Brockport First Baptist Church

THE “FRIENDLY FIRST�

F O R E C A S T E R

First Baptist Church

124 Main Street

Brockport, NY  14420

Telephone:  585-637-9770

Church E-mail:       brockportfirstbaptist@frontiernet.net

Church Web Add:   brockportfirstbaptist.org

Transformation is not simply a new way to keep doing what is presently going on. 
It does not offer merely a “tune-up� or adaptations to exiting programs and priorities.
Rather, in a very constructive and faith-filled manner, it enables the congregation to
evaluate and define anew the nature, purpose and practices of its life together in light
of God’s mission.  It offers the opportunity to make the changes discerned to be necessary
in order to become more faithful to God’s calling and purpose in their situation.

~Center for Parish Development Publication~~

Dear Friends:

God’s Spirit work of transformation continues.  It ebbs and flows.  It is not stagnant or staid
but rich, moving and inspiring.  It is exciting to be standing at this point in our history as a
community of faith.  This is a process of paying attention to our mission context, paying
attention to the Spirit of God, paying attention to each other and to our extended community.

I continue to read too and I continue to grow in my understanding.  Recently in my reading
I came across an article entitled, “Why do Churches Grow?�  HMMM, I thought, that’s good.
So I read and re-discovered some things I already knew and learned some new things too.

I have heard and read many times the top ten signs of a healthy, vital church.  They bear repeating:

Growing spiritually

Meaningful worship

Participation in church activities

A sense of belonging

Caring for children and youth

Focusing on the community

Sharing faith

Welcoming new people

Empowering leadership

Looking forward to the future

Interestingly enough out of those ten, the churches that are growing seem

to focus more intently on three:  Excellence in caring for children and

youth (family friendly), Increasing regular worship attendance and participation in
church activities and bringing (inviting, recruiting) new people.

[Interesting… as I hear from our members the question, “Why are the big mega-churches
doing so well and growing?� We can point to their emphasis on these three things.
They invest their time, energy and money,
on: families, encouraging regular participation and inviting new friends.]

As we begin our fall programs and a new plan of Wandering and Wondering together in
worship and our educational programs, let’s ask ourselves and each other these questions:

Where do I see God working in my life?

What is God doing here at First Baptist?

How is God sending us to serve?

I hope you are committed to praying for this congregation and for God’s
transforming spirit to be alive here.

As we travel this path together, let’s share our joys and our sorrows, taking care with each

other, encouraging one another.  It is a grand adventure we are on together, seeking to be
faithful to God’s call, and offering witness to Christ’s love in our world.

Serving with you,
I am Joanne,  the Pastor

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CAMERON DINNER

Cameron Dinner sign ups for September 12.

Before we know it September will be upon us as will the Cameron

Dinner.  LuAnne Cenci will oversee the cooking, hopefully we will be

Having a musical service with some of our talented musicians and

there will be signups for cookies, serving and transporting that

afternoon.  Thank you in advance for all your support.  It is always

a very rewarding experience and we have fun too!  Questions may be

directed to Mary Way.

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PEOPLE  CARE

One of our longtime members, King LeTouzel is at home but requires

a lot of care.  Linda is looking for people to relieve her a few nights

a week getting King ready for bed for about an hour.  She has some-

one who can come in on Thursdays but would appreciate any other

help.  Anyone helping will need to lift.  You may call Linda directly

for more information at 352-5645.  Thank you.

———————————————————————————– 

Only one answer
Having a happy time?           Praise God.

Life getting difficult?  Seek God.

Having a quiet moment?     Worship God.

Suffering great pain?             Trust God.

Puzzled about what to do?  Ask God.

Overwhelmed with joy?       Thank God.

———————————————————————————–

FROM THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE

The next Gathering Table dinner is scheduled for Sunday, August 15

with volunteers from the Ogden Baptist Church helping.  Please see

the bulletin board for opportunities to help with this dinner.

* * * *  * * * *

Heavenly Desserts Bake Sale, Tasting & Silent Auction

Saturday, September 11, 2010

This year’s event will include both a bake sale, with items once again

being uniquely packaged and sold in baskets, trays, boxes, plates, etc.,

and tastings, where people can purchase tickets for “tastes� of some

wonderful confections!  Like last year, a silent auction of theme

baskets will also be offered.

Thanks to your support, last year’s event was a great success, and the

funds raised helped benefit the Gathering Table.  This year’s proceeds

will go towards the Gathering Table and other needs in our community.

Once again, we are in need of your help.  We will need bakers, help

with silent auction basket items, and helpers on the day of the event.

Please be thinking about how you can assist with this worthwhile “signature� event.

Sign-up sheets will be posted on the Outreach board soon.

Contact Joani Martin or Jan Mutter with any questions.  The Outreach

Team thanks you for your continued support of our endeavors.

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MISSION  FOCUS

Cameron Dinner is September 12.  Donations of cookies, wrapped two

per package, will be needed for that Sunday.  A signup sheet will be

posted.

Any donations for the Brockport Clothing Shelf can be placed in the

big blue box by the Mission bulletin board.  This box is labeled

“Clothing Shelf Donations� for your convenience.

Angel Food Ministry menu is available on the Mission bulletin board

and by link from the church website.

October 4 is World Missions offering.

College boxes will be sent in October.  Please give donations to

Robin Donahue for this project.

“Back to school gift cards� are being collected for the Brockport

school children for distribution through the school system on an

“as needed� basis to help supplement their school needs.  Wal-Mart

gift cards from $10 to whatever the individual would like to give is

the suggested amount.  The reason they like Wal-Mart is because it’s

local and some of the student families don’t have cars/transportation.

If you are able to contribute to this project, please see Dick or Karen

Avery.  Thank you.

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Please keep the following people in your

prayers:  Rosemary Smith, Doc McCaffery,

Craig Howell, Nina Presher, Harold Rager,

Phyllis Hottmann, Helen Mosher, Char

Davy, Jan Womble, and King LeTouzel.  Ruth Bird is at Shore Winds Nursing Home,

Katharyn Knab is at Westwood Commons and Carl Lang is at The Friendly Home.

———————————————————————————–

AUGUST  CALENDAR

8        10:00  Morning Worship

9          7:00  Outreach Committee

15        10:00  Morning Worship

1:30 – 3:30  Gathering Table

16           (Fran on vacation until 8/30.)

7:00  Leadership Team

22        10:00  Morning Worship

(Pastor Joanne on vacation until 8/30.)

27      6:00  Wedding Rehearsal

28      2:00  Moore/Gamble Wedding

29    10:00  Morning Worship

30                              Worship Team

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SEPTEMBER  CALENDAR

1    7:00   Church Council

5  10:00   Morning Worship/Communion

7    7:00   Choir

11              Heavenly Desserts Bake Sale, Tasting & Silent Auction

12  10:00   Morning Worship – Rally Day: “Wandering & Wondering

12:00   Pot Luck Lunch

Cameron Dinner – prepared here & delivered

13    7:00   Outreach Committee

14    7:00   Choir

19  10:00   Morning Worship

11:00   Sunday School

20   7:00   Leadership Team

21    7:00   Choir

23    6:45   Scout Pack Meeting

25    8:00 – 3:30   Regional Annual Gathering – First Baptist Rochester

26  10:00   Morning Worship

11:00   Sunday School

1:30   Gathering Table

28    7:00   Choir

30    7:00   Cub Scouts

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CHURCH COUNCIL AND LEADERSHIP TEAM

If you have joys, ideas, suggestions and/or concerns, please see your

leaders listed below:

Our Council:

Moderator:      Dick Carter

Assistant Moderator:  Edward Lehman

People Care Coordinator:  LuAnne Cenci

Church Life Coordinator:  Tim Harner

Community Life Coordinator:  Robin Donahue

Property Coordinator:  Jim Cenci

Assistant Property Coordinator:  Laurie Gurnett

Delegate at Large:  Bud Lage

Church Clerk:  Cindy Lage

Church Treasurer:  Jan Womble

Fellowship Team Co-Chairs:  Joani Martin and Jan Mutter

Leadership Team:

Ann Hazen

Cindy Lage

Curt Raleigh

Julie Carter

Jan Womble

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FLOWER MINISTRY

Please sign up to provide flower for the worship service.  They may be
to honor someone, in memory of someone, for a birthday, for an anniversary or
simply just to provide flowers.  They may be purchased or from your own garden.

If they are to be delivered to the church they must arrive Friday morning between
9 and noon.  If you would like to bring them on Sunday morning, have them here at
least 20 minutes before the service.

Be sure to take them home following the service for your enjoyment. 
Thank you for participating in the Flower Ministry.

———————————————————————————–

Our sympathy to Lynette Cox and Larry Vaughan and families on the death
of their mother, Millie Vaughan, July 22.

——————————————————————————————-

Congratulations to Rich and Alana Irish on the

birth of their daughter, Gwendolyn Hart July 22.

Proud grandparents are Bill and Sandy Bordeau.

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NEW CHURCH DIRECTORIES ARE ON THE TABLE IN THE FOYER.

——————————————————————————————-

Lessons from the Past/Hope for the Future

ABCRGR 2010 ANNUAL GATHERING

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

First Baptist Church of Rochester

175 Allen’s Creek Road, Rochester

Gathering Schedule:

8 am   Peace Breakfast – Dr. Mary Jeannette Edenhack will share about

the Peace School Project in Uganda

9 am   Registration

10 am  Business Session

11 am  Worship with Presentation by Al Staggs portraying the lives of

Clarence Jordan and Walter Rauschenbush

12:00   Lunch

1 pm  Workshops

3 pm  Afternoon Vespers with Communion

3:30 pm   Adjournment

Watch for further information on registration, etc. in the bulletins.

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“Keeping in Touch�

Sunday Morning Café is offering a new opportunity for us to share and to stay in touch
with our church family, families, friends and others you know in the community.

You are invited to explore and consider being part of this extension of this fellowship
and ministry.  Please check out “Keeping in Touch� at the table in Shannon Hall on Sundays
before and after the service.  See you there!

——————————————————————————————-

Nina Presher would like to thank the church family for all their cards and prayers.

And, thanks to Pastor Joanne for her prayers and visits.

——————————————————————————————-

The family of Millie Vaughan wishes to thank you all for the love and kindness you

have shared with us not just at her passing, but also while she was in skilled nursing.

Your support, caring words, cards, and visits were a great comfort.  It

is during times like this that we learn how blessed we are to have such

a wonderful church family.  Words cannot express how much this

means to us.  We so appreciate your sympathy and kindness.

Larry & Barb Vaughan

Frank & Lynette Cox
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NEW THIS FALL: Men’s book study/discussion group following worship service.  
The book: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. 
If interested contact Dick Carter (637-5601 or dseb@frontiernet.net

or in person) by August 31.

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THE PULSE

What do you think of when you hear the word “pulse�? A heart rate, a

beat, or a rhythm?  As living beings we know that a pulse is vital to

life.  Likewise, the church has a pulse and each and everyone one of

us is vital to the pulse of the church.  Without a pulse (you) there is

no life in the church.

As your Church Moderator, I will be highlighting some of the things

that make our church vital and alive. Some are obvious, some are

behind the scenes.  Some may be individuals or groups.  Some things

you may already be involved with.  Perhaps you will discover

something you would like to become involved with.

This past spring I found I had some time on my hands while at the

church and I discovered or I should say rediscovered the church library.

  Quick… Where is the church library located?  Have you ever browsed through it?

  The library has a lot to offer to everyone.  There are story

books for all ages from picture books to novels for teens and adults.

There are all kinds of videos available; and of course all kinds of

reference materials.  Char Wright is the church librarian. (Yes, there

is a church librarian).  She is responsible for keeping things in order

and current.  As a retired school librarian I’m pretty sure she knows

what she is doing.  If you want some help finding something just ask

her.  She will be glad to help. Getting back to my rediscovery of the library… Char had set out some current books of interest and I picked

up a book called Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It is a memoir-like story of Miller’s Christian spirituality journey.

Because we will be “Wandering and Wondering� this fall through the stories of Moses, I would like to offer the opportunity for a men’s study/discussion of this book during the Christian education hour

following service to wander with Mr. Miller on his journey.

(Gentlemen, it really is a guy friendly read I think you would enjoy

reading and discussing.)  If you are interested, please let me know so

that I may order enough books.

The “pulse-� the church library, my rediscovery of it; Char Wright, the librarian ready and willing to help you discover it; the development of

a new men’s study/discussion group. I am the church.  You are the

church.  We are the church together… And the beat goes on.

-Dick Carter, Church Moderator

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Rally Day:  The Journey Begins!

Starting September 12^th (Rally Day) we will embark on a journey of

“Wandering� and “Wondering� as we worship together, then

explore and experience different Bible stories (for all ages) during

the hour following worship.  Our journey begins with stories about Moses.

So, put September 12^th on your calendar.  Come to worship!  Consider

inviting a friend or two.

10 a.m. The journey starts in the sanctuary as we worship together.

11:15-11:45 We will “wander� and “wonder� looking for various

objects involved in the Moses stores.  (a scavenger hunt)

12 noon Join in a pot luck lunch!  Bring a dish to pass and your

own table service.

Watch for other Rally Day plans and activities.  Remember!  This is

for everyone of all ages.  Come, “wander� and “wonder�!

————————————————————————-

Rally Day “Baby Shower�

On Sunday, September 12, we will be focusing on the story of Baby

Moses.  As a way of expressing our love and concern for babies in

our community, we will be hosting a Baby Shower in conjunction

with Rally Day.  Please bring a gift wrapped layette item to be donated

to the Front Porch ministry at St. Luke’s.  A list of layette items will

be posted in Shannon Hall to assist you in your shopping.  We will

have food, games and open the gifts to ooh and aah over the cute baby

items.  Please see Sue Carter with any questions.

——————————————————————————————-
I  WILL  DO  MORE

I will do more than belong-

I will participate.

I will do more than care-

I will help.

I will do more than believe-

I will practice.

I will do more than be fair-

I will be kind.

I will do more than forgive-

I will love.

I will do more than earn-

I will enrich.

I will do more than teach-

I will serve.

I will do more than live-

I will grow.

I will do more than be friendly-

I will be a friend.

Thank and pray on this—then act.

————————————————————————————-

I find the great thing in this world is not so

much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.

To reach the gate of Heaven, we must sail sometimes with the

wind and sometimes against it.  But we must sail,

and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

Oliver Wendell Holmes
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AUGUST

BIRTHDAYS

1        John Pruss                            18   Brandon Keim

2        Melissa Knight                          19   Meg Barrus

3        Emma Jarman                         20   Benton Hart

4        Rosemary Smith                                   Norah Ryan

5        Robbie Ashton                         22   Marion Cortright

6        Kayla Gilliam                          23   Betty Bemis

7        Sara Howland                             Barbara Eccles

8        Sandy Bordeau                       24   Dick Carter

Alana Irish                              25   Curt Raleigh

9    Jim Coopenberg                                         26   Michael Albano

John Martin Cannon                         28   Kathy Speer

12    Sydney Barrus                                             Bea DeRuyscher

13    Michael Prince                                            *Timothy Chapman

Sarah Hazen                                       29    Becky Bird

14    Larry Carter                                              Laurie Gurnett

Tom St. Pierre                                         Linda Sanford

Lisa Smith                                                30    Norah Reitter

15    Jacob McCaffery                                                    Daniel Colaprete

16    Linda Mason                                              Bill Charles

Bruce Spielman                                              31    Melanie Wolf

*Missionary’s son)  336 Park Way, Santa Cruz, CA  95062

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ANNIVERSARIES

11   James & Joanne Cannon

14   Ken & Bonnie Keim

15   Ron & Linda Prince

19   Alan & Mary Way

Harold & Barb Rager

26   Craig & Ann Howell

31   Dick & Sue Carter

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SEPTEMBER  BIRTHDAYS

1   Tim Harner                                      14   Bob Reynolds

Suzanne Harner                                             Barbara Sherwood

2   Jacob Lehman                                                15   Doug Sloan

3   Alex Bagoly                                      18   Michael Reynolds

Ronald Prince                                              Larry Siegfried

4   Donna Scheg                                              Felicia Mayo

6   Cathy Nazzaaro                                                     Kyle Donahue

Lauren Sokol                                       21   Mike Wright

7   Ron Way                                                         Sherry Siegfried

Kyle Wright                                      23   Randy Rich

9   Rob Womble                                                      John Liebe

Peggy D’Angiolillo                              24   Mark Lehman

Julie Pruss                                                25   George Cortright

10   Abigail Jarman                                          *Elaina Chapman

Nancy Luce                                         26   Peter Reynolds

11   Bev Hare                                                  27   Donald L. Mason

12   Karen Avery                                       28   Thomas Raleigh

Michael Shay                                         30   Shane Cenci

Megan Kuster

13   Harry Beaver                    *Missionary’s daughter:  336 Park Way

Richard Bagoly                                    Danta Cruz, CA  95062

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ANNIVERSARIES 4   Dave & Mary Ann Knapp

15   David & Sharon Mason

17   Dick & Karen Avery

18   Dan & Donna Scheg

19   Larry & Julie Carter

21   Alex & Nancy Bagoly

27   Jan & Donna Carter

——————————————————————————————-

USHER SCHEDULE

By Alan C.Way, Usher Chairperson

We still need to have at least one more member of

the church to confirm their willingness to help us out as

a Head Usher.  Each Head Usher is responsible for one

month in four (if there are four of us).  We also fill in for

each other when an emergency comes up.  We are willing

to adjust the schedule to conform to any commitments

you might have.  If you would like to talk to us about

being trained as a Head Usher please talk to Larry Carter

or myself any Sunday or call me at 637-6127/260-7868.

The Head Usher for August will be Alan Way.  The

following church members are scheduled for the following

Sundays. Sunday, August 1^st & 8^th – Team H – Donna Smith,

Larry Carter & Donna Scheg.  August 15^th & 22^nd – Team A

– Fran Fuller, Ann Hazen, Barb Hanf & Jo Ann Raleigh. 

August 29^th – Team B – Dave & Mary Ann Knapp, Joani Martin

& Jan Mutter. Contact Alan if you cannot usher on your

assigned Sunday at 637-6127.

The Head Ushers for September will be Larry Carter and

Alan Way.  The following church members are scheduled for the following Sundays. Sunday, September 5^th – Team B – Dave &

Mary Ann Knapp, Joani Martin & Jan Mutter.  September 12^th &

19^th – Team C – Ron Allen, Laurie Gurnett, Charlie McCullough

& Barbara Sherwood.  September 26^th – Team D – Alan Way,

Craig Howell, Bruce Spielman & John Leibe.  Contact Larry or

Alan if you cannot usher on your assigned Sunday at either

637-6461 or 637-6127.

The Head Usher for October will be Larry Carter.  The following church members are scheduled for the following

Sundays. Sunday, October 3^rd – Team D – Alan Way, Craig

Howell, Bruce Spielman & John Leibe. Sundays, October 10^th

& 17^th – Team E – Bill & Sandy Bordeau, Gretchen & Harry

Beaver.  Sundays, October 24^th & 31^st – Team F – Cindy &

Bud Lage, Craig Raleigh & Curt Raleigh.  Contact Larry if

you cannot usher on your assigned Sunday at either

637-6461.

If anyone is unable to usher on his or her scheduled Sunday please call the scheduled Head Usher for that

month by Friday.  If you cannot reach the scheduled Head Usher call Alan Way the Usher Chairman at 637-6127.

——————————————————————————————-

THE “FRIENDLY FIRST”

F O R E C A S T E R

First Baptist Church

124 Main Street

Brockport, NY 14420

Telephone: 585-637-9770

Church E-mail: brockportfirstbaptist@frontiernet.net

Church Web Add: brockportfirstbaptist.org

Dear Friends:

It is exciting to be seeing Easter Sunday on the horizon of our church

life together. We have been on this journey together through Lent and

now we look with great anticipation towards that Sunday that is the

“First Day”. It reminds me of that song:

Every Morning is Easter Morning
By Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh
Avery and Marsh Songbook, ©1967, Hope Publishing Co.

 

Ev’ry morning is Easter morning from now on!
Ev’ry day’s resurrection day, the past is over and gone!

 

Good-bye guilt, good-bye fear, good riddance! Hello, Lord,

Hello, sun!
I am one of the Easter People! My new life has begun!

 

There is more to the song, if you have time when you are playing

around on the internet type it into Google and you will be given a

link to hear the music too. It’s upbeat and life-affirming, just like

resurrection!

 

I am also reminded of the song from Fiddler on the Roof, TO LIFE!

To Life! L’ Chaim! Easter is the celebration of life. As Christian

 

people we believe that because Jesus has given us the victory over

death, we can have abundant life here, now—and life with God in

the here-after. We can only hope about what that is, but hope is a

wonderful thing to center your life on: hope in resurrection-spirit;

hope that life is full of purpose and meaning; hope that love matters;

hope in the assurance of God’s love for us.

 

So, come. Come to Easter Sunday service and celebrate HOPE

and LIFE with your community of faith. Come be renewed in

God’s Spirit of love. Gather with your fellow members and

celebrate the faith and love we profess in Christ.

 

I can’t wait to see you here altogether so that we can experience

anew God’s call to life through the gift of Jesus, with songs, the

trumpet song and the praise of our hearts!

 

Looking Forward to Easter,

 

Joanne-Your Pastor

 

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MARK THE DATE: Sunday, APRIL 11^th!

Special service of celebration of our expressions of

mission and service. Come and explore with us all

of our outreach efforts, that engage our heart and

hands!

————————————————————————————–

EASTER LILIES

The deadline for ordering Easter lilies

is March 28. The price per plant is $6.75.

Contact Barb Sherwood (637-6990) or

bsh1@frontiernet.net with questions or to place an order.

————————————————————————————–

OUTREACH EFFORTS:

The Gathering Table served 47 dinners on March 21. A group of

high school Key Club members ably assisted with the dinner.

The next meeting of the Outreach Committee will be Monday,

April 12, at 7:00 p.m. New ideas for expanding our church’s outreach

efforts are encouraged. Please join us at the meeting if you are

available or share your ideas with a member of the committee.

Rummage Sale: The Outreach Committee is planning a rummage

sale on May 22. Items may be dropped off at the church beginning

May 18. Please contact co-chairs Jan Mutter (cruiscat1@yahoo.com)

Or Joani Martin (jmdreamer53@yahoo.com) if you have questions or

Need more information.

—————————————————————————————

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

We will be hosting the Sunday, September 12^th

Cameron Dinner. More information will be

forthcoming closer to September.

Wisdom from the Scriptures:

Working Things Out

Eugene Peterson, in his Message Version of Matthew 18 writes

the story this way:

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him [her]—

work it out

between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend..

If he [she] won’t listen, take one or two others along

so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and

try again.

if he [she] still won’t listen, tell the church….”

In the course of our lives together, as humans on this planet,–try as

we might not to– we hurt each other. We bruise each other’s feelings

or we say something that burns or we just trip over our feet when they

find their way into our mouths. It happens to all of us. No one is

exempt.

This quoted scripture is just plain wisdom. It ALWAYS hurts more

when we talk to others when we have been hurt or misunderstood,

then if we went directly to the source, to that person. Yes, it takes

guts, it takes courage.

There is a popular phrase now in our culture that applies, “Put your

big girl, or big boy, pants on and…”. I believe this is just a humorous

way of calling us to more adult/healthy interactions. We all want to

practice healthy interactions and this is vitally important in the church.

Sometimes when people know each other well they make assumptions

about how the other person feels or sees things. This creates bad feelings

and then we tell others and triangulation happens and makes it all worse.

In an effort to build healthier relationships, I want to lead the way. If

you have some concerns about something I have done or said, or even

something I have included in a sermon, give me a call, make an

appointment to see me, or send me an e-mail. I promise to listen and

try to work things out. At the least it will lead the way to apology

and/or forgiveness; at the most it will deepen my understanding of

you and yours of me and give us more appreciation for each other.

Directly, I would invite you to come to me and not go to, or through

Fran, or someone else. This just triangulates the situation and it is

not fair to Fran, or the other person, or to me. I have encouraged

Fran that when people share concerns, to invite them to come directly

to me. If we can’t work it out, then we can talk to any member of the

Pastoral Relations Committee as that is their stated purpose and they

are happy and trained to do it.

We have a strong congregation that functions well, and generally

we have good interpersonal habits. Let’s build on that strong

foundation and when someone, or something concerns us or hurts us,

let’s be careful to take it to that person only, with our desire to grow

into understanding and forgiveness. After all, this is wisdom that has

a divine perspective and has stood the test of time.

Together in Ministry,

Joanne—Your Pastor

—————————————————————————————

CELEBRATE PENTACOST

Sunday, May 23, 2010

10:00

A special service of unity is being planned for

the Four Village Congregations the:

Brockport United Methodist

First Baptist Church of Brockport

First Presbyterian Church of Brockport

St. Luke’s Episcopal

COME CELEBRATE THE SPIRIT

With your neighbors and friends at the Brockport

High School Auditorium

First Baptist LEADERSHIP TEAM 2010-2011:

What is it? Who has those qualities? Where can we go to learn it?

Do I seek to be a spiritual leader? Do I have gifts for such leadership?

Can I make this a commitment? Is this my call?

These are just some of the questions that might go into one’s process

of discernment. We are seeking members of this congregation who

believe they have gifts for Spiritual leadership and envisioning to serve

on the Leadership Team for the next two years. If you have discerned

such a call, please talk to Pastor Joanne or a member of the Nominating

Committee: Jim or Luann Cenci, Tim Harner or Mary Way.

Our focus for these two years together will be centered on prayer,

study and discernment of this call.

“The church does not have a mission, it is God’s mission

and the Holy Spirit is missionary. The question is whether

the mission of God has a Church and whether the missionary

activity of the Holy Spirit has an ecclesiastical partner and

place to bring God’s work to fulfillment.”

Attributed to Lesslie Newbigin

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CROP WALK

CROP walk will be May 2^nd . We need

Walkers and sponsors. A sign up table

will be out in Shannon Hall. Remember that 25% of the monies raised

will go directly to our Food Shelf.

April needs for the FOOD SHELF:

Personal hygiene items such as

shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush,

Kleenex, etc.

NEWS FROM THE AURORA HOUSE

Construction on the building is near completion due to the generous

giving of all the area churches and community. A grand opening

celebration is scheduled for the week of July 12^th – 17^th.

I am involved in monthly meetings and fund raising events.

The following events are:

4/30 Starry Night dinner at Plantation Party House 6:30 pm

Call Ro – 392-9198

5/22 Second annual race 8:00 am – end of West Avenue,

Spencerport

5/23 Westside Coalition of Christian Choirs 7:00 p.m.

Pearce Memorial Church

6/10, 11, 12 – Aurora House garage sale – 617-4375

8/28 Knights of Columbus Golf Tournament

Pinewood Country Club – golf and buffet

10/23 Baskets and brunch – 9:30 a.m. 352-9123

11/17 Wine tasting – location not yet known.

Hope you can enjoy some of these events.

Jo Blossom

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NOMINATIONS FOR CHURCH OFFICES

If you would like to be nominated for one of the following offices in

our church, please let Tim Harner, Jim Cenci, LuAnne Cenci, Mary

Way or Pastor Joanne know.

As you may recall, this is the first year of a new, streamlined

Governance structure that uses “coordinators” instead of the

traditional church Boards. There are two people in each area and

the expectation is that the “Assistant Coordinator” for a position

one year will become the “Coordinator” the next year.

Since this church governance structure is so new, please talk with Tim,

Jim, LuAnne, Mary, or Pastor Joanne if you have any questions about

how it is intended to work and any suggestions how to make it work

better.

The following offices each have a 1-year term (but keep in mind that

a person will generally begin as an assistant so that, in effect, they

will be making a 2-year commitment by asking to become an

assistant):

Assistant Church Moderator Assistant Life Coordinator

Assistant Property Coordinator Assistant People Care Coordinator

Assistant Church Life Coordinator

Please pray for wisdom and guidance whether you should volunteer

for one of these opportunities to minister by serving others.

We are also looking for someone to serve as the Fellowship Director/

Team Leader and the Assistant. This person(s) would not sit on

Council but would report to one of the church coordinators.

PROPERTY USE COORDINATOR REPORT

Alan C. Way, Chairman

Jim Cenci purchased and installed a new garbage disposal for the

kitchen that will be paid for by the Outreach Committee. Jim and I

will be getting the bulbs needed to do the re-lamping job I wrote

about in the last Forecaster. We had a water leak in the Holley Street

entrance area due to ice damming on the roof. One of the gutters from

the upper roof drops the water directly on the roof, which caused the

problem. The roofing company will be coming in soon to take care

of that problem and Jim will be inspecting the damage in the ceiling

to see what repairs are needed.

Although we did not have to do a great deal of shoveling or plowing

this year compared to other years we did use a lot of salt (mostly on the

north sidewalk). I am happy we purchased the pallet of salt this year.

It was available when needed and did not have to be hauled in piecemeal.

Tim Harner and his Nominating Committee are looking for Assistant

Coordinators for the four Committees. If you would be interested in

working with Jim on the Property Use Committee please talk to Tim.

He can explain the duties involved with the committee. Please

remember it is a team effort and not just one person doing the work.

This is really a rewarding experience keeping our beautiful church in

good repair for our children and grandchildren’s future use.

Our next project will be addressing the old gas stove in the

kitchen. It is still working but there are problems and it needs to be

replaced. If we are hearing people correctly it has been aged at over

forty years (40) old. It is not worth putting any money into any more

repairs. The Property Use Committee will be working with the

Outreach Committee and the Kitchen Coordinators to come up with

the best solution for the church now and in the future although funds

for this project are not available in the general fund. We are really

pleased to see the kitchen used on a regular basis now and we really

need to address the issue of safety for our members as far as the stove

is concerned.

HIGHWAY PICKUP

Several years ago our church agreed to clean

up a 2 mile stretch of highway on Ridge Road

twice a year as a mission activity. Historically

we have done this on a Saturday morning. Participation in this activity

makes it go very quickly. With 8 people, it could be completed in 1 hour,

and more people could mean even less time. 12-18 year olds are welcome,

must bring a parent along, too!!! Bob Barrus has been in charge of getting

this done for many years. I will now be taking it over. A sign up sheet will

be posted on the board in Shannon Hall. If you think you could help with

this effort in keeping our world green, please sign up with a time that

would be convenient for you. We do not need to do it on Saturday

morning. Thanks and I’ll be hoping to see your name!!! LuAnne

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TALENT SHOWCASE BENEFIT REPORT

“How does one measure success? In dollars and cents? Over $1,100

was raised by the Talent Showcase Benefit this past Sunday afternoon.

In the quality of talent? Top notch talent and entertainment were on

hand all that afternoon. By the people involved? No fewer than 33 of

our church family participated in some way that afternoon (that’s not

including all the bakers); not one person or group said no to participating.

Successful? I should say so!

And where does one begin to say thank you? First, to God and

answered prayers. And thank you to all of you who said yes and went

above and beyond my expectations. We are so blessed as a church family,

and I am blessed to be a part of it.

Thank you, one and all, for your love and support in making this

mission project a wonderful success.”

– Dick Carter

SPRING CONCERTS

The Music Team is presenting three concerts this Spring to raise

money for Haiti and Aurora House. Save these dates and look for more

information in First Forward and in future Sunday bulletins.

April 20 – Traditional, Folk, and Gospel music sung by Leslie Lee

and Steve Gretz. Performing and recording together since

2003, they moved to Rochester last year.

For information about this inspirational duo go to their web

site www.leslieandsteve.com

May 7 – Piano and Violin duo Albert Kim and Kitty M.Y. Cheung,

Eastman School of Music graduate students

May 14 – Organ – John Allegar and John Morabito, Eastman School

of Music graduate students

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Chuck McCullough is at Lakeside Hospital.

Peg Randall had knee replacement surgery

this week. Katharyn Knab is in Room 214W

in rehab at Unity Hospital. Please keep

Charlotte Davy, and Ron Way in your

prayers. Wilma Eckerty is in a nursing home

– 101 Creekside Drive, Painted Post, NY 14870. Millie Vaughan is at

Lakeside Beikirch. Ruth Bird is at Hilton East, Room 153. Carl Lang is

at The Friendly Home.

A Note: Pastor Joanne on Church Membership:

I have been mulling/pondering the whole idea of membership. That

word too, has changed in meaning with our more “fluid” culture.

What does it mean to be a member of an organization, a board, a

family or a church? As I am wont to do, I went first to the dictionary,

this time the American Heritage:

Member: n. 1. A distinct part of the whole, esp.: a. A syntactic

unit of a sentence; clause

b. A proposition of a syllogism.

c. An element in a mathematical set.

2. A part or organ of a human or animal body, as:

a. A limb such as an arm or leg…

This seemed pretty clear, that individual members are vitally

important to the whole. We cannot imagine the body without our

arms, our legs, or eyes; or a sentence with a large part of it missing.

It doesn’t work well. The functioning of the whole is impaired

when parts are missing.

The definition reminded me of many scriptures but foremost was

the passage from I Corinthians 12:12:

For just as the body is one but has many members, and all

the members of the body though many, are one body, so

it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were baptized

into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we

were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed the body

does not consist of one member but of many….

This passage goes on to explain how the foot cannot say to the eye,

we don’t need you. Nor the eye to the hand, You are unnecessary.

No, in the body of Christ, all are needed; all are arranged by God to

give to the body what it needs to carry out its mission.

So, is this true for our congregation? Yes, everyone is needed,

everyone’s presence and gifts and talents shared in order for this

body to function at its best. What would the hand be without the

fingers? Or the foot without the toes, why, we would be unable to

stand!

Years ago I wrote a story about how the congregation of any church

is like an Orchestra. The pastor serves as the conductor; not in the sense

of conducting everything, but in leading every member to give their

best to the making-of-music by the whole. And there are other leaders

too; the first chair in every section. The first violinist is the leader who

tunes the entire orchestra to make sure the sound is ONE. Each member

of the orchestra is responsible for knowing their music, taking care of

their instrument and showing up to rehearsals and performances.

They each, practice, practice, practice their music. That is how the

whole “body” of the orchestra with many parts, creates rich, melodious

music together.

Each of you is important! Each of you brings things to this

congregation which no-one else can provide. I invite you to consider

once again how you can “play your music” here at First Baptist.

When you are absent we truly miss you! We invite you to get more

involved, to explore the riches of ACTIVE membership, with your

presence, your practice and sharing your talents and gifts. Believe

me, the entire body will be enriched by your sharing and we will be

empowered to carry out God’s mission in the community and beyond.

Can’t wait to see you here!

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SEEING CHRIST

After Thorwaldsen had completed his famous statue of Christ, he

brought a friend to see it. Christ’s arms were outstretched, his head

bowed between them. The friend said, “But I cannot see his face.”

The sculptor replied, “If you want to see the face of Christ, you

must get on your knees.”

HOLY WEEK SERVICES

Thursday, April 1 7:00 pm

Maundy Thursday Service

Friday, April 2 12:00 Noon Ecumenical

Good Friday Service at First Baptist

Sunday, April 4 — Easter Sunday

6:30 am Sunrise Service at Northampton

10:00 am Easter Worship Service

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MISSION NEWS

May 2 is CROP Walk/Blanket Sunday Offering. CROP Walk signup

sheets are available each Sunday in April.

Items for Church World Service hygiene kits will be packed and sent in

April. Thank you to all who donated to this project.

Any donations for the Brockport Clothing Shelf can be placed in the big

blue box by the Mission bulletin board. This box is labeled “Clothing

Shelf Donations” for your convenience.

Angel Food Ministry menu is available on the Mission bulletin board

and by link from the church website.

CLOTHING SHELF

Our church is responsible for staffing the Ecumenical Clothing Shelf at

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church during the month of May. A signup sheet

is posted in the hall for your convenience in volunteering for this project.

USHER SCHEDULE

By Alan C.Way, Usher Chairperson

We still need to have at least one more member of the

church to confirm their willingness to help us out as a Head

Usher. Each Head Usher is responsible for one month in

four (if there are four of us). We also fill in for each other

when an emergency comes up. We are willing to adjust the

schedule to conform to any commitments you might have.

If you would like to talk to us about being trained as a Head

Usher please talk to Larry Carter of myself any Sunday or

call me at 637-6127/260-7868.

The Head Usher for the remainder of April will be Alan

Way. The following church members are scheduled for the

following Sundays. Sunday, April 4^th – Team G – Dick & Karen

Avery and Alex & Nancy Bagoly. Sundays, April 11^th & 18^th –

Team H – Donna Smith, Ron Fluviot, Larry Carter and Donna

Scheg. Sunday, April 25^th – Team A – Fran Fuller, Ann Hazen,

Barb Hanf and Jo Ann Raleigh. Contact Alan if you cannot

usher on your assigned Sunday at 637-6127.

The Head Usher for May will be Larry Carter. The

following church members are scheduled for the following

Sundays. Sunday, May 2^nd – Team A – Fran Fuller, Ann Hazen,

Barb Hanf and Jo Ann Raleigh. Sundays, May 9^th & 16^th –

Team B – Dave & Mary Ann Knapp, Joan Martin and Jan Mutter.

Sundays, May 23 & 30^th – Team C – Ron Allen, Laurie Gurnett,

Charlie McCullough and Barbara Sherwood. Contact Larry if

you cannot usher on your assigned Sunday at 637-6461.

If anyone is unable to usher on his or her scheduled

Sunday please call the scheduled Head Usher for that

month by Friday. If you cannot reach the scheduled Head

Usher call Alan Way the Usher Chairman at 637-6127.