"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die,
yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.
Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26
|
|
From the Executive Minister
I have a confession to make. For years when asked by churches about whether full-time or part-time ministry was the better option, my default position was - full-time.
A recent report of research funded by The BTS Center, a Maine-based think tank, challenges my assumptions. Visits to vital mainline churches that have transitioned from full-time to part-time clergy have revealed that the fears of decline were not always realized.
Nearly 40% of mainline Protestant churches had no full-time paid clergy in 2012. I would guess that this number will have grown closer to over 50% this year. Many of these churches show signs of vitality including growing Sunday attendance, expanding community outreach and stabilized church finances.
To read more, click
here.
|
April Prayer List
|
Week:
|
Church / Ministry:
|
|
April 2
|
Genesee Baptist Church
|
|
April 9
|
United Church of Granville
|
|
April 16
|
Greece Baptist Church
|
|
April 23
|
The Historic Parsells Church
|
|
April 30
|
University Baptist Church, Minneapolis
|
|
|
June 4 - 3 p.m.
Chili First Baptist Church
3182 Chili Avenue,
Rochester, NY
|
|
NOTE: Please reply to this email to submit your church story.
Our Church Story
Genesee Baptist Church
Genesee Baptist Church, the oldest religious organization in Southwest Rochester, traces its history back to 1845 when Colonel Otis Turner, a Baptist, started a Sunday School Class in his home. Over the years the church went through many locations and name changes. A frame church was eventually built on Genesee Street at Terrace Park, and in 1871 a group of members petitioned to form their own church. Genesee
 |
|
|
Liturgical Dance Ministry
|
Baptist Church was adopted as the church's new name in 1915. The building was moved to its present location on Brooks Avenue in 1922, where it became the west wing of the new structure.
With the opening of the new Rochester Theological Seminary in 1850, divinity students were persuaded to come and preach.
Click here to read more.
|
|
Bishop's Forum on Police-Community Relations
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
25 Westminster Road,
Rochester
Wed., Mar. 29 ~ 4:30 - 7 p.m.
How do you define diversity, and how should it be reflected in your police department? Which is preferable, quick response time or proactive patrol and citizen interaction? How do you suggest law enforcement agencies address bias in policing?
Join us to explore these questions and other pressing issues of our time. The chief presenters will be Deputy Chief of Police Wayne Harris and Rev. Lewis Stewart of United Christian Leadership Ministry. A simple dinner will be available. Click here to register.
|
Region Treasurer Needed
The region has a vacancy in the position of Treasurer due to the recent resignation of Jimmy Reader, who served in this role for the past two and a half years. We are thankful for his service and regret that his recent illness prevents him from continuing in this role.
The Treasurer need not be Rochester-based, as much of the work and reporting can be accomplished via the internet.
To learn more, click here.
|
Christian Education Director
UNITED CHURCH OF PITTSFORD
(American Baptist and United Methodist)
123 South Main St., Pittsford NY 14534
The Christian Education Director will work with the pastor and the Board of Christian Education to lead a program focused on outreach to families with children and youth.
For more information, click
here.
|
Volunteers Wanted!
The Fairport Baptist Homes Foundation
is looking for volunteers to join our Board of Directors!
- Term is for three years; board meets six times a year (January, March, June, July, September and November).
- Board members are asked to support the Foundation through a personal annual gift, and by participating in our fundraisers (breakfast in May, golf tournament in July, walk in September).
- Prior experience on a non-profit board is desirable, but not required.
- Meet other community-minded people, make a difference in your community, and help support an organization that has been serving this area's seniors since 1904!
If you'd like more information, please contact Kathleen Zastrow at the Foundation: 585-388-2322, or via email at
[email protected]
|
|
Did you know that without a
website or Facebook account you are invisible to most people?
|
|
National Leadership Team of AB Girls
Check out our newsletter!
...and see what our young authors are reporting.
The Key to Leadership Development in Girls
By Ngun Hlei Tial,
Promotions Coordinator
'God's Incredible Love For You' Devotional
By Meghan Cubbison,
Convenor
|
For more information, call (585) 340-9643
|
|
Life Stories
~ presented by ~
Dr. Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
Sat., Apr. 1 ~ 9:30, 3:00
Please join a discussion on life stories with Dr. Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman. They will discuss women in Islam, family life, the Quran, Shariah, and the Shia-Sunni divide.
For more information on the two presentations, click here.
|
|
The Parish Paper - April
2017
Small Is Big Again: Reclaiming Small Church Ministry
Although megachurches garner a great deal of attention, these supersized congregations comprise only a small fraction of all worshiping communities in the U.S. The current estimate is that only about 1,650 megachurches (worship attendance exceeds 2,000) dot the landscape out of a total 330,000 congregations across America. In fact, most churches are small: two out of three Protestant churches attract less than 100 worshipers in a typical week. Some scholars predicted that megachurches would essentially put small churches out of business. But the percentage of large churches as part of all churches is growing slowly while the number of small churches has remained stable. While the church's larger mission continues to be carried out by many small worshiping communities, small churches may get locked into self-criticism. However, more congregations are embracing the strengths associated with their small size. As one congregation proclaims: "We're not just any small church. We're the small church that's here!"1
|
Friends of the Region Donors
Doris Kerber, Friend Level
|
Biennial Mission Summit
Our theme is "Connect!"
Portland, Oregon
June 30-July 2
Click here for complete details
.
The deadline for registration is
June 15, 2017.
|
|
Greece Baptist Church
1230 Long Pond Road, Greece
On the first Tuesday of each month, we offer an hour of respite where you can relax in a non-threatening environment and experience a little release from stress. Two music therapists from Alice's Encore facilitate the hour, using music to help us get in touch with our feelings, and share them in a nurturing atmosphere.
There is no charge, but donations are accepted.
|
To submit items for our weekly email blasts or our monthly newsletter, please send them no later than the Tuesday before publication.
|
|
Place article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.
|
|
