May 8, 2006

The Intended Hearer

“Help us grow our church” is a common request I receive. I ask, “Tell me what you are inviting people to be a part of?” I listen carefully to the responses and hear the underlying messages.

“We are a friendly congregation. How do we get the word out about our church? Through signs, a website, brochures and ads?”

“The purpose of the church is to meet the needs of the members.”

“Because I am part of the 20% that does all the work and pays most of the money, I feel free to design the church to meet my needs.”

“We must maintain our existing programs and building to keep our members happy.”

“We want to remain the same. We need new members to keep the church alive.”

All of these statements have an inward focus. New people walking into our churches or reading our website or reading our history understand that our focus is ourselves. The effort to attract strangers to participate in our worship is less and less effective.

What is effective? We are finding that first and foremost all forms of communications must connect with their intended hearers. What will connect with them? What does the hearer need? Where can you make personal contact?

Second, we must go to the people we are trying to reach instead of expecting them to come to us. The passive communications – signs, website, brochures, and ads – are important. Yet, everything rides on an active approach to get out and build relationships.

Third, attention to really great theology that is incarnational, messianic, and apostolic is key to empower members to create an outwardly-focused church.

We are entering a new land and we don’t know the language, symbols or rituals. We have a huge transformational task ahead of us – it is time to begin.

Bill Millen

Associate Executive Presbyter

Inside this issue

Events of the Week

Retired Pastors’ Luncheon

May 9, 11:30am Steak & Ale, Timonium

Educator’s Roundtable

May 11, 12:00pm Presbytery Offices

Take Note/Act Now

§ Educators’ Roundtable

§ Cuban Friends at Light Street

§ Scholarships and Grants

§ Middle East Task Group Speaker

§ Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel

§ Guatemala Youth Mission Trip

§ Creating the Church of the Future

§ Presbyterian Youth Connection

§ Interim Pastors’ Seminar

§ Alban Institute newsletter

§ Kid’s Circle, Cancer Support

§ JHU Breakfast for Clergy

Prayer Concerns

St. John United PC

Second PC of Baltimore

People

Charles Ecker died on May 2^nd at the age of 87. Please pray for his wife, Mitzi Ecker, (clerk at Mt. Paran) and her family.

Please pray for the 77 General Assembly staff and 55 mission workers who learned on May 1^st that their positions were eliminated.

The Presbytery of Baltimore welcomes Aya and Loida, our friends from Cuba who are visiting Baltimore this week.

Frederick PC dedicated their newly-constructed Heritage Hall on May 7^th.

Don Bracken, Pastor Emeritus at Frederick PC, fell and broke his jaw recently.

Prayer Concerns

St. John United PC

asks for prayers:

· for our members Charlotte Valentine, Peg Bridge, and John Stanford

· for the success of our outreach ministries

· for the successful completion of our capital campaign

Second PC of Baltimore

asks for prayers:

· for members with health difficulties in nursing homes, hospitals, hospices and at home

· for our two new staff members: Barb Gotschall, CE and Rev. Jenn DiFrancesco, Assoc. Pastor

· of Thanksgiving for the first 204 years of the church; God’s blessing upon and direction for the next 204

· for a capital campaign in preparation for 2007, and all the work that needs to go towards it.

· for our new members, and all our visitors who come with needs, hopes, abilities and desires to serve

· for a growing sense of excitement about Mission, Worship, and Education!

· for the leading of the Holy Spirit in our midst, under girding all we do together.

Take Note/Act Now

Baltimore Presbytery Items

The next meeting of the Educators’ Roundtable will be this Thursday, May 11^th at noon at the Presbytery offices. Proposed topic: VBS with Cokesbury. Bring a bag lunch and ideas!

On Sunday, May 14^th (Mother’s Day) Aya and Loida, friends from the Cabaiguán Church in Cuba, will be worshipping at Light Street PC. All are welcome to come meet and worship with Aya and Loida.

A number of scholarships and grants are available to individuals and churches through the Presbytery and Synod. Some scholarships, upcoming deadlines, and application links:

· Robert J. Turner Scholarship for travel on a Presbytery-sponsored mission trip (May 15)

· Robert F. and Rosa M. Ferguson Student Scholarship offers $5000 toward college tuition (May 15)

More available on the scholarship page of our website or contact Deb Milcarek.

The rescheduled presentation by Mark Croatti of UMBC sponsored by the Middle East Task Group entitled, "Jihad, Terrorism and the Global Islamic Movement: Why Fundamentalism is Increasingly Militant.” will be held on Thursday, May 18, 10:00 a.m. in the Woodmont Room at Presbytery Offices. All are welcome to attend.

Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel will be speaking at Woods PC on Saturday, May 20^th from 2-5pm. The topic is “Mission, Justice, and Peace is our Calling”. Register by May 14 to Pam Ward, 410.647.2550. Learn more and see the brochure through Local Church Announcements.

The Presbytery Youth Mission Trip to Guatemala will be from July 29^th through August 5^th to work with our partner in Mission, the Kaqchikel Presbytery. The trip is open to current HS sophomores, juniors, and seniors and college students. There is also an opening for a second female chaperone. Contact Pastor Steve Tisinger for more information (410) 974-1713.

Save the Date! September 30^th the Presbytery will be offering a one-day seminar led by Michael Durall called “Creating the Church of the Future” focusing on Stewardship and Evangelism. Contact Rita Walters rwalters@baltimorepresbytery.org for more information.

Synod and GA items

“Shine Like the Stars” is a Presbyterian Youth Connection Leadership Training Event for youth and adult leaders of youth entering 9^th grade through graduated seniors. It will be on June 12-15, 2006 in Birmingham, Alabama, preceding the General Assembly. (More Information) There are also brochures in the Presbytery office.

There will be an Interim Pastors’ Seminar offered by the Synods of the Pacific, Southern CA, and Hawaii at Zephyr Point on Lake Tahoe July 16-21, 2006. (Learn More).

Other Resources and Articles

Alban Institute has a weekly email newsletter that highlights new books and also has useful articles for us who are in ministry. Subscription to this short newsletter is free and can be had by going to their homepage: http://www.alban.org/

Other Events

The Orientation for the next Kid’s Circle, a 6-week program designed to support children, ages 5-18, who have a parent or loved one with cancer, is Thursday, May 11 from 6-7pm. For more information or to register, contact Carole Sharp or Carmen Foster at 410-832-2719.

The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center welcomes Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University to their campus to speak on Faith and Medical Science at a breakfast for clergy on Wednesday, May 17 at 8:15am. The breakfast is free. Call Ms. Marge Jeffries (410) 550-0626 to reserve a space. Park in the mid-campus lot; receive a pass for parking at the event.

Also on our website

Don’t miss all the new Local Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/announcements.html Presbytery Yearly Calendar

Past Issues of Tidings are available at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/midweekmail.html.

Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter

pnord@baltimorepresbytery.org

Bill Millen, Associate Executive

bmillen@baltimorepresbytery.org

Deb Milcarek

Associate of Mission and Justice

dmilcarek@baltimorepresbytery.org

Charles Forbes, Stated Clerk

cforbes@baltimorepresbytery.org