The Banner
In this issue:
1. Our New “Families Room” Outside the Gym
2. Our New Children’s Easter Videos
3. Easter Outreach Project – A Message of Hope
4. Holy Week Services
5. Children’s Easter Party
6. Audio/Visual Coordinator Search
7. Study in James
8. 2 Month Financial Report
9. SWOT Analysis Part 3 of 6: Weaknesses
10. Recovery Roundtables
11. Library Opening
12. Worship Services This Sunday, March 21
13. Online Reservations for Services/Step by Step
14. Facebook Live Prayer Times
15. This Week @ BSBC
1. Our New "Families Room" Outside the Gym
Recognizing that our preschool suite is a long way from the gym, your Education Committee have repurposed the Prayer/Meeting Room on the gym hallway to provide a place for parents to take preschool children needing a rock, a diaper change, a ‘nurse’, a crawl, a jump, a swing…it’s all there for you. Please make use of this new facility. We hope it will be a blessing to parents of preschoolers.
2. Our New Children's Easter Videos
Hello Dear Parents of Elementary Children!
We are so pleased to offer our families a new four-part Easter video series with animated and live portions in a whole new expression. The first lesson drops today.
This week, our children will learn about being humble and being a helper by reflecting Jesus' love and caring in their lives. They’ll learn the verse in John 13:34: “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” Next Wednesday, we will talk about and learn of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey. This episode will be followed by The Last Supper and we will finish with He is Risen on Easter Sunday.
Peace and Grace!
Tina Franca and The Elementary Team
3. Easter Outreach Project
Nothing compares to the treasure of the light of the Gospel. It comes with the personal recognition that we are lost AND that we are in the presence of a loving and compassionate Savior! It gives us freedom from sin and it provides comfort during difficult times. Now that's a treasure, one worthy of being cherished and shared!
Into Your Hands
And that's exactly why we are inviting our church body to share this treasure through our Easter project called "Into Your Hands". It’s quite simple and yet profound, thanks to a wonderful yet simple card, carrying the message of hope for which so many are searching.
How does it work?
FIRST: We encourage you to turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer, asking him: "Dear God, who is there, close to me, earnestly seeking this treasure but has yet to find it?"
SECOND: prayerfully start drafting a hope-filled, personalized message to the individuals that will come to your heart and mind.
THIRD: As early as Wednesday, March 17, pick up your free Easter card at the church and then, inside, write the words that will surely point its recipient to the hope found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
FOURTH: Deliver the card to the persons God has put in your heart.
FIFTH: Pray, each day, for the recipients of your gift of hope.
Let's share the hope!
This is not an exercise in preparing a lecture, but of sharing the hope you find in Jesus Christ and what Easter means to you. An expression of love and caring. The back of the card features the details of our Easter week offerings.
Thank you for reaching out to those you know with a message of hope and an invitation to join us for the journey from Palm Sunday to Easter joy!
Pastor Charles
4. Holy Week Services
The week between Palm Sunday, March 28 and Easter Sunday, April 4, offers some of the most profound opportunities for reflection in the whole year. And so, at BSBC, over that week, we repeatedly stop to recognize the reality of God’s love for us as seen as the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross and His glorious resurrection and victory over the bonds of sin and the power of death. Please plan your engagement in what we recognize as a holy week of reflection.
We invite you to visit the Easter Events page by clicking below.
5. Children's Easter Party
We're so excited to invite kids to join us for a special Easter celebration on Saturday, April 3 at 2 p.m. You can expect our Friends Are Us Puppet Team to share some puppeting joy and there will be singing, games, stories, jokes and more. A great time for all ages.
There are two ways you can get involved:
Participate live
You can register to come to the church and participate live. If you do this, your child(ren), accompanied by their adult, will come to the church auditorium for the program and then, be directed to a room where all in your Bubble can go, find their gift bags and enjoy crafting and snacking together.
Attend virtually
OR, you can register to attend virtually. Register and then tune in to our Facebook Live event and enjoy the program from your own home. If you do this, we'll deliver the gift bag for your child(ren) directly to your door so our virtual audience also get the full treatment.
6. Audio/Visual Coordinator Search
The Board of Management is seeking to fill the part time position of Audio/Visual Coordinator. Learn more about the position by clicking the link below.
7. Study in James
True faith produces fruit. A faith without action and without life change is ultimately a dead faith. The book of James speaks to the realities of a living faith in Jesus — the kind of roll-up-your-sleeves and get-your-hands-dirty discipleship that is borne out of an authentic relationship with the risen Lord. James writes to believers who know suffering, who've faced trials, and who ultimately desire a deep relationship with God.
Francis Chan unpacks the dense truth contained in the book of James in front of the iconic backdrop of San Francisco, the city where he lives and ministers. Through 12 sessions, Francis works through James verse-by-verse, challenging followers of Christ to move beyond a private, intellectual knowledge of God and His Word, to a vibrant faith that impacts every square inch of life.
Join Daniel Savard Thursdays on Zoom from 6:30 to 8 p.m. — starting April 1 and finishing June 17.
You can register by using the link below or with Jason at xinkaixk.zhou@gmail.com.
8. We're Two Months Into Our Financial Year
The most recent financial update from our Treasurer presents the following picture for giving from the first of January to the end of February, the first sixth of the year:
GENERAL FUND
Total Income: $128, 375
Under Budget By: ($20,213)
CAPITAL MORTGAGE
Total Income: $19,747
Under Budget By: ($2,753)
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to financial stewardship!
9. SWOT Analysis: Weaknesses | Part 3 of 6
Thanks for engaging with us in this review of the results of the November SWOT analysis. Here you will find a summary of the key ‘weaknesses’ that were identified through the submissions. From study of the individual responses and reflections on that material by the Board of Deacons, here are the highest ranked and corporately grouped weaknesses identified:
Declining Volunteer Base
Concerns expressed about our ability to continue to offer ministries due to a perceived drop in willing volunteers to staff and lead these and new programs.
Lack of Focus on Societal Issues (Hot Button Topics)/Not Seen as Relevant for 2021
A repeated theme was the need for our church family to be able to express a faith perspective on subjects that reflect changing societal norms and accepted practices, a concern that we be a faith community that lovingly shares a Biblical perspective on living that engages with those outside our fellowship.
Too Narrow a Focus on Evangelism (Something We Do vs. Live)
Some concerns seemed to present that we are program dependent in terms of evangelism instead of engaging in a life of personal evangelism; need for a more overt evangelistic fervor in the congregation.
Busyness vs Effectiveness
Is what we are doing making a difference for the Kingdom or just keeping people busy.
Lack of Connection Between Services
Concerns expressed about the multi-service format and loss of connectedness between those who attend different services. And concerns about how people can fall through the ‘cracks’ or be overlooked for leadership roles.
Please note
Once again I remind you that this is an attempted summary of over 128 individual stated weaknesses, some with numerous sub points. So, there is a profound dynamic at work when studying the whole of the responses, indicating that not everyone sees things the same way.
There's work to do
And that is why it will be important for the congregation to revisit these themes to bring these highlights to some accepted conclusions to inform our future reality. So, please read on to the Recovery Roundtable item below…there’s work for you to do!
Pastor Greg
10. Recovery Roundtables
At the Annual Meeting and in the sermon I delivered on Sunday, Feb. 28, I invited you to consider joining one of our RECOVERY ROUNDTABLE meetings to be held through the month of April.
These will be in-person and Zoom small group gatherings which will ask you to consider the predominant themes from the SWOT, the characteristics of Mission Edge Churches and, most importantly, what you believe BSBC needs to be and do to recover from the pandemic years. Next week I’ll have specifics about how you can engage in this important work.
The concept of Mission Edge Churches is predicated on such churches serving beyond the walls of the church building and serving to meet neighbourhood needs in Jesus’ name. In fact, the theme of our denomination of Canadian Baptist of Atlantic Canada is “Joining God in our Neighbourhood”.
Therefore, I ask you to consider what you see God doing your neighbourhood and across all societal strata. What is He doing and how can we join Him.That’s the first question to prepare for Roundtable discussion.
The second question to consider is: Do the identified strengths from the SWOT analysis (see above) provide an accurate picture of the BSBC I know?
The third question is: Do the identified weaknesses from the SWOT analysis (see above) provide an accurate picture of the BSBC I know?
11. Wednesday Library Openings
Your librarians invite you to visit the library the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. until noon. Come and engage with our huge collection of books – there’s something for everyone!
12. This Sunday's Worship Service
Join us this Sunday, March 21, for our in-person and online services. If you're attending online, tune in by 10:25 a.m. and you’ll be set for all we have to share.
Worship leaders
In the gym, Pastor Steve and friends will lead you in worship. In the sanctuary, David Steeves, Gloria Tranquilla, Tara and Scott Kennedy are joined in musical worship leadership by Talia Kennedy and a Sunday Vocal Ensemble. Finally, our children will enjoy a lesson provided by the Pastor Greg.
Sermon notes
This Sunday Dr. Keith is with us again! His sermon is entitled “The Sign of Lazarus” based on John 11. He writes:
At the midpoint of the Book of John, there are increasing hostilities directed toward Jesus, to that point that he and a company of disciples are forced to flee from Jerusalem and seek refuge on the other side of the Jordan. Meanwhile, an important friend, Lazarus (whose name means “God has helped”), grows critically ill, and soon dies. Among the most puzzling lines is John 11:6: “When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”
This message during the season of Lent will explore the meaning of this sentence in the context of the Lazarus episode, and explore why Jesus waited, and what contemporary believers might learn from this story that moves from despair to resurrection hope. In this pivotal chapter that features a number of characters and important biblical themes, we will be challenged to re-envision how these events in Bethany (“house of affliction”) can potentially transform our understanding of the Easter experience.
13. Simplified Guide to Registering for Sunday Services
Since we are back to ‘normal’ for Sunday service attendance, we appreciate you embracing our new reservation system which offers a much less labour intensive process for administrative staff and pastors.
So, we really do appreciate your engagement with it.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make your weekly reservation. However, if this proves too much of a challenge, please simply call the church office by Friday and our admin staff will make the reservation for you.
14. Facebook Prayer Time
One of the greatest benefits of being adopted into God's family is to count on brothers and sisters to cheer us on and to support us in many ways. One of these ways is definitely through prayer. Indeed, praying for one another is a tremendous opportunity to express our compassion and our ‘brotherly’ love as we turn our eyes on God, our Father in Heaven, that knows all about us and holds infinite power in His Hands.
Each evening at 7 p.m., and until Saturday April 3, you are invited to join a 20-minute time of prayer, live on the church Facebook page. Tune in to share a praise item and/or a prayer request and most importantly to pause and hang out with God, in prayer. You will certainly be uplifted as verses and insights about Lent and Easter will be shared. Make sure to include us to your evening schedule!
You do not need a Facebook account to take part
Finally, note that you do not need to have a Facebook account to engage. Simply click this link and there you will find the LIVE prayer time.
Pastor Charles
15. This Week at BSBC: March 17 - 24
Wednesday, March 17
12:00 Prayer Time with Pastor Charles (Facebook Live)
6:00 Vocal Ensemble (Sanctuary)
6:30 Micah 6:8 Bible Study with Pastor Greg (Zoom)
6:30 Youth Bible Study (In-Person/Zoom)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Thursday, March 18
9:30 New Life (3rd Floor Board Room)
1:30 Ladies Bible Study with Carol Bray (Family Room)
1:30 Small Group Bible Study with Mary McMulkin (3rd Floor Boardroom)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Friday, March 19
7:00 Youth Group (Various)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Saturday, March 20
1:00 Worship Team Practice (Gym)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Sunday, March 21
10:30 Traditional Worship Service (Sanctuary/thestreetonline.ca)
10:30 Contemporary Worship Service (Gym/Facebook Live)
12:00 Young Adult Lunch
2:00 Chinese Worship Service (Gym)
4:30 Third Sunday Supper (Gym)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Monday, March 22
10:30 Pastoral Staff Meeting (Family Room)
12:00 Staff Meeting (Family Room)
7:00 Chinese Bible Study (3rd Floor Assembly)
7:00 Board of Deacons (Zoom)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Tuesday, March 23
8:30 Solid Rock Café (3rd Floor Assembly)
1:00 CVITP (Gym)
1:30 Quilters for Missions (Quilting Room)
6:30 Bible Study with Pastor Steve (Zoom)
6:30 DivorceCare (3rd Floor)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
Wednesday, March 24
10:00 Library Open (10:00 – noon)
12:00 Prayer Time with Pastor Charles (Facebook Live)
6:00 Vocal Ensemble (Sanctuary)
6:30 Micah 6:8 Bible Study with Pastor Greg (Zoom)
6:30 Youth Bible Study with Pastor Charles (In-Person/Zoom)
7:00 Prayer Ministry for Lent (Facebook Live)
