Link to Belfry - First Baptist Church of Kalamazoo

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
KALAMAZOO
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
● ISSUE 156
Welcome to The Belfry, First Baptist's bi-monthly newsletter.
Contributions to The Belfry can be submitted by calling the church office at (269) 345-2195, filling out a
submission form and leaving it in the church office, or emailing to [email protected].
Deadlines for The Belfry and the Sunday bulletin: The Sunday bulletin deadline is every Wednesday at 12 pm;
it’s printed that afternoon. The Belfry is published the first & third Wednesday of every month. The deadline
for submission is 12 pm Wednesday, one week prior to publication.
I love it when history comes alive through personal connections.
Earlier this summer, I thought I should learn more about the history of Kalamazoo College, and went to the
library to check out what had been written about it. I found Fellowship in Learning: Kalamazoo College,
1833-2008 by Marlene Candell Francis. I have known Marlene for years, and felt like every page I read was
a personal conversation with her.
Also this summer, I was asked to speak at the Past Presidents’ Luncheon of the Ladies’ Library Association.
Evyda Jackson, one of the Past Presidents, gave me a copy of Women with a Vision. As I read it, I was fascinated by the connections between our church and this historic organization.
Just last week, I had another wonderful experience. Pat Hernandez had contacted me to ask if I knew of
anyone in the church who might have housing available for an international student coming for the Clinical
Pastoral Education program at Bronson Hospital. (Doug Vardell, by the way, is the director of this program
and a member of our church.)
I told Pat we would help any way we could and last week the student, Sanchita Kisku, arrived to begin her
studies. She was accompanied by Chakravartha Zadda and his family. I soon discovered “Chaks” is the Associate Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago, an organization I was involved with for most of my ministry.
Sanchita, Chaks and his family were all interested in our
church and asked to see the sanctuary. When he saw a sign
for the Clough Room, he asked how it was named. I told him
the room was named for missionaries whose pictures are on
display along with a plaque.
This Room is Dedicated May 25, 1952
to the Service of Christ and the Memory of
John Everett Clough (1836-1910) and
Harriet Sunderland Clough (1839-1893)
Missionaries to India
Chaks became quite excited and said these missionaries
were critically important to the development of Christianity in
India. He said there is no question that he would not be here
today were it not for them. He had studied their lives and had written his master’s thesis on the strategic role
they played as missionaries in India.
Chaks wanted to know the connection of the Cloughs to this church and that set Joyce Standish and me off
on a search. I won’t tell you everything we found, but I will share it with you in the next Belfry. And even better, I have asked Chaks to come back for a visit some Sunday in the next few months and share his story.
History, indeed, comes alive when we have a personal connection.
Pastor Dave Nichols
248-990-7444
[email protected]
INTERN UPDATE:
Seek Beauty Ministry, Phase I
On June 27th, we began the summer pilot that ran each Monday from
1:30 until 3 in the Clough Room. Although we registered 71 persons representing 17 families, participation included 9 different persons representing
3 separate families. Our volunteers
decided that if homeless or otherwise
marginalized families wouldn’t come to
the church, we’d take the church to
them.
So, after snacks, games, live music
and the beauty photographed by various volunteers or family members, a
group of us would go into the park to
offer cold water, vegetables, fruit, napkins, plates and flatware to whomever
was receptive. It was a delight to see
and hear the gratitude of men, women
or children as they took the water,
blueberries, strawberries, grapes and
other assorted fruits and vegetables
with no strings attached. We did let
them know we were from First Baptist
Church and invitations were extended
by volunteers from time to time to visit
us whenever they chose.
On the last day of the summer pilot,
Carolyn Nycum, Nina Hamlin, Ruth
Wiersma, JP Tallent, Pastor Dave and
Marcy Mein all discussed the program
with me. It was agreed that the program was solid. One volunteer remarked that it would work with any
group. What we also considered was
the fact that the problem really had
more to do with people following
through on coming to the church for
the program.
After giving thought and prayer to
the next step to take, this writer decided to do an adapted version of Phase I
in the Clough Room when pantry
guests are here. An invitation to enjoy
games, use art supplies, cold water,
soft music, and projected beauty on
our screen will be extended to pantry
guests as they wait for their turn to
shop. Pantry guests will also be invited
to take pictures of their families or
have a volunteer do it while they are
here. We will email those pictures to
guests’ phones and use them with permission in future Seek Beauty power
point presentations.
Phase II of Seek Beauty will be used
to build on what we learned as we
continue to reach out to marginalized
individuals and families in ways we
hope will be comfortable and restorative for them.
—Catherine Dance
Volunteers L to R: JP Tallent, Pastor Dave,
Nina Hamlin, Ruth Wiersma, Carolyn Nycum
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Choice Cemetery Lots
First Baptist holds title to two cemetery lots located near the South Westnedge entrance of Mount Ever-Rest in
Kalamazoo. These two choice lots are
adjacent to the lovely sculpture shown
here and are located in Garden M, Section 43, Lots 1 and 2.
The price if purchased from Mt.
Everest is
$2,260 EACH.
A limited-time
offer to FBC
Friends and Family is Buy-OneGet-OneFree. The
Church will pay
for the transfer of
ownership documents for both if
purchased together. The lots will soon
be offered on Craig's List. A map of
Mount Ever-Rest showing the location
is available for viewing at the Church
Office or at the office of Mount EverRest located on the south border of the
cemetery. If you are interested, please
contact Joyce Standish at (269) 6494159 or leave a message at the Church
Office (269) 345-2195.
Mary Circle Meeting
The Mary Circle will resume its
fall meetings on Friday, September 16 at 2 pm in the
Clough Room. The program
will be: Metamorphosis of a
Cancer Survivor,
presented by
Linda Schmitigal.
(Note from Barbara Mathis…)
“Thanks so much for the recent newsletter from First Baptist Church. The church
is full of activities once again!”
God Bless, Barbara Mathis
New address:
Barbara Mathis
Elk Creek Senior Living Community
301 Elk Drive, Apt. # 128
Burleson, TX 76028
One-liners for the week:
1. He who angers you, controls you!
2. Opportunity may knock once,
but temptation bangs on the front
door forever.
—Thanks, Norm Lyons, for a
summer of fun one-liners!
Praying for Sydney Hernandez
before he leaves to work for six
months with Syrian refugees in a
Hungarian refugee camp.
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It was a wonderfully warm morning for a worship service (August 28) surrounded by the
beauty of Markin Glen Park. Without a raindrop in sight, we enjoyed a glorious time of children’s curiosity, the men’s ensemble, Pastor Dave’s inspiring message, and a bountiful display
of food afterward.
“For the beauty of
the earth,
For the beauty of
the skies,
For the love which
from our birth
Over and around us
lies,”……..
Top left and top center: Robert Jordan on
keyboards, with the men’s ensemble: Cal
Mastin, Norm Lyons, and John Crouch.
Middle left and bottom left: Pastor Dave
with the kids and with the Interns. Directly
below: Abbi Van Dis in prayer during the
children’s moment. Far bottom right: Happy
Birthday, Emma Woudstra!
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5
September
1
8
9
12
18
29
30
Marilyn Willis
Sue Kemper
Finn Webster
Kay Weakley
David Kohrman
Ellen VanderMyde
Amy (Kohrman)
Hertz
Kelly Bower
September
12 – Norm & Julie Lyons
17 – Richard & Helen Like
20 – David & Evyda
Jackson
22 – Alan & Tracy
Whitaker
25 – Tim & Somporn
James
Thanks for sharing your
musical talent (Sept. 4),
Megan and Kristina
Standish.
The Sunday after Labor Day,
September 11, a "Dutch Auction"
will be held following Worship.
These silver-plated items will be displayed for your bids. If you are
interested, you need to outbid the
person listed on that item's bid
sheet. Bids by mail or email must
arrive by September 7.
Cost of shipping not included.
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Health Concerns
-Helen Like, back issues
-Minnie Wilcox, recovering from a fall
-Catheryn Sirk, recovering from a fall and
the other broken hip
-Candy (Wilcox) Gejji, recovery from heart
surgery
-Liz, friend of Michelle Jackson-Long,
Lyme disease
-Josie Howard-Wyne, shoulder injury
-Clanita Rucker-Christian, continued healing/therapy for her foot
Joan Reames
Park Village Pines #123
2920 Crystal Lane
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Margaret Shinar
4549 Malvern Rd.
Durham, NC 27707
Marilyn Grady
7749 Currier Dr. #101
Portage, MI 49002
Cancer
-Dan Crouch
-Mark Anders, hospice, (& the Anders
family), friends of Joe & Richelle Bower
-Richard Like
-Carolyn Mackenhimer, Dan White’s sister
-Faren Whitaker Crump
-Lynn, Tom and Kate Webster's sister-inlaw
-Reagan, 5-yr.old, Traci Foley’s friend
-Sunshine Dolph, Robert’s friend (student’s
parent)
-Baby Madelyn (friend of Susie Benston’s),
neuroblastoma
Joys
-Both Erius Bower and Abby Bower doing
well.
-Sarah Sherman, friend of Richelle Bower,
in remission!
—TONIGHT (Wed.) -- This is the last concert in the series “ Cool Concerts” in the Sanctuary, 8 pm. Suggested donation $10. This week: Elden Kelly (guitar, vocals) and Carolyn Koebel
(percussion, guitar, vocals). Thank you Betsy Start for arranging these wonderful musical opportunities!
—SEPTEMBER 11 (Sun.) -- The choir will be back in full swing with both rehearsal and
performance on Sunday.
—SEPTEMBER 11 (Sun.) -- Rev. Dr. Mike Williams, ABC-MI, preaching.
Lilia Chen
1400 N. Drake Rd.
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
—SEPTEMBER 11 (Sun.) -- Dutch Auction following worship in the Clough Room.
—SEPTEMBER 11 (Sun.) -- Vegan Potluck in the Clough Room, 6 pm. Please being your
favorite vegan dish and do some sampling!
—SEPTEMBER 13 (Tues.) -- Soup Kitchen, 8 am.
Madeline Williams
1400 N. Drake Rd.
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
—SEPTEMBER 14 (Wed.) -- Bible study in the Founder’s Room, 11 am. Join with Pastor
Dave as he discusses the upcoming Sunday scriptures each week.
—SEPTEMBER 14 (Wed.) -- Diaconate meeting, 4:30 pm.
—FALL USHERING-- Please use the sign-up sheets on the Clough Room bulletin board
to indicate your desire to usher this Fall.
—LOAVES AND FISHES -- Thank you for the outpouring of canned fruit. We continue to
be in 100% need of canned pineapple and fruit cocktail, as well as hot dogs, kid-friendly cereal
and plastic bags. As always, thank you.
—MISSION STATEMENT:
“To pledge our lives to Christ and covenant with each other to demonstrate as disciples:
His spirit through worship, witness, and ministry to the needs of the people of this church
and the community. We invite and welcome all to be included within our fellowship.”
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