week.
With warmth and love,
Pastor Steve
Online Bible Study
Chad Ragsdale (New Testament faculty at Ozark Christian College) will walk through the book of Hebrews and talk about its relevance to Christians today. He will challenge you to divert your attention from the troubles in this world, turn to Jesus’ presence, and encourage you to persevere.”
What: Bible Study on the book of Hebrews. Video from Right Now Media with material from Chad Ragsdale.
Why: In this very difficult time in our world with the pandemic with COVID-19 all of us are looking for encouragement. “
Who: This Bible study is free. Everyone who would like to attend this Bible Study on Encouragement may register with Jessica at jiyuanwujessica@gmail.com . You do not need to be a member of BSBC to attend this Bible Study.
When: Every Thursday evening from 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm. Starting April 23 and finishing June 18, 2020.
We look forward to the launch of the online “BSBC KIDZKLUB” which will be online next Wednesday, April 22 at noon. Designed for K-Grade 5, this 30 minute program will offer engaging (that’s our prayer!) segments of Bible Study, worship, and fun on the theme of The Fruit of the Spirit. Each Wednesday by noon a new segment will be offered between now and the end of June.
One of the features will include an invitation for our children to “Ask a Pastor.” They can have their questions emailed in and we’ll answer them on the weekly videos. So, next Wednesday, April 22 at noon, check us out!
Bible Study Groups
Are you ZOOMING in? We’ve been thrilled to hear that a number of our Home Bible Study groups have been staying connected through technology like ZOOM. They’re visiting together, praying together and studying together…just like “normal” but all online. If you would like information on how to get your Bible Study group online, please email our Church Family Life Coordinator, Alyse Wilton. Why not give it a try!
Are you someone with a heart for the study of the Bible?
We would seek to pair you up with someone who would ‘host’ the study which doesn’t mean provide refreshments, although that would be nice, rather a person who would look after the technical issues to get everyone online together. You would just lead. Thanks for considering this opportunity.
Ask A Nurse
Some of you may not be aware that BSBC has been blessed with two volunteer Parish Nurses who seek to bring their nursing knowledge to support our church family. Monthly, they have been offering a Blood Pressure Clinic for those who attend our Seniors Luncheons. I know they have been helpful to many of you on a personal level, answering your questions or discussing medical concerns with you.
Cheryl Gibson and Roz Thompson want the church family to know that they are available to take your questions or to discuss your concerns with you.
Thank you, nurses, for your care of our church family!
Roz | 457-2787 | tawsky@gmail.com Cheryl | 454-6657 | cheryl.gibson@unb.ca
Stewardship
Please note that this article appeared in last Wednesday’s newsletter and was originally published with an overlooked discrepancy in the numbers. That we corrected the next day but if you missed the correction we include it again this week. Apologies for the confusion.
Dear Church Family:
Many of you have expressed concern about our financial stewardship in these days.
Thank you for thinking spiritually about the needs of our church family for ministry now and the days ahead.
I confess that I’m the last one you would want to look to for financial insights. BUT, as you review the figures above I wanted to provide a bit of context that I hope will be encouraging — not to cause an ease in our responsibility to give to the Lord’s work here, but to encourage you in what you are doing — our stewardship goals for the year are still attainable!
There were the same number of Sundays in 2019 and 2020 for the first quarter of the year.
Last year (2019) at this time our giving registered $209,251 to the general fund — meaning that in 2020 our giving for the same period is down by just under $5,000.
Please remember that in January we lost three services to storms and in March we lost 3 services to a State of Emergency in New Brunswick.
Colour me “optimistic” but I think it’s quite remarkable that, having missed six opportunities to gather tithes and offerings through services of worship, we are just shy of $5,000 to match last year’s giving. In my mind this affirms a maturity among believers in terms of exercising financial giving as an expression of worship.
Basically, I wanted to convey two messages. The first is of thanks to those who are giving regularly who have helped us reach the position we have, given the six services we have lost! The second is to encourage each of us to consider what we can give in the month of April to help us catch up to or exceed our normal giving patters for this time of the year– which is just under $5,000 behind last year.
In the same way, I note that in terms of the “building” (which really reflects our new combined “mortgage” fund), is $11,704 short of budget, and also behind where we were last year. This is another area where an additional gift or a new giving focus by some would be helpful.
Not unlike the flattening of the pandemic curve, this note is not meant to communicate that all is well and we can relax. However, I hope it does communicate thanks, an invitation to pause and consider our needs, and an invitation for those who don’t regularly give to contribute as you are able. I firmly believe that our fiscal targets are still in reach even with the changes we have seen in our ministries and in our world.
Pastor Greg
Please note that you can visit our Giving page for details on making “e-transfers” or other ways you can continue to financial support BSBC at this time.
BSBC Birthdays 🎉
YOUR INTERIM LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. Keith Bodner, Preaching Pastor
Pastor Greg Geldart, Lead Pastor
Pastor Jim McLellan, Pastor of Senior’s Visitation
Pastor Steve Patterson, Outreach Pastor Jon Wilton, Youth & Young Adult Ministries
