2022 November Tapestry

TAPESTRY

Nov 2022 Issue No.11

Woven Together In Love: Colossians 2:2

Our Money Story

A Message from Pastor Shawn

I suspect that all of us are conscious about money to some degree every day. Whether it is noticing the price of gas, wondering about inflation, or thinking about the bills we need to pay, we think about money often. Yet, somehow it is considered “impolite” to talk about money. But, as we have noticed a few times these past couple of months, Jesus talked about money. When something influences how we live our lives as much as money does, we probably need to talk about it in the context of our relationship to God.

And so, we are.

Beginning the last week of October and going until the Sunday before Thanksgiving we are considering “our money story.” We all have a money story. Often it is rooted in how we were raised or experiences with wealth or poverty or something in between as we have lived our lives. Our church has a money story as well. We have traditions about how we spend money as a church. Some give to the church a percentage of what they make each month. Others give to the church when they think about it. Others give to the church based on what they like or don’t like about the church or its program.

We are using the word “money,” even though it makes us uncomfortable. We often like to use other words like “stewardship” or “resources” or even “wealth” (because no matter how much each of us has we don’t think of ourselves as “wealthy”). So, this season before Thanksgiving we are going be encouraged to transform our practices with money into more full expressions of who we are and what we believe. Our “money story” is a spiritual story and so we will be invited to remember, release, reimagine, and restore those stories so that we can live into the story that God is calling us into.

It is tempting to not let you know that we are talking about money, in case you decide that you have “something else to do” this month. But I am going to take a chance that maybe you are ready to discuss money in church, since we seem to be talking and thinking about it everywhere else. Be brave! It could even be fun!

Grace and peace in Christ, Pastor Shawn

1 A Message from Pastor Shawn: “Our Money Story”

2 Staff and Contents

MINISTRY

3 Welcome to our new Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Community Life!

4 Rhiannon Fisher: “Fall into Fall with FBCR Youth”

FELLOWSHIP

6 Tom Herron and Kay Kallander: “Youth Hope Builds a Better World Through Gregory Legacy Grants”

STAFF

Rev. Dr. Shawn Zambrows Senior Pastor

Glenn Molina

Associate Pastor of Arts in Worship and Community Life

Abby Kishimoto Interim Director of Children’s Ministries

Sally Rehfeldt Organist

Angel Florence Office Administrator

Isa Terrell Communications Specialist

Stephen Stark Senior Maintenance Custodian

MISSION 10 Church News

9 Worldwide Prayer Concerns: Afghanistan, Hungary, Puerto Rico

NEWS

11 November 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.

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.

Spiritual Formation and Community Life!

We are excited to announce that Sara Swift Tharpe has accepted out invitation to become our new Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Community Life. She comes to us with extensive experience and education in the area of spiritual formation of children, youth and adults as well as counselling and chaplaincy. She has grown up a Baptist but in recent years has been serving in a United Methodist church. She is looking forward to returning to her “Baptist roots.”

Originally from California, Pastor Sara has lived in the East and in the Midwest. She is married with three children.

She will begin on Sunday, November 13.

Welcome to our new Associate Pastor of

Photo: Sara Swift Tharpe with husband, Brad, and children: Jonah (17), Eli (15), and Lilla (11) )

Falling into Fall with the FBCR Youth

by Rhiannon Fisher

Hello everyone and happy autumn! I have been so blessed to be working with our youth as their interim director for the last few weeks. I’m so happy to see how our program has persisted through the pandemic and continues to grow.

My goals for my time as interim director is to plan events where the youth can connect with each other and grow in fellowship and community, something that I believe is so important to reestablish after so much time apart. Right now we are planning a Christmas lock-in as well as Winter Camp for the beginning of 2023. We have been having BYF every Sunday afternoon from 12-2 pm where our youth are eating and hanging out together.

We have been doing a few fun Halloween/Fall themed activities, and will soon be participating in the church-wide Mandala project, Our Money Story. We are always looking for volunteers to help with BYF, so if you’re interested please feel free to contact me!

The youth group at FBCR has always been very special to me. I grew up in our children’s and youth’s programs and have gained so much from having such a solid church community, even seven years after I graduated high school. I hope that I can provide even a fraction of that for these youth who I’ve had the privilege of watching grow up, most since they were born, and even babysitting or watching  in the nursery and toddler room. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to work with them, even for a short time.

If you have any questions or want to volunteer please don’t hesitate to reach out, either by text (909) 677-7076 or email: rhiannon.fish1997@gmail.com.

Blessings, Rhiannon Fisher

The youth with their toilet paper scarecrows, Frosty the SnowCrow,

Maja Whitley, Elise Huynh, Aidan Huynh, Joseph Peske, Robert Carpenter as mummies

Joseph Peske, Maja Whitley, Natalie Olsen, Lillian Peske, Robert Carpenter as corpse brides

Vincent Van Crow, and Daniel the Second

Youth Hope Builds a Better World Through Gregory Legacy Grants

by Tom Herron and Kay Kallander

At the height of the pandemic, Youth Hope was the recipient of two targeted grants from the First Baptist Church’s Gregory Legacy Grants. The first one, in the amount of $2,000, awarded by the FBCR Diaconate Commission, allowed Youth Hope to make significant upgrades to their technology lab, providing an important resource to youth seeking assistance with earning job specific certifications and to seek meaningful and fulfilling employment. The second one, $15,000 awarded by the Gregory Legacy Grant Committee, was used to purchase a reliable vehicle to be used by Youth Hope’s Case Management Program.

These grants are just two of many examples of how FBCR utilized this extraordinary blessing to improve the health, education, and economic security for our community. The resourcefulness and strong support base that Youth Hope has in our community makes it possible for these two grants to have lasting impact for many years to come.

Working with Toyota of Redlands, Youth Hope was able to purchase a well maintained, reliable nearly new 2021 Toyota Camry at significantly below market value. This car is now used daily to take youth to medical and counseling appointments, to connect with housing opportunities, to enroll in educational programs and to attend job interviews. Access to reliable transportation is a major obstacle youth face when working to improve their lives. This car has significantly increased equity and access to help these often overlooked youth effectively overcome health, education and economic insecurity. While there are countless youth that have and will continue to be served by this vehicle, Judy Bierma, a case manager at Youth Hope sums up the impact this vehicle has:

“Transportation has made it possible for many more youth to move forward in education and long-term career opportunities. The improvement in their self-esteem is absolutely amazing.”

Gregory Gifts

Another obstacle at-risk youth in our community face is access to basic education opportunities to help them obtain entry level employment positions. Youth Hope used the $2,000 Gregory Grant to address this need by making needed equipment improvements to their on-site computer lab. This computer lab provides youth with a quiet and safe location to complete required employment certifications (such as a food handler permit) or work on skills needed to pass the GED in a supportive and monitored environment. Additionally, by providing a location that is conducive for this needed technology access, at-risk and homeless youth can be effectively reached by Youth Hope volunteers and staff to connect them with counseling, nutrition, and career services, to name a few.

About Youth Hope:

Youth Hope’s mission is to build confidence and promote self-sufficiency for homeless, runaway, trafficked and at-risk youth, ages 14-24, by providing trust, hope, support, and education. Youth Hope was established to provide a support system for our youth in a safe and caring environment so that they may grow to be healthy, self-sustaining adults who become productive members of their community. Youth Hope provides services through the following four core programs: Continued Education and Job Training, Medical and Counseling Services, Food and Clothing Closet, and Housing.

The First Baptist Church of Redlands is proud of our ongoing partnership with Youth Hope. You can learn more about their organization and ways you can help at www. youthhope.org of by calling Youth Hope at (909)793-2345

Agape Dinner

Wednesday, November 16

5:30pm Fellowship Hall

Let us gather as church family and friends to celebrate God’s goodness and love in our lives.

~

Would you like to help out with decorations, preparation and setup, welcoming and serving, clean up? Contact Wendy Peske.

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

AFGHAnisTAn

International Christian Concerns

International Christian Concern reported the recent release of a video showing members of the Taliban beheading of a Christian man. As the Taliban has regained power, it has increased persecution of those who don’t agree with them, including Christians. Pray for the people of Afghanistan to be delivered from the oppression of the Taliban regime. Pray also that food would make it to the millions of Afghans who are facing acute hunger.

HunGARY

International Ministries

Pray for Becky and Larry Stanton who are serving in Hungary. Becky teaches elementary school and Larry helps Serbian Baptist churches who minister to Balkan refugees. They have three daughters who are studying in school alongside their Hungarian counterparts. Their oldest daughter is at a boarding school in Budapest and likes life in Hungary so much that she told her mom that she would want to stay there, even if her parents had to leave Hungary. Pray for Becky’s first grade students; for the work Larry is doing with the churches; and for the ministry in Hungary. Becky and Larry also ask for prayers for all affected by the ongoing war with Ukraine, as Hungary’s eastern border is shared with Ukraine’s western edge.

PueRTo RiCo

Pray for aid and supplies to make it to the areas in Puerto Rico that were hit hard by Hurricane Fiona back in September. Even a month after the storm, some remained without electricity and there were roads that remained washed out. Thankfully, many of the areas that support tourism emerged relatively unscathed, so that economic engine will be able to help fund the rebuilding process. Pray for our Baptist brothers and sisters on the island as they minister to their neighbors through the rebuilding process.

- Jonathan Peske

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

2 Mitchell Carpenter 3 Jennifer Winter 4 Hanna Parks 5 Patty Craw 5 Debbie Troxel 5 Katherine Yocum 7 Robert Best 11 Caitlynn Brown 11 Ethan Brown 11 Paul Hansen 13 Olivia Miller

R

RTHDAYs T

14 Jared Sumners 16 Jesica Jones 19 Scott Medlin 19 Keith Niss 19 Eve Tompkins-Fisher 21 Melissa Miller 21 Teri Ferris Ullon 26 Wilt Kishimoto 27 Lindsay Roderick 30 Shawn Zambrows

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

Wednesday Dinner Menu

November 2 – Taco Bar with Assorted Desserts.

November 9 – Tamale Pie and Veggies; Cinnamon Rolls for dessert.

November 16 – Agape Dinner

November 23 – No Wednesday Dinner

November 30 – Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies; Brownies for dessert.

Family service opportunities

• We are hosting an all Day Fall Food Drive on November 12th, 8AM - 5PM Lots of volunteers are needed all day long (however long volunteers can commit) to sort food.

observe Baptist Women’s Day of Prayer

Monday, November 7, 2022, 10AM

Prayer with and for our sisters around the world.

Plymouth Village Lodge 945 Salem Dr Redlands

• Holiday Food Box Giveaways will be November 22nd and December 20th, 9AM - Noon both days. Please contact if you would like to be involved. PLEASE NOTE: Preparation takes place the day before.

For more information: Leah Rios - Volunteer Coordinator leah@redlandsfamilyservice.org Office: 909-793-2673 x106

a.m. Walking for the Health of It

Pray for Women in Leadership

Pray for Developing Countries s aturday

Pray for Elderly Parents

Pray for Ukraine

Give Thanks

7 a.m. Walking for the Health of It 8 am-5 pm Volunteer at Family Service Food Drive 7 p.m. Executive Council 7 p.m. Commission Meetings

Pray for the Oppressed Friday

6:30 p.m. The Corner Booth on Zoom 6:30 p.m. The Corner Booth on Zoom 6:30 p.m. The Corner Booth on Zoom Monday

9:00 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed 11:45 am BYF

Pray for At-Risk Youth

5:30 p.m. Gatherings 6:30 p.m. Dinner 7:15 p.m. Choir Practice Young Adult Gathering 5:30 p.m. Gatherings 6:30 p.m. Dinner 7:15 p.m. Choir Practice Young Adult Gathering

Pray for Gratefulness

Pray for Puerto Rico

Pray for Safe Travel

Pray for Perfect Peace Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

9:00 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed 3:00 pm Joint Anniversary Celebration with 2nd Baptist Church 9:00 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed (No BYF) 9:00 a.m. Sunday School Classes 10:15 a.m. Worship in-person: Sanctuary and Livestreamed (No BYF)First Sunday of Advent -

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

Celebrating 135 Years of Ministry in Redlands

A Service of Celebration and Praise Sunday, November 13, 3:00 PM

We will be hosting a Worship Service celebrating the 130th Anniversary of The Village/Second Baptist Church and the 135th Anniversary of the First Baptist Church. We have been partners for all those years, as The Village was born out of FBCR. Come for a time of Celebration and Praise to God as well as wonderful fellowship together as we look to many more years of partnership in ministry in Redlands.