The First Baptist Church of Redlands
T A PE S T R Y
J uly 2019
Wo v e n To g e t h e r I n L o v e : C o l o s s i a n s 2 : 2
Bigger Than Me A Message from Pastor Shawn
In June, Rod and I had the pleasure of vacationing in Washington, D. C., and various parts of Virginia. I also attended the American Baptist Mission Summit, which is the national gathering of our ABC family that happens every other year. We enjoy history and so we were quite happy going through museums and visiting historical sites in that area of the country. There is something about visiting the memorials in our nation’s capital, the grand monuments to honor presidents, great leaders, and those who died fighting in wars, that gives me a sense that I am part of something bigger. Even as I stand near other people, whom I don’t know and probably never will, there is a moment that I feel like we are part of the same family and we look at and honor our common history. It is even more the case as we spend time at the gathering of our American Baptist family. It is truly a family reunion as I see friends that I have known for years. I enjoy catching up with old colleagues, old students and even a few old mentors. I realize that I know a lot of people and that they mean something to me. Then there are the familiar practices, like worship in the evening, or meals at which we get updated on what is happening within the “family:” What is happening with the Global Servants and how are churches ministering in innovative ways in their communities? There’s walking around the exhibit hall,
Issue No. 7
looking for new information, but also looking to see whom you will run into, or even what “freebies” you can find at the various exhibits! I always come away from a national gathering inspired by being a part of something bigger, not just national, but global, and not just now, or even in my lifetime, but something that has deep roots in the past and opportunities and hope for the future. I am inspired to continue in the ministry and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ as we live as a part of God’s Kingdom. So now I am home. There are still a couple months of summer ahead. Though there is a different pace than the rest of the year, it is a time to grow. It’s a time to read more. It’s a time to learn something new, whether it is a new subject or a new skill. It’s time to get involved in service whether in the community or in the church. It’s time to enjoy the opportunities to be with people around us, to build new and develop existing relationships. I hope we all will take up the challenge to take up something new in order to grow. Try going to the Redlands Bowl with different people than usual or meeting someone for iced tea at a local shop. Take the opportunity to visit someone who doesn’t get out much. Sign up to go to a church barbeque and then sit with someone you don’t know very well. As the church we are a part of something bigger than us. This is true historically and geographically. We are part of something that transcends time, borders, language and even theology. Let us continue to grow in our faith as we study the Bible, pray for others and look for opportunities to work together with people to be about Christ’s mission in the world. May the foundation for all of this be that we are a part of something bigger. We are a part of the Kingdom of God. Let’s look for how God is at work around us and ask how God wants us to get involved. Let’s find Jesus in the people we meet and allow them to help us to grow in our understanding of God. In Christ, Pastor Shawn
COVER 1 A Message from Pastor Shawn : “Bigger Than Me” 2 Staff and Contents
MINISTRY 3 Pastor Nick : “Working with The Spirit” 4 Richard W. Steffen: “Kids in Worship: Entertaining? Developmental? Inspirational?” 5 Prayer to God for Kindness 6 Children’s Ministry
MISSIONS 7 Worldwide Prayer Concerns: Congo, Nigeria, Iran
FELLOWSHIP 8 FBCR in Action 9 Ann Smith: “Interview with Virginia Chapman”
NEWS
STAFF Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows Senior Pastor shawn@fbcredlands.org Nicholas Quient Associate Pastor nicholas@fbcredlands.org Rev. Cheryl Sneller Director of Children’s Ministry cheryl@fbcredlands.org Richard W. Steffen Minister of Music rwsteffen@gmail.com Linda Gentile Organist Nathan Jones Youth Director youth@fbcredlands.org Angel Florence Office Administrator angel@fbcredlands.org Isa Terrell Communications Specialist isa@fbcredlands.org
10 Church News + FBCR in Action 11 July Calendar
The Tapestry is published monthly by The First Baptist Church of Redlands, 51 West Olive Avenue, Redlands, CA 92373. All material for the Tapestry should be typed and emailed no later than the 15th of each month to tapestry@fbcredlands.org. If you would like to be added or removed from the Tapestry mailing list, please email tapestry@fbcredlands.org. Current and previous Tapestry issues are available in digital format at issuu.com/fbcr.
Richard Colunga Buildings/Grounds
Telephone: 909-793-3289 Web: www.fbcredlands.org Email: admin@fbcredlands.org Office Hours Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sunday: 8 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. I 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
MINI S T RY
WORKING with THE SPIRIT Pastor Nick Quient
“For if you live in accordance with the flesh you will die, but if with the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live.” - Romans 8:13 NQT
Many within the Christian tradition believe that God’s sovereignty entails a deterministic reality. That is, God ultimately orchestrates every act or event in creation—good or evil—for his own glory. For some, this is a great comfort. For others like myself, I do not see it taught in Scripture. For me, and I suspect for many, the verse above seems to press against the idea of God determining every singular event. Throughout the Pauline epistles, we see humankind working or cooperating with God, especially to the point of us working with God through difficult situations (Romans 8:28). Cooperation with the Holy Spirit in being baptized in Christ’s death and resurrection is a necessary part of the Christian life. We work with the Spirit as “co-workers” (2 Corinthians 1:24, 6:1) of God, working out our salvation with passion and joy because we remain assured that God’s love is not confined to a specific group or race. In working together with the Holy Spirit, we are demonstrating the relationship that God desires with creation: cooperation, not coercion. God could perhaps force all things to bend to some incalculable will, but I have not seen any evidence that God does such a thing. God seems content to be vulnerable and active in creation, suffering along with us, working with us to bring reconciliation and life out of deathly realities.
The Holy Spirit does not expect us to be passive or disinterested in our own growth and maturity. Far from it! The Holy Spirit intentionally works with us where we are. Growing through our struggles and issues together with the Spirit and our community of faith is often a necessary reality. For those who struggle with doubt or isolation, the Spirit reminds us that we are not alone. For those who need a moment of silence, the Spirit is content to sit in stillness with us. Job’s friends, for all of their faults, sat with him in silence for a substantial amount of time before they opened their mouths. The Holy Spirit is active in our lives. When we are sad, the Holy Spirit is present as our comforter. God does not force us to feel better or to admit when we think we are healed. Instead, the Holy Spirit dwells with contentment beside us in our longings and ordeals. If we are baptized by the Spirit then we are children of God—and if children of God, then we are agents infused by God’s Spirit. Some days, working with the Holy Spirit is all we have. So let us work with what we have.
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Kids in Worship:
ENTERTAINING? DEVELOPMENTAL? INSPIRATIONAL?
by Richard W. Steffen, Minister of Music
Attending my 50th high school graduation reunion was very meaningful. One of several activities the gathered alumni enjoyed was a bicycle ride around my hometown. A seven-minute ride was all that was needed to cover the small town of Bluffton. As we rode, we saw places that brought back many wonderful memories: riding past the high school football field where I played in the band at our games, past my high school where I sang in the choir, past the 4-H Fairgrounds where I submitted several woodworking projects as a teenager, past the church I attended until my university graduation, past the house I lived in from the age of 6 until I left for college, and past my elementary school where – as a 6th grade student crossing-guard – I decided that I wanted to work with younger children as a teacher. Music in worship has been a foundation for my involvement, training, participation, and joy throughout my life. When God’s people gather, they sing. And they always have! After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord. “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: ‘I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him’” (Exodus 15:1-5 NIV). The Psalms give us such rich treasure in joy and sorrow, as the people of God raise their voices in song. “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” (Psalm 89:1 NIV). The Apostle Paul instructed the Colossians, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3: 16 NIV). That’s all great for adults. But what about kids? Are kids leading in worship an entertaining activity and/or a developmental activity and/or an inspirational activity? For themselves AND for the adults in the room? At First 4
Baptist Church of Redlands, we see and value the leadership of children in worship repeatedly and often. Just in the last three months, the combined children’s choirs carried in palms on Palm Sunday. The God’s Kids Choir sang on Easter Sunday. As our worship theme on May 5 centered around the scripture of the day (as it always does) when Jesus said to Peter “Feed my lambs” (John 21:14 NIV), our Junior Disciples Choir sang “Feed My Lambs” by Natalie Sleeth. And on Pentecost, we rejoiced as the children carried in streamers. Children were important to Jesus. “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’ “ (Matthew 19:13-14 NIV). Singing continues to play a vital role in the life of God’s people of all ages today. Music often involves a group activity that teaches children how to work together to produce a piewwce of musical art, keeping the same rhythm and contributing their individual parts to make a whole that’s greater than any individual voice or instrument. For children, singing to God is a great way to help them learn about God: God’s character and love. In addition to improving creativity, learning music cultivates many skills that will continue to be useful to children throughout their lives. It develops concentration, coordination, relaxation, patience, and self-confidence. Children singing in worship helps the older people in worship focus on God’s love for us; they remind us that we all are the children of God. We rejoice with the Apostle Paul and proclaim: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14 NIV). As our children grow and bring new excitement after having been “leveled-up” and are new members of our children’s choirs, we excitedly await what they will teach us. They will learn and develop and we will praise God together. Ideas for this article were compiled using the following: 1. The Reformed Church in America. The Theology and Place of Music in Worship. 2. Kent State University. The Value of Music in Elementary School. 3. KevinWestMusic.org. Teaching Our Kids to Be Worshipers. 4. CorkButterExchangeBand.org. Benefits of Music on Child Development.
by Pastor Nick Quient “So has death been conquered and branded for what it is by the Savior on the cross. It is bound hand and foot, all who are in Christ trample it as they pass and as witnesses to Him deride it, scoffing and saying, O Death, where is thy victory? O Grave, where is thy sting?” — St. Athanasius
Loving God, We give thanks to you because you are good. We give thanks to you because your faithful love lasts forever. When we were in silent places you answered us. You are our saving help, our refuge, and our guidance. You are the one who calls us to be your daughters and your sons, your co-workers and participants, and your beloved and your friends. We thank you for your kindness displayed in the giving of your Holy Spirit. We pray for travelling mercies upon all who are travelling during this time. We pray for the cool of the day and the warmth of the evening during this most assuredly sweltering of summers. We pray for the healing of our minds and bodies, that we might be whole. We pray for those who feel alone and afraid. May your Spirit empower them and bring them closer to you. Your loving-kindness is forever, from the rising sun to the setting moon, from sea to sea. Be with us. Remind us that we are loved. As the Psalmist says Praise the Lord, all you nations! Worship him, all you peoples! Because God’s faithful love toward us is strong, the Lord’s faithfulness lasts forever! Praise the Lord! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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C hildren’s ministry
Taco Bar and Outdoor Lawn Games June 13
First JD Summer Session June 16
A Thank You to the Youth Assistants Henry
Sophie
Emma
Seth
Mitch
Jenna
Christine
James
Ruby May
Aiden
May we enjoy the world like a child, Blessings, Pastor Cheryl
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MI S S ION S
Worldwide Pray er Concerns
“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.” –Hebrews 10:32-33
congo Email from the Chapmans Glen and Rita celebrated Easter apart as this year they both ministered in the Congo. Rita stayed home in Kikongo, where ten different choirs presented Easter songs, children shared Bible verses, and the congregation sang in multiple languages--and that was just for the first 3 hours before the preaching began! Glen had pedaled his bicycle 37 km to the village of Kimbai, a 3 ½ hour trip that he made on Saturday. The church in Kimbai was also blessed with lots of music and dancing. Glen preached about how Jesus was a “chief without borders,” who had no limit to his jurisdiction and no term limit. Glen also shared that Jesus will not force his way into our hearts—he only comes when he is invited. At the service, three young woman presented themselves as candidates for theological study at UNIBAC (Baptist University of Congo) and received the blessing of the church elders. A surprise thunderstorm delayed Glen’s departure, but he pedaled safely home as the sun was setting. Praise God for blessing the ministry of the Chapmans in Congo and for continuing to raise up leaders for the churches there.
Nigeria Morning Star News, reported by International Prayer Concern Pray for Christians who are suffering persecution in northern Nigeria. At one small church in Kaduna State on May 18, militants surrounded the building while the choir was practicing inside. They began shooting and threatened to kill the choir members if they did not tell them where the pastor lived. That evening they kidnapped Pastor Zakariya Ido and sixteen others. Pray for these Christian brothers and sisters to have hope and courage as they are separated from friends and families. This is only one of several situations where Christians in that region have recently been kidnapped or murdered. Pray for Christ’s love to transform the lives of those who are perpetrating this violence. Pray that Pastor Ido and the others would soon be released and allowed to return home.
Iran International Christian Concern
Pray for religious freedom in Iran. Mahdi Hajjeti, a councilor in the city of Shiraz, is serving a one-year prison term after he tried to stand up for religious minorities. His friend, who was a member of the Baha’i faith, was in jail, which led Hajjeti to call for judicial reform. Instead, it led to his own imprisonment. Another councilor in the city of Asfahan tried to defend Hajjeti, but then he was banned from council meetings for 6 months. Pray that these two brave men, who were willing to stand up for others, would inspire others to use their influence to bring about greater freedom inside Iran.
- Jonathan Peske If you have information to share about the persecuted church or news from the mission field, please share it with Jonathan Peske.
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fellowship
FBCR IN ACTION ANNUAL PIE CONTEST WINNERS 1 st Melody Wolfe & Aidan Huynh Cinnamon Roll Apple 2 nd Amy DeDoes Lemon Blueberry 3 rd Emma DeDoes Oreo
Balloon toss winner Hien Huynh and Aidan Huynh 61 feet
SUMMER BOOK STUDY WED I JUNE 26 - AUG. 28 I 7 - 9 PM
Please join us for a Wednesday evening Book Study this summer on The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels by Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham. In this bestseller, Meacham chronicles in readable, narrative fashion troubled and troubling periods in U.S. history and--importantly--ways that the country and its people came through these times by working together toward goodness. Published in 2018, Meacham’s book is an educational, hopeful, and inspiring read for our present moment. Copies are available at the Redlands Barnes & Noble as well as on Amazon. The study will meet on Wednesdays 7:00-9:00 pm in Field Hall at the First Baptist Church of Redlands, beginning June 26. It will run through Aug. 28 or Sept. 4, with no meeting on July 3. We will be covering roughly one chapter per week, beginning on June 26 with the Introduction (“To Hope Rather than to Fear”). People from various faith and non-faith backgrounds are welcome to attend, and are free to come to as few or as many meetings as they’d like. Note about the book’s author: Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and former Editor of Newsweek. He is a visiting distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University and has served on the vestries of St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and Trinity Church Wall Street. For more information about the book study, please contact Sunny Hyon at gladthoughts@gmail.com.
Redlands Hunger Walk I June 1st
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fellowship
Interview with Virginia Chapman by Ann Smith She met Orville Chapman when she went to Berkeley Divinity School. They were both members of the Missions Club. They were married in Berkley and then went to the Hartford School of Missions before going to what was then the Belgian Congo. There, Virginia taught in a homemaking school and a high school before moving to Kikongo where taught in school for training rural pastors and a special school for the pastors’ wives’.
Virginia Chapman’s parents first home was a village called Ableman (now known as Rock Springs) about 50 miles northwest of Madison, Wisconsin. She was born in the hospital at La Crosse. Her father was a German Baptist minister. She grew up in three towns in Minnesota and the Dakotas and spent three years in Vancouver, Canada, before going away to Central Washington State of Education where she majored in education. She has a sister, Elaine, who is a nurse and whose husband taught at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. Virginia’s first memory of church is of enjoying the music. She was baptized at age 9, which wasn’t unusual at the time. What was unusual was her commitment to becoming a missionary at that age. She asked her mother about all the people who didn’t know Jesus and was answered, “Maybe you can teach them.” She felt a call and focus for her life from that time forward.
Virginia and Orville have four children born on four different continents. Glen, their eldest, was born in Connecticut. He followed them into missions work and is still serving in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dan, their middle son, was born in Belgium and taught high school math and is now helping with transportation for the elderly. Rick, their youngest son, was also born in the DRC; he lives in Yorba Linda and teaches English as a second language. They, also, have an adopted daughter who came from Korea. Her name is Maria and she had polio before they adopted her. She lives in Huntington Beach. Virginia home-schooled all three boys for a few years until they went off to the American School in Kinshasa where they lived in a hostel for missionaries’ children - a happy experience. Maria later graduated the same school. The Chapmans moved to Redlands because they chose to retire to Plymouth Village. They came to Redlands First Baptist with friends.
They enjoyed the services and decided to stay. Virginia’s favorite Bible verse is John 13:34: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. She sees it as foundational to a Christian life. Her favorite Bible Story is the story of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 where Jesus left “ninety and nine” and went looking for the one who was lost. The verse helped motivate her in her mission endeavors. “Joyful, Joyful, Joyful , We Adore Thee“ is her favorite hymn in English. It was one of the first songs she heard at chapel in Berkley. Its message still moves her. She has always felt close to the Lord. One such time was while her three sons were attending school in Kinshasa, Congo. They decided to travel by canoe from Kikongo to Kinshasa (about 12 days). She prayed for their safe travel every day at 4:00. One day while she was praying, she heard an almost audible voice telling her that they were safe. There was no way she could confirm this by radio at the time. Confirmation came from a Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot who sent a pre-arranged signal telling her that the boys had arrived safely. There have been other times when Virginia says she felt close to the Lord. But she says this is one of the ones that stands out most clearly.
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News
HAPPY July BIRTHDAYS TO... 2 - Rhiannon Fisher
20 - Tom Hershey
4 - Benjamin Kronberg
20 - Teri Jensen
6 - Marcia Melcher
21 - Allie Baker
6 - Ruby May Price
22 - Donnie Allen
7 - Kenneth Schultz
23 - Elizabeth Updegraff
9 - Yholddy Jones
24 - Solace Huynh
10 - Bob Welles
25 - Laura Hunt
12 - Sara Graham
25 - John Parke
13 - Irene Coggins
26 - Loretta Bueermann
13 - Niki Farmer
28 - Barbara Stein
14 - Chanda Lowe
28 - Rod Zambrows
15 - Paul Williams
30 - Lloyd Savage
16 - Jean Gail
31 - Robert Carpenter
17 - Linda Hollenberg
31 - Paul Espinosa
Submissions for the Tapestry should be sent to tapestry@fbcredlands.org by the 15th of each month.
LOCAL OUTREACH UPDATES Local Outreach will be collecting and donating backpacks to the Micah House, for their “Back to School Jam , August 3. Please sign up for a donation of backpacks, for the students school year on the patio with Local Outreach. Thank you!
Thank you to the Local Outreach Commission for providing and delivering, donations of food and drinks, to Beal Park for the Juneteenth Celebration.
SENIOR SOCIAL July 2, Noon
Bring a sack lunch to Judson Hall. Then we’ll give a try at singing some of the “Good Old Hymns“ we grew up with and if that fails, we have a number of games we can check out or just visit with friends.
SYMBOLS AROUND THE CROSS courtesy of Ann Smith Remember these symbols and try to guess them correctly in the August tapestry.
Iota, Eta, Sigma The first three letters of the Greek word for Jesus.
ALPHA and OMEGA The first letter of the Greek alphabet. God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
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Chi, Rho The first two letters of the Greek word for Jesus Christ.
FELLOWSHIP BARBEQUE 19th Annual BBQ Series
Tentative Dates: August 3 August 10 August 17 August 24 August 25
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Pray for Pure Hearts
Pray for Incarcerated Artists
9:00 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 10:15 a.m. Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting, Board Room 3 p.m. ASH Art Show, Chapel
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9:00 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 10:15 a.m. Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting, Board Room 12 p.m. Quarterly Business Meeting, Sanctuary
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9:00 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 10:15 a.m. Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting, Board Room
8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village
29 Pray for Nigeria
8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village
22 Pray for the Lonely
8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village
Pray for the Church
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Pray for Gratitude
8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Plymouth Village
9:00 a.m. Nursery/Toddlers 10:15 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time 11:45 a.m. Prayer Meeting, Board Room 4:30 - 6:50 p.m. JD Campfire
Pray for Family
8 Pray for Youth
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Monday
7 Pray for the Discouraged
Sunday Pray for the Hungry
30 Pray for Generosity
Pray for Congo
Pray for Justice
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Pray for Wisdom
Pray for Caregivers
Happy 4th of July OFFICE CLOSED
Pray for Increased Faith
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4
Thursday
6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic 7 p.m. Summer Book Study, Field Hall
31 Pray for Contentment
6 p.m. Men’s Fellowship 6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic 7 p.m. Summer Book Study, Field Hall
Pray for Fellowship
Pray for Hope 9:00 a.m. Tapestry Team 7 p.m. “Christus Victorious” Study, Field Hall
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6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic 7 p.m. “Christus Victorious” 7 p.m. Summer Book Study, Study, Field Hall Field Hall
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6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic 7 p.m. Summer Book Study, Field Hall
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Pray for a desire to Love
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Wednesday
23 Pray for the Community 24
7 p.m. Executive Council, Lounge
Pray for the Ill
Pray for Commissions
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12:00 p.m. Senior Social 6 - 8 p.m. Dental Clinic
2
Tuesday
See events online at: http://www.fbcredlands.org/Calendar.html
Pray for Iran
26 Pray for International Ministries
19
the Marginalized
Pray for Encouragement
12 Pray for
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Friday
Pray for Peaceful Relationships
Pray for Bible Studies
Pray for Endurance
7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
27 Pray for Sinners
7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
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7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It 9 a.m. Women’s Bible Study: “Doing Mission in Hard Times,” David’s Corner
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7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It
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Saturday
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The First Baptist Church of Redlands 51 West Olive Avenue, Redlands CA 92373-5243 909-793-3289 | www. fbcredlands.org
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