Worship Tweaks COMING SOON: Storytelling SUMMER SUNDAYS

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about something we are going to experiment with during the summer on the 3rd Sunday of June, July and August.

On these Sundays, we are going to stray from our regular order of Worship and do worship a bit differently. There will still be singing, but perhaps with more contemporary songs as well as using Jonathan’s gifts on piano & organ. There will still be prayers, community life/connection/fellowship. And, there will still be readings from God’s Story, found in the Bible.

However, the change comes in you and I having the courage to share parts of our story within the worship experience. Usually you listen and take in whatever the preacher that Sunday has to say. Hopefully, during that preaching moment, there is something, at least 1 thing or nugget, that you can latch onto that gives you some hope, encouragement, good news, etc., that you can take with you for the week to come.

But this summer, on the 3rd Sunday of the month, you and I will be sharing God’s Story with each other by sharing parts of our own story with God.

In small groups and/or individuals, who will respond to a question prompt in advance, we will be the ones who share how God’s story intersects with our own.

Please know that you are not required to share, to respond, if you are not comfortable.

We want to respect your privacy, your comfort level with others, your trust. Even if you choose not to share, listening to others and their lived experiences with faith might give you some new insight, or hope, good news, or even help you realize, you are not alone. That parts of their faith story might also intersect with yours. When that happens, there is connection, something that’s shared and understood.

So... get ready!

Don’t take this as an opportunity to stay home, but as another way of building stronger relational and spiritual connections with others.

June 21st – Gospel Story – Matthew 10:24—39

Story Prompt & Questions: What does your faith in Christ cost you?

How much does fear play within your faith?

Do you have stories or a story of overcoming that fear, to share?

July 19th – Gospel Story – Matthew 13: 24—30, (36—43)

Story Prompt – Parable of the Weeds and Tares

Question – What do we/you struggle with in the midst of growth & health?

Alternative Story – Genesis 28:10—19a – Jacob’s Ladder (Dream)

Question – What are/is your dream(s) for this faith community? Yourself?

Save The Date(s)

Storytelling Summer Sundays will be:

June 21st
July 19th
August 16th

Sarah Matos

Sarah Matos serves through the new extension of House of Hope Bolivia (Fundación Proyecto de Esperanza) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. As an educator and dental assistant, Sarah works with churches to help develop tutoring and discipleship ministries for at-risk girls in Santa Cruz.

Fundación Proyecto de Esperanza of Cochabamba empowers the local churches through health and development ministries focusing on urban ministries to families. House of Hope (FPE) provides mobile medical and dental clinics to at-risk women and children. The hope is to expand these ministries as well to Santa Cruz.

Updates from Oaxaca

Yays: For our home and car; Luis enjoys his walks to school; dinner with IM colleagues, Keith and Deb Myers; Nora adapting well to her new surroundings; Nora loves playing at the park; Sarah finishing a hard semester at Palmer and being finally at her project phase (she will graduate in May); for our ministry partners who have been so helpful in getting us settled.

Prayer requests: For us to build good friendships and trust; to give ourselves grace during our language and culture learning; for our safety and health; for our ministry partners; for the girls and mentors of Talita Cumi; opportunities for Sarah to get to know the mentors better to offer spiritual and emotional support.

Missionary Support

Mylinda Baits

Mylinda Baits is a community trainer, pastoral artist, activist and Christ-follower. She currently travels throughout the globe with International Ministries ABC-USA as a Global Consultant for Training using the Restorative Arts.

Mylinda is passionate about capacity building and training through arts-based experiential education for the healing and wholeness of trauma survivors; the creative transformation of conflict and the resilient witness of the people of God.

She uses her gifts of hospitality and pastoral care to create sustainable and safe spaces where servant leaders and those who do the hard work of rescue, relief and restoration can be nurtured and renewed. As sinner and saint, she sees beauty in broken places, wonder in wounded people, and life in loving God and others.

The Williams Family

Kyle and Katrina along with their 4 children have been living and serving in SE Asia for International Ministries as Global Servants since 2019. As part of a team of Christ-followers representing 7 countries Kyle and Katrina are creating strategies for peace making that are cutting edge and culturally relevant.

They are using and teaching others to use technology to research, report, and fight against the destructive practices of human trafficking and violence against minority tribal people. They love the work they do and the many amazing people they get to work with as Global Servants with Baptist International Ministries and as part of the larger American Baptist family.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Table Grace

Thurston Co Jail Ministry

God's Little Blessings

Table Grace, formerly known the Feeding Ministry, meets every Sunday at 4pm. Faith Communities and Local Groups provide a free dinner for the needy in our area.

This is a community enhanced ministry, supported by a wide range of churches, service clubs and individuals. Table Grace has served the "least-of-these" in our community for over 20 years.

If you are interested in helping as a volunteer, please contact Pastor Mark or Freda Spaulding, Table Grace's Volunteer Coordinator.

God's Little Blessings

Thurston Co Jail Ministry

God's Little Blessings

This knitting group creates caps for premature babies born at Tacoma General Hospital and at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

Over the last 4 years, they have made 6000 caps for new born babies.

For more information, contact Sarah Waterhouse or Patti Lehman.

Thurston Co Jail Ministry

First Baptist is one of 10 Faith Communities that take part in this ministry.

Each team visits the jail once a quarter, meeting 4 times within a 2 week period. Meetings include Bible Study, prayer, music, devotions and testimonies.

A volunteer jail chaplain supports the team when they visit. Volunteers receive training and orientation prior to participation.

For more information, contact John Nunneh.

Olympia First Baptist Church

Traditional Worship with Modern Twists | Sunday at 10AM