The Banner
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
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. BSBC Scouting: Christmas Greens for Sale
2. Workshop on Bringing God Into Everyday Conversations
3. Fallback Sunday Reminder
4. Fall Business Meeting Update
5. Facebook Live — It Happened!
6. New Congregational Directory: The Paper Kind
7. Online Service for Sunday, Nov. 1
8. Our In-Person Service This Coming Sunday, Nov. 1
9. Ministry Opportunity: Evening Security Volunteers
10. This Week @ BSBC
1. BSBC Scouting: Christmas Greens for Sale
An update from the Scouting program at BSBC
The Scouting program at BSBC is on hold for the fall of 2020. There will be a review of the COVID-19 situation in January 2021. A decision will be made to either slowly start the program again this winter or to delay the start until fall 2021. Stay tuned for an announcement in January 2021!
Annual Christmas trees and wreaths
Even though Scouts are not meeting this fall, we're offering our annual Christmas trees and wreaths to the BSBC congregation.
How to order
To order a Christmas tree or wreath, please email 6wilson@nb.sympatico.ca. The Scouting leadership will deliver wreaths and trees while following COVID-19 protocols.
Wreaths: We have 75 wreaths available this year, selling for $10 each — available after Nov. 28.
Trees: Christmas trees will be $30 for trees 6.5 to 8 feet tall and $40 for trees taller than 8 ft — available after Dec. 5.
More information
Please use the email address above or call Dale Wilson at 458-1402 for more information.
Merry Christmas from 1st Fredericton BPSA Scouts!
2. Workshop on Bringing God Into Everyday Conversations
Without a doubt, people desperately need God. We love Jesus and He wants us to introduce Him to the world and though it’s scary, you’ve decided to step out and speak up.
This workshop will give you practical ways to be winsome, to start conversations and bring God into those same everyday conversations.
Let us always remember how much Jesus accomplished with just five breads and two fish, and trust that He can do as much with our smiles and a few words!
Join me for an interactive 2-hour workshop, either in-person or by Zoom, Thursday Nov. 5, 7 to 9 p.m.
Register by emailing me at charles@bsbc.nb.ca.
3. Fallback Sunday Reminder
Don't forget...this Sunday, Nov. 1, is "fall back" Sunday. Before you go to bed on Saturday night...turn those clocks back so you can bounce out of bed on Sunday morning and be in time for worship together!
4. Fall Business Meeting Update
Thanks to all who were able to be part of our Fall Business Meeting last Wednesday, Oct. 21! We had over 80 in-person attendees.
Our apologies to those who asked to join by Zoom
My apologies to those who asked to join by ZOOM. To be sure that we had heard from all who wished to attend, we waited until late afternoon to email the invite. For some unexplainable reason, many received this email in the middle of the night AFTER the meeting. We apologize for this and will now be sure to email the Zoom invites as the requests come in.
Here are my highlights of the meeting:
Financial situation
Our financial situation, even though we were behind giving for September of last year, is showing a surplus due to reduced expenses in the time of Covid. Yet, faithful giving is encouraged and we ask the congregation to be in prayer for God’s leading in our lives as we consider our giving between now and the end of the year. Especially, in terms of our mortgage payments, which are behind.
Green Hill Lake Camp & Missions
Given our financial situation, the meeting approved the reallocation of $10,000 from our Children’s Ministry budget to Green Hill Lake Camp to help meet their profound need, even in shut down, to keep our Camp afloat until the much anticipated re-opening in spring 2021.
In addition, permission was given to redirect $7,150 which was designated in this year’s budget to help underwrite the cost of a proposed short-term mission trip to Rwanda in 2021. This money will now be sent to Canadian Baptist Ministries to be used, at their discretion, to support pastors/families in Africa and India who are struggling due to the shutdown of churches due to Covid (which meant no income from offerings).
Sponsoring a refugee couple
As a church family, we voted to approve our becoming the sponsor for a refugee couple whose daughter lives in Fredericton. This couple, currently living in the United Arab Emirates, would be open to deportation back to their country of origin which would put their lives at risk. The papers have been signed and submitted to the Canadian government.
This was an easy decision, given that their daughter had saved and provided the money for all the sponsorship fees. Please pray for this couple as their application is processed and for our ability to be a welcoming ‘family’ when they arrive in Canada.
Two new pastoral positions
The meeting also approved the creation of two new pastoral positions to restructure our pastoral team and empowered the already appointed and working Next Gen Search Committee to identify candidates for both positions: Community Connections Pastor and Next Gen Pastor. Please pray for this Search Committee as they engage in this work.
As Lead Pastor, I am grateful for decisions that allow us to stand with people in need, literally around the world, and to engage in building a new pastoral team to lead our congregation into the years ahead. In addition, having some idea of all the leadership hours of various boards, committees and teams that brought us to the considerations of Oct. 21, I feel shows the Body of Christ, here at BSBC, at work for the Kingdom, even in the midst of a pandemic.
I thank God for His leading in these days and in your partnership in Kingdom living and work.
Pastor Greg
5. A New Ministry Window: Facebook Live
Last Sunday morning, the gym service made its LIVE debut on Facebook. While we’ve identified a number of things that need improving, and are engaged in seeing these are addressed, we had positive feedback from those who tuned in.
How does it work?
Follow BSBC on Facebook and that will ensure you get a notice when we go live and you can tune in.
OR, on a Sunday morning, do a Facebook search for Brunswick Street Baptist Church and you can tune in at 10:30 a.m.
OR, pop over to our website, thestreetonline.ca at 10:30 on Sunday morning and you’ll find a link to take you to it. Why not join the team this Sunday morning?
An opportunity to engage from home
One of the blessings of this approach is that people watching can make comments…including the ability to submit their prayer requests which the congregation in the gym and those online were able to pray over in ‘real time.’
Please pray for this endeavor and encourage others to join us.
Those of you who are on Facebook, be sure to do what you can to like and share this experience.
Thanks to Deacon Mark McAllister and team for making this dream a reality!
6. New Congregational Directory: The Paper Kind!
With gratefulness to our receptionist, Naomi Phillips, we are pleased to let you know that BSBC has a new edition of a printed congregational directory. This update has taken hours to prepare and we’ve tried our best to ensure it will be a help to those who still like a paper family names/phone/address/email book!
How to get your copy
Copies are available at the church office and we’re asking for a donation of $5 to help cover the costs. Contact the church office (458-8348 OR receptionist@bsbc.nb.ca) to arrange for a copy for pick up or we can mail one to you
7. Online Traditional Service: Sunday, Nov. 1
Technical glitch
We apologize in advance that, due to a technical glitch, the traditional service recording that will be posted on Nov. 1 (recorded on Oct. 25) will only feature the first part of the service, up to and including the sermon. Sadly, the last part of that service was not recorded. We have identified the problem and will take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Thank you to our tech team for all they do
Personally, I remain grateful to our technical team for the dozens of great recordings we have enjoyed since March. I’m sure this will mean that those who enjoy the online offering will really appreciate the ‘full meal deal’ that will be posted on Nov. 8.
This week
This week, Dr. Keith’s sermon is taken from Acts 17. Of this passage he writes: After some frustrations and an unexpected vision, the journey of the gospel ventures toward the great cities of Europe.
8. In-Person Services: Sunday, Nov. 1
An update on communion
Due to the new masking requirements for worship services, we will be unable to offer the Service of the Lord’s Table until it is permissible to gather for worship and remove masks. We will continue to explore how to make communion a reality and will keep you posted.
Worship leaders
For this Sunday, the worship team in the gym will be led by Jon Wilton and friends. Music for the traditional service includes a vocal ensemble accompanied by Gloria Tranquilla and Yvonne Kershaw and soloist Chris Graves.
Acts: 30 Years That Changed The World
Dr. Keith will be taking us through the final verses of Act 17. Of this text he writes:
When Paul arrives in Athens—after fleeing the violence in northern Greece—he finds himself in the intellectual capital of the ancient world, evidently an idol-producing factory. Debating in the marketplace with Epicurean (who do not believe in an afterlife) and Stoic philosophers (who are not sure about life after death, and therefore attempt to live virtuously), Paul has an opportunity to address the famous Areopagus.
In this speech, we at The Street can notice various strategies for sharing our faith in a skeptical arena: we discern and identify the idols of our age (that is, the images of worldly obsessions and concrete representations of fame, fear, the body, success, power, wealth, status), we make efforts to establish a platform for genuine dialogue, and we winsomely unfold the story of the Messiah with a challenge to change our way of thinking and recognize that we are accountable for our words and our deeds.
9. Ministry Opportunity: Evening Security Needed
Evening Ministry at Brunswick Street depends on volunteers to meet safety and insurance requirements.
Can you help?
Your Security Team is in need of three volunteers beginning January 2021 to help provide Security duty one weekday evening a month.
Main duties include:
Picking up church keys from the Office before 5 p.m.
Being at the church from 6 to 9 p.m.
Greeting people as they arrive for any evening activity and guiding them to meeting rooms as required
Performing the nightly walkabout checks of doors and lights and signing the Security log book
Training is provided and it's a great way to serve our Church Family and meet new faces! Both men and women are welcome. If you can help in this way, please contact Ralph Graves at sgraves@nb.sympatico.ca or 459-8407.
10. This Week at BSBC
Thursday, Oct. 29
9:30 New Life Ministry (3rd Floor)
1:00 Small Group Bible Study with Mary McMulkin (Family Room)
1:30 Ladies Bible Study (Connections Center)
7:00 Adult Handbell Choir (KidzTown)
7:00 GriefShare (3rd Floor)
Friday, Oct. 30
9:30 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
10:30 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
7:00 Middle & High School Youth Groups (3rd Floor)
Saturday, Oct. 31
1:00 Worship Team Practice (Gym)
7:00 Just Church (Gym)
Sunday, Nov. 1
10:30 Traditional Service (Sanctuary)
Contemporary Service (Gym)
Monday, Nov. 2
12:30 Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer (3rd Floor)
6:30 Social Action Team Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 3
8:30 High School Study Hall (3rd Floor)
1:30 Pastoral Staff Meeting (Family Room)
3:00 Full Staff Meeting (Family Room)
6:30 DivorceCare (3rd Floor)
6:30 Bible Study with Pastor Steve (Online & In Person)
6:30 Small Group Bible Study with Toon Pronk (Family Room)
Wednesday, Nov. 4
9:30 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
10:00 Library Open (Connections Center)
10:30 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
12:00 Prayer Time with Pastor Charles (Sanctuary)
1:00 Quilters for Missions (2nd Floor)
6:30 Youth Bible Study (3rd Floor)
6:30 Micah 6:8 Study/Prayer Group (Sanctuary/Zoom)
YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. Keith Bodner, Preaching Pastor
Pastor Greg Geldart, Lead Pastor
Pastor Jim McLellan, Pastor of Senior’s Visitation
Pastor Charles Millette, Missionary in Residence
Pastor Steve Patterson, Outreach Pastor
Pastor Changbin Tian, Full-time Pastor to the Chinese Congregation
