Williamsonfbc.org

I came across a quote recently by Helen Keller that I wanted to share and reflect upon.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Faith alone defends.”

It would be wonderful if we never faced danger or never had to leave our comfort zones, but daily we are forced by others and by our situations to do things we may have never wanted to do and there are two ways to approach them. We can preserve ourselves and be grudgingly face the world being dragged along kicking and screaming or we can walk boldly with faith knowing that the only security in this world, the only things we can hold onto is our faith in God. We can face the world worried about what is next or face it courageously trusting that God knows what is ahead and has already prepared us for it.

I hope I can be a Christian that steps out boldly like many of the prophets of old to change the world. I hope I never fall into the fallacy that I can’t make a difference, because God made all of us to be his hands and feet. He chose all of us to be children of the king. He chose all of us to go into the world and change. So face the world different today. Face it trusting God and just see what God can do through you!!

On March 7th, 2009 from 9am-3pm, Rev. Tom Beers will present “Life Cycle and Stages of Congregational Development” at the United Marion Church.

Jumpstart Your Future Church!

Have you ever wondered what the next step for your church should be? This seminar helps you assess where your church is on the life-cycle of congregational development and begins the discussion of what steps you need to take to cross over the gap of the downward spiral to the growth side of development. It is designed for pastors and leaders of the church and it will benefit your church the most to have both there.

Life-Cycle and Stages of Congregational Development:

The Life-Cycle Model for understanding congregational development, developed by George Bullard, is one of the most powerful and enlightening explanatory tools available to help address questions of change and renewal in your congregation! Understanding what the life cycle looks like for congregations is crucial for knowing how to effect change, and work toward renewing vitality.

Included in this workshop:

• Presentation of the life-cycle model
• How to use the model to assess the current state of your congregation
• The implications of the life-cycle for the shape of your change-path to future vitality
• Ideas on where to go from here

The United Church of Marion
3848 North Main Street
Marion, NY  14505
315.926.5501
pastordave333@gmail.com

Pre-Registration by Feb. 23rd - $15

Registration at the Door - $20

Includes refreshments and lunch.

For Registration Form Click Here. For Flyer Click Here.

Rev. Tom Beers is the Coordinator for the Nehemiah Leadership Network, a Pastoral training institute equipping Pastors to lead change. In addition, Tom works as a congregational consultant, leading the Empowered process, which helps congregations to articulate their future-story, and create an effective plan to live into this story. Prior to serving with the Nehemiah Leadership Network, Tom served for five years on staff with the Philadelphia Baptist Association (the ABCUSA regional body for the greater Philadelphia area), leading the regional ministries of  congregational transformation, evangelism, and church-planting. Before serving with the PBA Tom served for ten years as a Pastor in Suburban Philadelphia. And, before entering the ministry Tom taught Philosophy and Theology at Eastern College and Villanova University for 12 years.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Two weeks ago I attended a conference for the Nehemiah Leadership Network on Systems Theory, the Life Cycle of the Church, Multicultural Ministry, among other teaching. One of the greatest things I came back with, was the title of this article. The Super Bowl is coming up and the question is, do you want to be on a team that going to give their all to win or try to not lose.

A winning team will put everything it has into play. Each person’s strengths are utilized and pushed beyond their limits to win. A winning team is focused ahead, pushing and striving to be better all the time. It is exciting to be part of a winning team, because there is energy and enthusiasm. On a winning team, the whole team works together for one goal, one vision.

Every so often a winning team becomes a team that strives not to lose. They hold people back. They try and save themselves. They are focused inward on what they have and trying to keep that. They are a team trying to preserve everything instead of giving their all. They don’t strive to win, they strive to keep things the same. There is no energy on a not losing team. People do not step forward to give their all or use their gifts. It is about maintaining more than winning.

In the verse above, Paul calls us not to be a team that focuses on not losing, but a team that focuses on running the race so that we will win. A team pushing and doing everything we can to be the first one at the finish line. A team in which all people use their talents and treasure and time together for the purpose of the Will of God.

We have taken some pretty hard hits this past week and lost some very dear loved ones, but we can’t now begin to pull back and preserve ourselves. We have to keep moving forward, keeping pressing on, keeping trudging to the goal with all that we are. We have to keep our focus on the prize of our vision and mission. We have to keep stepping out on faith, giving our all, getting out of our comfort zones.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?” Let’s be the church that wins the prize. Let’s be the church that goes the extra mile to love our neighbors and our enemies. Let’s be the church that gives our all to reach out to a hurting and broken community. Let’s be the church that at the end of the day can say, “I ran to win.”

Everyday we have the choice to take a not losing mentality, or to trust God and run with all that we are. My prayer is that we will follow in Jesus’ footsteps and give everything we have.

“O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.” Psalm 143

A few weeks ago I began praying this psalm every day. Each day I would awake with these words and I would return to them before I went to sleep. This psalm begins in turmoil. The Psalmist’s enemies have beaten him down. He is crushed and tormented. His spirit is faint from the events in his life and his soul thirsts for God.

In the past weeks I’m sure each one of us have felt this way. We have lost two dearly loved members and we feel the weight of grief and struggle. We feel beaten down and faint. We call out to God for help. We call out for comfort. We call out for an answer. We call out saying, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love.” Though the psalmist cries out, he also puts his trust in God.

We have been hit hard this past month, but we must continue on, putting our trust in the one who calls us and loves us. We must find the rest that only God can give. We must find the peace that passes understanding. We must take the time to grieve and sit with God.
Then we must get up and continue the work that all those who have gone before us have started. We must love as they loved. We must give as they gave. We must touch the lives of others as they have. We must say as the Psalmist, “Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

And God will continue to guide us and lead us forward. He has been with us before the storm, in the storm, and he will lead us out of it. I encourage you as we continue forward in our own journeys to take some time to pray through this Psalm for yourself. Lay yourself out for God and then get up put your trust in him and follow his lead.

Come and learn how to maintain control, achieve peace of mind, and assure your wishes are honored through a free Advanced Care Planning Seminar on March 21 from 1-3 pm at the First Baptist Church in Williamson. Everyone needs to learn how to have a conversation with your family about your wishes for future medical care in case you are unable to make your own decisions. Come and join us to learn how to fill out your New York Health Care Proxy and New York Living Will and have your questions answered. Know your choices and share your wishes. Forms will be available for you at the seminar.

One out of four families are affected by Mental Illness in the United States. This seminar will speak to what mental illness is, what services are available in our area, and how, as a community, we can support those that are affected by mental illness and their families. This is a free seminar offered by FBC and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).

Join us on April 4th from 1:00 to 4:00pm at the First Baptist Church!

I laid in bed after the New Year’s Ball dropped in New York City wondering what this next year will really hold for me, my family, our church, and our world. I thought about this past year and what kind of mark we left on our community. Did we make a difference in the lives of people? Did we reach out and touch a life? Did someone feel more loved? Did someone come to know God better? Did we really become the church, the hands and feet of God?

Looking over those questions I see a difference from years past. We have begun reaching beyond our walls, touching lives, giving and being the church. Looking at the events we’ve had this past year, it amazes me once again to see all that we have accomplished. As a church we are changing. We are becoming more mission focused and seeing that we can’t just talk about church, we must take another step in living that out.
As we change and grow, fear will set in and probably has for some already. The question then becomes, do we stop and pull back? Do we pull the reins back and say, “Woahhhh?” Do we allow our fears to direct us or do we continue to put our faith and trust in God who has brought our church through so much?

It would be easy to focus inward once again and allow the church to fall back into a survival mentality, but this was never the reason for becoming a church. If we go back to why this church was established, it was never to have a building in Williamson that housed the Christians of the town. It was to have a place where Christians could meet and then go from there out into the community to meet real needs, to do real ministry, to share real love. It was to have a place where we could learn about God and his love so that we could take it from here to our neighbor. The mission led to the formation of a building, not the other way around. The mission found that having a building could increase the number of people that heard about God and his love.

We have to keep this in mind whenever we do anything. Being the Church is not about maintaining or preserving a building, it is about maintaining and preserving a live and active Christian community. I spoke on Christmas Sunday, about a church that had a huge endowment that kept their building open and looking beautiful, but the church had no ministry or mission programs. In essence it ceased being a church. It ceased being what the church was created for. It took the hope and love and grace that it was given, and offered it only to those who came through the doors.

Ministry in our time has changed. People no longer flock to churches. We now have to go to them and it’s not the most comfortable thing to do. It’s not the easiest thing, but it’s the reason we are here in this place, at this time. We have been called for this moment in time and we must not preserve what we have, we must press on to reach out even more. We must allow the mission to shape us. We must allow God to move us forward. We must allow faith to guide us.

Being the Church in 2009 means that we will have to step out of our comfort zones even more. It means that we will have to give more. It means we will have to do things we may have never done before. It means that we will be stretched for the Gospel. I’m excited by what God can do with people willing to give their all and not hold anything back from him. I’m excited about the lives we can touch. I’m excited by the needs we can meet. Our time to minister is now, let’s not hold back for a future time, but let’s give our all now!

On October 3rd, we will begin the Thompson roof project. We need many people involved, not only with the actual work, but meals as well. A sign-up is located on Sign-Up Central if you would like to help during any of the weekend. A schedule is below of what each day should entail. Thanks goes to Mark Scouten, Tony Gasparri, Tony Gasparri II, for their roofing expertise and time and also Tom Henderson and NyeTech for donating the dumpster for the Tear-off. This is a great privilege and opportunity for our church. Let’s come together and Be the Church once again! If you would like to donate to the cost of the roofing materials, make checks out to “FBC Deacons” and mark them with “Thompson Roof.”

Friday, October 3rd, 2008
8:00am - Meet at the Thompson House
8:15am - Prepare for the tear-off with tarps, etc.
9:00am - Begin Tearing Off Shingles
12:00pm - Lunch Break
12:45pm - Tear off some more and begin felt paper and new drip edge, etc..
5:30pm - Dinner
Dusk - Go Home

Saturday, October 4th, 2008
8:00am - Meet at the Thompson House
8:15am - Finish Tearing Off
9:00am - Begin Felt paper, Ice + Water, Drip Edge, and shingles
12:00pm - Lunch Break
12:45pm - Keep tearing and putting new on
5:30pm - Dinner
Dusk - Go Home

Sunday, October 5th, 2008
10:00am - Church
11:20am - Sunday School
12:00pm - Lunch
1:00pm-Dusk - Roofing

Monday, October 6th, 2008
8:00am - Meet at Thompson House
8:15am - Finish up what’s left

Tools Needed:
We will need many different tools for the weekend. If you have any of the tools below or others that may help please bring them with you or drop them off to the church before October 3rd.

• Hammer
• Roofing Nails (for Drip Edge)
• Staple Hammer
• Wonder Bar
• Shingle eater
• Flat shovel
• Gloves
• Tin snips
• Screw Gun
• 2” wood screws
• Clamps
• Chalk Line
• Ladders
• Wheel Barrow
• Tarps

This past Sunday, the church came together to Be the Church to the community around us.  You can check out some of the pictures of the day here. It was definitely a day of reaching out and showing the community around us that FBC is here and we want to help. Four groups were sent out. One to a local laundromat to pay for laundry. One to the police department to wash cars and also to deliver gift baskets to the fire departments, police department, and ambulance service. One out the front doors of the church and throughout Williamson picking up trash and cleaning the streets. And one door to door mowing lawns.

When doing something like this, you do a lot of planning, but when the day comes, the plans don’t always work out like we want them to. The police were called away so we couldn’t wash as many cars as we wanted. The laundromat wasn’t as busy as we first thought it would be. This aside, God still works and his plan to love our neighbor happened throughout the day.

It is funny to me that we base success on results. Will anyone come to church? Will the church grow more? Did we help a large amount of people? Did everything go according to plan? Did a lot of people attend the event?

These questions are nice to evaluate and hopefully see how we can help others better or more specifically, but the success of this event was not based on the number of people who came, or that we helped, or that may come to church because of it. The success of the event is whether God was praised and honored through our actions. To this end, I believe he was and it makes this a huge success.

I believe we reached passed the walls of our church and passed some barriers we may have had in each of our lives. We were able to love our neighbor not expecting anything in return. We were able to offer grace and love and maybe provide some needs. And we were able to see that we could do this ourselve in the everyday. As we go forward from here, remember this day. Remember the needs around us and think about how even in small ways you can lend a hand and love your neighbor.