October 2010 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

You and I follow Jesus because God used someone to share the Good News with us. We have continued to grow as followers of Jesus because God has used others to celebrate with us in victory, encourage us in defeat and call us forward in faith.

You can help to make the same things happen in the lives of people half a world away! That’s why I am writing to ask you to pray for and to give to the 2010 World Mission Offering.

The World Mission Offering is giving special attention to Haiti this year because it mirrors the ministries IM missionaries and partners are also doing elsewhere. The World Mission Offering is more crucial than ever to sustain those ministries “in Haiti and in the World.” Your contribution will help to support global projects, Christian partners (including churches, schools and hospitals), and missionaries in Haiti as well as in more than 70 other countries around the world.

Our giving to the World Mission Offering helps people
Come to Christ
Grow in Christ
Change their world with Christ

Our God is a God of abundance and can work through us to provide more support to global mission this year than last year. Our 2010 goal is $600. This year our offering will be divided equally between the general ministries of the WMO, and missionaries Duane and Marcia Binkley, who work with the Karen and Chin refugees in the United States and Thailand. Please join me in embracing this challenge. We will be receiving the World Mission Offering throughout the month of October.

We have received from the Lord. Let us also give so God can use our gifts as the Holy Spirit works to transform the world.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jim

Marriage Enrichment Group

Boundaries in Marriage: Understanding the Boundaries that Make or Break a Marriage is the title of a Marriage Enrichment class that will begin on Friday, October 22nd, at 6:30 pm. (location TBD.) The class, which will meet for 8 sessions over the next several months, will show how you and your mate can establish your own boundaries and respect those of your partner. “Drawing on principles from the Bible, it will help you safeguard against relational fractures and mend existing cracks. It may even save your marriage. And it can help make even the best marriage better.” Sessions include: What is a boundary anyway?, Applying the Ten Laws of Boundaries to Marriage, and Setting Boundaries with Yourself. Resources are free. Please register by October 17th. To register, see Pastor Jim.

Tree Farm Outing Planned

Take a break from your regular routine! Spend some time at the Tree Farm in Wautoma!
A day is planned for October 16th. Enjoy all day or just part of the day. Bring your lunch; walking shoes and dress for the outdoors! Some people will be helping for workday and some will be enjoying God’s Creation in the out-of-doors. Some will be doing both. If you are coming to help with workday, bring your work gloves and whatever else you want to bring. We should be able to take a ride on the trails! Come as early as you like, and work will begin around 9 a.m. The volleyball court has been worked up; any volleyball people are welcome or the kids can play in the BIG sandbox.
If you want to camp on Friday night, call the Mentinks to reserve a cabin or electrical site. We would like to see some new faces and share some camping stories!

International Ministries

The American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (operating as International Ministries), organized in 1814 is the first Baptist international mission agency formed in North America and the second oldest Baptist mission agency in the world. IM serves more than 1,800 short-term and long-term missionaries annually, bringing churches and individuals in the United States and Puerto Rico together with partners in more than 70 countries in holistic, cutting-edge ministries that tell the Good News of Jesus Christ while meeting human need.

Faith to Face Poverty Week

October 3-10 is Faith to Face Poverty Week in the Fox Cities. It is one of the initiatives of the Project Promise Poverty Coalition, which is a coalition of non-profit organizations, service providers and individual community members with the goal of ending poverty in the Fox Cities.

Here are some statistics that help us understand how people in our area are affected by poverty:
· As of 2008, 7,929 children in Outagamie and Winnebago Counties were living in poverty
· 1 in 10 Wisconsin families faced food insecurity in 2008; locally, St. Joe’s and other food pantries have recorded record numbers of request for food assistance the past 2 years.
· In 2009, the Salvation Army Food Pantry in the Fox Cities distributed over 913,000 pounds of groceries to 33,034 people, and served 53,821 meals to the hungry at their noon feeding program.
· LEAVEN provides emergency financial assistance for housing, utilities, transportation and other basic needs. It has increased its assistance enormously in the past 8 years, supporting 2,667 families in 2000 to 7,400 families in 2009.
· The Tri-County Community Dental Clinic in Appleton estimates that over 60,000 adults in this area are unable to afford basic dental care.

There are many different ways to help people facing poverty. Here are some ideas for the month of October:
· Help out at Community Table on Saturday, October 2nd.
· Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and work on one of the houses
· Volunteer at the Emergency Shelter
· Make a donation to one of the community non-profit organizations that helps poor people
· Participate in a Poverty Simulation, which helps people to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month-to-month. One is being held on Monday, October 4, 5:30-8:30 pm at the Appleton Public Library; another is being held on Friday, October 8, 9:00-Noon at the Family Resource Center, 1165 Appleton Rd, Menasha. (Call 968-6365, ext. 6210 or email cholz@capmail.org for your reservation.)
· Raise funds and walk in the Crop Hunger Walk being held on Sunday, October 10, in Appleton. (see hallway bulletin board for more details.)

I’m not sure who said it, but it was in an article on fighting poverty with faith. “Poverty in America is a pressing and moral problem. All faiths speak out on the need to care for the poor and vulnerable and to strive for the common good…Poverty is not a Democratic or Republican issue…it is a moral issue.” Let us all consider what we can do to fight poverty in our community.

ABCW Annual Meeting

The 166th Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 8-9, in Janesville and Beloit. A pre-gathering workshop, “Beyond Survival: What is God’s Future for the Small Church” will be held for clergy and laity, from 2-4 pm on Friday. In addition there will be worship, Bible studies, a concert by the Judson University choir, workshops, a Mission Marketplace, and much more! Information is available on the hallway bulletin board, or see Pastor Jim for more details.

ABCW Mission Mobilization

In Janesville, during the cold months, there is a ministry of temporary shelter for men called – God is Faithful-Temporary Shelter (G.I.F.T.S.) First Baptist Church of Janesville participates in this ministry. To assist them, we are collecting items such as toothbrushes, shampoo, toothpaste, shaving cream, disposable razors, aspirin, slipper socks, candy bars, gum, men’s thin slippers, combs and brushes, to put into hygiene kits. Please bring your donation and place it in the wicker basket in the back of the church sanctuary. Thank you.

Velte Benevolent Requests

Each year at our December church business meeting, the Velte Committee makes recommendations to the congregation for the use of Velte Benevolent Funds. The recommendations of the Velte Committee are based on the proposals written by our church members. So if there is a non-profit organization that you would like to recommend to receive funds, submit your proposal to Barb Moravec. Some of the previous recipients of Velte Benevolent Funds include Leaven, Muscular Dystrophy, Boy Scout Troup 300, Habitat for Humanity, and other organizations in the Fox Cities. For more information see Velte Committee members (Barb Moravec, Pat Lewis, Fritz Bowers, Kathy Hoehne), or Pastor Jim.

Church Finances as of the end of August

General Funds Needed for August: $6,793
General Fund Monies Received in August: $6,914
General Fund over or (short) for August: $121

Mission Funds Needed for August: $922
Mission Funds Received for August: $976
Mission Funds over or (short) for August: $54
(There was also $1,230 monies received for special mission projects, namely Convoy of Hope and Mercy Ships (VBS).)

Through August we are in the red (more money spent than received) by ($238.)

Quote from C. S. Lewis

"Christianity, if false is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

We Care

Did you know that Pick-n-Save, and now Copps food stores, has a way that your shopping can benefit our church? It’s called We Care. When you use your Roundy’s Rewards card at either Pick-n-Save or Copps, and designate Whiting Memorial Baptist Church as your charity, 1% of what you spend will benefit our church! To be sure, that 1% adds up, and over the years our church has benefited. Your Roundy’s Rewards card also benefits you with many discounts! So if you shop at either Pick-n-Save or Copps, sign up and designate our church today. Thanks!

October Birthdays

6 Sue Schroder
7 Victoria (Tori) Luebker
8 Ken Burrows
10 David Hill
16 Dan Franz
17 Steven Searles
18 Fritz Bowers
20 Ritchie Rose
21 Roxanne Schwandt
22 Carl Stilp
25 Alice Dorton
30 Charlie Pfister
31 Julie Delikowski
31 Michelle Franz

October Wedding Anniversaries

2 Kathleen & Greg Harrington
3 Esther & August Bratz
3 Diana & LeRoy De Broux
5 Michelle & Dan Franz
7 Cathy & George Strohmeyer
9 Roxanne & Tom Schwandt
9 Tina & Nick Voigt
11 Alicia & Tom Romnek
18 Hsar Say Paw & Moo Khu Htoo
20 Kim & Richard Rose
22 Roxane & Mike Kesselhon
29 Ellen & Art Schwandner
29 Veronica & Perry Smith