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Making a submission to our weekly newsletter?
Please note, submissions for our weekly newsletter should now be sent to naomi.phillips@bsbc.nb.ca. The deadline for inclusion in Wednesday’s edition is noon the Monday prior.
In this issue:
Check out what's coming up at BSBC from August 16 to 23.
Mandarin Baptism
OASIS Report 2023
Family Fun at Killarney Lake: August 20
Farewell Elaine
Summer Hours for KidzTown & Preschool
Pastor Greg on Medical Leave: Returning October 2
Pastoral Care for the Fall
Programming for September
NextGen Ministry @ BSBC (Children/Youth)
Fresh Start Young Adults Group
This Sunday’s Worship Gatherings: August 20
This Week @ BSBC
1. Mandarin Baptism
All praise to our lord! We have seven brothers and sisters who were baptized last Sunday, August 13. May our lord bless them and lead them in their faith.
Blessings,
Pastor Changbin
2. OASIS Report 2023
Oasis is the annual assembly of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC), held this past week (Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon) at Crandall University in Moncton. Four delegates from Brunswick Street were in attendance: Troy Kearns, Sam Tingley, Pastor Ross Watters, and me, Ken Reimer.
First off, it was a great time of spiritual growth and worship, as we heard inspiring messages from Jason Ballard of The Way Church in Vancouver, and worship led by Dana Ingersoll of Cornerstone Baptist Church in PEI.
Jason’s messages focused on Christian leaders, encouraging us to rekindle our first love with Jesus, not getting bogged down on the church activities and programs that may be good, but distract us from our first love. His second message was encouraging us to focus on discipling a few, investing significant time on a few, using Jesus’ example. This third message was about Christianity being counter-culture, remembering our primary citizenship is “in Christ”, and that God has intentionally placed us in cities and towns across Canada, living as citizens of heaven, establishing extension outposts of His kingdom.
The annual assembly also involved some business sessions, and we voted on a budget for the CBAC. The total budget numbers are almost exactly as last year, and they are asking that individuals and churches step up their giving as they had a shortfall last year. We voted slates of candidates onto various committees and boards, and we voted Rev. Renée MacVicar to be Executive Minister, the first woman to be in this role. We also heard from Terry Atkinson, back to much improved health, who had been the Interim Executive Minister for this past year.
During the time there, we got to hear about God’s work around the world through CBM, and about exciting ministry to students at Crandall, and the investment in those preparing for ministry at Acadia Divinity College.
We were pleased to represent Brunswick Street and are encouraged by what God is doing around Atlantic Canada through CBAC churches.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Reimer
Delegate for BSBC
3. Family Fun at Killarney Lake: August 20
On Sunday, August 20, we will be gathering at Killarney Lake to spend time with our family and friends.
Who: Anyone and everyone
What: Summer Outreach & Fellowship
Where: Killarney Lake, 1600 St Marys St, Fredericton
When: Sunday, August 20, 1 – 3 p.m.
Bring along toys, games, swimsuits, umbrellas, food, drink and hiking shoes. We look forward to inviting people both within and outside of the church and enjoying the sun, summer, and each other.
4. Farewell Elaine!
Dear Church Family,
Sunday, August 13, marked Elaine Tian’s last day at BSBC as our Child and Youth Worker Summer Intern. During Elaine’s time here, she worked along side our staff, with our children and youth, with our benevolent ministry, and answering our telephones and greeting incoming people.
Janet and Naomi are so thankful for her help in the offices. Elaine is a conscientious and creative individual with an awesome sense of humour and a desire to keep busy. If you stop by the office this week, you can see one side of her creative abilities just inside the receptionist window. Elaine soaked up an abundance of details, processed tasks, and was an excellent addition to our office team. We are sad to see her go and have every confidence that she will do well in the future.
I especially thank Elaine for her hard work and dedication, her photography skills at youth events, the laughs, and her consistency throughout the summer. Everyone who came into contact with Elaine is grateful for her heart, and the wonderful time spent with her throughout this summer. We are so thankful for Elaine, and the amazing and unique gifts and talents that she brought to our team.
Elaine is a diligent, consistent, calm presence, who is able to knuckle down and get the work done, and an absolute pleasure to work with. She is friendly and has a wonderful sense of humour. We are beyond grateful for her time working with us these past 8 weeks.
Thank you so much Elaine for serving with us this summer. May God bless you and keep you as you get ready for your school year ahead. As a congregation, please pray for Elaine as God continues to guide her throughout her university journey.
Blessings,
Pastor Nikki Leftley
NextGen Pastor
5. Summer Hours for KidzTown & Preschool
As a way to bless our children’s volunteers and leaders, for the rest of this summer, our Children’s ministries, both Preschool and KidzTown will now start at 10:50 am. Both Tina and Melanie will pick up the children from the gym service at this time and escort the children to their respective areas.
If you attend the sanctuary service, please bring your children to the Connections Center at 10:45 to meet up with our crew on their way through.
6. Pastor Greg Medical Leave — Returning Oct. 2
Upon the recommendation of his medical team and affirmed by the Board of Deacons, Pastor Greg Geldart will be on medical leave from August 15 to October 2, 2023. The pastoral team (Ross, Nikki, Changbin, and Dr. Keith), along with support from Kevin Culberson, will be working with the Board of Deacons to prepare for the Fall.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers for each member of our pastoral staff, leaders and their families.
Denise Mersereau, Chair
Board of Deacons
17. Pastoral Care for the Summer
While Pastor Greg is on sabbatical, your Deacons want to affirm that BSBC is equipped to provide Pastoral Care. We are grateful for the engagement of Pastor Ross and Pastor Nikki, and we are blessed to have additional support from Rev. Kevin Culberson, the Baptist Chaplin at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital.
Here are some suggested approaches:
Hospitalizations
Your pastors will only know of hospitalizations if the church office or individual pastors are contacted directly
We’d appreciate you notifying the office if you know of the hospitalization of a member of the BSBC family
Critical Incident
If a pastor is needed in an emergency situation, between Monday to Friday, 8:30 am and 4 pm, please contact the church office
Outside of office hours, please contact a pastor directly
Bereavement
Pastor Ross and Rev. Kevin will be available to support families at a time of loss, to conduct funeral and committal services
Contact the church office during office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4 pm
Outside of office hours, please contact a pastor directly
We have provided McAdams, Bishops, and York Funeral Homes with the contact information for both Pastor Ross and Rev. Kevin
If you are not a member of a bereaved family but know of a death within the BSBC family, please contact the church office to make sure your pastors are aware of the need
Contact Details
Church Office
506-458-8348
naomi.phillips@bsbc.nb.ca
bsbc@bsbc.nb.ca
Pastor Ross Watters
506-282-3443
ross@bsbc.nb.ca
Pastor Nikki Leftley
506-282-1075
nikki@bsbc.nb.ca
Rev. Kevin Culberson
506-260-6240
culberson.kevin@gmail.com
Denise Mersereau, Chair of Deacons
506-262-0197
ddmersereau@gmail.com
Please pray for our pastoral care team as they seek to partner with you in caring for the BSBC family.
Your Board of Deacons
8. Programming for September
Thank you for your engagement with our ministries here at BSBC. We are looking toward to our Fall Planning Schedule and are looking for your group or bible study startup information.
What to include
This information should include your start day, date, time start and end, and your finish date in December. Please also include a brief paragraph outlining your target audience and a short summary of your course content.
If you hosted a group last fall and will or will not be continuing leading your group again this year, please send an email to the church office for dissemination to the Board of Deacons. Thank you for participating in this way.
DivorceCare, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 6:30 – 8:50 p.m.
If you or someone you know is going through marital separation or divorce, invite them to consider joining our 13-week DivorceCare program, a ministry which will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Room on the 1st Floor of our Family Life Center at Brunswick Street Baptist Church.
Each evening includes the presentation of videos with expert counsellors sharing insights on how to move from hurting to healing. In addition, supportive conversation provides encouragement to participants led by Gloria Tranquilla, Pauline Harvey, and Bryan McWilliam. Each session stands on its own so participants can join any week.
For more information or to register, please contact facilitator, Gloria Tranquilla at momsplace70@hotmail.com or call the church office at 506-458-8348. You can also register online using the button below.
GriefShare, Thursday, Sept 7, 7 – 9 p.m.
If you are suffering the loss of a loved one, GriefShare is being offered at Brunswick Street Baptist Church beginning Thursday, September 7, 2023, at 7 p.m., in the Family Room on the 1st Floor of our Family Life Center.
GriefShare is a 14-week video series by Christian experts on grief and recovery, combined with support group discussions for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Please call 506-458-8348 if you would like more information and to register.
9. NextGen Ministry
Kids @ BSBC
Youth Drop In/Biking Ministry Age 8 – 13: Thursday, August 10, 1 – 4 p.m.
All youth aged 8 – 13 are invited to join our Summer Student, Sam Tingley, on Thursday afternoon. Meet up at the church between 1 – 1:30 p.m. and then go for a short bike ride around the city and get an ice cream along the way. When we return, we can hang out on the Third Floor until 4 p.m. We would love to see anyone else who would like to come out and join us! For more information, or to volunteer for this event, please email Sam at youth.bsbc.nb@gmail.com.
Sports Friends at Wilmot Park: Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Every Tuesday at Wilmot Park, you can find a group of energetic kids and teens, 6-13 years old, gathered with various of our BSBC coaches, for a 90-minute soccer session, where skills are taught and practiced, and a portion of Joseph’s story is discussed. Being intentionally located right in between the very popular splash pad and kids’ playground, allows for curious families to ask what is going on with this fun bunch, and it’s working! For more information, please contact Charles or Sam at youth.bsbc.nb@gmail.com.
Youth @ BSBC
Summer Youth Group Challenge Night: TONIGHT, August 16, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
We would love for our all youth, those exiting Grade 5 up to and including those exiting Grade 12, to come join us from 6:30 – 8:30 pm for an “Amazing Race” without the race. There are six stations with different challenges for our youth. For more information, please contact Sam at youth.bsbc.nb@gmail.com or Pastor Nikki.
Youth Drop In/Biking Ministry Age 8 – 13: Thursday, August 17 & 24, 1 – 4 pm
All youth aged 8 – 13 are invited to join our Summer Student, Sam Tingley, on Thursday afternoon. We will go on a biking trek from the church at 1:30 pm, across the Bill Thorpe walking bridge, past Henry Park, on the North Riverfront Trail and back along Devonshire biking path, across the bridge again and returning to BSBC. When we return, we can hang out on the Third Floor until 4 pm.
FINAL High School Youth Group Event: Paintball, Monday, August 21, 5 – 7 pm
On Monday August 21, 5 pm, the high school youth group will be meeting for an exciting evening of paintball. As per the map below, we will be meeting in the parking lot at 395 Flannagan Road. Directions to the parking lot are: go south on Doak Road, right turn onto Flannagan and drive until the road ends where you are able to park.
Please email youth.bsbc.nb@gmail.com and we will send you the Google Maps location. All of our high school students are welcome to come and are encouraged to bring their friends to this event! Please let me know if your youth will be coming out to this event so we can ensure that there is sufficient equipment for everyone!
FINAL Summer Youth Group Event: Tubing on the Nashwaak River, Wednesday, August 23, 10:30 am – 1 pm
Next Wednesday August 23, at 10:30 am, the final summer Youth Group event will be tubing on the Nashwaak river! There are two options for meeting up with the youth group. You can meet at BSBC at 10:30 am. If you require a ride, please meet us here as there will be several cars leaving from the church. If you have a ride, you can meet us at Nashwaak Tube Rentals at 11:10 am at 1575 Route 148 HWY, Durham Bridge, NB.
We will be doing the short run, which lasts approximately 60-90 minutes. The cost is $15 per person for a tube with a bottom and headrest, and $10 for a standard tube. If you require financial assistance, please contact Pastor Nikki. Please reserve a spot for you and your youth by Sunday, August 20, and let us know whether you will be meeting us at the church or Nashwaak Tube Rentals. For any youth under the age of 16, please have the following waiver filled out: http://users.neo.registeredsite.com/2/8/3/15995382/assets/NTR_TUBING_WAIVER.pdf
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sam or Pastor Nikki at youth.bsbc.nb@gmail.com.
10. Fresh Start Young Adults Group
Our Young Adults ministry, Fresh Start, continues to meet on Tuesday nights from 7 - 9 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the Family Life Center. Come along for snacks and social time followed by a Bible study. We would love to see you there!
Please contact Pastor Ross ross@bsbc.nb.ca for details.
11. This Sunday’s Worship Gatherings: Aug. 20
The gym worship service will be under the musical leadership of Greg Keezer and friends. In the sanctuary, the worship service will under the musical leadership of Gloria Tranquilla, pianist, and featuring special music by soloist Chris Graves.
This Sunday, Pastor Ross will be speaking in both the gym and sanctuary services. His message will be on PRAYER. Last week we talked about what stops us from praying and why we still need to pray. This week we will be thinking about prayer from the narrative of the “now and not yet” and the kingdom of heaven.
Whether in-person or online, be sure to join us this Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m.
12. This Week at BSBC
Please note: FLC stands for Family Life Centre
Wednesday, August 16
8:30 Gospel on Web (KidzTown, 2nd Floor, FLC)
11:00 Planning Meeting (Family Room)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
6:30 Summer Youth Group Challenge Event (Gym, Fellowship Hall, Assembly Area, 3rd Floor, FLC)
Thursday, August 17
7:00 Men’s Prayer Breakfast (Gym/Main Kitchen)
7:00 Women’s Prayer Breakfast (Family Room, 1st Floor, FLC)
8:30 Gospel on Web (KidzTown, 2nd Floor, FLC)
9:00 Benevolent Ministries (By Appointment)
9:00 Days for Girls (Rm 219, 2nd Floor, FLC)
10:00 CC (2nd Floor, Gym Building)
1:00 Youth Drop-In/Biking Ministry
Friday, August 18
8:30 Gospel on Web (KidzTown, 2nd Floor, FLC)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
7:00 Mandarin Fellowship (Family Room & KidzTown, 1st & 2nd Floor, FLC)
Saturday, August 19
10:00 Gym Set-Up
1:00 Worship Team Practice (Gym)
1:00 E. Durling Organ Practice (Sanctuary)
Sunday, August 20
7:00 Mandarin Prayer Meeting (Boardroom, 2nd Floor, Gym Building)
9:00 Asian Sunday School (Boardroom, 2nd Floor, Gym Building)
10:30 Contemporary Worship (Gym)
10:30 Mandarin Worship (Assembly Area, 3rd Floor, FLC)
10:30 Traditional Service (Sanctuary)
10:50 Preschool & KidzTown (1st & 2nd Floor, FLC)
11:30 Library Open After Services (Connection Center)
1:00 Family Fellowship at Killarney Lake
5:00 Third Sunday Supper (Gym/Main Kitchen)
Monday, August 21
8:30 Gospel on Web (KidzTown, 2nd Floor, FLC)
9:00 Dance Fredericton (Gym)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
3:30 CC (2nd Floor, Gym Building)
5:00 FINAL High School Youth Group Paintball Event (395 Flannagan Road)
Tuesday, August 22
8:30 Gospel on Web (KidzTown, 2nd Floor, FLC)
9:00 Dance Fredericton (Gym)
10:00 Pastoral/Planning Meeting (Admin Office)
12:00 Mandarin Prayer Meeting (Zoom)
1:30 Quilter’s for Missions (Quilting Room)
5:30 Sports Friends (Wilmot Park)
7:00 Fresh Start Young Adult Ministry (Assembly Area, 3rd Floor, FLC)
Wednesday, August 23
8:30 Gospel on Web (KidzTown, 2nd Floor, FLC)
9:00 Dance Fredericton (Gym)
10:30 FINAL Summer Youth Group Tubing Event (BSBC Parking Lot/ 11:10 Nashwaak Tubing Rentals, 1575 Route 148 HWY, Durham Bridge)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
