COVID-19 Update 03.25.20
Greetings, Church Family! Your staff met yesterday, some in person and some by phone, and we were talking together about how we’re doing ministry in this new context. Of course, one of the questions that came up for us is probably the same one that you’re all asking around your tables and living rooms and text messages: How long will we have to do this? None…
COVID-19 Update 03.19.2020
Greetings from First Baptist Church! Social distancing can be isolating and… boring, if we’re being honest. In this email, we wanted to give you some resources and ideas how to keep sane while we all keep each other safe. Spirituality Oddly enough, we might find that this time of keeping physical distance might just create some otherwise rare space and time to tend…
COVID-19 Protocols thru March 31
Greetings from First Baptist Church! I know you’re probably getting overloaded with emails from everyone everywhere about what’s closed or different because of COVID-19 and the social distancing that is rightly being encouraged out there. Your church family wants you to be connected, especially in times like these. For that reason, this email will be the first in what…
Jubliee
It’s been a while since I posted up here. That’s my bad. Summer was hectic and things have been going and going. Graduation, our family moved, Vacation Bible School, Youth camp, funerals, trying to sneak in vacations or retreats, staff shifts, volunteer recruitment, and then of course the pumpkins. The pumpkins… … sorry, what were we talking about?…
Desserts and Service
First and foremost, we must recognize the great efforts made by Patty Crunkilton, Troy Williams, and the youth (or “youts” if you’re My Cousin Vinny) on the wonderful spaghetti supper Sunday night. Some pasta and salad were the perfect setup to get everyone in the mood for something sweet. Secondly, many thanks to all the talented bakers, and even a candy maker (Shawn,…
Eatin’ Meetin’s
I mentioned in passing last Sunday that the times where we get together at picnics or potlucks are fun, but that they’re also important. There’s something about sharing around the table that invites people to get to know one another, to listen, to understand and empathize. I know we joke around about food (the core of Baptist theology is the casserole),…
MLK 2018
There are many good reasons to have a national holiday to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. As a clarion voice in a time of civil revolution, he shaped our conversations around race and justice. As a political activist, he promoted a nonviolent approach to protest and forced action by those who were in power. As a speaker, he painted with his words a wondrous…
A Christmas Thank You
Yesterday was a busy day. The choir led the 11am worship service with the Christmas Cantata they’ve been working on for months. We assembled later to share a meal together and to be amused and touched and lifted by the Pageant put on by our young people (and some very patient volunteers). It was a great day, and I bet if you were there you enjoyed it all, too. But if…
Peace on Earth, Can It Be?
Since we’re talking a lot about music this Advent season, let me mention one of my personal favorite songs of the season. A few years ago, someone mentioned in jest a duet of Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing a version of Little Drummer Boy. Initially, I laughed because in what version of history would that ever happen? It turns out that it’s this version of history…
Another…
I probably ought to just write an article about the new sermon series. Or I could write something about Advent coming up. But I’m not going to. On Sunday, a church, First Baptist Church, in Sutherland Springs, Texas was attacked by a young man with a high-powered, semiautomatic, assault-style rifle. At least 26 people are dead. They were in worship, just like we were on…