Around First Baptist this month, there’s a lot of great activity going on, reminding us of the hustle and bustle of our church home at 601 Main Street:
Drive by on Tuesday and Thursday nights and see the building glowing with activity! On Tuesday nights this Fall, Alycia Post is leading a missional project, providing Cooking Skills classes in a partnership with a local social service provider. Also, Family Time continues its ongoing “Parenting Classes” for families in our community to learn ways of being a peaceable household.
On Thursday evenings, the Bennington Free Clinic continues its work, helping uninsured persons (18-64) receive healthcare and other assistance. On Thursday evenings and other occasions (as medical providers are available), the Clinic provides hospitality, care, and support for many in our community. VCIL also hosts occasional meetings for disability peer groups as well as local gatherings for the Vermont Workers’ Center and other organizations.
On Tuesday, November 8, you can attend a one-day event sponsored by Bennington College’s Mediation Clinic and hosted at First Baptist. This event serves as part of the College’s efforts to connect with the local community and facilitate greater connections between social service organizations and persons in need. To learn more, see page four!
Within the congregation’s fellowship, we have the opportunity to support the church and our fellow congregants through these wonderful opportunities:
Thanksgiving Baskets. The board of Deacons invites you to contribute non-perishable items or cash donations for the annual Thanksgiving Baskets, given to congregational households in need. The Deacons appreciate the generous donations of canned goods and all the trimmings to assist a church household’s Thanksgiving celebration. (NOTE: As Coordinating Minister, I receive all requests for Thanksgiving basket recipients. Please speak with me before November 13, so we can plan for each household’s needs accordingly. All requests are kept confidential.)
Supporting our Flower Fund and Scholarship Fund. On our newsletter back page and in upcoming bulletins, you will find a form inviting donations to the Flower Fund or Scholarship Fund in memory or in honor of a loved one. The Flower Fund helps underwrite the annual costs of Easter and Christmas flowers. The poinsettias purchased will beautify our worship space as well as the homes of our elder congregants. (Mark your calendars now for December 4, where part of our Sunday morning activities will be Christmas caroling and delivering these flowers!) If you choose the Scholarship Fund, this donation will help assist our congregants as they pursue further study.
Helping 2012 get underway. This past month, we received pledge cards from congregational households. The tally will be forthcoming from our financial secretary, however, preliminary review shows that our 2012 pledges are going to be consistent with our 2011 pledge estimates.
Thank you for your generosity this year as well as in your willingness to support next year’s ministry and mission as well. The Trustees and the Cabinet will be completing a 2012 budget before Thanksgiving, so please see the December newsletter for commentary on this coming year’s projected income and expense.
Thanks to your pledge cards coming in, we are able to move ahead with 2012 budgetary planning. In a rough economy and a difficult Fall in Vermont, your continuing support is a great story to tell!THANK YOU!
Grace and peace, —The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot
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Last year, as I was rearranging files in the church office, I discovered two treasures of the congregation. One is a rather obvious treasure: a pamphlet with a Civil War era sermon delivered by the Rev. Dr. William Apsey, minister of First Baptist, 1862-68. The sermon is entitled “Causes for National Thanksgiving”, offered in November 1864. If you would like to read this sermon, you can request a facsimile or an e-file of this sermon from the church office. I will be sharing a copy with Mark Rondeau, Religion Editor for the Bennington Banner. Mark is writing a series of articles about the effect of the Civil War around Vermont. You may see part of Rev. Apsey’s sermon may be included in a future Banner article.
Another treasure is the first draft copy of the centennial church history. In the archived files of Dr. William Towart (minister 1918-1948), the first draft is a treasure trove of notes and jottings as Dr. Towart compiled the centennial history of First Baptist in 1927. As he reviewed the first century of First Baptist, Towart notes a number of important dates and events from “way back when”, including the story of Bessie McEowen.
This name might not readily come to mind. Who is Bessie McEowen, and why does her story matter? How does she still contribute to the life of our congregation more than a century after her passing? Through the “Shoe Fund”.
Ms. McEowen supported activities for girls and young women. After her death, family and friends wished to remember her faithful witness through the establishment of a fund for children in need of clothing. Historically, the Fund has been known as “The Shoe Fund”, given the concern for children to have shoes, or in the language of the day, “for the poor children of the Sabbath School” of First Baptist.
Today, the terms for Shoe Fund use have expanded to include the general clothing needs of congregational children. The “Shoe Fund” is a remarkable story of faithful discipleship, looking out for those in need. This 19th-century fund continues to clothe 21st-century church kids. Each year as I assist congregational families in need, I give thanks for this small fund that continues, decade upon decade, to make a big difference in “our” kids. (Note: The “Shoe Fund” is restricted to assistance for active congregational households. I can assist families in the community through referrals to community agencies that may be able to provide support. All inquiries about assistance are kept confidential. I encourage congregants to speak with me about needs as soon as possible.)
As we recount past history, the story of Bessie McEowen’s memorial “Shoe Fund” is a word of inspiration about humble generosity and the reality that children’s needs are an ongoing challenge to be met. What can we do to make a difference in the lives of our congregational kids? Or, with 21st century understandings, what are the missional needs of the greater Bennington area?
Opportunities abound for service to our kids and the wider community:
* The board of Mission offers our annual School Supplies Drive for Molly Stark Elementary. Keep an eye on the weekly ads around town and stretch your donation dollar when erasers, crayons, and glue sticks are being sold at (dare I say it?) “devil deal” prices. Last year, we had a tremendous outpouring of generosity from the congregation (and stories of “great buys” accompanying the bags of supplies as they arrived at the office through the summer).
* The boards of Christian Education and Deacons have redesigned our “camp scholarship” policy. Many families stay “local” with summer activities and camps or find the time and distance to ABC related camps challenging. Effective this year, parents can apply for camp scholarship support for summer camps emphasizing a child’s educational or personal growth. An application is available through the church office to request up to $75 per child to help underwrite summer camp programs.
* Our older children (soon becoming “tweens”) have expressed interest in learning more about baptism. A class will be forming late this summer. While traditionally called “pastor’s classes” (at least in the Midwest), I am hopeful that every congregant will take part in sharing a word of encouragement with each child exploring what difference faith makes in one’s life. The entire congregation is involved in teaching our young explorers about Jesus and the importance that following Jesus makes in our lives.
* Consider a donation to the “Kitchen Cupboard”, the food distribution center program of the Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services, Inc., or bring food or other items for “His Pantry” of Sacred Heart/St Frances de Sales Church or the Bennington AIDS Project’s “Dove” program. Your donations are in support of households of various configurations, including a high number of families with children. Food donations or in-kind financial support dollars make a difference!
Grace and peace—The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot
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In November 2010, I look around and see the “new normal” has settled in. We have four long-term tenants and an impressive number of organizations who use our facilities on a per-diem basis. Our staff and lay leadership has become accustomed to surprising phone calls, as non-profit organizations have started thinking of “First Baptist” as a place to partner and deliver needed community services . Here are some examples:
Easter Seals, a long-term tenant organization provides family support services in coordination with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Recently, they reserved use of the Della Whittier Lounge to conduct mediation services for families in the court system. A participant shared with me that the Lounge created a welcoming space to have the sometimes difficult conversations necessary at these meetings. Likewise, the Family Time office is providing supervised visitation for families seven days a week.
The Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) has been a key player in local efforts to discuss health care as a human right. The VCIL staff also used our fellowship hall for their “Halloween Hoedown”, a party for VCIL consumers to gather in a friendly and accessible space.
The Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services (GBICS) is offering Thursday night clinics of 20+ persons a week, plus occasional other clinic days as medical providers are available to volunteer. The GBICS fund-raiser “Empty Bowls” event netted over $6,000 for the Food & Fuel Fund. Ongoing conversations are happening with the GBICS board and the Interfaith Council to ensure greater access to food is made available to our neighbors in need. GBICS’ on-site location allows our church staff the opportunity to keep in touch about emerging community needs to help our congregation stay active in our own local missional work.
On a per-diem basis, our facility is offering increasingly diverse organizations the opportunity to provide events and services:
Effective this month, the Walloomsac Farmer’s Market will make Colgate Hall its winter home. Once a month (Nov 2010 to April 2011), the Farmer’s Market will convene in our fellowship hall, providing local farmers and producers year-round presence. Farmer’s Markets strengthen communities, and our local one is quite exceptional. The board of trustees is pleased to welcome the Market to First Baptist, especially as a non-profit organization that helps people meet a basic human need: access to good, healthy food.
The Tutorial Center has been hosting a number of events in partnership with “Let Me Tell You a Story”, a children and family literacy program administered by retired educator Jan Bopp. This organization uses church facilities to provide a downtown presence for these programs.
Interestingly, all of these organizations have connected to First Baptist by an important, powerful common thread: word of mouth. Congregants have helped connect First Baptist with these organizations. Together, we have made these connections possible. Through our connections and circles of friends, we have strengthened the ministry of First Baptist, expanded our missional footprint in the community, and helped organizations find affordable, accessible, and welcoming space to meet basic human needs.
In recent months, the story of First Baptist’s missional work and missional facility use model (aka a “non-profit charity mall”) has gained notice. Wayne Kachmar and I have offered workshops for interested local congregations, two webinars with students at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, and a workshop at the ABC VNH annual meeting. Others are awakening to this sort of “building ministry”, and First Baptist is planting seeds in mission fields near and far.
As I said back in mid-2008, let me share it once more:
Sometimes when we think of First Baptist, we think of the church building as the place we go Sunday to Sunday to receive the spiritual nourishment to get us through the week. Perhaps during the week, we might pop in for an event, a committee meeting, or something else that causes us to drop by the church. Know that as the congregation is rethinking its ministries and we are working together to bring about a new day, your building is also doing new things as well. Indeed, the tenets of faith are being lived out as we share our space and allow many good things to flourish through partnerships with community groups looking to improve the social, cultural, economic, and spiritual life of Bennington through time spent at that wonderful place we call “First Baptist”.
Keep our ongoing efforts in your prayers as well as the staff of the congregation as they help coordinate this work. Say a word of thanks to the hardworking trustee board, and give yourselves a pat on the back, too! Our desire to share the building is doing great things. It is indeed building ministry!
—The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, Coordinating Minister
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Did you feel your ears burning?
First Baptist received some great feedback recently! At the annual meeting of the Vermont Community Foundation, a philanthropic group supporting Vermont-based organizations, First Baptist was highlighted as a great example of what Vermonters can do to help other Vermonters!
In his remarks, Stuart Comstock-Gay, the VCF President spoke of how Vermont is blessed with a high number of non-profit organizations interested in improving the lives of Vermonters, however, the VCF is hopeful that these groups can be drawn together more creatively to work together, consolidate resources, and improve the type of services provided to a given community.
First Baptist was cited for our leadership in bringing Bennington area non-profits together through our collaborative efforts, particularly by what happens each day in this building. Daily, over one hundred persons find support services and community activities right here at 601 Main, efforts that the congregation has made possible by saying “yes!” to moving forward into this new territory for churches to be in mission.
Among the many non-profit organizations and agencies supported by the VCF, we are one of a very small number of religious groups to receive VCF funds. The VCF administration has noticed our work and hopes other communities can benefit from what we are pioneering right here. They highlight our work with the hope that we can be a sign of hope and a collaborative for communities wanting to address local basic human needs.
With the recent grant of $6,000, we will be upgrading the fellowship hall to provide space for non-profit organizations to find a place for meetings, up-to-date video/sound and online capabilities. Such efforts enrich the community with assets for the use and good of all. In the VCF’s language, we are increasing “social capital”.
The VCF President defines “social capital” as “the level of connection and trust in a community, the degree to which people know one another and are engaged with each other, and are supported by each other. It’s a good thing. People are involved, and people care. And social capital doesn’t just make our communities better, it helps us as individuals in so many ways….” (VCF Presidential Remarks, 09/23/2010)
First Baptist—we are making great strides in helping our community move forward. Even during difficult times as these, our congregation is giving to support our ministry and including in our ministry and mission a dedication to the community we live in. Together, we are making a difference. You are to be commended for your love and care of one another and your neighbors in need!
This month also marks our month-long Adult Forum series on our missional work (see the back page for more info about our speaker schedule). We will hear stories of persons who live in adversity and what we are doing to address basic human needs, near and far. This forum series is all part of the work we are carrying out together to make a difference and enrich the lives of neighbors, near and far.
Grace and peace,
the Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, Coordinating Minister
]]>As our summer season gives way to the vibrant, changing colors of Fall, First Baptist is preparing for our own seasons of change. September marks a number of developments around First Baptist, sort of a “late summer yield” after some careful tending and cultivation by church staff and lay leadership.
NEW OFFICE MANAGER NOW ON BOARD
We welcome Ms. Melissa Hepler to the church staff. Melissa began her duties as the new Office Manager on August 30, 2010. In this position, Melissa will oversee office workflow and church communication as well as the financial and property management of the congregation. She joins our staff after recently relocating to the Bennington area from Austin, Texas.
Opportunities to meet Melissa include stopping by the church office during weekday hours of operation or dropping her a line of hello via fboffice@sover.net. Melissa will be our guest at the September 5 coffee hour after worship. Please join me in welcoming Melissa to First Baptist!
CHANGES TO OUR BYLAWS
On Sunday, September 26, join the effort to affirm a significant change to our church’s bylaws. We will hold a congregational business meeting (see announcement elsewhere in this newsletter) to vote a change to our bylaws regarding how we change our bylaws.
Presently, our bylaws require a change to the bylaws to be proposed and voted upon by a duly called congregational meeting. Then the bylaws stipulate twelve months must pass until a second meeting can be called to vote a second time to complete any amendments to the bylaws.
This clause was likely well intentioned at the time, however, any thought of bylaw revision has been slowed considerably by the “two votes separated by twelve months” proviso. Last year (September 20, 2009), we voted affirmatively to amend the bylaws to a minimum of 30 days, rather than 12 months. If the congregation votes affirmatively at the September 26, 2010, congregational meeting, we will pave the way for future bylaw changes to made efficiently and literally in a more timely fashion.
Moving forward, we will be discussing issues of congregational governance. We live in a time when more scrutiny is given to non-profit organizations. We also realize that the current bylaws were written in an era when more people were active in the church membership, and some streamlining is needed to ensure we have effective ways to manage the ministry and mission of the active membership that makes First Baptist “go”.
If you have any questions about the 9/26 meeting, please speak with Wayne Kachmar or myself. Please plan to be at the congregational meeting and help us move forward with these exciting new opportunities!
SCHEDULING NOTES FOR WORSHIP & RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
The Board of Deacons and the Board of Trustees have reviewed our fuel utilization costs regarding the use of our sanctuary. The boards have agreed that worship services will relocate to Colgate Hall, effective November 1, 2010 until mid-April 2011, with worship in our sanctuary for Christmas Eve (Friday, Dec. 24, 2010). If you have questions about this decision, please speak with Grace Becker-Wilson, chair of Trustees, or Lisa Flynn, chair of Deacons.
The Board of Christian Education will begin a new model for children’s religious education. Given the changing patterns of church attendance for our families with children, we have been modifying our schedule for Sunday School. Effective this month, we will be offering Sunday School with less frequency, moving to an “every other week” schedule. The Board of Christian Education invited feedback from families over the summer and spent time reviewing the needs of our programming. We hope this new model meets the diverse needs of our church families.
Adult Education will take place during the Sundays of October, with special “adult forums” exploring the various ways that First Baptist blends our call to discipleship with the missional needs of the community. I will serve as the coordinator for the adult forums, and I am delighted to share news that October 2010 will be “a month of Sundays” featuring interesting speakers who will help us see the local and global difference that we can make as missionally minded Christians.
ONE LAST WORD
This summer, as we transitioned between office staff members, I was helped greatly by Aleta Bryant-Boutin and Michelle Fournier (office support) and Michelle Marchetti, CPA (bookkeeping management). I put in many extra hours myself, working to assure continuity with our administrative needs, and I would not have made it without the help of these three persons.
Also, thanks to Charlotte Knighton who assisted again as summer organist supply, and to Colby Harwood (sexton vacation coverage) and Bruce Lee-Clark (emergency pulpit supply when I flew home to Kansas at short notice for a family funeral) for their help as well. It’s been a busy summer, and the effort of these folks is deeply appreciated.
Grace and peace,
the Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, Coordinating Minister
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During the months of July and August, we move into summer, despite the recent weather patterns that seem to alternate between “summer”, “spring”, and “fall” weather. (No snow to report thankfully!) First Baptist moves into the summer with its summer worship, featuring on July 4th a celebration of religious freedom as part of worship. We welcome back Charlotte Knighton, who will alternate with Scott Smedinghoff as organist for the Sundays of July and August. You’ll hear some familiar stories from the Bible and sing beloved hymns. We will be announcing two Sundays during the month of July and August as “hymn sing” Sundays, a time to sing hymns that are suggested by congregants during the service. Come and enjoy summer worship at First Baptist!
During July 2010, we say farewell to Donna Sprague, our office secretary, as she completes her time of service to First Baptist on Friday, July 16, 2010. Donna has served our congregation for the past five-plus years, keeping the office workflow going, creating the weekly and monthly print communication materials, and helping us run the day-to-day operations of First Baptist as the ways our church office operations have diversified especially in the past two years. We will hold a reception in Donna’s honor on Sunday, July 11, 2010, during the post-worship coffee hour. Please join me in saying “Thank you!” to Donna for faithful years of service to our congregation.
The Greater Bennington Area Interfaith Council just completed its 2009-10 year. The Council has had a busy year, working particularly with area college administrators to increase college student awareness of our interfaith presence and working with other community organizations to address critical needs around the Bennington area. We said a word of farewell to Mother Anita Schell-Lambert (St Peter’s Episcopal) and Fr. Vincent Coppola (Sacred Heart/St Francis de Sales) and a word of welcome to Mr. Matthew Bowles (Shaftsbury United Methodist Church).
This year, the Council changed its membership to allow more lay leader participation for faith communities traditionally represented by clergy. Some traditions around the table do not have ordained clergy by religious convictions, so for those communities with a pastor/rabbi/priest, the new membership provisions allow for an additional “rep”. At a future Cabinet meeting, First Baptist leadership will explore our options in adding an additional representative alongside the minister.
Our collaboration project with area colleges has merited national attention. In the Fall 2009 term, I helped design and teach a religious studies course at the Southern Vermont College (SVC) in Bennington. Along with SVC faculty and local interfaith council representatives, our course restructured the traditional “comparative religion” approach to reflect the dialogue on religious values and differences sore needed in today’s U.S. context.
I am pleased to note that this course was mentioned recently at a White House conference regarding “the advancement of interfaith and community service on college and university campuses.” As mentioned in a recent Bennington Banner article, on June 7, 2007, Dr. Martha J. Kanter, Undersecretary for Higher Education for the Department of Education, highlighted the SVC class, recognized for its benefit to students:
At the end of the course, in their evaluations, students said they gained a profound appreciation of the beliefs of different faiths and even the diversity within a single faith. They were introduced to different perspectives on how religious leaders view their mission and purpose; how they define the common good and build understanding within and across their religious communities and secular communities. Students also said they would have liked to hear more about the religious challenges facing the interfaith council members.
To read more of Dr. Kanter’s remarks, click on this link: http://www.compact.org/news/doe-remarks-on-compact/11754/.
Over the past two years, the Interfaith Council moved its 501(c )3 charitable organization (aka “The Food & Fuel Fund”) to a separate board of directors due to the increased governance needs for adding the Free Clinic operations to the Food & Fuel Fund. The resulting organization is known as the Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services, Inc. (aka “GBICS”). Lisa Flynn serves as the treasurer of the board and its offices are right here at First Baptist. Sue Andrews coordinates food and fuel assistance requests and manages the Clinic day-to-day operations.
GBICS is beginning work around the issues of food distribution around the community. Working with the Vermont Food Bank and local service agencies, Sue Andrews is hoping that we can increase food accessibility for households struggling with meeting their basic needs. If you would like to be part of this initiative, Sue welcomes your calls and emails: 802-379-0149 or sue.andrews@comcast.net.
Also this summer, you can help GBICS prepare for the second annual “Empty Bowls” event to be held on Sunday, October 17, 2010, at the Bennington Elks Lodge. On July 4, visit the Willow Park pavilion where you can help make bowls from 2 PM to 8 PM. It is a fun outing for the whole family and persons of any artistic ability are welcome to make bowls. (If your decidedly clay pot-challenged pastor can do it, anybody can make bowls!) To help with Empty Bowls 2010, please contact Lisa Flynn.
As you can tell, a lot of good community support initiatives are made possible by the investment we put into interfaith collaboration. Free health care access, food distribution, and other forms of assistance take place year-round. We celebrate the good and just work of the Interfaith Council, GBICS, and our congregants in making this happen!
Grace and peace,
The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, coordinating minister
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A time of celebration will be offered on Sunday, June 6, for Lisa and Cindy, and in July for Donna, date to be announced in future bulletins . I invite you to say "thank you!" to Cindy, Donna, and Lisa. Let us give thanks for the faithfulness of those who have served us well!
Jerrod Hugenot
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Spring brings “April showers” and “May flowers”. It is a time to look for signs of new life and celebrate the end of long winter (yea, verily, this was indeed a loooong winter!). Around town, daffodils and tulips are blooming, and the first sounds of lawn mowers working away on an afternoon can be heard around most neighborhoods. Back behind the parsonage, a row of tulips is growing, part of the old tulip beds planted years ago by the Millers. They are a delightful surprise each year as Spring gets underway.
Around First Baptist, we are seeing signs of new life and “catch-up” work that usually comes with Spring. The Vacation Bible School committee is preparing for the July 2010 VBS, which will celebrate faith and environmental responsibility. I hope you will join me in supporting this year’s VBS program. It is a creative curriculum and invites our children to learn old gospel stories and new ways of thinking about living in our world in responsible ways. They will be planting seeds as part of their VBS activities, and we hope you will help plant seeds of faith with our children through your volunteerism to make our 2010 VBS successful.
Building Projects & Fundraising Efforts
At the beginning of Spring, we had a few building-related needs arise. A strong wind in late March compromised part of the roof where the “old” and “new” buildings joined. The roof has been repaired, and the trustees are looking ahead to future roofing needs, as some of our roof (primarily the Nichols Wing) is now twenty-five years old (aka “ten years past its fifteen year warranty). The trustees approved a $7863 repair for the recent roof damage, realizing that we need to think about preventative measures in the near future. The trustees welcome any donations to “roof repairs” for current and anticipated roof repair and maintenance.
The board of trustees also approved the purchase of 24 new 8’ tables for fellowship hall use. The tables have been purchased, thanks to the generosity of the American Baptist Women’s Ministries fund and donations from congregants. Also, the trustees authorized a new lawn mower as the old one “involuntarily retired” last season. John Harwood appreciates the trustees’ assistance in securing a new mower.
This month, First Baptist is hosting three dinners that will serve as fundraisers for the congregation. On May 6 and 11, two organizations are having meals at First Baptist. Cindy Marsh requests your help in preparing food, serving/hosting, and cleaning up afterwards. The other fundraiser is a new venture for First Baptist. On May 29, Main Street is transformed into MayFest, this year expecting a 140 vendors and organizations to be out on the street. First Baptist is planning a pancake breakfast. More details will be announced in upcoming worship services and e-mail. Please contact the office if you are interested in helping. Grace Becker-Wilson will be coordinating the event.
The American Baptist region meeting will be held on Friday/Saturday, June 18-19, 2010, at the Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH. First Baptist will be presenting a Friday morning workshop, led by myself and moderator Wayne Kachmar. The workshop is entitled: “Extreme Missional Makeover: Declining Church Edition”. Participants will be learning about our experiences with new models for ministry. Our description for the workshop reads: “Small congregations can be catalysts for community ministry! This workshop explores concepts and principles helpful to churches looking to undertake missional work, drawing from “missional church transformation” resources and insights from strategic planning and good governance and business practices. Learn about how one ABCVNH congregation has taken its declining congregation and large building and developed ways of retooling and repurposing the church’s ministry and mission.”
At this meeting, the Region leadership will share the work of “All Things New”, a group of ministers and lay leaders who have been working on the region’s mission and vision. I attended a meeting for ABC clergy on April 20, 2010, to hear about these efforts. The Rev. Dr. Steven Jewett (Middlebury Baptist Church) represented the “All Things New” team. The Rev. Dr. Lou George, interim executive minister, also attended. (With the death of Rohn Peterson in March, Dr. George has accepted the region’s request to serve as interim. It is not likely the region will call the next executive minister until sometime in 2011 and perhaps at a less than full-time compensation level.)
The workgroup has chosen the name “All Things New” to symbolize the mission of the task force: to work with consultant George Bullard on the needs of the region and its key mission objectives. In late March 2010, the group presented a report to the region board of trustees detailing their findings and recommendations. At the annual meeting, delegates will hear more of these findings.
The “All Things New” is using a “google group” to provide updates, documents, and opportunities to receive feedback from ABCVNH individuals and congregations. To access this group, visit http://groups.google.com/group/all-things-new-abcvnh. One subcommittee of “All Things New” is addressing what sort of training and support is needed for church leaders. The subcommittee requests your input by taking a survey they have created: http://groups.google.com/group/all-things-new-abcvnh/web/leadership-training-survey?hl=en
Space does not allow in this newsletter to reprint the materials in full that I received at the April 20 meeting. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact me for more information. If you are interested in attending the 2010 annual meeting in June, please contact the church office for details. Delegates are needed for the voting to take place during the region’s annual business meeting. If you are interested in serving as a lay delegate, please let the office know. As per our bylaws, the cabinet will be appointing the lay delegates.
Grace & Peace-
Rev. Jerrod Hugenot, Coordinating Minister
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Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.
(Berry, 1973)
With the play of the poet and the ire of a prophet, Wendell Berry offers his reader a chance to “opt out”. From his farm in Kentucky, Berry sees a world sped up on its own importance and suggests the riches of life are found in simpler ways. Berry’s final line attracts the Christian reader, his two-word appeal to “practice resurrection”. Our faith centers on the prospect of hope and new life that we find abundantly in the gospel narratives. As a people shaped by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we are called to proclaim the good news. In turn, we are witnesses to this good news in our own lives.
Wendell Berry offers a good reminder for us: it takes practice to be a people who live in resurrection’s truth and light.
To help us “practice” our faith, let me highlight a few ways that First Baptist is involved in helping our congregation and our community in a manner that help us connect life to faith:
SELF-CARE WORKSHOP
On Saturday, April 17, First Baptist hosts a self-care workshop open for the entire community. The workshop will introduce helpful ways to tend one’s soul and the various holistic methods for self-care available. The presenter will be the Rev. Sharon Hughes, a Lutheran minister from Rutland, Vermont. Rev. Hughes will give us a helpful introduction to simple ways to enrich our lives and help persons make a “self-care plan”.
The event will take place at First Baptist from 10 AM to 1 PM (a simple meal will be offered at lunchtime). We ask for advance registration to ensure we have adequate materials and food available. This workshop is a gift to First Baptist from the Summer Collegium, the Lilly Endowment program Kerry and I participated in last summer at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA. This workshop will help our congregants and others in the community learn how to slow down and take care of ourselves!
TEACHING OUR KIDS “GREEN” GOSPEL VALUES
Later this summer, the Vacation Bible School program will be offered in July. The program focuses on the parable of the Sower and the ways children can learn environmentally responsible ways. The VBS curriculum is called ReNew: Grow in Faith, Have Fun, and Change the World! Throughout the VBS, our kids will learn that the strong values in Vermont regarding environmental care and sustainability are values that the church cares about as well and that the Christian faith takes seriously.
The VBS committee welcomes your help in supporting the VBS efforts. You can help “lower the stress” of our VBS core volunteers by offering to help with various projects. Alycia Post, Christian Ed director, looks forward to your call!
SHARING WISDOM
At the ABC Vermont/New Hampshire annual meeting (Friday/Saturday, June 18-19, 2010 in Meriden, NH), First Baptist will provide one of the Friday workshops. The annual meeting planning committee looks for workshops of interest to our regional congregations. We have been asked to provide a workshop sharing the story of how missional church principles have led us to a new chapter in our community ministry work. The workshop will be an opportunity for First Baptist to share the “behind the scenes” considerations for creating community partnerships and collaborating with other faith communities and service organizations to meet basic human needs.
PLANNING AHEAD
Throughout 2010, we will be looking for ways to “practice resurrection” in our congregation’s life. It may come in the form of a congregational life activity or in the work of the church’s missional efforts. Nonetheless, whatever form it takes, may our work be a sign of resurrection in the world. Let us embrace and proclaim New Life!
The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, coordinating minister
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BENNINGTON -- In the year after the first non-profit tenant moved into the Nichols Education Building at First Baptist Church in January 2009, three more tenants moved in, filling up the available space.
First, Project Against Violent Encounters' Family Time opened up on the second floor of the building, located downtown. Next, the Bennington Free Health Cilinic moved into the building, and the Vermont Center for Independent Living and Easter Seals later followed suit.
The offering of the previously unused building space is the result of a deliberate decision by the First Baptist congregation to reach out to the community as a form of mission.
"We’ve pretty much taken on as a missional church the goal of providing the missing components for basic human needs in the area here. We’re too small by ourselves to tackle any one of these things," said Wayne Kachmar, a member of the church board of trustees. "But this collaborative model of missional church has given us the opportunity to partner with many different groups and to use what we bring to the table: open space, visibility on Main Street -- accessibility, we’re flat, we’re level -- accessibility to transportation."
In addition to providing easy access for those in need, the use of the space by human services non-profit groups also frees up commercial space downtown for economic development, he said.
Tenants filled the available space faster than anticipated. "It’s sort of amazing when a plan comes together that quickly," Kachmar said. "We think that it was obviously (something) that was needed and the affirmation seems to be that our tenants are thriving, the activity levels are high."
Tracy L. Dorman, peer advocate and community outreach specialist with Vermont Center for Independent Living in Bennington, said that it promotes independent living for individuals with disabilities.
"Many VCIL peers are living on limited, fixed incomes and experience overwhelming financial, physical, mental, or emotional challenges," she said. "VCIL working as their partner helps to build their confidence to face those challenges through accessing services in the community, and to their developing and managing their well-being."
Being located in the building next to the Bennington Free Clinic allows VCIL a closer connection with Free Clinic executive director Sue Andrews and the free clinic on behalf of the people VCIL serves, Dorman said.
"In addition, VCIL endorses the Health Care Is A Human Right Campaign," she said. "VCIL’s location in the First Baptist Church allows the local organizing committee and campaign members a more visible presence."
Another advantage is accessibility. "Being located on the Green Mountain Express route going east on Main Street allows VCIL peers to utilize the bus to attend our events, meetings, and appointments," Dorman said. "Our peers enjoy the autonomy that the church location provides.
"It is a welcoming, friendly, supportive environment. This location provides VCIL the ability to accommodate large and small groups that include support groups, community meetings, trainings, and also one-on-one meetings," she said. "The kitchen space has allowed us to offer cooking classes to our peers without having to find alternative space."
First Baptist has helped offer healthy cooking and basic sewing classes and hopes to collaborate in presenting more such activities. "The idea here is it’s not necessarily the First Baptist folks completely doing it. We really seek out partnerships," said First Baptist coordinating minister Jerrod Hugenot, adding that one does not have to be a person of faith to participate. "Collaboration is key. So we work fairly fluidly with folks within the faith community and with others within the larger community."
The church has received a $6,000 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation. "What they were specifically interested in was the collaborative model we’ve put together and the governance structure we had to put around it," Kachmar said.
The grant was for basic support, and part of this is to update some of the infrastructure for common use, such as Internet access, a more energy-efficient heating program, and setting up a hall in the church for interactive conferences, he said.
Though the Nichols Building is full of permanent tenants, "We’re not done, Kachmar said. "We may be full for the time being. But we’re looking at the other options: people who need a temporary facility, people who may need an office for a month or two and being able to come in here and support an activity.
"Finding that in town is not very easy and at this point that’s perhaps the next step that we have to look at," he said.
Hugenot, who is originally from Kansas, said that in studying the history of Baptists in Vermont, he has found that First Baptist in Bennington a century and more ago was always prominent in mission work.
"There’s certainly precedent that mission is very much a strand of the DNA that has made this place tick and thrive and grow over the years," he said. "So in some ways we are reclaiming our roots while also casting out for a different day."
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