September 6, 2018

Labor Day marks the beginning of a new school year for many youth in New York City and across the United States. Along with the arrival on school grounds comes the question: “What did you do this summer?” Some students will talk about their trips to exotic places, unique camping trips, their summer jobs, or their camp experiences, while others do a quick shrug, mutter, “it was okay” and try to switch the topic. But this year, a group of kids from Brooklyn, NY, will have something to talk about.

The youth from Berean Baptist Church, an American Baptist churches in Brooklyn, NY, had the privilege of embarking on their first ever Mission Trip. As part of their annual youth season, young people from Berean Baptist Church accompanied Associate General Secretary Rev. Marsha Scipio to Puerto Rico to participate in the American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ “Rebuilding, Restoring, Renewing Puerto Rico” initiative. In a collaborative effort the youth worked alongside members of Iglesia Bautista Vegas y Farralon restoring their façade which had been gravely damaged by Hurricane Maria.

While some youth scraped paint off the walls and fences, others painted the church’s nursery for the children. Youth team member Jahleel Hills remarked, “After seeing how hospitable the people were to us and just how happy they were seeing us scrape paint, I remembered that God is everywhere. God is there in our times of joy and pain.”

Prior to leaving for Puerto Rico the young people did a drive for toiletries among the Berean church family. They were able to pack 75 bags filled with toiletries, t-shirts and games for the children. The youth held a worship service for children and families in the Farralon community and distributed the care packages.  “The moment the Praise Team was singing in English and the people of the church recognized the song and began singing it in Spanish….we didn’t need a translator. We were all connected by the power of the Holy Spirit, worshiping God corporately. Puerto Rico has changed my relationship with God, showing me how real the Holy Spirit truly is,” said Kyrie Hills.

Rev. Scipio took youth team members with her as she went through the Farrallon community into homes of the sick and shut in to pray and offer words of encouragement. “As an Associate General Secretary I understand my calling to Pastor,” said Rev. Scipio. “As I walked from one of the homes we visited with one of the youth, Dana Saville, she told me that she now believes the church is a staple in every community and that it benefits the people in different aspects of their lives. She said that she now realizes that’ the church will be the people’s only hope during times of trouble.’  When our young people can begin to understand the true purpose of the church, I believe that is how the Church will survive,” said Rev. Scipio.

In addition to their work in Farrallon, ABCUSA Board of General Ministries Director Rev. Felipe Candelaria and members of his youth ministry served as hosts for the group. Rev. Candelaria took Rev. Scipio to visit American Baptist churches that were severely damaged, where she prayed with those present and shared words of encouragement. When the young people saw the damage done to the children’s rooms at Iglesia Bautista de Quebrada, where Pastor Candelaria pastors, they wanted to do something. They decided to purchase art supplies and decorations so the children would be able to have what they needed for Sunday school.

The trip was not all work. One of the best parts of the trip was the cultural exchange and friendships that continue today via social media. The young people from Quebrada made sure the youth from Brooklyn saw their beautiful island through their eyes. They took them to downtown San Juan and also made sure they visited local beaches and sites on the other side of the island; and of course, they tasted traditional Puerto Rican food and delicacies.

The youth from Brooklyn are still talking about their journey to Puerto Rico. When the youth led worship at Berean the young people ministered songs in English and Spanish.  They also shared their testimonies with the congregation. “It is evident that their experience in Puerto Rico has transformed their perception of God and God’s love, especially in times of difficulty,” remarked Rev. Kimberly Headley.

When these young people return to school this week, they will have a lot to talk about. Kayla Parker, boldly proclaims: “After visiting Puerto Rico my faith has been strengthened, allowing me to see how real and powerful God is!”

The ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary continues to support the efforts to rebuild Puerto Rico by partnering with the ABHMS initiative, “Rebuilding, Restoring, Renewing Puerto Rico.” American Baptists are also encouraged to get involved and to participate in our Puerto Rico Sister Church initiative, and we will continue to support our partners Iglesias Baptistas de Puerto Rico and ABHMS in this ongoing rebuilding effort.



August 16, 2018

Pastor Bruce Miller and leaders at two South Dakota congregations have used AWANA as an educational initiative to spark growth and discipleship exceeding their expectations. The AWANA ministry is entirely in keeping with the American Baptist Churches USA Commitment to Discipleship, one of seven denominational priorities currently being carried forth.

AWANA is a ministry based in the U.S. in Streamwood, Ill. Founded in 1950, its mission is to equip local volunteers in churches around the world with Biblical evangelism and discipleship solutions so that today’s children may become tomorrow’s Christian leaders in every aspect of society and culture. It aims to “reach kids, equip leaders and change the world for God.”

Miller explains that in September 2009 at First Baptist Church in Winner, SD, parishioner Alice Minchow, had a passion to start an AWANA ministry for “Cubbies” (ages 3 and 4). In September of that year the ministry began with four teachers with the intention they would switch off on Wednesday nights. Minchow was joined by Jessie Elsasser, Linda Schroeder and Donna Brozik. The ministry started with only one child and one teen attending church.

“The intention was to have something for this one child in the form of Christian education,” Miller explains. Seven other children joined in.

In 2010 Rev. Bruce and his spouse, Lori, came to Winner and started working with AWANA, adding the group “Sparks” (grades K-2) and “Truth and Training” (grades 3-6). “We had 18 children in attendance by then. The game floor was 12×18, and there was not enough room for the children to assemble for book time,” Miller explains. In 2011 AWANA began with 30 children, and “space problems were definitely an issue.”

Miller explains that in December, 2011, the congregation received an anonymous gift of $100,000, having in mind to build a new church. “The building we had was very inefficient,” Miller, a retired contractor, explains. “The walls were made of concrete block and did not have any insulation in them. The windows were also in very poor condition.”

“We formed a building committee and started meeting for the sole purpose to consider what our greatest needs were,” Miller says. “We decided no matter what that we needed to start by making the current church a better space for AWANA to meet,” Miller says. “We had a 100 percent approval vote to take the pews out of the church, add carpet and purchase a larger AWANA game floor mat.”

Miller explains how gratified he was in his early life as a pastor in Winner that the congregation was so unified and open to such a move. “Winner is far off the beaten path,” Miller says. “Many people won’t move there because it is so far from a big town. The annual income for many is below the poverty line. The church has about 50 percent working in some sort of agriculture and another 25 percent retired and on a fixed income.” He says much of the church’s progress resulted from prayers for wisdom, discernment and unity. “We needed God’s wisdom, and we really wanted unity within the body of Christ,” Miller says. Unity resulted.

In 2012, one year before the new church was scheduled to be completed, 50 children were attending AWANA to start the year. “All of our leaders were looking at each other with fear!” Miller says. “It looked like our new building would not be big enough, and we were not even in it yet!” The congregation decided to add additional classroom space in the new structure’s lower level.

“We needed more meeting space, so we added still another 3,000 square feet of finished space in the lower level, including two more bathrooms,” Miller says.

“In 2013 we started AWANA with 68 children in the new building and quickly moved up to 78,” he continues. “In 2015 we added TREK (junior high AWANA) so that by the time the original eight children graduated from the ministry we would have the next level in place and functioning.” Now, “Journey” (high school AWANA) is in place at First Baptist. “We needed 30 leaders for an AWANA ministry of that size,” Miller says. “Whenever we needed more leaders, someone would call and ask if they could help. It was amazing to see God’s provision along the way!”

About a year ago, Miller moved to Wessington Springs, SD, to Immanuel Baptist Church, where AWANA ministry had begun 26 years before.

“They had about 30 children in the ministry but no ‘Cubbies’,” Miller says. “We’re going to be adding Cubbies to the ministry and adding one more room in the lower level of the church to make room for one more class.”

“Bruce and the leaders there did a fantastic job of ministry and growing the church in Winner,” says Rev. Randy Rasmussen, regional executive for American Baptist Church of the Dakotas. “The AWANA Ministry there is still going strong.”

Who knows what may be possible in Wessington Springs?



VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 7/31/18)

—Close to 3,000 children have been separated from their parents as a result of the zero-tolerance immigration policy instituted by the U.S. government. In late June, following the mobilization of people of faith and their advocacy for social justice, a federal judge in California ordered a halt to most family separations at the U.S. border and the reunification of all separated families. Judge Dana Sabraw of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California set a July 26 deadline for the government to return children to their parents. That deadline has not been met.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) calls for the U.S. government to respond responsibly and justly to the request of its people and the court order. As American Baptists, we take pride in being on the front lines of efforts to promote justice and protect civil liberties; we, therefore, demand answers about the process of reuniting these children with their parents.

We call our American Baptist churches to prayer for the families impacted by this policy and especially for the children who remain separated from their parents. But, we call our churches and brothers and sisters in Christ to take action as well. As American Baptists have done for more than a century, we will not remain silent as this government fails to protect the most vulnerable among us.

We encourage churches and individuals to take action today by engaging with U.S. representatives and senators about this injustice perpetrated by the U.S. government in the name of its people. Information about how to engage with Congress is provided by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.

In addition, ABHMS has been a signatory on letters to Congress regarding immigrant protections, and Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Haggray has previously spoken out against migrant family separation.

On behalf of American Baptist Churches USA, ABHMS has established a One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) collection to help with legal aid for separated immigrant families. Send a check to the attention of Kim Wilkins at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851. Make the check payable to “One Great Hour of Sharing” and write “OGHS-Immigrant Children” in the memo line. Or, give online, designating “OHGS-Immigrant Children” in the Comments section.

Information about ABHMS’ Immigration and Refugee Ministries is available online at abhms.org > Ministries > Immigration and Refugee Resettlement.

One Great Hour of Sharing is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA. The committee facilitates American Baptist emergency relief, disaster rehabilitation, refugee work and development assistance by establishing policy guidelines and overseeing distribution of the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering received by churches.

One hundred percent of donations go to relief efforts; no dollars are retained for administrative costs. To ensure that your church receives credit for your gift, write the church name on your check.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.

 American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.

July 26, 2018

A $500 Matthew 25 Grant from American Baptist Churches USA has supported First Baptist Church of Trenton, NJ, to deliver crucial education and training to youth from the congregation and community.

“Our congregation and community are multicultural here in South Trenton,” explains Rev. C. Nadir Powell, who has served the 213-year-old church for nearly three years. “People in our community speak 13 languages and have Nigerian, Liberian, Latino, Burmese and Caucasian backgrounds.”

“Most of the people who live in our community have low incomes,” Rev. Powell says. “That’s why it is so important for the church to receive funding so we can be a blessing to our neighbors. We are so grateful for the $500 Matthew 25 Grant.” The grant has primarily been used to purchase food for students, volunteers and educators in connection with the training outreach.

“My vision has been to use the grant toward teaching, educating and tutoring of our youth,” Rev. Powell says. “Some of our youth have struggles with English, for example. And so we provide tutors to give learners the necessary tools to become powerful individuals.”

First Baptist also partners with other community organizations to empower the community’s youth, Rev. Powell says.

One such organization is Beyond Expectations, an initiative founded by community parents nearly 20 years ago with the express purpose of supporting youth to develop marketable skills. “Organizations like Beyond Expectations are truly a blessing to us,” Rev. Powell says. “They bring educators in who provide training in such areas as media, digital photography, the arts and youth entrepreneurship. Some have received training in furniture design.” Youth who have received Beyond Expectations training have gone on to attend 25 colleges and universities over the years.

First Baptist Church also offers English as a Second Language classes Saturday mornings.

The Matthew 25 Grant initiative, sponsored by ABCUSA and the Board of General Ministries, is funded by a generous, anonymous donor whose goal is to meet the needs of “housing, feeding, education and health with regard to the less fortunate.” The application process for a Matthew 25 Grant is structured to help small ministries with limited staff time. For more information on the grant and application process visit www.abc-usa.org/matthew25/