God Stuff Happening in Our Churches June 2014

God Stuff Happening In Our Churches – June 2014 RECAP OF ABC/VNH ANNUAL GATHERING The 25th annual gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire was held on May 2-3 at Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, Vermont. Over 200 people registered for the gathering, which by all accounts was a positive experience. Messages by Jim Murphy, Rady Roldan-Figueroa, and Dale Edwards were quite powerful and encouraging. Friday evening’s Mega Worship was an uplifting experience and enjoyed by all present. More than 140 people took part in the Table Conversations on Saturday. Participants chose from 9 topics dealing with various issue related to ministry and church life in our Region and spent two sessions discussing their topic. Feedback was quite positive. Summaries of each of the discussions will be posted online within the next month and will be available to churches. Information gained from the discussions will be used to help shape the future ministry of the Region. In business, two congregations were voted and welcomed into membership. Community Christian Fellow-ship of Plainfield, CT is affiliated with the Southern Association. Ms. Linda Hirtle is the pastor. Word of Life Church, Jolliette, Québec is affiliated with the Northwest Association. Mr. Oscar A. Wakenge is the pastor. Mr. Al Hall was reelected treasurer and Rev. David O’Brien, Rev. Steve Hammond and Rev. Ronald Bouthillette were elected to the Board of Trustees. Ms. Linda Hirtle was graduated from the Lay Ministry program and commissioned as a licensed lay minister. New pastors to the Region in the past year were recognized and prayed for. Pastors celebrating 5 year anniversaries of their ordinations were also recognized and prayed for. Prayer rooms with various prayer stations were set up and utilized during the gathering. Over $1,900 was received in the offerings. The amount was divided equally among the ABWM scholarship fund, Camp Sentinel’s camper scholarship fund, and the Region Minister’s emergency discretionary fund for churches. $136 was raised for Camp Sentinel’s scholarship fund through the book sale, and $65 for the Region Minister’s fuel fund through the sale of seeds and mugs. Proceeds from the sale of Gove Hill merchandise went into the general fund.

Attendees joined in singing our theme hymn, “Revive Us Rady Roldan-Figueroa (above), Jim Murphy (above right), and Again.” Dale Edwards brought inspiring messages. Jim also led in worship on Saturday morning.

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Dale Edwards commissioning Linda Hirtle Malcolm Hamblett & Dale Edwards Ben Hamblett talks with Steve Hammond as a licensed lay minister. conferring. about his Rock Johnson CDs.

Malcolm Hamblett, president of Ministers Council, Prayer stations were set up for Traci and Kevin Van Brunt and Dale prays for the new pastors in our Region. people to engage in personal Edwards ponder something deeply. prayer.

Worshiping was an important part of our time together.

Olga Tines and a team of musicians and singers, mainly from New Life Fellowship, along with some Annual Gathering participants, led us in a time of praise and worship on Friday evening.

Participants in the Table Conversations on Saturday found the conversations to be stimulating and informative. And who says Christians can’t have fun?

Thanks to Joy Choquette, Amanda Gross and Wayne Toutaint for all these great pictures of the Annual Gathering! For more pictures, go to our Facebook pages and like us: ABC Vermont & New Hampshire and 25 to Life. If you had your fun photo taken but don’t see it here, go to the 25 to Life Facebook page. You’ll find it there.

ORDINATION ANNIVERSARIES RECOGNIZED AT ANNUAL GATHERING On Friday, May 2, pastors celebrating five year anniversaries of their ordination were recognized during the ABC/VNH Annual Gathering. Congratulations to the following pastors for their years of service: 70 years – Rev. Richard Hardy, retired 60 years – Rev. Philip Anderson, Sr., retired; Rev. Harland Getts, retired; Rev. James Scott, retired 55 years – Rev. Lewis Flagg, retired; Rev. Robert Robertson, West Swanzey (NH) Community Church; Rev. M. Dean Roth, retired 50 years – Rev. John Cerrato, Jr., First Baptist Church, Manchester, NH; Rev. Kenneth Fiery, retired; Rev. David Garrecht, retired; Rev. Louis George, retired; Rev. David Lindsay, retired; Rev. James Marvin, retired, Rev. Vernon Stanley, retired

45 years – Rev. George Faul, retired; Rev. Gary Rolph, VA Medical Center, Manchester, NH 40 years – Rev. Bruce Bishop, retired; Rev. James R. Smith, So. Hampton (NH) Baptist Church 35 years – Rev. Richard Huntley, Jr., Crossroads Community Church, Bow, NH; Rev. David Wood, United Church of Lincoln, VT 30 years – Rev. Ronald Bouthillette, Bridge Community Church, Milford, NH 25 years – Rev. James Harrington, retired; Rev. Suellen Leugers, Plainfield (NH) Community Baptist Church; Rev. Mark Lowe, First Baptist Church, Hampton, NH; Rev. Deanna Swilling, First Baptist Church, Exeter, NH; Rev. Robert Wyand; United Church of Warner, NH 20 years – Rev. Byron Breese, United Church of Strafford, VT; Rev. Beverly Lindsey, Congregational Baptist Church, Chester, NH 15 years – Rev. John Meuhlke, Jr., Pemi Valley Church, Woodstock 10 years – Rev. Dr. Stephanie Allen, Memorial Baptist Church, Middlebury, VT 5 years – Revs. Chris and Kathleen Blackey, First Baptist Church, So. Londonderry, VT; Rev. Donna Gage Ordained in 2013 – Rev. Betsy Webber, Community Baptist Church, Milford, NH

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE For Missions American Baptist Women’s Ministries of VNH is continuing to collect the following items for missions: Campbell Soup labels, General Mills BoxTops for Education, beverage can flip tops, fronts of greeting cards, eye glasses, hearing aids, cancelled stamps, S&H Green Stamp books or other stamp books. For more information or to mail your items, please contact Mrs. Josephine Clark at 938 Shelburne Rd., Apt. 2, South Burlington, VT 05403 or 802-735-3455 or Mrs. Alys Martinson at 1 Luneau Court, Northfield, NH 03276.

This is what ABWM is doing with the donations they have received between September 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014:  372 pairs of eyeglasses and 20 hearing aids – they go around the world to the needy;  35 large boxes of card fronts – they are delivered to adult day care centers;  360,510 Campbell’s points and 2,110 BoxTops for Education – these are divided between Spring Brook and Rainbow Acres and are used to purchase many supplies for school;  48 large boxes of cancelled stamps – money from selling them goes to stamp out hunger and Brethren Home to purchase special walkers, defibrillators, special recliners, up-and-go walking systems, portable wheel chair oxygen bags, prime air overlay mattresses, wheel chair scales and donations to Samaritan’s Fund;  14 S&H Green Stamps books @ $3.00 each – this money helps the elderly who have run out of funds get much needed items;  3,510 pounds of flip tops – the money from them is divided between St. Jude’s and David’s House. Josephine Clark writes: Donations are way up! Keep saving for these missions. I love doing this.

CHURCH NEWS  Correction: In the May “God Stuff Happenings” the Second Baptist Church of Sanbornton was incorrectly identified as the Second Baptist Church of Gilmanton. It is the Second Baptist Church of Sanbornton that is putting a new foundation under their church.  Rev. Suellen Leugers is retiring as pastor of the Plainfield Community Baptist Church at the end of June after 24 years as their pastor. During her tenure she has also served the community as a library aide, substitute teacher and clerk at the post office. She will be moving to the seacoast area of New Hampshire.  First Baptist Church of South Londonderry, VT is excited to announce their Ground Breaking Ceremony for their new church building on June 8th at 3 p.m. It will be located at the site of the new building, 62 Crescent Street in South Londonderry, rain or shine. After the ceremony there will be refreshments at the Town Hall, just around the corner at 139 Middletown Road. Everyone is invited to join us for the ceremony and refreshments!

In August of 2010, the former church building was completely destroyed by a fire. This brick building stood on the hill for 176 years. While the congregation has mourned and reminisced over the loss of their building, the church is strong and growing. They are very excited to be starting construction on the new building this summer. While they are and always will be the First Baptist Church, they envision the building as a community church. It is designed as a place for group meetings, community meals, and events. They appreciate your prayers as they are trusting in God through this building project!  First Baptist Church of Burlington is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the installation of its organ this year with a series of three concerts scheduled for June 1, September 7 and November 2. At the June 1 concert (scheduled for 4 p.m.) Lynnette Combs will give a program inspired by Alexandre Guilmant, the French superstar, who played 40 consecutive recitals, by memory, without repeating a piece, at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. The organ, built by E. & G. G. Hook, the most important nineteenth-century organ building firm in New England, is the only unchanged nineteenth-century organ in Burlington. For more information contact the church office at -864-6515 or visit the church website, http://fbcburlingtonvt.com.  Rev. Karen Mendes was officially installed as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Burlington on May 4.  First Baptist Church, Rutland has called Jon and Patti Stratton as their new pastors, beginning in August. Patti is currently President of American Baptist Women’s Ministries/USA and is on the Journey Team that is coordinating the Transformed by the Spirit initiative in ABCUSA.  Rev. Beverly Lindsey is retiring as pastor of the Congregational Baptist Church of Chester, NH, at the end of June after 20 years as their pastor. She and her husband Charlie will be moving to Virginia.

7 | P a g e God Stuff Happening In Our Churches – June 2014 THE LAKES CHAPLAINCY [email protected] 10 Schoolhouse Road, Tuftonboro, NH 03816 (h) 603-515-0023 (c) 339-788-7837 May 2014 Dear Fellow ABC Colleagues, Beginning last September I began a new regional ministry. This is for the ill, disabled and elderly, their families and the staff who care for them. The name of this ministry has been registered with the state of NH as The Lakes Chaplaincy. It is funded by free-will donations. Currently, there are two supporting churches: First Baptist Church of Wolfeboro and First Congregational Church of Center Ossipee. Is there really a need? It turns out that New Hampshire has the fastest growing population of seniors, per capita, in the country, with Carroll County receiving the lion's share of those new residents. In fact, our Lakes Region is seeing the greatest number of seniors moving into NH. Carroll County's average age is 60 and it is estimated that all of New Hampshire will be a gray state within 20 years. As a semi-retired pastor who has served congregations of three denominations (ABC, UCC, WCA) in the Lakes Region, we've seen how the gathered Church has been losing its edge to engage, challenge and introduce our culture to Christ. How will the Word's invitation to find and follow Christ be shared? In the winter of 2002 I hit the black wall of burnout. As a direct result of our denomination's regional career assessment center in MA, I applied myself to learn new skills. From 2002 – 2004 I was a Clinical Pastoral Education intern for nine months at Brigham & Women's Hospital, followed by 15 months at New England Baptist Hospital – both in Boston, MA. I earned four units of CPE, qualifying me to serve any hospital and/or residential care facility in the United States. As the cost of health care continues to rise, nursing homes and hospitals are nixing paid chaplaincy staff. Those suffering from loneliness and disabling ill health in their elder years have an ever increasing need for their emotional and spiritual needs to be compassionately met. With the enthusiastic support of Mountainview Community Nursing Home of Carroll County's administration, I began serving as their volunteer chaplain last fall. I spend an average of 6 to 9 hours a week stepping into the lives of its 103 residents, their families and staff. I have since met with Volunteer Services at Wolfeboro's Huggins Hospital. On May 9th I began serving at Sugarhill Retirement Community, also in the same area. I continue to contact senior residential facilities on the rim of Lake Winnipesaukee offering spiritual support and raising up a team of gifted and trained individuals to serve the Lakes Region. Last fall I was formally endorsed by: Rev, David Lindsay, Carroll County Jail Chaplain in Ossipee & Chaplain for Wolfeboro Fire Department, Howard Chandler, Senior Administrator of Mountainview Community Thomas & Shelley Howland, Founders and Owners of Abundant Blessings Homecare in NH and ME Rev. Dale Edwards, Region Minister of The American Baptist Churches for VT and NH The Lakes Chaplaincy's vision is “restoring hope to the forgotten” and has two purposes: to share the love and hope of Christ and support ministerial colleagues in their desire to serve these forgotten people groups. I would welcome sitting down with you and/or your missions team, as well as speaking to your church about this largely over-looked local mission field in our backyards. Cordially, for God's Kingdom, John P. Babson, Chaplain

(Editor’s note: Rev. Dale Edwards has given permission to include this letter in this publication.)

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