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Philadelphia Baptist Association Gathering

The 302nd Annual Gathering of the Philadelphia Baptist Association will convene on Saturday May 2, 2009 at the Church of the Wonderful News, 514 Highland Avenue, Feasterville (Bucks County) Pa.

The church is making preparations and will extend wonderful hospitality…this had been the Evangelical Russian Church, now having a new name and their own church home. Revs, Alexander (Sasha) and Vitali Yuchkovski and the congregation enthusiastically welcome the PBA Family to join them as we gather for learning, prayer, worship, fellowship and luncheon. Registration begins at 8:00AM. The program begins promptly at 9:00AM.

We are also excited about our program emphasis, Wineskins for 2009: Communicating the Gospel and choice of preacher and presenters. Rev. Dr. Robin Smith, known to so many of you through her radio broadcasts and television appearances, will be our dynamic preacher, addressing the challenge and need to present the Gospel to a rapidly changing world. Her books will be available for purchase and signing. We have also invited back Rev. Eddie Hammett and Mr. Randy Pierce, coauthors of “Reaching People Under 40 while Keeping People Over 60”. This book has placed them on the speaking circuit throughout the country! Their focus will be reaching generations holding postmodern values by churches often holding “church-culture” ideas and concepts. What does the Scripture instruct us to do? Their commentary and power-point presentation will be from 9:00AM to 10:45AM, including a question/answer time. This is NOT the same presentation they gave last fall.

We genuinely hope that you and a group from your church will be present for this inspiring and hopefully transforming day. Join with your sisters and brothers in Christ from throughout the Philadelphia/Wilmington area. Bring some others with you. We look forward to being with you.

Rev. Dr. James E. McJunkin, Executive Minister
Rev. John Craig Murrow, Associate Executive Minister

Welcome Middle PA Youth Programming Coordinator

The Middle PA District Coordinating Team is pleased to announce that they have called Karen Duhai to serve as Youth Ministry Coordinator.

Karen is a member of the Bedford Church of the Brethren. She recently completed a year of BVS in Northern Ireland. She graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Religion from Elizabethtown College. While in college she served a the Chaplain’s Assistant. She also served one summer with the Church of the Brethren Youth Peace Travel Team and another summer with Ministry Summer Service at the Manassas Church of the Brethren. As a youth she served on the Middle PA District Youth Cabinet and Youth Ministry Team. Karen is currently working as a substitute teacher. Karen’s initial responsibilities will be to work with the Youth Ministry Team, redevelop the District Youth Cabinet ministries and work with the cabinet to plan district youth events, and begin to develop a network of communications to connect with youth, advisors and congregations. As time permits, given the position is part-time (up to 10-15 hours per week), she will begin to work with the area leadership to develop regional youth ministry opportunities. Please join us in welcoming Karen to Middle PA trict Ministries.

Church of the Brethren

Mission and Ministry Board Reduces Budget

Financial concerns topped the agenda at the March 14-16 meeting of the Church of the Brethren's Mission and Ministry Board which met at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md.

In its major item of business, the board adopted a staff recommendation to revise the budget parameter for Church of the Brethren core ministries in 2009. The board revised this year's expectations for income to the Core Ministries Fund downward by close to $1 million. The revision was made in light of a loss of about $7 million in net assets in 2008, caused by the market downturn, as well as a 10 percent decrease in total giving to the denomination compared to 2007.

The Executive Staff developed an overall plan to respond to the Board's action and current financial challenges. Multiple staff positions have been eliminated including the director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office which UBBC participant Phil Jones has held since July 2003.

Stan Dueck and Jan King, Congregational Life Team Members for Area 1, which includes Middle PA District, also had their positions eliminated. For more information on these and other staff cuts go to the news link at www.brethren.org
Please hold these staff members, their families, and the denomination in prayer as the reality of these cuts is felt.

Will Our Children Be Stewards?

by Rev. Leo S. Thorne, Associate General Secretary for Mission Resource Development, ABC-USA.
We are currently at a major intersection between youth and values and culture, and giving and sharing are quite absent from today's youth in our narcissistic society. Every young person is at risk of growing up with underdeveloped values and overdeveloped expectations. Kids are being taught that a want is more important than a need. With this generation, what you wear, what you eat and where you shop determine who you are. Kids quickly learn that the pursuit of affluence is the American way.

Youth and money is a trillion dollar business in the United States today. Young people 18 and under spend $150 billion annually in the United States. Kids spend $75 to $100 a week on themselves, and they influence 80% of a family's buying decisions. They spend five times more than their parents at the same age. Big business is talking directly to our kids, trying to "pull their strings." Advertisers expose our kids to about 5,000 impressions a day-one every 18 seconds. We will probably lose this whole generation to generosity. Today's parents do not like what is happening to their children, but they feel powerless and overwhelmed, and they do not know how to talk to their kids about money. We need to teach parents and kids how to talk about money, and we have to be a counter rhythm to what kids are being taught by the value system around them. Kids need to have healthy financial values and boundaries to develop an acceptable financial future. We have to show kids how; they need a process. For example, "If I purchase a less costly item, how do I use the money I save?"

We need to create stewardship mentors for our youth. These mentors can nurture kids on a new way of thinking and on developing a lifestyle of generosity. We need to have the children in the worship service on Sunday. It is about passing on the faith, and they are on the journey with us. They need to see us (adults) worship. They need to see us give. The amount of money being given in our churches today is coming from fewer and fewer persons. The traditional giving generation is dying out. The average church attendee is present about three Sundays a month.
Research shows that credit card debt has nothing to do with IQ. In fact, the greater the IQ and the more affluent, the greater the debt and problem handling money. It is important that churches help people with their personal finances to develop healthy financial habits.
Increasing numbers of people are being crushed by consumer debt. In 2001, the average undergraduate owed $2,327 on plastic, and 21% have balances between $3,000 and $7,000 on their credit cards. The average credit card debt is nearly $9,000 per U.S. household. In the U.S. today, 40% of employees say that they are stressed over debt. Think about the impact on giving and generosity as a result of these numbers.

Some Noteworthy Books and Websites:

www.sharesavespend.com

www.goodsenseministries.com

Philadelphia Baptist Association Offices Have Moved

The new PBA address (effective immediately) is:
Philadelphia Baptist Association
230 South Broad Street,
Suite #1605
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-790-1011
Fax: 215-790-1099

Churches Supporting Churches

If you want to keep up with what is happening with St. John Baptist Church in New Orleans, then check out the blogspot that’s been created (http://www.stjohnpartners. blogspot.com/). At the site, you’ll discover this blog’s purpose: “This blog is a networking tool for congregations partnered with St. John Baptist Church in New Orleans. Through our affiliation with "Churches Supporting Churches," we are part of a national post-Katrina strategy to restart, reopen, rebuild, and renew African American churches in New Orleans in order for them to be agents for community development and to help recreate their community.” Looking over the site, you’ll discover news about St. John’s, church partner opportunities, and general articles about post Katrina struggles and challenges.

Disaster Response & Brethren Service Center

Volunteers are needed for March 16-22, May 18-24, Sept. 14-20, 2008 in Pearl River; Jan. 20-26, July 20-26, Nov. 16-22, 2008 in Chalmette LA. If you can help call Ron Dilling 814-224-5165 or David Flumerfelt 814-674-8087. “We are what he has made us, created
in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” Ephesians 2:10.

Volunteers also are needed in the upper Midwest as remnants of Tropical Storm Erin hit seven counties in SE Minnesota. There is an immediate need for volunteers to help begin the reconstruction in this area. During the winter months, this project will operate on a week-,by-week basis requiring volunteers to be flexible. Dates include: March 2-8. Contact Zach Wolgemuth 410-635-8730 or 410-259-6194 (cell) to schedule your group.

Disaster Response has set up trips to New Windsor to volunteer at the service center every 2nd Tuesday of the month. Call Jennie Ramirez at 814-652-2634 if you would like to go and help.