The Banner
Our Mission
Experience the love of Jesus. Live it out everywhere.
In this issue
Check out what's coming up at BSBC from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5.
Are You NEW to the BSBC Family?
It’s Starting: Junior/Children’s Choir
New Bible Studies for You
Social Action Team Update: Harvest for the Hungry, Street Ministry Update & Muffins
This Sunday’s Worship Gatherings
National Day of Truth and Reconciliation 2022
PRAY: Online Community
Email Scam
Fresh Start Young Adults Group
NextGen Ministries @ BSBC
Third Sunday Supper: Can You Help in December?
Suggested Fall Study
Ministry Opportunity: Providing Support to a Newcomer to Canada
This Week @ BSBC
1. Are You New To The BSBC Family?
When is something “new?”
Does it have to be just “off the lot?” Just “off the rack?”
On Sunday, Oct. 16, we’re hosting a “New to the Family Luncheon.” In this case, at BSBC, “new” means:
You haven’t met all the pastors
You haven’t met many of our coordinators
You haven’t met Deacon leaders
You haven’t had the opportunity to meet the many others who are “new” to BSBC
So, to be clear, “new” doesn’t have a thing to do with age or how long you’ve been coming.
What to expect
“A New to the Family Luncheon” is a simple event. After the services on Oct. 16, we invite you and those who attend with you to walk over to the Barnabas Center (facing George Street) to enjoy a stand-up lunch, informal conversation, and some introductions. We’ll provide lunch, and you’ll be on your way home within 45 minutes to an hour. We’ve made provision for children — so bring them along.
How to sign up
All we ask is that you let us know you are coming so we can plan for enough food for everyone! You can do this by:
Signing-up using the sheets on the welcome tables in the gym or sanctuary foyers
Emailing receptionist@bsbc.nb.ca
calling the office at 458-8348
telling one of the pastors
OR clicking the link below to fill out a form
We haven’t hosted a “New to the Family Luncheon” since the pandemic. Please remember what it means to be “new” at BSBC (see above). We look forward to being with all of you who are “new” to the BSBC family!
Peace and grace,
Pastor Greg
2. Junior Choir
We are looking for children from kindergarten to grade 5 who love to sing!
This fall, Junior Choir will run for an 8-week block with the purpose of singing in worship services in December. Practices will be Wednesday evenings from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
How to register
Starting date and ministering date coming soon. Please email naomi.c.robert@hotmail.com to register your child(ren) or with any questions.
3. New Bible Studies for You
Bible Study: The Case for Faith | Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Doubt is familiar territory for Lee Strobel, the former atheist and award-winning author of books for skeptics and Christians alike. But he believes that faith and reason go hand in hand, and that Christianity is, in rational terms, a defensible religion.
Description: In this six-session video Bible study, Strobel explores the most common emotional obstacles to faith in Christ, including:
The natural inclination to wrestle with faith and doubt.
The troubling presence of evil and suffering in the world.
The exclusivity of the Christian gospel.
Behind each of these considerations is the question: Can I doubt and still be a Christian?
When: Six Wednesdays — Starting Oct. 19, 6:30 until 8 p.m.
Where: In person — The Board Room, Third Floor, Family Life Center OR Online — via Zoom
Who: For all people who have questions regarding their faith. No need to attend Brunswick Street Baptist Church. Bring a friend.
Facilitator: Daniel Savard
Cost: Free
For more information: Please contact Daniel Savard at 506-452-0319, or by email at timberwolfe57@live.ca.
The Book of John | Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.
A Bible Study covering the Gospel of John is being led by Mary McMullkin on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. on the Third Floor of the Family Life Center. Anyone interested is welcome to come as we learn more about the reasons for the differences among the 4 Gospels.
John’s gospel is unique in its purpose for writing which is found toward the end of the book.
John 20:31, "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name".
Come, listen, learn, share and be drawn closer to an eternal God, Son and Holy Spirit. Be transformed by the Light and Life of Jesus, our Savior.
4. Social Action Team Update
Harvest for the Hungry
“Harvest for the Hungry” invites our church family to bring non-perishable food and household items to the church.
These items will be divided between our New Life Ministry (supporting families who struggle to ‘make ends meet’) and the Greener Village Fredericton Food Bank. The food collected makes a positive impact on families with great need and is a sign, we pray, of God’s love and His provision through His Church.
Here are the specific requests from our New Life Ministry:
Spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti noodles
Soup
Canned vegetables
Canned meat
Kraft dinner
Packaged items for kids lunches
We invite you to do a little shopping and then bring your ‘harvest’ to the Connections Centre (on or before Thanksgiving Sunday) where it will be collected and ultimately distributed. Or, you can make a financial donation to the project by simply designating your gift to “Harvest for the Hungry." Following Thanksgiving, we’ll divide these gifts between New Life and Greener Village.
Thank you for making Christ’s love known through your thankful giving and may God use our ‘harvest’ for His glory!
Update on Street Level Ministry
Your Social Action Team wishes to thank you for your ongoing and generous support of Street Level Ministry! Since our special gatherings about this area of outreach on May 29 and June 1, you have responded without delay to several calls for supplies for those who are experiencing homelessness, including batteries, socks, and muffins. We have seen engagement of new volunteers at Third Sunday Supper. In addition, a new member has been added to the Sunday Night Outreach Team that extends friendship and offers basic provisions to our neighbours who are living rough.
We invite anyone who is feeling a call to get involved with Street Level Ministry to consider joining the Third Sunday Supper team to welcome and serve our guests. Also keep an eye out for requests to replenish our stock of basic necessities in this Newsletter or through the Sunday morning announcements. Future volunteer opportunities will develop through the 12 Neighbours Tiny Home Community, and all are encouraged to watch for updates via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/12Neighbours/.
Anyone who has questions may contact Susan Howey directly or at susan.tingleyhowey@gmail.com.
Muffins
Muffins are distributed every Sunday night by our Street Ministry team. We are seeking to re-stock our muffin supply with three dozen muffins for each week’s ministry.
Here are the details:
To avoid an over-stocking of the freezer, we're looking for just 3 dozen muffins delivered to the standing freezer in the main kitchen by Sunday of each week
Please wrap each muffin individually in clingwrap or place it in a baggie before bringing them to the church (it’s so much easier to access the frozen muffins and more sanitary to serve them when individually wrapped)
Please put (1) your name, (2) the date and (3) STREET MINISTRY on the bag in which you put the wrapped muffins to bring them to the freezer
To ensure that we get a fresh supply each week, you are invited to click the link below and fill your name in by the week or weeks in which you will provide a dozen muffins. OR, for that person-to-person interaction, feel free to call the church office at 458-8348, and your information will be taken and added to the plan.
5. This Sunday's Worship Gatherings
Dr. Keith will be in both services sharing a message entitled: LOTS OF EXPERIENCE.
He writes: For the past several weeks at TheStreet we have been reflecting on our Mission Statement: (“To experience the love of Jesus,” which flows from what he has done for us, “To live it out everywhere,” which flows from what he has given us. On this first communion service of a new season, we will further consider what it means to experience such an extraordinary love, and view this experience through the lens of a popular New Testament character.
In at least three sermons in recent days, the name “Peter” has been mentioned: he is often the spokesperson for the disciples, frequently is enthusiastic and asks Jesus many questions, and also has his own issues with betrayal and forgiveness. As a result of these factors, it might be worth pausing to consider how our various aspects of our Mission Statement can be analyzed through Peter’s life in the Gospels: sometimes we can know something theoretically, but more often our lives are changed through real experiences.
As we prepare to gather around the Lord’s Table, we will consider the various experiences of grace in Peter’s life as a preface to our own communion celebration.
Jon Wilton will lead worship in the gym and our soloist in the sanctuary is Beth Snow in addition to a selection from our choir.
6. National Day of Truth & Reconciliation 2022
In keeping with the New Brunswick Government’s new approach to Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the church offices will be closed and all programs for Friday, September 30 will be suspended. We encourage you to use this Friday to explore this issue and pray for healing between all people groups in Canada.
I encourage you to pray that the Spirit of God will help each of us understand our responsibility as followers of Christ to ‘do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God’ in practical ways that can honour the Healer of all, Jesus Christ.
Pastor Greg
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?...
...If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Isaiah 58:6-7,10-12
7. PRAY: Online Community
If you were in the gym or sanctuary services, you might have noticed the poster board on the walls of the worship spaces, each one with the word PRAY at the top.
As your Lead Pastor, I’m excited about the fall and anticipate that God has much for us as we seek deeper experiences of Jesus’ love and seek, in return, to live out of that love in the spaces where we each live and move and have our being.
Mixed with this excitement is an irrevocable “still small voice” that is affirming for me that both of the above goals (experiencing Jesus' love at new levels/sharing that love in our lives) requires a renewed commitment within our church family in each one of us, to connect with God in prayer.
What’s your relationship with prayer? I evaluate mine and recognize that there is room for improvement. But, left on my own, “moving the needle” on personal prayer has been disappointing. So, I selfishly want you to join me on a prayer journey. And I want you to engage in this journey online.
My vision is a weekly blog where your pastors will post our own beliefs, experiences and understanding of prayer, along with a testimony from a member of our church family. You can engage in this “class” at your leisure. In this way, we can form a prayer community at BSBC. On this blog, you’ll be able to (1) leave comments and (2) have access to your pastors to ask confidential questions.
If you have a sense of inadequacy in the area of prayer or you just don’t have a clue how to start – please sign up to join PRAY. If you are a mature believer who enjoys a rich prayer life – please sign up to join PRAY. Let’s create a new place for community – online. Let’s give this initiative to God and trust in the Spirit to lead us to new places. I have complete confidence that God will use PRAY to align us with his will and lead us as a church family.
I realize this might sound like a very namby-pamby (def: lacking in character or substance) approach and that the idea of a community online might seem strange. But let’s do it. Let’s not tell God what he will do for us through this…let’s find out what he has for us in this!
How to sign up
So, this Sunday and next, please be so bold as to sign your name on one of the prayer poster boards and leave your email address. We’ll get in touch with you before the October launch of PRAY. Why am I asking you to take this step? Well, I hope we’ll see many names added to those poster boards – helping to express that we are a church family who want to PRAY. I hope this will build some excitement within our congregation as you add your name to others.
Remember, PRAY doesn’t require you to engage in more than reading weekly posts. No one will put you on the spot! I think (HOPE!) this is the perfect way for people to put their toes in the water and…PRAY!
Pastor Greg
P.S. If you can’t come to the church to write your name on the poster board, you can signup for PRAY by clicking here and leaving your name and email. Each week you’ll get an email to let you know the newest edition of PRAY is available!
8. Email Scam
I’m sure that we’ve all heard stories about email scams. Recently, some members of our church family received an email from Pastor Greg saying that he needed their help, but couldn't be reached because he was in a meeting. The scammer goes on, in Pastor Greg’s name, to ask the recipient to purchase gift cards for the purpose of supporting the ministry of BSBC.
If YOU receive an email with such a message we want you to know:
No one on staff will ever send you an email asking YOU to purchase anything in support of our ministry.
If YOU receive such an email from anyone on staff, check the email address. Your staff only use email addresses that end “@bsbc.nb.ca” — if the email does not use this suffix, it is not from staff and not a ministry email, even if it includes a photo of the staff member.
If you have any questions/doubts about the authenticity of an email call the church office at 458-8348.
Finally, let us assure you that such emails do not indicate a break in the security of our systems. Your information is safe.
9. Fresh Start Young Adults
Come and join us for our Young Adults group called Fresh Start!
We meet from 7 - 9 p.m. Tuesday nights on the third floor. For the first hour, we catch up, socialize, play games and have fun. Everything from snacks and board games to pool and spike ball and even basketball and soccer in the gym on occasion.
This fall is an exciting time for this ministry with growth in numbers straight after our first year of running through the summer. With new faces joining us and ideas for service projects, we will have deep conversations and pray as we work to understand how the words of Jesus shape and change our lives even today.
Anyone in the young adult age range (18 - 35) can join us and we would love to have you along.
If you would like any more information, please email Pastor Ross at ross@bsbc.nb.ca and come and join us as we learn what it is to “Experience the love of Jesus and live it out everywhere”.
10. NextGen Ministries
Children at BSBC
Junior Choir Opportunity
This fall, Junior Choir will run for an 8-week block with the purpose of singing in worship services in December. Practices will be Wednesday evenings from 6 to 6:30 p.m. We are looking for children from kindergarten to grade 5 who love to sing! Starting date and ministering date coming soon. Please email naomi.c.robert@hotmail.com to register your child(ren) or with any questions.
Scouting Boy’s K- Grade 5: Sept. 29
BSBC offers a scouting program for boys from kindergarten to high school. Outdoor adventures, fun activities, and community service projects are used to teach boys how to live the great commission, and to love God and our neighbours. Meetings will be held weekly in the church gym on Wednesday evenings for those in kindergarten to Grade 5. For more information, please contact the church office at 458-8348 or bsbc@bsbc.nb.ca.
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Children are invited to join us at 9:30 a.m. to dive deeper into the Word, and parents are welcome to join their own Sunday school class as well! Sunday School is a great time for the whole family to dive deeper into your faith! For more information email bsbc@bsbc.nb.ca.
Youth at BSBC
WEDNESDAY
Youth Choir: Wednesday, 6 – 6:30 p.m.
Youth Choir is back on! We would love for our youth to come out and join this opportunity to grow in the gifts/ talents that God has given them. For more information on this, don't hesitate to get in touch with Julianne Moore at julianne.d.moore@gmail.com.
Bible Study: Wednesday 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Youth are encouraged to come out for Bible Study. This will be a great time of connection, diving into the Word, and snacks! Kari Dunfield and Pastor Nikki will be leading the Bible study, going through a RightNow Media series. We can’t wait to see you!
THURSDAY
Middle and High School Scouts will be back next week at 6:30 p.m.
The Scouting program is also available for middle school and high school boys at 6:30 p.m. Scouts is packed full of outdoor adventures, fun activities, and community service projects that are used to teach boys how to live the great commission and to love God and our neighbours. Meetings will be held biweekly in the church gym at 6:30 p.m. For more information contact the church office at 458-8348 or bsbc@bsbc.nb.ca.
FRIDAY
No Youth Group
The church will be closed on Friday for the recognition of Truth and Reconciliation day. Parents are encouraged to take the day, and get involved in Truth and Reconciliation day with their families.
SUNDAY
High School Youth Group, 7 – 9 p.m.
Those in high school are welcome to come to BSBC Sunday, for high school youth group from 7 – 9 p.m. This will be a great night of connection, fun, and games. Tell your friends! We are very excited to have our high schoolers back together, spread the word to those who might not know already about this Sunday night group!
COMING UP
Fredericton Youth Rally (FYR), Friday, Oct. 14, 6 - 9 p.m.
On Oct. 14, 6 - 9 p.m. there is a Fredericton-wide youth rally happening at Journey Church put on by a group of churches (ours included) to bring the youth of Fredericton together for a great evening of worship, fun, games, connection, and Jesus! We would love for all of our youth to go to this, we as a youth group will be going together. So parents, if you would like to volunteer to help with driving or set up at the event please reach out to me ASAP so we can get those details together!
Greenhouse Service: Sunday, Oct. 30, 10:30 a.m.
We will be having our first Greenhouse Service of the fall on Oct. 30. If your youth would like to be involved in this please get them to contact me so we can get them serving and using their gifts!
TRUNK OR TREAT: Sunday, Oct. 30
Coming up we have our annual Trunk or Treat event. We're asking for volunteers who would like to decorate their cars. If you and your family would like and are willing to decorate and have your car in this event, please let me know! If you need ideas for how to decorate, I would be happy to send some your way! Please email me at nikki@bsbc.nb.ca to RSVP your car for this event ASAP.
If you have any questions or would like to serve in either of those areas please email me, I would love to hear from you! Please encourage your youth to come out this week, and to bring a friend along!
11. Third Sunday Supper: Can You Help in December?
Hello Church Family!
Third Sunday Supper has been a staple for many of our downtown friends for several years now. Many depend on it, and they all really look forward to it.
In 2021, when things began to open back up again because of Covid, we limited our numbers to 30 guests. As time has gone on and more restrictions have been eased, our numbers are slowly rising again. Last month we were up to 40, with several new faces.
We have had wonderful leadership with Pastor Ross, whom the guests love. We have a team of dedicated servers, who faithfully show up monthly to set up, take down and serve our guests at their tables. Last but not least, we have been blessed with people who are willing to prepare a beautiful meal. Whether it is meatloaf, soup, noodle dishes or authentic Chinese cuisine, our guests enjoy every morsel!
Every month this year has been booked except December. So, I am appealing to you and your family/friends/small group — would you please consider preparing a meal for Third Sunday Supper on Dec. 18? Please know that funds are available to cover food costs. If you have any questions at all, please contact Judy Thompson at 238-9903 or judypaul1088@gmail.com.
I am also looking to fill in the calendar for 2023, so if that is something you would be interested in, please contact me.
Judy Thompson,
Meal Coordinator
12. Suggested Fall Study
I'm late, I'm late for
A very important date.
No time to say hello, good-bye,
I’m late, I'm late, I'm late.
“Alice in Wonderland” – Lewis Carroll
Would you say that you often find yourself channelling the words of Lewis Carroll’s “White Rabbit” as you make your way through the world? Well, have we got a fall study for you and your existing or newly started small group.
"Who am I becoming?"
That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren't pretty. So, he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:
"Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life."
It wasn't the response he expected, but it was--and continues to be--the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil. In Comer’s study, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, you'll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world. Believing that a rich spiritual life is not characterized by hurry, your pastors are hoping that your investment in five weekly sessions will help orient us to a new experience of spiritual fullness. And for those who feel led, follow-up studies will be provided.
Just after Thanksgiving, we’re inviting the church family to join in this video study available on Right Now Media (RNM), a free Christian streaming service available to all households in our church family. RNM includes brilliant children’s programming, youth titles and an unbelievable variety of offerings for spiritual growth and just plain fun. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. Gaining personal access is as easy as emailing bsbc@bsbc.nb.ca and we’ll get you set up…once again…for free!
Now’s the time to start discussing this with your friends and making plans to gather weekly to engage in the study. But to be clear, there’s no HURRY!
13. A Ministry Opportunity: Providing Support to a Newcomer in Canada
BSBC has received a request from our denominational office asking if someone from our congregation would be able to help.
Here’s the note: I received an email from the Fredericton Multicultural Association. They have a single African gentleman that arrived in Fredericton in July and he is requiring some help. MCAF is helping to get some additional supports. He has a caseworker at Social Development. He has a settlement worker at MCAF. MCAF is wondering if there might be a church and/or a couple of people that would commit to giving him some additional support for the next 12 – 24 months. I’m wondering if you might have anyone in your church that would be willing to assist him.
Further research by members of our Social Action Team revealed some specifics on the needs of this individual.
He needs someone to fill out paperwork for him so he can get the benefits available to him.
He needs emotional support anywhere from daily to weekly as he is quite isolated. It could take the form of helping him pay bills and other forms of companionship.
It was suggested that if someone from the church would consider this, a meeting can be arranged with the Multi-Cultural Association to discuss specifics.
If this is something you’d like to explore, please get in touch with the church office for a non-binding discussion about the possibility.
Thanks,
Pastor Greg
14. This Week at BSBC: Sept. 28 to Oct. 5
Please note: FLC stands for Family Life Centre.
Wednesday, September 28
10:00 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
1:00 Mandarin Bible Study (Barnabas Center)
6:00 Youth Choir Practice (Sanctuary)
6:30 Sanctuary Choir Practice (Choir Room)
6:30 Scouts Boys Ministry (Kindergarten-Grade 5) (Gym)
6:30 Youth Bible Study (Third Floor Assembly Area, FLC)
7:00 Outdoor Enthusiasts of Fredericton (Barnabas Center)
Thursday, September 29
9:00 Benevolent Ministry (By Appointment)
9:30 New Life Ministry (Third Floor, FLC)
11:00 Stage Set-Up (Gym)
1:30 Bible Study “Gospel of John” with Mary McMulkin (Third Floor Boardroom, FLC)
1:30 Ladies Bible Study with Carol Bray (Family Room, FLC)
7:00 GriefShare (Family Room, FLC)
7:00 Handbells (Sanctuary)
7:00 Mandarin Choir Practice (Choir Room)
Friday, September 30
Truth & Reconciliation Day
Church Offices Closed
All Activities Cancelled
Saturday, October 1
1:00 Worship Team Practice (Gym)
Sunday, October 2
6:00 Mandarin Prayer Meeting (Boardroom Over Main Kitchen)
9:00 Asian Sunday School Class (Boardroom Over Main Kitchen)
9:30 12 Curious Verses Bible Study (Family Room, FLC)
9:30 Biblical Prophesy Bible Study (Under the Sea Classroom, First Floor, FLC)
9:30 Sunday School Classes — All Ages (FLC)
10:15 Preschool/KidzTown (First Floor & KidzTown, FLC)
10:30 Contemporary Worship Service (Gym)
10:30 Mandarin Worship Service (Third Floor Assembly Area, FLC)
10:30 Traditional Worship Service (Sanctuary)
7:00 High School Youth Group (Third Floor Assembly Area, FLC)
Monday, October 3
10:00 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
6:30 Social Action Team (Third Floor Assembly Area, FLC)
Tuesday, October 4
12:00 Mandarin Prayer Meeting (Boardroom Over Main Kitchen)
1:00 Full Staff Team Building Event (Offsite)
1:30 Quilters for Missions (Quilting Room)
6:00 DivorceCare (Family Room, FLC)
6:00 Sports Friends Leadership Meeting (Gym)
7:00 Fresh Start (Gym & Third Floor Assembly Area, FLC)
Wednesday, October 5
10:00 Seniors Exercise (Gym)
12:00 Men’s Basketball (Gym)
1:00 Mandarin Bible Study (Barnabas Center)
6:00 Youth Choir Practice (Sanctuary)
6:30 Sanctuary Choir Practice (Choir Room)
6:30 Scouts Boys Ministry — Kindergarten-Grade 5 (Gym)
6:30 Youth Bible Study (Third Floor Assembly Area, FLC)
