The Hilltop - Upper Merion Baptist Church

The Hilltop
Upper Merion Baptist Church
Fall 2016
Baptist Convention of Vietnam (BCV) by Pastor Alan
I will be sharing many of the experiences I had during my Vietnam trip in worship and elsewhere. I'll share
the basic information here.
The Baptist Convention of Vietnam (BCV) is an organization of more than 500 churches and 34,000 members across that country. They received official recognition as a religious group from the government of Vietnam eight years ago. Recognition means they can meet openly and worship publicly without fear of arrest
or imprisonment. I just attended the third convention held by the BCV to celebrate that status. There were
about 600 Baptists in attendance at the celebration, which was held in Hochiminh City (formerly Saigon).
I was privileged to attend the celebration as a representative of International Ministries and American Baptist
Churches. Also representing IM and ABC were Rev. Leslie Turley, I's area director for Southeast Asia and
Japan, IM missionaries Bruce and Ann Borquist, and Huong and Don Holmes. Huong and Don and I are
Special Assistants to Rev. Turley for work in Vietnam. Huong translates materials for teaching activities in
Vietnam. I have taught classes (about once per year) for pastors who gather in Hochiminh City from around
the country.
I had attended the previous Baptist Convention four years ago. One of the most striking changes from then
to now was the much larger presence of government officials. They were there to offer their congratulations
to the BCV on this occasion. One of the national officials even quoted Christian scripture in his speech, and
he quoted it correctly.
The enthusiasm of Vietnamese Baptists for Jesus Christ and their deep desire to share the Good News
throughout their country was clearly seen during the convention. I have seen that joy and passion every time
I have been there. That is what makes it worthwhile to endure the long plane flights and upset sleep patterns
that are necessary to get there and then home. My soul is blessed when I am with them. And I thank you all
for allowing me the time to make the trip.
I'll have more to share in other contexts.
Please see the next page for a few pictures of the trip.
Inside this issue:
Pastor’s Report
World Mission Offering
Men’s Fall Classes
Bulletin board
Calendars
2
4
7
8
9-11
Special Point of interest:
Pastoral Search
Casino Prayer Ministry
Page 2
Pastor’s Report
By the time you read this I will have been your interim pastor for about two months. Since June
26 (my first Sunday with you) we have explored the work of an interim pastor and the work of the
church in an interim period. You blessed me and supported me in prayer as I kept a prior commitment to travel to Vietnam to meet with Baptists there. And we have begun to plan our life and
ministries for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.
It is too early for any substantive evaluations but permit me to say I have enjoyed getting to
know you and continue to believe it was God that brought us together. I have been impressed by
your priority for prayer.
I want to continue and expand that getting acquainted process this fall. So, I am extending to all
of you the opportunity to sit down for a conversation. I can meet with you as a family or individually. We can meet at the church, or in your home, or at Burger King (or a similar spot). My only
objectives are to get to know you better and to hear from you any insights or dreams for our
UMBC family. If you have questions for me, personally or in my capacity as your interim pastor,
those are welcome, too.
I will give Thelma a copy of my calendar for the next few months so she can see when I am
available to visit. I know you are busy people so I promise to keep the visits short, 30 to 45
minutes is my goal. There will be options for weekdays, evenings or Sunday times, whatever
works best in your schedule. If you would be willing to meet with me for such a conversation, call
the church office and Thelma will schedule it.
None of this is mandatory. If you don't want to have such a visit that is not a problem. You won't
be in trouble with me or anyone else. But if you would like to have this conversation, please do
call Thelma. I would love to sit down with you and talk.
—Pastor Alan
Page 3
Sue Hegarty to speak at UMBC
Page 3
We are happy to be able to have Sue Hegarty, one of our missionaries,
speak to us in the morning service on Sunday, September 18. Sue serves in
Costa Rica in partnership with the Baptist Federation and the Pastoral Care
for Women ministry. She teaches seminary courses for training pastors with
the Costa Rican Baptist Federation in San José, as well as serving as liaison with American Baptist mission teams.
Sue also teaches in the leadership development program for the interdenominational ministry of Pastoral Care for Women. Although the office is
in San José, courses are given in locations all around the country. Sue assists this ministry as they update their course contents as well as their publications. This ministry
seeks to give Christian hope to women in a male-dominated culture by teaching them of God's
love for them, which then empowers them as they seek to reach their potential as women of faith.
Previously Sue served for 12 years in Cuba where she taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary
in Santiago de Cuba and directed an editorial group responsible for writing and publishing Bible
study materials for all age groups for the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention. Prior to that she
worked for five years in Nicaragua as the Christian Education Promoter for the Baptist Convention, where she and a team of national leaders led teacher training workshops and published
Sunday School curriculum.
Sue Hegarty’s ministry in Costa Rica is two-pronged. The Pastoral Care for Women program specializes in courses that help women, especially those in abusive situations, find hope and personal growth from a liberating Christian perspective. Many of the program graduates go on to minister to others. Sue develops and teaches courses for this ministry and is revamping current class
content and materials for republication. With the Baptist Federation, Sue works to strengthen the
ministries of churches and their pastors by teaching classes, Bible studies and workshops. She is
a liaison with American Baptist mission teams that visit Costa Rica to develop fraternal relationships and assist with in-ministry projects. Sue has a teenage daughter named Katy.
WHAT IS WORSHIP?
"Worship involves every part of our being - our physical posture, our will,
our mind, our emotions... It is multiple parts of ourselves focused simultaneously toward giving honor, reverence, respect - and even awe - to our
God... for who God is and what God has done" RC Sproul, quoted by Kent
Wilson in an article in Discipleship Journal
Page 4
World Mission Offering
Celebrate New Life in Christ
“on Earth as in Heaven”
(Matthew 6:10, NABRE)
A great and surprising spiritual awakening is happening in Baptist churches in Cuba right
now! Since 1990, the number of churches in Cuba has grown by 450%. The number of baptisms
has risen by over 500%. And the number of prayer groups and total church memberships have
climbed in equally high numbers.
After decades of harsh restrictions, “the church of God has risen from the ashes,” says a retired
Cuban church leader who witnessed the remarkable change firsthand. “In God’s time, the hearts
of so many people have been opened up to the goodness of the gospel.”
The good news is that our church’s support of the World Mission Offering (WMO) is helping to
fuel the growth of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention through financial and global worker support and through International Ministries (IM)-sponsored pastor conferences.
The better news is that there is a lot that we can learn from Cuba’s spiritual revival. For example:
Youth ministry is thriving through camping and sports ministries, concerts and
rallies in the streets of Cuba’s cities and towns.
youth
Spirit-filled outreach is yielding abundant fruit through evangelistic campaigns, un
dergirded with fervent prayer and fasting.
er.
Discipleship is spreading through numerous house churches and cell groups of
pray-
A new generation of leaders is growing through faithful teaching at seminaries and
lay training centers.
And perhaps the best news of all is that Cuba’s spiritual awakening is but one of many thriving
ministries runs by IM partners and more than 1,800 long- and short-term global workers in more
than 70 countries around the world.
IM’s vision is “on earth as in heaven,” which reminds us of God’s invitation to participate in his
work in the world.
And that’s just what IM is doing—through your support of the WMO—by praying, equipping, serving, proclaiming, teaching, inviting, healing and encouraging in the name of Jesus.
Your gifts to the WMO help to raise up, place and send new global servants and volunteers
to reach and touch lives for Jesus around the world. They also help to fill gaps for those workers
who haven’t yet reached their support goals, enabling crucial ministries to continue.
The 2016 World Mission Offering will be received
during the month of September-November at UMBC.
Please write your check to UMBC with memo line “WMO”
THANK YOU
From the Mission Committee
Page 5
Casino Prayer Ministry
Cheri Wilde felt that the Lord was talking to her and leading her into a special
ministry. Cheri has already been an avid prayer warrior but she felt the Lord
wanted her to do more. She listened to his voice and now goes to the Valley
Forge Casino, right in King of Prussia, several times a week to pray for the
people there. This is something that most people wouldn’t even consider doing, let along acting upon it. But that didn’t stop Cheri. Oh, and in case you
didn’t know, Cheri is in a wheelchair with MS so this is not easy logistically.
King of Prussia is fortunate to have the Rambler service. The purpose of The
Rambler is to provide public transportation for residents to area shopping centers, malls, medical facilities, the Senior Center, and the Upper Merion Township Building. Each bus is wheelchair-accessible, and the drivers are certified to operate the lift
mechanism. It also goes to the Casino so Cheri is able to take advantage of this.
Cheri asked her good friend David Monyer, who drives her to church, if he would make her something to wear to let people know why she was there. He came up with a cross that says, “ Do you
need prayer...Ask me! It has a pin on the back and she pins it onto her clothing. She also
wears a large cross and then wears a hat that says, “Christ Rocks”! To date, she has had several
people approach her, ask her what she is doing there and some actually ask her for prayer.
Cheri has said that while she is there she can see that a lot of the people just seem so empty
and hopeless. She is more than willing to share how they can change that hopelessness to
peacefulness through Christ.
Just this last week as Cheri was waiting for the Rambler, there was another woman also waiting.
This other woman was intrigued by Cheri’s pin so she started talking to Cheri and asked her to
pray with her, which Cheri gladly did. That’s another thing about Cheri. She is always cheerful
and with a smile on her face no matter what the circumstances. Proverbs 17:22 says, A cheerful
heart is good medicine.
“ Give me the Love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay
The Hope no disappointments tire,
The Passion that’ll turn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God”
—Amy Charmichael
Every second Sunday of each month, we do a short worship service at ManorCare, from 2:30
to 3:00pm. We can use some help! Can you come and
be part of this outreach, which we have been doing for
many years now? It started way back with Pastor Purchase, and has continued ever since. You don't have to
do anything special, unless you'd like to provide music, or
bring a short devotional, which would be very welcome! Just help us sing, and get to know the residents,
who appreciate our visits so much. It's a rewarding ministry, bringing fellowship and the gospel message to folks
who rarely get out of the building. Even if you just come
once in a while, that would be great. If you're interested,
just talk to Dave Monyer, or call him at 610-688-5397. Many thanks!
Page 6
Pastor’s
ReportSearch
Pastoral
Committee by Jean Munson
Our pastoral search committee is seeing work being accomplished. We keep reminding ourselves that we are doing this work of finding the next pastor for UMBC for God's Glory, and not
our own. The prayer support from our congregation, from EFC, the Nursery School leaders, and
from those we don't even know is more important and effective than we will ever know. We count
on your prayer support to keep us centered on the task of doing this work.
"A few years ago a friend gave me a Singer Featherweight sewing machine. I recently learned
about and registered for a class offered at Pottstown Sewing that teaches how to take apart the
machine, clean and lubricate it, make minor repairs and adjustments, and put it back together
again. There will be instructors who will guide us, and I bought a book that describes the Featherweight, and how to keep it in good repair. It came with several different attachments, each designed to accomplish different tasks, and I will learn what they do and how to use them. The
class is about a month away, and I am very excited about it."
When I wrote the previous paragraph in an email to Elizabeth, our daughter who lives in Florida, I
could not help thinking that I could describe life at UMBC with the same words! If you reread that
paragraph, you might see similarities. You may sometimes feel that UMBC has been "taken
apart." Together, we are trusting God to lead us through our current situation (the repair and adjustment stage), letting Him guide each of us to do the work God has for us (different attachments, each designed for a special purpose). You know who our "Guide" is, and what our
"Guidebook" contains. This body of Christ known as UMBC is destined to produce something
beautiful in this community for the Glory of God! All we have to do is trust our Guide, read the
Guidebook, and obey.
I shall not need
Despite the traditional wording (“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”), Psalm 23 declares
that God provides everything we need — not everything we desire.
“He makes me lie down … ” Sometimes our busyness is useful; other
times it’s how we feel in control or superior to others. God knows we
need to rest and sometimes must make us do so!
“He leads me beside still waters … ” Although we often prefer noisy
distractions, God knows we need quiet to hear him and have our souls
restored.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Rather than a boast (“Ha! See how God spreads a banquet in
my honor while others look on!”), this is a reminder that God wants us to dine with our enemies.
We might not be able to stand those people, but God pursues reconciliation.
In the process, “goodness and mercy … follow me all … my life.” That’s what we need the
most.
Page 7
Men’s Fraternity Fall Classes by Al Brinson
These are the classes being offered for men this fall. Meeting time is 9:30am on Sundays
in Room 4
Starting September 18, 2016 "The Great Deceiver" - Is Satan a real being, or is he just an
outdated representation of evil? The Bible speaks of him as a rebel angel leading his minions
against God, the holy angels, and all God’s children. But recent surveys suggest a majority of
Christians in the United States don’t believe Satan really exists.
In this four week Bible study, Rev. Mike Newman explores what the Bible has to say about our
ancient foe with the help of seminary professors Dr. Joel Biermann and Dr. John Pless, as well
as pastors and individuals who have experienced the deadly guile of this great deceiver.
Starting October 16, 2016 "Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith" - Your faith matters to
God! Imagine how differently you would respond to life if you knew with unshakeable confidence
that God was with you. Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith is an exciting six week study
from Andy Stanley that establishes the biblical case for five things God uses to grow BIG faith.
Byte—sized Truth
I was watching Extra one night, sort of a National Enquirer meets Entertainment Tonight T.V.
news magazine show. What caught my eye (and ear) that night was this bold and brazen declaration: McDonald’s golden arches are more recognizable around the world than the cross of Jesus Christ. Let that sink in for a moment. What does that say about the value system of this
world in which we live? Let me see. Isn’t that nearly the equivalent of saying . . . ?
A Happy Meal has bagged “Jesus loves me” as a kid’s 1st choice!
A Big Mac has doubled down on a small amount of faith!
A Quarter Pounder carries more weight than the whole Great Commission!
A Big Breakfast has mastered the Lord’s Supper!
A golden-brown Large Fry is a bigger deal than the Golden Rule!
A Filet o Fish has deep-sixed the fish symbol!
A McCafe Latte quenches more thirsty souls than the water of life!
A 6-piece Chicken McNuggets has more appeal than the Ten Commandments!
YIKES!!! I’m not lovin’ that!
A Byte-sized Truth - But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ Galatians 6:14
Are U Lovin’ It?
—Used with permission
Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church
Page 8
Pastor’s Report
Page 8
Bulletin Board
September is National
All-American Breakfast Month
October is
Ken & Vivian Maahs
01
Marlene & Alfred Graves
24
Rebekah Smith
06
Phil Yong
23
Ed Warner
08
Steve Hutchison
26
Thelma Brinson
13
Diana Waltz
26
Mary Thompson
20
Joan Hurst
27
Barbara Tracy
20
Melody Mead
27
Pattie Hentz
21
Ernest Yeo
18
Sandy Maness
25
Susan Weigelt
26
Alyce Freeland
31
National Seafood Month
Vivian Maahs
02
Katelyn Yong
02
Alice Bea Bean
05
Jean Long
10
Bill Vanderslice
13
Rosalie Villanova 16
November is
Peanut Butter Lovers Month
For what we have received may
the Lord make us truly thankful.
And more truly for what we have
not received.
A back to school youth social
will be held on Thrusday!
Page 9
Pastor’s Report
September 2016
Page 9
SUN
4
MON
5
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
12:15 Congregational Meeting
11
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
7
THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
8
9
10
15
16
17
22
23
24
29
30
7:00pm Search
Committee
12
13
8:30 Morning Stars
Breakfast
14
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
7:00pm Executive
Committee
19
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
Sue Hegarty, missionary from Costa
Rica preaching
25
6
WED
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
2:30pm ManorCare
Service
18
TUE
20
7:00pm Search
Committee
26
27
21
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
28
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
October 2016
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
9
7:00pm Search
Committee
10
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
2:30pm ManorCare
Service
16
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
Jeff Johnson
preaching
6
7
8
13
14
15
20
21
22
27
28
29
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
12
12:00pm Prayer
7:00pm Executive meeting
Committee
17
18
19
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
7:00pm Search
Committee
24
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
30
11
5
8:30 Morning
Stars Breakfast
9:30 Sunday
School
11:00am Worship
23
4
25
26
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
31
November 2016
SUN
MON
TUE
1
WED
2
THU
3
FRI
4
SAT
5
9:00am
6
7
9:30 Sunday School
11:00am Worship
2:30pm ManorCare
Service
7:00pm Search
Committee
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
8
9
8:30 Morning
Stars Breakfast
10
11
12
17
18
19
24
25
26
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
7:00pm Executive Committee
13
14
15
9:30 Sunday School
11:00am Worship
16
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
7:00pm Search
Committee
20
21
22
23
9:30 Sunday School
11:00am Worship
12:00pm Prayer
meeting
27
28
29
9:30 Sunday School
11:00am Worship
7:00pm Search
Committee
30
Happy
Thanksgiving
New Life in Christ
Upper Merion Baptist Church
585 General Steuben Rd
King of Prussia, PA 19406
www.umbc.org
Email: [email protected]
TO:
A Prayer for our church
Lord Jesus, we pray that you will somehow
give us ears to hear, hearts to love and wills
devoted to serve; that in the days to come this
congregation may be known not for our glory
but for thine alone - a congregation of people
who know you; that this place may be an
oasis, a place where people come to find out
about you, where lives are straightened out
and made whole, where people find the
peace that passes understanding.
Give us, we pray, a heart to desire these
things above all else. We pray through
Jesus Christ. Amen.