The Fount
fall 2023
Volume 10
The Fount fall edition
CONTENTS
SOUTH MAIN SUMMER MUSICAL SEUSSICAL™ THE MUSICAL
ANNIVERSARIES
WE LOVE TO CELEBRATE AT SOUTH MAIN
MINISTER ANNIVERSARIES IN 2023
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN COLLIQUE, PERU
NT WRIGHT AT SOUTH MAIN
FAMILY MINISTRY SUMMER TRIPS
HENRY HILL MEMORIAL SHOE DRIVE
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MIDTOWN?
THE 527 TRIBE BE OKLAHOMA A TRIP YOUTH PUERTO RICO CO TRIP MAINKIDS WDS CLUB CAMP KNOW MORE CLARENCE AND CONNIE BELL
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P PHOTO CREDITS LLauren Benesh SSuzann Herrmann Nathan Moeller N
WE LOVE TO CELEBRATE AT SOUTH MAIN BY SUSAN MOORE EXECUTIVE MINISTER
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e love to find ways to celebrate at South Main Baptist Church… we celebrate people, connections, and events in ways that remind us to be grateful to God for His people and the blessings He provides. While not all days feel celebratory, when they come around, celebrations help us focus on being joyful and how valuable our relationships are. Recently we marked several significant ministerial anniversaries (more on that later in this issue). Your love and support of our staff is incredibly special. Many thanks! Speaking of things to celebrate, don’t miss Pastor Steve’s recap of the NT Wright Conference held at South Main, a conversation with longtime children’s Sunday School teachers, Clarence and Connie Bell, the return of the South Main Summer Musical, and more in this fall issue of The Fount.
SMBC MINISTRY TEAM Steve Wells Pastor steve@smbc.org Susan Moore Executive Minister susan@smbc.org Amy Brown Minister to Youth amy@smbc.org Alyssa Carter Minister to Youth alyssa@smbc.org Adam Cogliano Minister for Music and Worship adam@smbc.org
Greg Funderburk Minister for Pastoral Care greg@smbc.org J Hill Minister for Missions j@smbc.org Brad Jernberg Minister for Administration brad@smbc.org Dolores Rader Minister to Families dolores@smbc.org Matt Walton Minister for Discipleship matt@smbc.org
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NT WRIGHT AT SOUTH MAIN BY STEVE WELLS PASTOR His PhD is from Merton College, Oxford in Pauline studies. Though his dissertation was on Paul (focused on Romans), Tom’s work was really in the history of the Middle East from 200 BC to AD 200. His career has moved back and forth between posts in the Church of England, including Bishop of Durham from 2003–2010, and posts in prestigious universities. All this is to say that Tom is a world-class scholar who loves the Lord and who loves the Church. What makes Tom a big deal on the academic scene is that he changed the way we read the New Testament. Remember, his writing on Paul draws from his historical knowledge about the early church. From that historical base, Tom realized that after the Enlightenment, the western Church began asking 15th century questions of 1st century texts. Then, having asked questions the text was not designed to answer,
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ho is Tom Wright? Why is he such a big deal? How did South Main wind up hosting him for a conference? I’m glad you asked. Tom Wright is the premier New Testament scholar in the world. (If he made that claim it would portray a profound lack of humility, and he is indeed a humble man. But I can say it.) Tom grew up in a devoted Christian family, all active in their local Anglican church in Morpeth, Northumberland, England. He did his undergraduate studies at Exeter College at the University of Oxford. His seminary work was at Wycliffe Hall, also at the University of Oxford.
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the Church blamed the texts for not answering those questions. Tom helped scholars (and pastors) see the questions 1st century Jews were asking so we can read the New Testament in light of those questions. If that sounds abstract, think of it this way: the Gospel is often portrayed in our time as a vehicle for getting out of a bad world. “When I die, I will get to go to heaven.” But Israel was not trying to get out of a bad world, instead out of a bad place in the world. “God, come to us and rescue us!” Israel was waiting for God to keep His Promise to Abram to redeem the world; Israel was waiting for God to keep His promises to the prophets — not that they would get out — but that God would come in and dwell with them. The prophets call for God’s judgment sounds different when you know Israel
had been done wrong. They wanted God to come judge their oppressors so the wrongs in the world (the wrongs against them) would be set right. Turns out we want that too. Tom helped us see the “this-worldly” call of the Gospel for disciples of Jesus to partner with God in renewing the creation in anticipation of the bodily return of Jesus. We are like a colony of heaven on earth. Our task is to make earth as much like heaven as possible. (Sounds like a prayer we know.) Then, when we die, we go to be with Jesus until the great resurrection when we will be given resurrection bodies and dwell with God on earth forever. If that sounds different than what you learned as a child, it probably is. And if it sounds like what you read in the Bible, thank Tom for reminding us.
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Truett Seminary (thank you, Dean Todd Still) invited us to host Tom last June as he taught through the Acts of the Apostles. Nearly 500 ministers from across the country and from multiple countries gathered each day in our Sanctuary to hear Tom teach. In addition to folks from across the country and around the world, many of our Sunday School teachers attended as well. (Don’t be surprised if your Sunday School class studies Acts in the next year.)
Tom helped scholars (and pastors) see the questions 1st century Jews were asking so we can read the New Testament in light of those questions.
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For me, this conference was the joyful intersection of two deep desires of my heart. I’ve been trying to get Tom to South Main for 20 years. I want the best and brightest minds and hearts to help shape our fellowship, and no one is better or brighter than Tom. Second, I want our church to be a resource and a blessing to the Church. We are stewards of great beauty and incredible opportunity, and I want us to share both gladly. It was a great week. And I am praying it was not a one-off. Will you join me in that prayer?
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KNOW MORE CLARENCE AND CONNIE BELL How did you two meet? One of Connie's coworkers set us up on a blind date. How did you end up at South Main? Clarence had been watching Sunday services on TV then went in person with a coworker. When we started dating, Connie decided to visit with him, and we joined in the fall of 1977. We were married in Westmoreland Chapel in March of 1978. Describe SMBC when you joined. We found it to be welcoming, accepting, caring, encouraging, inspirational to heart and mind... same as today. How long have you been serving as Sunday school teachers at South Main? We have served in the children's area for 37 years. We've been inspired by others like Mary Lucille Stroud who served for over 50 years and Charis Smith who has been teaching at South Main for 60 years and is still going strong. What led you to working with kids? To both of us, working with children seemed to be an ideal opportunity to serve the Lord's kingdom... and we just like having fun. What has brought you the most joy working with kids? Our hearts fill with joy when we see former students who are now leaders in our church and other churches. Also when children ask in-depth questions and then, in discussion, help develop Bible-based answers. Just seeing the kids have fun while learning about God!
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What has been one of the most challenging experiences, and how did you get through it? Observing students and their families face life challenges even to the point of passing from this life early, albeit to a better place. Covid, of course, brought challenges trying to stay connected to students via zoom. In all things, prayer and fellowship with others helps us get through life's challenges. How have kids changed since you first began working with them? The world has changed so much especially in the area of technology. This really changes what kids are exposed to now, but kids have not really changed. They still need love, guidance, and to learn about God's love for them. Every year we say, "This is a great group of kids!," and it's true every year. How has South Main changed since you first joined? South Main has embraced a larger role for women in all areas of church life. What three things have you discovered that are most important in life? 1. Ask for then listen for God's guidance in all things. 2. Listen and think, then talk. Every thought that pops into the mind does not need to immediately tumble out of the mouth (or the keyboard). 3. Kindness and calm can be mighty bridges. What is the best wisdom you have to share with your church family? As a church family let's continue to strive to live the Golden Rule. And by God's grace to do it better every day.
I’ve known and loved the Bells for most of my life. So when I got an opportunity to work alongside them week after week it felt like the whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherry on top! Connie and Clarence Bell taught me, and my giant class, 4th grade Sunday School. They were never without a smile or kind word to share each week. Clarence spoke with such gentleness and guided us through the Bible, asking questions and facilitating discussions. Connie made sure everyone was included and got a chance to read or speak. Two decades later, they are the same gentle, inclusive, loving, and faithful teachers. They continue to bless generations of children to know they are loved at South Main and loved by God. — Amanda Villaseñor
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MINISTER ANNIVERSARIES IN 2023 5 YEARS Matt Walton Minister for Discipleship
10 YEARS Dolores Rader Minister to Families .
20 YEARS Steve Wells Pastor
25 YEARS Susan Moore Executive Minister
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FAMILY MINISTRY SUMMER TRIPS BY AMY BROWN MINISTER TO YOUTH The 527 Tribe spent 5 days in Oklahoma serving a Native American reservation through creating a community garden and the beautification of their churches.
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s a church, we get to lean in with empathy and gently point each other to Jesus’ love and belonging with God’s people. One of the most transformative spaces to experience this deep and authentic connection is on a trip, specifically a mission trip. We experience disorienting dilemmas together, those things that disrupt our underlying assumptions on how the world works. These moments when we stop and think are invaluable in the formation of a young person’s faith and identity. It’s here they begin to ask questions and dig a little deeper. In June, the Family Ministry immersed themselves in sharing the Good News. off Jesus. o J us Jesu us
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THE 527 TRIBE OKLAHOMA TRIP SERVING WITH THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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YOUTH PUERTO RICO TRIP SHARING WITH THE COMMUNITY
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The Youth spent six days in Puerto Rico sharing with those who have experienced the tragedy of hurricanes and engaging children from the community.
MAINKIDS WDS CLUB CAMP FORMING FAITH AND FRIENDS
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HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN COLLIQUE, PERU PARTNERING WITH OPERACIÓN SAN ANDRÉS
The rising high school senior class spent six days in Collique, Peru, partnering with Operación San Andrés to care for children and beginning their capstone year in the Family Ministry with discovering God’s unique call in their lives. The shared experiences of serving, playing, reading, and laughing help create a sense of belonging and connection that is lasting and authentic. Our time was full of sweat and uncovering the path God has for us while learning to see all for who they are, ways to advocate for others, and look one another in the eyes. The call to share Good News continues as we invite everyone to be a part of the Family of God!
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MAINKIDS ATMEMORIAL HENRY HILL GREATDRIVE WOLF LODGE SHOE
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ince 1999, Buckner International, a Christian charitable organization based in Dallas, has worked to address the problem of children without proper shoes through Shoes for Orphan Souls. That November, a group that included South Main members Henry and Maggie Hill traveled with Buckner to serve at Russian orphanages. “There were so many needs, but when we came home, we just thought, ’That’s something we could do something about.’” Maggie Hill said. Henry Hill came home from that trip with a burning desire to involve others in making sure children could go to school and have what most of us would just take for granted. The following year, the Hills and other South Main members started collecting shoes, one pair at a time. While Henry Hill passed away in 2016, his legacy of protecting children’s feet and showing them love continues. “This really sprang from his mind and his heart. That’s another kind of lesson in this, if somebody has a vision and they have the will to do it, they can really transform lives,” Greg Funderburk said. “Henry just had that vision, and 24 years later, we’re still making an impact."
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By Damon Ankenman I have been coordinating the shoe drive ever since I retired in 2013. Over these past 21 years our church has provided Buckner International with almost 200,000 pairs of shoes that are distributed by them to needy children in orphanages around the world. Upon the conclusion of Henry Hill’s memorial service both Pastor Steve Wells and Henry’s wife Maggie asked if I would be willing to take over the shoe drive. I was totally caught off guard but humbled by their thinking I could handle such a project. I knew from working with Henry the enormous responsibility and work it required to manage this project each year. After thoughtful prayer and consideration, I asked several persons I knew who regularly worked on the shoe drive each year if they would be willing to serve on a shoe drive committee with me. Each one of those people said yes, which gave me the confidence to tell Steve and Maggie that together we could continue this worthwhile mission project that touches so many lives. By J Hill Isn’t it wonderful when you discover a new, meaningful opportunity right under your nose? That happened this year as we prepared for the Henry Hill Memorial Shoe Drive. We started with the knowledge that there are kids all over the world with no parent to provide basic necessities like shoes. At South Main we know how to collect shoes, and we have partners that can get them where they need to be. That’s where the new opportunity has made itself evident. As each pair of shoes makes its trip around the world, it goes with a companion, a simple, handwritten note of encouragement, placed in the shoe as it begins its trek to a needy child. As you can imagine, children outgrow shoes. What they don’t outgrow is love and encouragement. The notes that travel with the shoes are kept long after the shoes no longer fit and the soles are worn through. To that end, we have shifted where we concentrate our shoe drive energy. We realized the process no longer dictates that we unpack and repack shoes, so we transferred the energy previously lovingly poured into shoe packing into writing simple notes, conveying the Hope that Christ brings by way of something lasting and durable. Handwritten by South Main members these notes will find their way into the lives of needy children around the world and will be a lasting, tangible sign of God’s love and encouragement for many years to come.
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SOUTH MAIN SUMMER MUSICAL SEUSSICAL™ THE MUSICAL BY ADAM COGLIANO MINISTER FOR MUSIC AND WORSHIP First, the South Main Summer Musical serves as outreach to our community. It is a way for our community to get to know us in a manner unrelated to our typical Sunday morning worship services. Second, the South Main Summer Musical serves as what is perhaps the clearest picture of intergenerational relationship-building and memory-making that we as a church have. From the youngest in our cast and crew to the eldest, the rehearsal process brings people together towards a common goal, and over the years, relationships have grown and developed in amazing ways. Ultimately, the South Main Summer Musical has become a marker of South Main’s identity, and I am grateful to play a small part in it.
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efore even coming to South Main, I had heard several stories about the South Main Summer Musical—its beginnings in Bach to Broadway, its rich tradition of committed volunteers and participants, and its hiatus since 2018. The musical is a large undertaking as it takes a great amount of time and resources for our church, but after a number of conversations, it quickly became clear that it was time for the South Main Summer Musical to return. These conversations drew me towards the musical’s two primary purposes.
By Kathy Bernal, Deacon Chair Multigenerational magic is my favorite way to explain what occurs during a South Main Summer Musical. Members of all ages spend countless hours together building sets, practicing music, blocking scenes, and memorizing lines. We do this with the common goal of creating theater that entertains the audience. Yet with every production a deeper and more meaningful result occurs… we become a family. A family who sings, dances, laughs, eats, and prays in a uniquely bonding setting unlike any other at South Main. The summer musical affords us the special opportunity to spend quality time together, h learning about each other, supporting each
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other and forging relationships that might not exist but for the experience. It all culminates with sharing the excitement and pure joy of performing our theatrical creation together for you. It’s simply magical. By Michael Raimer-Goodman A few short years together is what we get to make memories that last… memories that may sustain our kids when they leave home, maybe struggling in some way, and wondering if they have ever been truly loved and celebrated; memories that warm with delight and joy when the floods of life come. Our family participated in the musical to deepen the echoing sense of love, joy, and togetherness the kids take with them when they leave home, and to enjoy each moment along the way. By Sharna Shirl When former HBU music teacher Colleen Mallette hatched the idea of “Bach to Broadway” (with assistance from Thomas Coker) in the summer of 1988, little did she know it would take on a life of its own. From its humble
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beginnings on that 8X8 foot square in the middle of Fellowship Hall, it has bloomed into fully choreographed, full-length productions with ten-piece orchestras and professional lighting, costumes, and sound. It was created as an opportunity for her vocal students to perform their classical pieces. Then, for fun, there was a second half with Broadway songs always concluding with a featured musical (Fiddler on the Roof, the first year). Desserts were served by costumed actors during the intermission between the Bach half and Broadway half. By the way, South Mainer Pat Hardesty was one of her students and has been in every summer musical! Colleen directed the shows the first four years before moving to Fort Worth. Not wanting to let this wonderful multi-generational event die, Thomas Coker and
John McCoy convinced me that I should take on directing duties. I was eager to give it a shot! We brought back Colleen the first year for continuity and performed the featured musical The Music Man with Colleen playing Marian the Librarian. I directed three more years of Bach to Broadways with this format, before moving to the musical-only format we have today (at the urging of Phill Martin to avoid legal trouble). The first big change was expanding from two to three performances. Then an even bigger transition occurred when we made the move to the gym in 2001.
Starting with platforms up against the west wall, we performed Crazy For You and Fiddler on the Roof again (this time the full show) before moving to the south end for Hello, Dolly! When the old stage was finally cleared on the north side of the gym, we were able to create musicals that seemed more like a “real theater.” Highlights from those years were The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, South Pacific, and The Wizard of Oz. It also saw the welcome addition of Lynda McKnight as another director to begin alternating directing responsibilities. With the exception of 1998 (The Jimmy Carter Work Project), 2006 (King David), and 2012 (Thomas’ retirement from 50 years of ministry), musicals were a part SMBC’s summers. Then came Carey Cannon and, after a summer choir tour in 2013, musicals came back to South Main in the form of Oklahoma with Lynda directing. In 2016 we got the great opportunity to utilize the MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston) with comfortable seating and a bigger stage! With Mary Poppins and Hello, Dolly!, we stepped up our game and were prepared to tackle a new show in 2020, but… then a pandemic struck. Carey was called to a different church, and now Adam Cogliano has taken on a new generation of musical lovers. It has been a 35-year journey, but the friends we have met along the way are what keeps people coming back to be a part of bringing these musical stories to the entire church congregation and beyond.
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WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MIDTOWN? BY JENNIFER GRIBBLE COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR Here are some of the exciting projects that are going to impact our surrounding community in the years to come: North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP): The reconstruction of I-45 on the north end of Midtown Houston will mean that the Pierce Elevated will no longer be needed. This will drastically change the transition from Midtown to Downtown. METRO Rapid University Corridor Project consists of 25.3 miles of Bus Rapid Transit service, dedicated, transit-only lanes to move through traffic, also called “Rail on Rubber.” This will include a major redesign of the Wheeler Transit Center with a “cap park” nearby.
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erving as South Main’s Community Outreach Director this year has been an enlightening experience. One of my goals is to be a representative of South Main Baptist Church within our immediate neighborhood in Midtown Houston. Attending meetings for City Council, METRO, Midtown Management District, Midtown TIRZ, and Midtown Super Neighborhood has enabled us to learn more about projects that will impact South Main as we dream forward into our campus master plan.
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Ion District’s continued development of land adjacent to South Main Baptist Church: Construction on the Ion parking garage is now complete and new construction is coming soon. Midtown Management District/Midtown TIRZ: The management district is in the process of creating their 10-year Service Improvement Plan and South Main is working to collaborate with them through the process.
4100 MAIN STREET, HOUSTON, Tx 77002 (713) 529-4167 • SMBC.ORG DR. STEVE WELLS, PASTOR
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