Issuu

The First Baptist Church of Redlands

T A PE S T R Y

Mar 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

Issue No. 3

A Lenten Journey – Receiving the Glory A Message from Pastor Shawn

The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

going for a walk, run, bike-ride, everyday. Reading an inspirational or challenging book, can all be ways of intentionally drawing close to God during this season of the year. The season of Lent is a time in which we are reminded of how much we need God, as well as how much Jesus sacrificed on our behalf.

John 17:22-23 NRSV

This season of Lent we will explore the theme, “A Lenten Journey: Receiving the Glory.” We will have as our guest the Rev. Joel Fairley who will be leading us in various creative exercises that are designed to help us to experience God. This will be happening beginning Wednesday, March 2 and going through Holy Week. Each week will be a different activity. Hopefully, in addition to experiencing God’s presence through tis particular exercise that week, each of us will find ways to incorporate what we are learning into our regular life so that we can receive the Glory and proclaim Christ in you work.

My first thought when I think that someone is “receiving the glory” I think of someone receiving all the glory. It is when someone gets all the credit for it—and maybe they don’t deserve all of the credit. Maybe someone else should share the glory. But then I think of the phrase “in all its glory”— “There it was in all its glory.” Like maybe naked, or in some presentation that was embarrassing or “too much.” In scripture one gets a different meaning. Glory has to do with God. When we receive glory, it is a dramatic experience of God in our lives. This is a prayer that Jesus is praying for his disciples-and for us! He is praying that he has passed on to the disciples the glory that God has given him so that his followers would be one with one another as Jesus is with God. All this is so that people would know what God has done in sending Jesus and that God loves us! Lent is a time of the year when we draw close to the God who made us, gave us life, and loves us. It is a time when we focus on spiritual disciplines that allow us to draw close to God. Some people have the tradition of “giving up” something for Lent. For some it may be something like chocolate or soda. For others it may be giving up meat or television or social media. These can be very powerful experiences that, indeed, draw us closer to God. Another option is to “add” something, like reading through a particular section or book of the Bible each day of Lent. Or

Though it is always a good time to draw close to God, it is especially so in the life of our church right now. We are working together in groups to flesh out many of the ideas that came out of the Focus Groups that we had in the latter part of last year. We are also in the middle of a search not for just one, but two new full-time staff people. We are still dealing with the ups and downs of this pandemic (and we are really tired of it!). May all of these concerns find a place in each of our prayer-lives. As we enter into this season of Lent, may it be a transformational experience for each of us as well as for our church. May we know what it is like to receive the glory!

Grace and peace in Christ, Pastor Shawn

COVER

MISSION

A Message from Pastor Shawn: “A Lenten Journey – Receiving the Glory”

Worldwide Prayer Concerns: Burma/Myanmar, Burkina Faso, Venezula, Ukraine

Staff and Contents

Submitted by Gregg Sneller: “Global Servant: Update from Sarah Matos”

MINISTRY 3

NEWS

Cheryl Sneller: “Will You Take The Journey This Year?”

11 March Calendar

FELLOWSHIP 5

Ann Smith: “Interview with Sandy Pickett”

Mardi Gras Picnic Photos

10 Church News

STAFF Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows Senior Pastor

Nathan Jones Youth Director

Rev. Cheryl Sneller Director of Children’s Ministry

Angel Florence Office Administrator

Rhonda Bauer Interim Choir Director

Isa Terrell Communications Specialist

Sally Rehfeldt Organist

Stephen Stark Senior Maintenance Custodian

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.

Contact us: admin@fbcredlands.org 909-793-3289 www.fbcredlands.org Our office will be semi-open during regular office hours. However, we are still receiving mail and phone messages. Staff can be reached by email (see above). Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

MI NI S T RY

Will You Take The Journey This Year?

by Pastor Cheryl

What will we discover on the journey called Lent this year? It is recognized as a time of selfreflection and self-denial. Slowing down to seek God and listen to God’s Spirit. According to www.bbc.co.uk : Lent is a period of 40 (week)days during which Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ, whose life and teachings are the foundation of Christianity. The 40-day period is called Lent after an old English word meaning ‘lengthen’. After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, he was compelled to separate himself from the crowds and walk a solo journey. Why he chose to head out into the desert was probably a convenient geographical choice. Knowing the barrenness of the surrounding desert that was outside of the bustling city of Jerusalem, he could go get some clarity of mind and mission. God the Father had a locator flag on Jesus and the Spirit of God accompanied him. There was another spirit that went out into the desert. One of lies and discouragement. Jesus was being tested as if he were a man. Scholars say that Jesus came into his understanding of his role for humanity after he came up from John’s water baptism and the Spirit revealed all things. The journey of processing his calling is what took Jesus 40 days and 40 nights. On your Lenten journey what will you process with the Spirit of God? • What job direction you should take? • Your relationships? • How to love your enemies? • Surrendering your financials to God? • Wrestling with the topic of sexuality? • The best use of your spiritual God given-gifts? • Directing your children, youth and/or young adults? • Your fears, addictions, weaknesses or failings? • How to use your time? • Your ambitions? • The best way to be a part of the Kingdom of God in your community? The list is endless yet with God it is an open invitation for you to meet about an issue concerning you. I hope you respond to the invitation. You will never be the same. Blessings on the Journey, Pastor Cheryl

F E L L O WS HI P

Interview with Sandy Pickett

by Ann Smith

It was while she and her family were temporarily living in Redlands that Sandra recalls her first memory of church at the age of four. They were attending Redlands First Baptist and she remembers the Sunday School room which had been set up as a chapel with small pews where the children heard Bible stories. As a PK (preacher’s kid) Sandra says she “grew up knowing about the Lord.” She was baptized by her father when she was 10 years old. She attended many camps at Thousand Pines when it was run by the American Baptist Churches. At one of these camps, she recommitted her life to the Lord as a teenager.

Sandra Pickett was born in the city of Orange, California where her father, Norvall Pickett had his first pastorate. She spent her childhood in the cities where he served American Baptist Churches, including Holtville, Lancaster, and Riverside. She graduated from Riverside Poly High School and attended Riverside City College as it was then called for one year. She was given a scholarship partly funded by the American Baptist Women Society and graduated from the University of Redlands. During Sandra’s childhood, her mother, Jean, was a pastor’s wife and homemaker. While the family was living in Riverside, her mother went back to school and completed an RN program at the age of 42. She has a sister, Carol, who lives in Texas and had a successful career as a new home salesperson. Her brother, David, lives in Canyon Lake, California and recently retired after teaching elementary school in Lake Elsinore, California for 40 years. Sandra was a teacher for 35 years before retiring. She says kindergarten was her favorite grade level. She taught in San Bernardino where there were many new immigrants. Many of her students entered school with limited skills in English. Sandra spent 3 summers learning Spanish in a program run by the University of San Diego in Guadalajara, Mexico. She was able to stay with the same Mexican family each summer while learning about Mexican history and culture as well as improving her Spanish language skills. This helped in her teaching, especially when teaching a bilingual program for several years.

When the church she was attending closed its doors, she decided to “come home” to Redlands First Baptist. Her aunt, Opal Pickett, was a member here for 30 years. And she had attended while she as a student at Redlands University. She started attending in Nov. 2019 and knew right away that this was where she belonged. She joined formally in the fall of 2020 even before we started meeting in person again. One of her favorite Bible stories is the story of the “Good Shepherd” in John 10:11 where Christ says He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep. She loves the story because it is so personal in that Jesus assures us that He knows each of us who are part of His flock. Sandra’s favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It reminds her to rely on the Lord every day especially when faced with challenges or problems. One of Sandra’s favorite hymns is “My Jesus, I Love Thee” (#100 in our hymnal) because it reminds us of what Christ has done for us. It is a song of comfort and hope. She says that she felt especially close to the Lord during a medical emergency last April. She did not have a history of heart problems; so, it was a shock when she had to be taken to Redlands Community Hospital by ambulance. She was put in ICU and told that she had a blockage in her heart and needed an emergency pacemaker installed that night. The next day, before having a permanent one put in, the surgeon held her hand and prayed for her. She certainly felt the Lord’s presence through this experience and knew He helped her get the timely operation she needed. She says she is also thankful to Pastor Shawn and others at the church who prayed for her during that time.

Mardi Gras Picnic, Feb. 20 One Sunday in February the church (us, the community) took some time to revel in fun, food and fellowship outside on the lawn. The date was close enough to the season of Mardi Gras so we uncovered our beads, eye masks, and games to have a good time. Many people commented about the event “it was just what we needed.”

M I S S ION

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

Burma/Myanmar World Vision Pray for the ongoing civil war in Burma as the military government continues to battle with the civilian population who wants democratically elected leadership. Pray for the Roberts School, which remains closed due to the coup and Covid, and for the students whose educations are being delayed. Pray that Brang Ying and Ja Seng Brim would be able to safely return at the end of May so that they can help the school reopen in June. Finally, pray for their friend Badu, who was arrested and remains imprisoned for his role in opposing the coup.

Burkina Faso A coup in late January has resulted in the ouster of the elected president and the installation of a military officer as leader of this African nation. Many in the country felt that the prior president hadn’t done enough to battle corruption or Islamic jihadists, so there were some who felt that the military was acting on behalf of the people. But it is unclear how this will impact the way the country is treated by the rest of the international community and whether this will limit foreign aid. Pray that the military will quickly step aside and return power to civilian leadership. Pray for good leaders to arise who will serve with honor and true concern for others.

Venezula World Vision Pray for the ongoing economic crisis in Venezuela. Inflation was running over 2000% a year ago and is still running about 500% as of January 2022. At least one-third of Venezuelans are food insecure and need food relief. The medical system is short on staff and supplies, so once-rare diseases such as cholera, malaria, measles, and diphtheria have returned. Millions have fled, seeking a better life in another country. Pray for the relief to reach those who need it most, and for hope to shine into the darkness there.

UKRAINE As this newsletter is published Russia has invaded Ukraine. Please be in prayer for the people of that country who are now experiencing war. Pray that God would work a miracle in that place and restore peace and freedom there, and protect people from harm.

- Jonathan Peske If you have information to share about the persecuted church or news from the mission field, please share it with Jonathan Peske.

Global Servants

Update from Sarah Matos presented by Sarah Matos

Happy New Year! Thank you for faithful partnership in ministry! As we begin 2022, there are many exciting things happening in my life and ministry. My husband, Luis, and I have been enjoying life together in the midst of all the uncertainty that the pandemic has thrown at us. I am in my second year of Online/Open- seminary through Palmer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. I am in the Master of Divinity program as a fulltime student. My classes are truly relevant to my ministry. We were able to finally traveled to Bolivia in the Fall so Luis can experience first-hand Bolivian culture and ministry. While we were there I connected with ministry partners which was a wonderful change from seeing them on a screen to sitting across the table and sharing a meal together again. Overall, it was a great time of exploring mission together and getting Luis’ feet wet in international mission, culture, and Spanish! We spent time with partners at the House of Hope in Cochabamba and they took us to El Cristo statue that overlooks the city. Luis started taking Spanish classes online through the language school in Cochabamba which he continues back in WA. We hosted many House of Hope leader meetings with the pastors and medical volunteers during our stay. Visited many churches, ministry sites, and attended a youth camp for a day. I would ask for prayers as he continues his process with IM to be a Global Servant. This is an exciting time for us in our marriage as we prepare to serve God as a couple. Although my ministry continues to be done remotely, it has been very fulfilling. Recently, Barb Bolick (IM colleague/founder of Talita Cumi Girls Club) trained myself, other IM colleagues, and women representatives of all the seven Latin American countries who will pilot Talita Cumi Girls Club program in February 2022 in their respective countries. I participated as one of the trainers and led two workshops on the role of creativity and art within the curriculum. It was a great two weeks on Zoom. Barb invited me to be a part of the project as one of the creativity advisors and I contributed a few lessons into the curriculum as well. It has been an honor to be a part of this program initiative for underserved girls that will give them the tools they need to face the many challenges in their daily lives. It has been a joy to partner with the Bolivian Baptist churches and equip local women to have this tool for ministry. What it excites me most is I get to accompany two Bolivian women program directors as they serve as overseers and trainers to the local women mentors of each girls’ club because of your generous gifts to my ministry. Thank you, thank you! Peace, Sarah Matos

News HAPPY MARCH BIRTHDAYS TO...

WEDNESDAY Dinner MENU

Gwen Jones

Lillian Peske

Gregg Sneller

Ashley Hansen

March 2 – Lasagna, Veggies, and Garlic Bread; Brownie for dessert

Daniel Winter

Nolan Quient

Sydney Keierleber

Don Craw

June Copple

Aaron Zureick

Anne Hansen

Tom Kirkpatrick

Violet Allen

Daniel Reade

Angela Keierleber

Dorothy Somers

Sandy Carlson

Joseph Peske

Blane Harrington

Marion Jensen

Ellie Huynh

Shelby Pleiss

Sarah Whitley

Lily Applebee

Mary Wolfe

Wendy Peske

Nathan Jones

Shannon Pleiss

Mason Wolfe

Andrea Zureick

Christine Carpenter

Cheryl Sneller

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

March 9 – bbq Chicken, Baked Beans, and Veggies; Assorted Cookiesfor dessert March 16 - Scalloped Potatoes with Ham, Cabbage; Pistachio Cake for dessert March 23 - Chicken Fajitas, Black Beans, and Salad; Lemon Cake for dessert March 30 - Caleb’s Chicken, Rice Pilaf, and Veggies; Pineapple Upside Down Cake for dessert

For Your calendar The church family is invited to the celebration of Elise and Aidan Huynh’s birthdays. Picnic Lunch, Sunday, March 6, 2022. Come anytime from 11:30 to 3pm or later. Bring picnic blankets/lawn chairs to enjoy a wonderful outside celebration at our home with delicious Vietnamese food and great company. RSVP encouraged hiencommunity@gmail.com ~

In Memory

Mary Jane Auerbacher 7/20/29 to 12/11/21

Celebration of the Life of Herb Dominguez, Saturday, March 12, 11AM on Zoom. Meeting ID: 706 461 0130 (for those using landline phone, call 1-669-900-6833,,7064610130# or 1-253-215-8782,,7064610130#) ~ Memorial Service for Mary Jane Auerbacher, Saturday, March 19, 11AM at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2855 Sterling Ave., San Bernardino.

Pray for FBCR

1 Pray for Courage

Tuesday

Pray for Growing Churches

Pray for Patience

7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

6:30 p.m. Dinner

11:30 a.m. BYF

6:30 p.m. Corner Booth online 5:30 p.m. Gatherings

6:30 p.m. Corner Booth online

Pray for Equality

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

7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

6:30 p.m. Dinner

5:30 p.m. Gatherings

23 Pray for Self-Reflection 24

9 a.m. Sunday School Classes

29 Pray for families struggling in other countries

7 p.m. Executive Council online

22 Pray for Missionaries

6:30 p.m. Men’s Fellowship

17 Pray for Burma

6:30 p.m. Corner Booth online

10 Pray for Veterans

31 Pray for Myanmar

Pray for Burkina Faso

Pray for Empathy

6:30 p.m. Corner Booth online

Thursday

30 Pray for Neighbors

27 Pray for your Offenders 28 Pray for Guidance

11:30 a.m. BYF

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

9 a.m. Sunday School Classes

11:30 a.m. BYF

6:30 p.m. Dinner

10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed 7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

5:30 p.m. Gatherings

Pray for Humility

9 a.m. Sunday School Classes

Pray for Homeless Youth

Pray for the AV Team

7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

11:30 a.m. BYF

Pray for Food Relief

- Ash Wednesday -

7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

6:30 p.m. Dinner

Pray for Wednesday Gatherings

5:30 p.m. Gatherings

Wednesday

7 p.m. Commission Meetings 5:30 p.m. Gatherings

7 Pray for a Caring Heart 8 Pray for Venezula

Monday

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

9 a.m. Sunday School Classes

Sunday

MAR C H 2 0 2 2

Pray for College Students

25 Pray for Honesty

18 Pray for Refugees

4 Pray for those struggling with Mental Illness

Friday

Pray for Single Parents

Pray for Health

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

26 Pray for the Lost

11 a.m. Memorial Service for Mary Jane Auerbacher, St. Francis Episcopal Church, San Bernardino

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

19 Pray for Job Seekers

11 a.m. Celebration of Life of Herb Dominguez (Zoom)

9 a.m. Women’s Bible Study: “Spiritual Gifts”

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It

Saturday

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

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit No. 2111

Wednesday Nights at FBCR RETURN! New Schedule March 2 - April 13, 2022

5:30 PM – Chapel - “A Lenten Journey: Receiving the Glory” Facilitator: Pastor T. Joel Fairley, First Baptist Church of Claremont I’ve given them the glory that you gave me so that they can be one just as we are one. John 17:22 In this Lenten Journey, using John 17 and other scriptures as our guide, we will explore, through Prayer exercises, art and writing activities, how God through the Holy Spirit is speaking to us, and how His Glory in Christ is being manifested upon us, that we in turn might Glorify Jesus. 6:30 PM – Chapel – Dinner ($7 adults, $4 children – gluten-free and vegetarian options available) 7:15 PM – Choir Rehearsal