A Note from Pastor Jim

"Looking to the Future"

Some, if not all of you, are asking the question, "Where do we go from here?" I believe the word is FAITH! it is time to exercise our faith in our Lord. It would appear that God is asking us to TRUST Him to do what He has promised to do.

As I thought what I might share with you, Proverbs 3:5-6 came to me. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your understanding: in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." If we are able to really Praise our Lord we must exercise trust in Him which requires that we believe Him and His ability to do as He has promised. Take a moment to read the whole chapter Proverbs 3 which teaches us the principles of being wise in a crumbling world.

Though there are many other Scriptures I could reference , I want to leave you with Phillippians 1:3-6. "I thank my God every time I remember you. In my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS, THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL CARRY IT ON TO COMPLETION UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST." God is not through with you yet! As you read these lines, know that the Master has you firmly in His hands. Be confident in your faith, know that God is in control.

God bless you. Continue to allow God to form your character as you wait upon Him and as you follow His lead in the days & weeks to come Continue to anticipate His working through you to bring honor and glory to His name. Remember, God truly loves you and always will.

LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION FROM PASTOR HENRY

October, 2008

Dear People of Lamoine Baptist Church

At the end of August, Mary and I went to the Center for Career Deveiopment and Ministry in Dedham, Massachusetts, for an intensive two-day program of vocational evaluation anad career counseling. We went seeking answers to sevcral questions. How would Mary and I best work together on the recovery home for women we are planning? How would my involvement with the recovery home fit around or coordinate with my work as pastor? How can we deepen our marriage and strengthen our family life while doing these things? After twenty-four years as Pastor of Lamoine Baptist Church, should I consider a change? What possibilities are we not seeing? Where is God leading our family?

The Center for Career Development and Ministrry was founded by the American Baptist Chuirches USA in 1976 to provide career development services for its personnel. It now provides career counseling and vocational assessment services for several denominations for candidates for ministry, pastors, missionaries, and for other occupations as well.

We did not get very far answering our questions. Instead, the Center sent me home with a prescription: stop and rest. "David is a highly responsible and generous individual,ur prayers. And we are very grateful to Paul Resource Minister, Paul Dodge, to ask him to help me and the church figure out how to manage my leave of absence.

So I have not performed any pastoral duties since returning home from the Center (with one exception: a wedding on Saturday, Septemberr 27). I am seeing a counselor. And I have been getting some rest, but I don't feel that the "deep rest" has arrived yet.

To questions about the future, I have only one answer: I don't know. How long will I be on leave? Will I come back as pastor? If not, what will I do? Will plans for the recovery home go forward? I don't know. As the song goes, I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

In the midst of all the uncertainty, our family is doing well. I am spending more time with Mary, Kelly, and Robyn. Robyn's new adventure this fall is running cross country. Kelly is excited about singing, among other things, and looking forward to cheerleading season. And Mary continues a busy combination of volunteer work and recovery home planning.

Several of you have sent beautiful cards and wonderful notes full of encouragement and support. Thank you very muich - I treasure each one. We really appreciate your prayers. And we are grateful to Paul Dodge for his help and guideance.

Know that we are keeping you and the church and its ministry in our prayers. May God's blessing continue to be upon you.

THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR

It did not look like a great day for baptism, not at first. The air was chilly and thick with fog and mist; the skies were gray and threatening to rain. This was not the warm, sunny end-of-June day I had wanted. Not for such a special baptism. True, every baptism is special. But this day, I would have the privilege of baptizing my own daughter, Kelly.

The car caravan moved from the sanctuary to Blunt's Pond, bouncing gingerly down the dirt road into the park. We gathered at the water's edge. There before us stretched a vast openness. Nothing on the far shore could be seen. In the fog there was no clear horizon between the waters below and the waters above.

It was as if we stood in a portal opening into eternity. There was no wind. Members of the Parks Commission were there to work; they put down their chainsaws and stood silently. Even the insects were still. John Weaver, Kelly and I headed out into the cloud.

My daughter was first. "Kelly Henry, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." I placed her under the water But from the perspective of those on shore, in the material world, Kelly completely disappeared. Then she rose up again, water pouring off, smiling joyfully. She came into shore to warm towels and hugs. John was next. "John Weaver, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." He, too, left sight completely. Rising up, he strode confidently to the shore.

Baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit,
dead in the tomb with Christ, our King;
one with his rising, freed and forgiven,
thankfully now God's praises we sing.

We had sung those words (by Michael Saward, sung to the tune of "Morning Has Broken") before the three of us left shore. Now, returned to land, Kelly, John and I held hands and sang "Amazing Grace."

'Twas grace that taught my hear to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

Some there had never before witnessed a baptism done in the Baptist tradition. Several were quite moved by what they had seen and felt.

As for me ... sometimes I ask God for a warm, sunny day. And God says no. And gives me something better.

THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR

It was good, preparing for the last Sunday in May, to find, in the Bible Readings for Worship, marvelous expressions of hope.

I don't ned to tell you that it is easy to be consumed by worry these days. Where do we turn for hope? The Psalm reading said this: "Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore" (Psalm 131:3).

The fabric of the American conomy looks like it might be unraveling. The Gospel reading came from the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear" (Matthew 6:25). Look at the birds of the air, Jesus continues. Consider the lilies. God feeds them well and clothes them in splendor and you are much more valuable than they. Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Hard times could come. We might find ourselves repeating the words of Zion in Isaiah 49, the Old Testament reading: "Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.' " Here is God's reply: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" (Isaiah 49: 14-16).

These are not promises that hard times will not come. But they are promises that in hard times, God will sustain those who place their trust in God. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," we read in Psalm 23:3. "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."

Recently, I visited a lady who perhaps might have needed some encouragement in hr circumstances. She was an encouragement to me. She told me that she had lived through the Depression and World War 2. God was with her through those hard times, she exclaimed, and God was with her now. Her faith was strong, her spirits high. She did not understand how people could live without faith. She wonderd how younger generations (including mine) that have not experienced truly hard times would fare should hard times come.

Good question, I thought. For my generation, the illusion was noted by the sixties rock band, The Mothers of Invention: "It couldn't happen here." That illusion, it seems to me, still has a pretty firm hold despite 9/11, Katrina, and this year's tornadoes and flooding. If it does happen here, what will we do?

The lady of strong faith has a powerful recommendation: "Put your hope i the LORD both now and forevemore."

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL.

The pastor is on vacation. Pastor's Thoughts will return in June. In the interim, keep our pastor and his family in yours prayers.

ATTENTION PLEASE: WOMEN WANTED!

Are you female? If you are, you are part of Lamoine Baptist Church Women's Ministries. We are in the process of trying to bring a bit more organization to our group and set up a better system to communicate with one another and the church family.

We want everyone to feel part of the group, whether it be helping to cook and serve food for a reception or helping to decide how much to send to a misssion ned and everything in-between. Wee need your ideas and participation .

If you are interested, contact Jan Smith, Kay Whitaker or Mildred Jordan.

EVENING PRAISE AND WORSHIP

On April 27, the second "Evening Praise and Worship" was held in the chapel. Great music and worship was led by Chris Madden. We heard a challenging and thought-provoking video message by Louis Giglio and enjoyed popcorn and snacks together. The message was "Indescribable," which maps the new discoveries of the "known universe" to map the greatness of God. The images from the Hubble Space Telescope were breathtaking!

Thanks to Jake Holmgren for running sound, Belina Crider for backup vocals, and of course, Chris for anchoring the music. We are looking forward to the next service on June 1.

SPECIAL BUSINESS MEETING

A special business meeting was held on April 7. It was voted to receive Kathy and Ron McGlinchey for church membership by letter of transfer.

After much discussion, the Dessert Theater Operation Proposal was tabled until the affected committees have the opportunity to discuss the proposal.

SPRING PLANNING CONFERENCE

The Spring Planning Conference was held after the special business meeting. A key item for discussion was the consideration of granting a Local Church License for Bonnie Moretto. After Bonnie gave her testimony and discussion of her possible role in the ministry of our church, a Business Meeting was set for May 12 at 7 PM.

Our church's bicentennial will be next year. Carolyn Ackerman nd Marion McFarland are setting up a committee to plan special events surrounding this event.

THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR

On Easter Sunday, the sign in front of the church said "Jesus is Alive! Are You?"

People have dead zones in their lives. Some say they live for the weekend. Does that mean they're as good as dead five days a week?

A recent article in Sports Illustrated on "Steroids in America" reveals that in addition to all the other chemical enhancements people use to combat the effects of aging, many Americans are now using human growth and testosterone. It could be that people use artificial life supplements because there are gaping holes in their real lives.

Some of these gaping holes are broken relationships. Each person has offended, or been offended by, another person. They can't get past it, they don't speak to each other. Each is dead to the other.

The message of Easter joy is that Jesus took all of our dead zones to the grave with him. Then God raised him from death, and he invites us into his family where we can share his resurrection life, real life.

This real life springs from a dynamic relationship with God, a relationship glimpsed in our human relationships of love. My wife's love for me is a gift, pure grace. I cannot earn it. I don't deserve it. Yet it calls from me my full commitment, my full devotion, giving myself in love. Our love relationships in marriage, family, and friendship transform and fulfill us. They take us out of ourselves so we can be most fully ourselves.

God's love for us is a gift, pure grace. We cannot earn it. We don't deserve it. Yet it calls from us our full commitment, full devotion, giving ourselves in love. It is a gift that costs us all we are and all we have (to use the description written by theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer). It transforms us and fulfills us. It takes us out of ourselves so we can be most fully ourselves.

And it is the foundation for transforming all of our human relationships, and healing all the dead zones in our lives. More than that: it is the foundation for healing and reconciliation in our homes, our community, our world. As people who have given themselves to God in love, we are called by God to live new life with all those around us, and spread the message of God's love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16)

EVENING PRAISE - SUNDAY 6 PM

Evening Praise:  Our first ever contemporary service will
be this Sunday evening at 6 PM!

To keep things simple the service will almost entirely be
worshipful music and a dynamic message.  The music wilL
include some songs you know and some you don’t but the
goal is that they will be easy to sing and engage in.

The message will be from a video by Andy Stanley (Charles
Stanley’s son).  He is a great speaker who is practical,
motivational and entertaining.  Our hope is that at the
end of every service there will be something applicable
that you can take home to apply to your everyday life.

We encourage everyone, of all ages to come just to try
this out and let us know if we’ve succeeded in
accomplishing our goals.  Thanks for the opportunity!

March is Loaves and Fishes Month Can you Help?

Yes, this is that once-a-year for help to staff the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry during the month of March. We are helping to feed the hungry when we volunteer our time and energy to do this. So, for those of us who haven’t fled to Florida, please consider calling Mildred Jordan, 667-8345 or Jan Smith 667-2979.
A crew of 3-4 volunteers will be needed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week in March. Volunteers will start at 7:30 AM and should be finished by 11:00 AM. Volunteers are also needed to pick up produce and bakery items at 7:30 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from Hannaford’s behind the store. THANK YOU for whatever time and effort you can give.

NEW FURNACE

New Furnace is Installed

We did it, and easily! At the Annual Meeting of the Church Jan. 21st, it was voted to replace the aging and often broken furnace in the Chapel. Here it is the first of March, we haven’t even advertised a need to raise money, but the new furnace is in and we have the money to pay for it.
Ron McGlinchey, part of our church family, provided the unit and installation work and gave us a generous discount. (Final Bill is $3, 942.) Another friend and summer visitor went South in the fall and left a very generous gift toward the purchase. Since January, we have received several additional gifts and the Women’s Ministries will finish paying off the balance (less than $700.00). Thank you all!
The Lamoine Church is very generous and it would seem that we more than rise to meet the financial challenges that occur. So let us lay out one more challenge: the General Fund.
As you know we ask for “pledges” to help plan for the needs of the church each year. The pledge and envelope system is helpful to the finance Committee and an important reminder to you that expenses go on even when you miss a Sunday service or two.
In addition to “regular” giving (envelopes and “loose offering”), we would like to offer opportunities for you to give an extra gift to help with something specific at the Church. You get to choose where to give your extra gift. Some Examples:

Monthly telephone bill- approx $47.00
Cleaning the Church for one week- $40.00
Shoveling the doorway after a snowstorm- $12.00 per storm
A book of stamps for grapevines or prayer chain letters- $8.20
Cold spring water Co. annual bill: $225.00
Insurance on our properties- $5.75/day
Copyright License for Church music- annual expenses $101.00
Gift toward Sunday School materials- any amount

You may select where your extra gift will go. Simply add that amount to your offering envelope and make a note on the “special” line. Or, you may include cash or check in a plain envelope and identify where it is to be spent. You may include your name(s) or be anonymous. Feel free to ask Carolyn Ackerman if you would like to know specific costs of other items, or speak to Carolyn, Jane Harris, or Mike Jordan if you have any questions or ideas.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

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