January 30, 2020
“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
“Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly to learn to live with life as they find it and make it better.”
As we move into February and our annual celebration of African American History Month, we open with the words of the father of and originator of Negro History Week (which became a month), Carter G. Woodson. Our hope is that as we worship, fellowship, and learn together we will appreciate the fact that the story (stories) of African Americans is an integral part of American history as a whole. On more than one occasion the question has been asked, why do we still need to recognize this month. As long as the stories of the contributions of these citizens, who have been a part of this country’s founding and through their labor and invention helped build the foundational wealth and prosperity of America, is not told alongside the usual historical “tellings,” this time remains essential. Just think about what we learned about the human “computers” with regard to the space program a few years ago; or Raye Jean Montague who was the first female program manager of ships in the US Navy; or York, whose story was absent from my history book, who was an integral part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The LABC reading group will be discussing Carl Rowan’s book, Dream Makers, Dream Breakers: The World of Justice Thurgood Marshall, on Saturday, February 29. For more information on the month’s activities, consult the program brochure.
Christian Education has a few important events that are coming up in our church calendar. It may seem they are far away but July and August will be here before we know it. I am happy to be able to tell you that Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque (thanks Pastor Allison) will be leading our all church retreat August 7-9, 2020 at Redwood Glen. Rev. Dr. Jacque is pastor, since 2007, of Community Church of Barrington (Barrington, IL). We were introduced to her at the Evergreen Annual meeting in 2018.
July 20-24 we will be gathering for Vacation Bible Camp. The theme is Rocky Railroad: Jesus’ Power Pulls us Through. It is always a fun-filled week with songs, games, bible study, videos, and in great Baptist tradition food! Bible Camp affords our children and youth the opportunity to study together and develop leadership skills. It also affords adults the opportunity to take on a short term closed ended time of ministry.
We are all in this together and in order for LABC to do all that God called us to do as a body in our community, we must exercise our gifts. As Paul writes in Ephesians 4: 11-13 (NLT): “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”
Growing Together in Christ,
Pastor Carolyn