Selected items from the January 2004 Newsletter…

ABW MINISTRIES
    
     Family Night Supper - Tuesday, January 13th, 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel.  Please bring table service and a dish to pass.  The program:  Rev. David Movsovich speaking on the Delaware Mission (formerly West Side Ministries) and the changes taken place this past year.

     Dish Towel Shower - During the four Sundays in January, the ABW is sponsoring a Dish Towel Shower.  Please help us replace the worn out dish towels we now have in the kitchen and kitchenette.  There will be boxes in both church entrances for your gifts.  Thank you.
 
JOYFUL SOUNDS CHOIR

     Joyful Sounds Choir will be singing on Youth Sunday, January 25th during the Worship Service.

THE PERFECT  CHURCH

I think that I shall never see, a church that's all it ought to be;
A church whose members never stray, beyond the straight and narrow way;
A church that has no empty pews, whose pastor never has the blues;
A church whose deacons always "deak," and none is proud, and all are meek;
Where gossips never peddle lies, or make complaints and criticize;
Where all are always sweet and kind, to other's faults are ever blind.
Such perfect churches there may be, but none of them are known to me.
But still, we'll work, and pray and plan, to make our own the best we can.  Amen

(In a First Baptist Church bulletin dated 11/22/64.)

MISSIONS

"Moving On"

     How do you feel when you have been pleading with God for something to happen and it doesn't?  Wondering where to go from here, you think, "But Lord, it seemed so RIGHT; how could the answer be 'No?"

     That's how I felt when the Congolese government denied our proposal to manage agricultural development activities in thirty rural health zones.  Apparently the funds will be used for long-term demobilizing of rebel militia and integrating rebel territory into a untied Congo.  But that doesn't bring significant new investment into stable but desperately poor regions or help to transform agriculture in areas like Vanga, with chronically high malnutrition rates in children.  Our proposal would improve agricultural production, broaden revenue-generating activities, promote protein-rich gardening, and invest in technological innovation.  It seemed so RIGHT - experienced people, a realistic program, and investments that would help the poorest of the poor.

     I've been inspired by God's call to the apostle Paul to change course and share the gospel in Macedonia.  Paul had a clear idea of where he thought God was leading.  People were becoming believers and local congregations were strengthened through his ministry.  But now the Holy Spirit blocked his path, first to Asia, then to Bythinia.  So he went down to Troas instead.  There the Holy Spirit finally made the plan clear:  destination Macedonia!  Paul didn't hesitate, grieving over the discarded plans, perhaps very GOOD plans.  He moved on - to the first evangelistic campaign on the Greek mainland.

      We don't always see God's purpose at first.  So, for the moment, this means our project will distribute 45,000 meters of disease-free manioc cuttings rather than 100,000 meters or 6,000 newly-arrived palm seedlings rather than 38,000.  It means continuing to build relationships with a wider circle of farmers' groups, and establishing a model dwarf oil palm plantation at Lusekele.  We will work patiently with what we have, building strong foundations for the future.  We'll rework our proposal and submit it to other agencies.  The proposal is fundamentally sound and allows Christians to shape part of the future for rural Congo, perhaps take the lead, and light a path out of a particularly dark period.

     We weren't praying for our project's success, but rather for God's kingdom to come here in Congo as it is in heaven.  We continue to pray for wholeness, health, integrity, sufficiency, compassion, and joy for the Congolese people.  Thank you for your continued prayers as we seek to know what is the good and perfect will of God, and then to do it without hesitation, without regrets.   

-Excerpt from International Ministries Update, November 2003

Christmas Stamps

A man goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards.  He says to the clerk, "May I have 50 Christmas stamps?"   The clerk says, "What denomination?"  The man says, "God help us. Has it come to this? Give me 16 Catholic, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Episcopalian, and 22 Baptists.