November 2009 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

For the past five weeks we have tried a noble experiment. On the last Sunday evening in September and all of the Sunday evenings in October, we here at WCBC have had Sunday evening activities. (Still one game and pizza night to go as of this writing.) I was a bit reluctant at first to schedule these activities, but with the encouragement of my wife and Christi Lewis, I had hopes for the good experiences our church could have through them. Certainly, coming together as people of faith can have many positive benefits.

What has happened with our Sunday evening activities? I have found that our Sunday night activities have been a tremendous blessing! On our first game and pizza night we had over 30 people participate. It was great fellowship just to converse with one another, play some games, eat some pizza, and have fun. Building relationships with fellow Christians is so vitally important to our church life. Having fun doing so just adds icing to the cake.

The following Sunday we had a Sunday evening worship experience. We had a guest praise band, experienced the Lord’s Supper a bit differently, and worshiped God. Around 40 of us participated, enjoying popcorn and fellowship afterwards. There’s that word again – “fellowship.” It’s a strange word in our 21st century, but it describes the joyful interaction we have with one another because we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

On the second and third Sunday evenings in October we had experiences devoted to outreach ministry. The first of these was spent visiting individuals and families related to our church. Our visits went well, and we only wish we would have had more time to visit more people. The second evening was spent raking leaves of some of our church family. This was a “hands-on” service opportunity, and all who participated came away feeling they had made a difference in someone’s life through a simple task. Both of these experiences included a meal and fellowship. We enjoyed serving others, eating together, and just having fun.

Notice all the benefits of our Sunday night activities: Worship, Service, Ministry, Fellowship – these are the marks of a church that strives to live up to our calling to be the Body of Christ.

The opportunities mentioned above happened in September and October. However, there are also opportunities to worship, serve, minister and fellowship all the time at our church. Consider ways you can participate in these, and see what a tremendous difference it is to be active in the Body of Christ.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jim

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday morning, November 1st. “Fall back,” and enjoy an extra hour of sleep. Better yet, use the extra hour by coming to Sunday School!

Homecoming Sunday

On Sunday, November 1st, we are holding a “Homecoming Sunday.” Many schools have football homecomings, where alumni from past years come back to the school they attended in the past. Our Homecoming Sunday is somewhat similar in that we are inviting church members and friends that we haven’t seen in awhile, to come back “home,” and join us in our worship of God. Together we will celebrate our “oneness” in Christ, for we are brothers and sisters of Jesus.
If you haven’t been to WCBC in awhile, we certainly would love to see you! If you know of someone who hasn’t worshiped with us in awhile, please invite them to our “Homecoming.” Nothing is as special as coming home.

The Life You've Always Wanted

The Life You’ve Always Wanted is the title of a new six week Sunday School course now being offered. If you’re tired of the status quo – if you suspect there’s more to Christianity than what you’ve experienced – then you will want to participate in this course on transformation through spiritual disciplines. These are not disciples as in “I have to do these,” but rather ways that help us connect with God that we find satisfying and fulfilling. Please join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 and discover the life you’ve always wanted.

Out-of-office

Pastor Jim will be out of the office from Monday afternoon, November 2nd, through Saturday, November 8th, attending the Academy for Spiritual Formation. Please feel free to contact him on his cell phone at 920-450-7680. (There will be no Adult Foundations on Tuesday, November 3rd.)

Dr. Arlo Reicther to be at WCBC

On Sunday, November 8th, Dr. Arlo Reichter, Executive Minister for the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin, will be worshiping with us and bringing us the morning’s message.

American Baptist International Ministries

John and Tomoko Armagost serve with the Japan Baptist Union churches in Kansai. In all they do the Armagosts look for opportunities to share the Gospel with people who never have had contact with a church. Children, parents and grandparents learn about the love of God through these initial experiences, which are like first steps that can eventually lead to lifetime decisions to follow Jesus. Here are some examples:
Children: In modern Japan, schools regularly provide activities for elementary-aged children following the normal school day. However, the schools in the Sone area of Osaka have a policy of not having such programs on Wednesdays. This has provided an opportunity for the Sone Church to offer an after-school program called “Olive Club,” which includes games, a Bible story, singing and snacks. One day recently as John and Tomoko helped provide leadership, they overheard one girl say to her friend on the way out the door, “This is best! Are you coming next week?”
Parents: When the church in Nara celebrates Pentecost – the birthday of the church and coming of the Holy Spirit – they have a special service. When the Armagosts spoke earlier this year on that Sunday, the sanctuary was filled with parents who are not normally there; they and their children, who attend the church’s weekday pre-school program, received a special invitation for Pentecost Sunday. Tomoko presented a children’s sermon using a candle and taught, “The flame is like God’s Holy Spirit. It gives light, and warmth, and look…it moves. It dances. It has energy and power. And that is what living with God is like.”
Grandparents: Some months ago one older woman attended her first “Tea-chime,” a gathering where women play the hand-chimes and enjoy a time of fellowship, tea, and a word of prayer. That first step grew to become steps of faith! At her recent baptism, “Mrs. K,” gave this testimony. “I didn’t know how to pray, but I learned to pray.” Now her grandchildren call her, “Amen Grandma,” because when they visit each other, she prays with them each night before they go to sleep.
Please pray for the Armagosts and our other American Baptist Missionaries, who serve Christ and people around the world.