2022 August Tapestry

The First Baptist Church of Redlands

T A PE S T R Y

Aug 2022

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

Responding Together for Good World Mission Conference 2022 A Message from Pastor Shawn

A couple of weeks ago we had as our guest preacher, Jill Lowrey, former missionary in the Congo. She shared two powerful stories of how God has worked to change lives and defeat opposition to the work that is going on to empower women in that part of the world. This is one of the reasons that I like to go to the World Mission Conference, held every other year at Green Lake Conference Center.

Like all the other times that I have gone to this conference I have found inspiration and refreshment. I am always inspired by the stories that I hear of what God is doing around the world, how God is opening doors for people to come to know the good news of God’s Kingdom, and how God is raising up gifted leaders from around the world. The music was powerful, giving us words to express the worship

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that we felt in our hearts and souls. But the best part for me was hanging around with people who are a part of my family in Christ–many of whom have been friends for a long time now, and others who are new friends. I enjoyed sitting at the table with people who have deep and mature faith in Christ. Many of these people walk in very dark places and see some of the most broken parts of life and yet they still know how to laugh and find joy. It’s not because they take lightly the pain and struggles of those they meet, nor have they become calloused or jaded. It is because they understand the compassion and grace of Christ and the power of resurrection in very real and practical ways. I want people to meet these people so that they can see what real faith in Christ looks like.

In two years, when this conference meets again, I would like for us to have a group from our church in attendance. I hope that a good number of that group would be people who are youth and young adults. I want those people in the church to have lunch with these people who have come to have such a deep faith that they can walk into seemingly hopeless situations and see light. I want all of you to laugh with the Global Servants. I want us all to be reminded about what is really important in life. I want us all to have a faith in Christ that is deep enough to go anywhere that the good news of God’s Kingdom needs to be shared. Let’s make it happen!

Even if none of us is able to go to the World Mission Conference ever, it is my prayer that we as a church, and as God’s people, grow in our faith in such a way that we can face whatever comes our way with an understanding of what the Kingdom of God is and how to live in that Kingdom each day. May we continue to grow as we listen to God’s Spirit speak to us!

Grace and peace in Christ, Pastor Shawn

COVER

FELLOWSHIP

1 A Message from Pastor Shawn: “Responding Together for Good: World Mission Conference 2022”

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Jonathan Peske: “Making Kids in Foster Care Feel Like Royalty”

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Ann Smith: “Interview with Hilary Craw”

Staff and Contents

MISSION

NEWS

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Worldwide Prayer Concerns: Mexico, Congo, Ethiopia

10 Church News

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Kay Kallander: “Gregory Gifts Update”

11 August Calendar

STAFF Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows Senior Pastor shawn@fbcredlands.org

Nathan Jones Youth Director youth@fbcredlands.org

Glenn Molina Associate Pastor of Arts in Worship and Community Life glenn@fbcredlands.org

Angel Florence Office Administrator angel@fbcredlands.org

Abby Kishimoto Interim Director of Children’s Ministries abby@fbcredlands.org

Isa Terrell Communications Specialist isa@fbcredlands.org

Rhonda Bauer Interim Choir Director rhonda@fbcredlands.org

Stephen Stark Senior Maintenance Custodian stephen@fbcredlands.org

Sally Rehfeldt Organist playitbach@verizon.net

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.

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Contact us: admin@fbcredlands.org 909-793-3289 www.fbcredlands.org Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

MI NI S T RY

Worldwide Prayer 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

Mexico www.internationalministries.org Pray for Deliris and Moise Carrión-Joseph in Tijuana as they raise funds for staffing and outfitting a new center to minister to migrants. In 2021, Tijuana received about 200 Haitian migrants every day. Since they have few resources, and many of them don’t speak Spanish, they are at risk of falling into prostitution, human trafficking, or the drug trade. The center that Deliris and Moise are creating will provide language training, basic computer skills, and connections and resources to help migrants obtain jobs in Mexico. It will also offer psychosocial care and education for children and provide temporary shelter when there is a sudden influx of new migrants. They are seeking to raise about $250,000 to fund the work of this center over the next two years. They plan to purchase appliances, furniture, and supplies; hire 6 teachers, a psychologist, and a lawyer; and purchase a pickup truck. Pray that God provides all that is needed for this important ministry. Praise God for bringing Deliris and Moise to Tijuana, since their skills and background make them perfect for this work.

Dominican Republic www.internationalministries.org Praise God for the amazing response that Ann and Bill Clemmer are getting in Goma.

Their Sunday School program has grown from 200 to 850 children per week! This success has led to other ministries, including parenting classes, literacy classes, outreach to homeless children, and classes for children who can’t afford to attend school. They write, “God is doing great things and we are so thankful for the financial support, for the many volunteers with hearts for service, and for God’s provision and guidance.”

ETHIOPIA www.worldvision.org World Vision recently posted an article detailing how their work in the village (pop. 149,000) of Dada, Ethiopia has led to radical transformation. Prior to World Vision’s arrival, tween and teenage girls would walk two hours each way to collect water for their families from a dirty pond. They would place the water into a plastic jerrycan and carry it home on their backs. This was the water the family would use each day for drinking, washing, and laundry. Poorer families who lived in thatched-roof huts couldn’t afford the luxury of a tin roof with rain gutters to collect rainwater, which meant that this trip for water would need to be made twice a day. The water from the man-made pond was muddy and sometimes carried diseases such as giardiasis and hookworm. This daily routine affected the ability of female students to learn, since they were tired from walking so much with heavy containers of water. In addition, the school was overwhelmed and had 100 students crowded in a room, with three to a desk.

- 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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Gregory Gifts

by Kay Kallander

The University of Redlands used the $10,000 Gregory Gift from First Baptist Church of Redlands to create a much-needed Student Food Support Pantry. During Covid-19, even though the University was closed, there were university students living in our community, that were struggling with food insecurity. The food pantry was able to help them during this difficult time. The University is once again full of students and the need continues for a variety of reasons. As you read below the article by Mr. Tony Mueller of the University of Redlands, you will see that once again, the gift our church gave was significantly enhanced by joining with other organizations, groups, and individuals to create an even greater project than we first imagined. The blessings continue.

Tony Mueller Director of Community Service Learning at the University of Redlands Thanks to a generous donation from the Gregory Fund of the First Baptist Church of Redlands, the Office of Community Service Learning of the University of Redlands opened a new Student Food Support Pantry in North Hall, off Brockton Ave. in 2021.

The general costs associated with the pantry included relocating and upgrading all the electrical systems in the room, re-painting the pantry, constructing a new interior wall for security, and purchasing one food cooler.

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The Student Food Support Pantry is open five days a week, Monday through Friday, and is visited daily by students with food insecurities. The space was selected for privacy, geographical convenience for commuters, and for its availability on campus. The average number of students using the space is usually between 25-35 but up to 50 weekly throughout the academic year.

Food is provided from the Bishops Storehouse in Colton, Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino, Feeding America in Riverside, and the Sustainable University of Redlands Farm (SURF). Other generous gifts for groceries were welcomed from the Associated Students of Redlands, the Lightbody family, staff, and faculty at Redlands.

The need for supplemental food for college students persists. While first generation students are robust and excited to be at the good ol’ U of R, many struggle with basic needs and the food pantry allows one less stressor to impede their academic success.

The food pantry has been a blessing indeed.

We remain humbled by the gift you gave to our students!

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F E L L O W S H IP

Making Kids in Foster Care Feel Like Royalty

by Jonathan Peske

Thank you to our First Baptist family for your support of the Royal Family Kids Camp held at the end of June! We appreciate all of you who prayed for our camp, volunteered your time, and supported us financially. This year we took 18 children in foster care and gave them a week where they could feel like royalty. Our goal was to help them experience what it means for them to be part of God’s Royal Family. They stepped off the bus onto a red carpet and were greeted by all the adult volunteers cheering for them. They were escorted to their cabins, which had been creatively decorated by the adults to be welcoming and fun, including streamers, carpets, and party decorations. Some cabins even had fully themed decor, such as a jungle expedition, Alice in Wonderland Tea Party, or an Avatar-inspired room that included glow in the dark decorations.

All through the week, our “little campers” were enjoying the activities alongside their adult “big campers” and the other RFK camp staff volunteers. A typical day would begin after breakfast with a time of active singing and dancing, followed by a Bible story and drama. The children loved the drama team, which included people from LifeHouse Theater here in town. The kids learned about Daniel and Esther during the course of the week. After that, it was time for some fun: running around on the playground, playing in the gym, making a bracelet with beads,

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or building with Legos. After lunch there was some down time before an afternoon filled with more activities, including swimming and a visit to Grandma’s Cottage, where the little campers enjoyed a snack and special story with Grandma.

We would do more singing after dinner as well as hear more from the drama team before retiring to our cabins. Just before lights out, the little campers were treated to chapters read aloud from either Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Pippi Longstocking. We are thankful to Frugal Frigate for donating books for each of the children to take home with them so that they could have their own copy of these stories.

During the week, we had many special events, including a visit to the archery range; a girls’ spa day, where they enjoyed facials and foot soaks; a Mission Impossible inspired “laser maze” challenge constructed out of red yarn that tested their flexibility; a visit from a Forest Service fire team that included Smokey the Bear; a variety show that showcased the kids’ amazing talents, including jokes, puppets, singing, and dancing; and an exciting Birthday Party! Since children in the foster care system sometimes don’t get the chance to have a birthday party, we plan that as an activity during the week. In fact, when one little camper first heard that we were planning the party, she said: “A birthday party? I haven’t had a birthday party in years!” The party included games, snow cones, cotton candy, a

prize booth, and a station where each camper could pick a stuffed animal to adopt and take home with them. Later in the evening, each child also unwrapped a birthday present chosen just for them.

One theme of the Royal Family Kids Camp program is “Making Moments Matter.” Through the way the week is structured, we give kids experiences where they feel loved and see positive responses modeled for them. All of the adults at camp are volunteering their time to be there for the week.

This can be an especially meaningful expression of love to a child in the foster care system who is constantly encountering adults who are paid to care for them. Through the songs and Bible stories, they hear about how God is able to work even when life’s circumstances are awful. It’s amazing to watch how this all-encompassing experience of unconditional love transforms the little campers during the week. A child who began the week by being disruptive and complaining that he didn’t want to be there was participating meaningfully and saying how he wished camp could go on for much longer by the time we reached the end of the week.

One parable that we often share when explaining why we volunteer with RFK camp is the story of the starfish. It tells of a man who comes upon a boy on a beach where hundreds of starfish were washed ashore when the tide receded after a big storm. The boy was throwing the starfish back into the ocean to protect them as the sun rose higher in the sky. The man asked, “Why are you doing that? There are so many starfish here that you can’t possibly make any difference.” The boy picked up another starfish and threw it back into the waves. “It made a difference to that one,” he said.

I assure you that this week made a difference for these kids. Thank you for helping us make it happen. If you’d like to find out more information about how you can volunteer or support us in the future, please reach out to me, or our camp director Carli Tejeiro. You can email her at forthechildren316@gmail.com.

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Interview with Hilary Craw

by Ann Smith

As mentioned above, Hilary’s parents ran the YMCA camp in Barton Flats while she was growing up.

Her father then opened The Gourmet Pizza Shop in Redlands in 1997. He retired from that about 5 years ago. Her mother became the director of Redlands Day Nursery before going back to school and getting her Special Education credential. Then she worked for Redlands Unified School District for more than 20 years. Her brother, Don is married and has two children, Audrey (8) and Wiley (10) who both attend Redlands Christian School. His wife, Sarah, is a math teacher at Redlands High School.

Hilary was born at the Redlands Community Hospital on June 7. She grew up in Barton Flats above Angeles Oaks in the San Bernardino Mountains. Her parents ran the Redlands YMCA Camp called Camp Edwards. Her family lived there year-round many years. And she spent every summer there until she was 14 years old.

She went to Redlands Christian School from kindergarten through 8th grade. She then became the third generation of her family to attend Redlands Senior High School. There, she was involved in choir, drama, and student government. After graduating in 2001, she started college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a music major. After her first year, she decided that she loved to sing but wanted to study something else. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Communications Studies in 2005. She obtained a Masters Degree in Education Counseling from the University of Redlands in 2008.

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When Hilary was about 4 months away from graduating from college, she came back to Redlands for a weekend and ran into two people who advised her to consider becoming a school counselor. One was her former school counselor, Lynn Martin. The other was her former high school principal, Bob Denim. Bob had become a Dean at the University of Redlands and was able to guide her through the admissions process.

Her first memory of church was at Camp Edwards.

They had a chapel service every morning after breakfast. She remembers songs like “I’ve Got the Joy-Joy-Joy,” and “This Little Light of Mine.” She says she can’t remember when she wasn’t a believer.

However, when she was attending Cal Poly, she began to feel homesick during her junior year and wondered if she was in the right place. She knew she need to make a change and started going to First Baptist San Luis Obispo. During one service, she heard the words to a song which said, “Use me in this place, even though I am homesick. I am here so use me for your good.” She’s sure those were the words, but even with all the computer search tools we now have available, she’s never been able to find a song with those exact words. In any case, she says, “the message was received.”

First Baptist Church Redlands was where here family attended church while they were living Barton Flats – weather and camp duties permitting. Zoom didn’t exist then; so, they didn’t always have access. It was a natural fit when she returned to Redlands.

She says she feels closest to God when she’s singing or listening to music. Her favorite Christian song right now is While I’m Waiting by John Waller. It’s available on YouTube. The song talks about serving God while we are waiting for whatever is next.

Hilary’s favorite Bible story is that of Abraham and Sarah. She finds it full of God’s promises. For them, to provide an heir for them and make their family great.

But for her, it shows that God can still use people even with their doubts and failures. God always fulfills His promises, even through imperfect people. She says she feels her faith is strong, and yet she also has moments of doubt and that she is reassured because God knows and loves us always and has great plans for us despite our own limitations.

There have been several points in her life where Hilary has felt especially guided by God. She says she also feels close to Him when driving through the Colorado Rockies, the Eastern Sierras, and the Central Coast of California. She sees the artistic God we serve through his creation and is in awe. She is grateful for this beauty for us to enjoy, observe, and through which we can worship Him. She remembers one of Pastor Shawn’s sermons where she talked about how the rocks would worship Christ and believes that nature is constantly singing praises to our King through the beauty and strength of the mountains.

Her favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

When she graduated from college, Hilary was immediately hired by the Redlands School District.

She was happy in her job. Then the 2010 recession hit, and she lost her job. Her mother got her a coffee mug with Jer. 29: 11 on it which she used every day from the time she lost her job until she got a new one. While she was waiting, she took a volunteer position with a group called The Painted Turtle which is a camp for children with serious medical conditions. She worked for them from 2013-1015 as their Hospital Outreach Manager. She got to take camp programs into 17 children’s hospitals around California. These experiences have made her better able to serve students and their families when they are going through difficult times.

In her free time, Hilary loves volunteering with The Painted Turtle and serving on their Ambassador Board, volunteering with our wonderful First Baptist youth, leading worship at our church, and traveling/camping with her family.

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News HAPPY August BIRTHDAYS TO...

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Martha Mendoza

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Daniel Brown

3

Ethan Miller

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Danielle McClain

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Anne Sandel

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Lauren Zabaleta

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Hien Huynh

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Beth Goodwin

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Scott Powell

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Cindy DeRoulhac

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Michael Warren

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Lauryn DeDoes

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Noelle Tapia

14

Parker Martin

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Dorothy Sease

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Anna Tapia

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Doris Young

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Terri Friend

21

Ralph Haag

21

Muriel Wagner

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Susan Rogers

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Amy DeDoes

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Andrew Winter

27

Caroline Ray

31

Dennis Chenevert

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Summer BBQ series, 6:00 Pm Saturday, August 6, 2022 I Redlands Saturday, August 13, 2022 I Redlands Sunday, August 14, 2022 I Yucaipa Saturday, August 20, 2022 I Redlands Sunday, August 21, 2022 I Yucaipa Youth Group Trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain Saturday, August 13 Students in 6th-12th grades are invited to head out for a day of rides and excitement at Six Flags Magic Mountain! For more information or other questions, contact Abby at abby@fbcredlands.org.

Upcoming Dates Submissions for the Tapestry should be sent to tapestry@fbcredlands.org by the 15th of each month.

Sunday, september 11 “Kick Off Sunday” Wednesday, september 14 Wednesday Night Dinner and Gatherings will begin for the Fall season.

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Pray for Safety

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Pray for Temperance

26 Pray for Healing Broken Relationships

Pray for Widow/ers

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

20 Pray for Shelters

6 p.m. Summer BBQ, Redlands

Youth Group Trip: Six Flag Magic Mountain

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

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6 p.m. Summer BBQ, Redlands

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

Pray for Freshman Students

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Saturday

10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed

Walk with God

28 Pray for a Deeper

6 p.m. Summer BBQ, Yucaipa

10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed

Pray for the Angry

7 p.m. Executive Council

suffering mental illness

29 Pray for Caretakers 30 Pray for Forgiveness 31 Pray for those

at-risk youths

22 Pray for

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

27 Pray for Ethiopia

Military Families

24 Pray for

Social Workers

Pray for Mexico

Pray for Elderly Parents

19 Pray for

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Friday

21 impacted by wildfires

under financial strain

Pray for Job Seekers

Pray for the Underprivileged

18 Pray for those

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Thursday

6 p.m. Summer BBQ, Redlands

23 Pray for those

Hospital Workers

17 Pray for

Renewal of Strength

Pray for Grace

10 Pray for

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Wednesday

6 p.m. Summer BBQ, Yucaipa

7 p.m. Local Outreach Commission (zoom)

10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed

Pray for Confidence

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15 Pray for the Domincan Republic

Pray for the Worship Team

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9 Pray for Ukraine

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Tuesday

7 p.m. Commission Meetings

8 Pray for Friendship

1 Pray for Parents

Monday

10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed

7 Pray for Joy

Sunday

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