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University Baptist Church Newsletter
Volume 62, Issue 1
Rev. Sharon Smith,
Interim Pastor
“A new year is moving
in…”
I am writing to invite you
to join me in a time of
personal reflection and
renewal as you begin your
new year. The theme of our
time
together
is
“Invitations”.
This is not a meeting on
budgets, strategy or policy. It is a quiet time of
prayer and parable, of stillness and sharing, of
reflection and response. You do not need to
bring anything; you need only to bring yourself.
I am offering this time of reflection on
three dates: January 10th from 8:30 a.m. until
12:00 p.m., January 17th from 12:30 p.m. until
4:00 p.m. and February 7th from 8:30 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. Groups are limited to twelve
people, and we will meet at my house.
To sign up for one of the sessions listed
above, please call the church office. If we have
more than 36 folks, I will schedule as many
sessions as we need to accommodate everyone. This time set apart for the sacred is open
to everyone and anyone you want to invite.
The only thing required is your presence and
openness to the Spirit. I look forward to our
time together.
“and as the new year stretches
I wonder how I’ll meet it
Will I let his grace fine me…” (Joyce Rupp)
The Peace of Christ, Sharon
Rev. Christina Perkins,
Associate Pastor
Christmas is my favorite
Christian holiday. Christmas
is what makes Christianity
different from all the other
religions. At Christmas, we
have God coming to earth as a
defenseless and vulnerable
baby.
Christmas is God
incarnate. Christmas is the beginning of God
walking in our shoes. If it wasn’t for
Christmas, Easter would not be as big a deal.
January 2015
Rev. Sharon Smith, Interim Pastor
Rev. Christina Perkins, Associate Pastor
Ronald J. Gretz, Director of Music
Veronica Beverly, Business Manager
Human-- God becomes human.
This leads us to my favorite time of the
church year. We will spend the next three
months learning about how Jesus walked in
our shoes. We are going to reflect on the infant Jesus, specifically the dedication of Jesus
in the Temple.
I love the Bible passage about Jesus’ dedication. I always have. Mary and Joseph are
sleep deprived new parents going through the
expected routine. They were going to dedicate
the baby. Thousands of parents had done it in
the past. They were amazed by the events, the
words, and the experience.
Simeon and Anna were aged, experienced
people of faith. They knew something different was going to happen. The Holy Spirit told
Simeon his wait was over and to go to the
temple that day. Anna was there every day
waiting and worshiping. They took one look
at that baby and the Holy Spirit came upon
them and everything changed.
We all should be like Simeon and Anna.
We should be people waiting with great
expectation for God to make a huge miracle.
Simeon was devout and had great faith. He
was faithful up to the day he saw the longawaited promise. He listened to the Holy
Spirit and praised God as salvation came into
the Temple. Anna dedicated her long life to
living out her faith. She served in the Temple
and prayed and fasted; she knew God was
going to intervene and change the world.
Simeon waited with faith. Anna served
with faith. They were both rewarded with
seeing the baby who would change the world.
I am pretty confident neither heard the
teachings nor saw the miracles. I think we
would know if they lived to see the crucifixion
or resurrection. So, why were they faithful for
so long? They were faithful because they
knew God was faithful. The world was on the
brink of salvation and they faithfully waited.
May we all be like Simeon and Anna. What
are you waiting for? Keep the faith because
God is faithful.
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What’s Happening
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University Baptist Church Newsletter
Save the Date!
Please join us on Saturday, February 7th, for
lunch in Ellicott City followed by a tour the
Benjamin Baneker Museum. If you are interested, see Sharon Smith.
Trustees Update
The trustees have been talking to a small
Asian congregation that had been meeting in a
Lutheran Church in Columbia, Md.
The “Worthy Life Baptist Church” is a
congregation of about 35 people and 5 children who want to move from Columbia to
Baltimore because most of them live and work
in this area. Many of them work or study at
Johns Hopkins. Their pastor, Peter Lee,
describes his flock as working professionals,
families and students. The assistant pastor,
Joon Yim, is a research physician in the D.C
area.
We have offered this congregation the use
of the McCormick Center from about noon to
3:00 p.m. each Sunday. They have seen the
space and are very excited to make the move.
Sharon Smith has spoken to their pastor and
saw no reason to deny them the use of our
space. We will negotiate an informal written
lease that will set forth their responsibilities as
well as ours. I propose that some, or all, of the
revenue generated by this lease be set aside,
for a while, in a “McCormick Center Fund” to
maintain and repair the space. It gets a lot of
use and it needs some help right now.
The congregation recently moved in and
had their first worship service on Sunday,
th
January 4 . We look forward to assisting this
dedicated group of Christians to thrive and
grow. Should anyone have any questions regarding this activity, please call John Davis,
chairman of the Trustees, at your convenience.
Deacons Update
January will be an exciting and busy time
for UBC members and friends. We will discuss
the Travis Collins’ report, elect a Search
Committee and bring back Bo Prosser for a
mini-Dawnings Retreat.
On the first three Sundays in January, right
after the worship service, there will be an
opportunity to discuss with the deacons the
results of the visioning interview with Travis.
Pick a Sunday, bring a sandwich and stay for
about an hour of discussion. If you forget your
sandwich, peanut butter and jelly will be
available.
The place to meet will be announced from the
pulpit each Sunday.
At our January 18th Business Meeting, a
Search Committee will be elected by secret
ballot. Start thinking now about whom you
would like to have on that committee.
Nominations will be taken from the floor. A
suggestion: If you want to nominate someone,
it would be helpful if you asked that person
first if he/she wants to serve.
Bo Prosser will return on January 23rd and
24th to present an abbreviated version of the
Dawnings Retreat to a leadership team, chosen by the deacons. Then, on Sunday, January
25th, everyone is invited to a luncheon
followed by an explanation and discussion,
lead by Christina, telling us how Dawnings can
be applied to our lives and UBC.
Please come each Sunday in January and
participate in these important events. UBC is
your church, and it is vital that your voice be
heard.
Media Update
The Media Committee has been working to
improve publicity for events through a variety
of free media outlets including the Baltimore
Sun's events calendar, neighborhood email
announcements, and local radio events
calendars. We have focused on Charles Village
and the surrounding neighborhoods, but if you
know of other free publications, please contact
us at [email protected]. We are continuing to interview people for a video for the
website, and we will be working on updating
the website after the holidays. As always,
please continue to forward our event
invitations and announcements to your
friends and "like" us on Facebook!
Missions Update
Come Serve with the Churches of
Charles!
This January, the Churches of Charles are
coming together to serve our community.
Here is what we will be doing:
1) Cooking and Cleaning, 8:00 a.m.-10:30
a.m.: Serve a hot breakfast at Manna House
Manna House, a ministry located in Charles
Village, provides breakfast to impoverished
and homeless men, women and children 365
days a year. Volunteers will have the opportunity to serve breakfast and to help organize
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University Baptist Church Newsletter
the clothing closet located on the premises.
Manna House is located at 435 E 25th Street,
Baltimore, MD 21218 (They have a parking
lot).
2) Sawing, Hammering, and Tidying up, 9:00
a.m.-1:00 p.m.: Woodberry Crossing
Woodberry Crossing offers urban children
the opportunity to experience God and nature
through their summer day camp programs
and farm animals that they take to local
schools.
The picnic pavilion needs benches built
around the outside edge to provide more
seating and some of the animal enclosures
need more walls to help protect the animals
from extreme cold. Woodberry Crossing
would also like to have a few people to work
inside on craft and straightening projects.
Lunch will be provided.
A carpool will be leaving the University
Baptist Church parking lot at 8:15 a.m.
Entrance to the parking lot is from Greenway,
half a block south of University Parkway. You
may also meet us at Woodberry Crossing (925
Stablersville Road, Parkton, MD 21120)
Children Welcome!
3) Star Gazing, 10:00 a.m.-noon: Hosting a
planetarium experience at 29th Street Community Center
With a little help from the science
department of Towson University, we will be
bringing the moon and the stars to the
children at the 29th Street Community Center.
The Center provides a range of programming
for all ages in the Barclay community and
beyond. We’ will have a portable planetarium
and several celestial themed games and crafts
for kids who have the day off from school. The
29th Street Community Center is located at
300 East 29th Street.
4) Making Gallons of Love, 2-4pm: Making
Soup and health kits for the Homeless
We will be making gallons of soup for Inner
Harbor Ministries. They provide a hot meal to
low income and homeless people in the Curtis
Bay area on Thursday nights. Come help chop
ingredients and make soup that we will freeze
for IHM to use on a night when they do not
have another meal provided. While the soup
is simmering, we are going to assemble
Gallons of Love. These gallon sized plastic
bags will be filled with soap, toothpaste and
brush, snacks and other goodies. The Gallons
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of Love will be available for Churches of
Charles members to hand out to the homeless
they meet. We will be cooking and assembling
at University Baptist Church. Use the lower
Greenway entrance and ring the doorbell.
5) Cutting, pasting, or scrapbooking your
thing? 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.: Greeting Card
Making for GEDCO’s CARES at Second
Presbyterian Church
You do not need to be an expert or even all
that artsy to help this worthy cause. A
volunteer will be present with all the supplies
needed, giving directions, suggestions, and
help when needed. We will be meeting in the
Westcott Room at Second Presbyterian
Church (4200 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD
21218) to make greeting cards to benefit the
CARES food pantry.
Not off on MLK Day? You can:
1) Shop! We need items for the Gallons of
Love!
While you are out and about we need
individual sized bottles of hand sanitizer,
wipes, tissues, tooth brushes and tooth paste,
chapstick, soap, wash cloths and snacks.
Please bring the prizes to your church by
January 18 or with you on January 19th.
2) Raid your pantry! We need ingredients for
soup!
We need Italian recipe canned tomatoes,
beef broth, barley, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Email Georgia Smith for needed quantities ([email protected]).
3) Clean up! We can use your old scrapbook
making supplies!
The CAREs cards are made using scrapbook
paper and other supplies. This is a great way
to recycle half used sheets of paper or
embellishments.
4) Purchase the greeting cards we make
(available at our churches).
Have questions? Want more details? Please
contact Georgia Smith at 410-366-0686.
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University Baptist Church Newsletter
January Calendar
Thursday 1st, New Year’s Day (Church office CLOSED)
Sunday 4th, 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship (the Lord’s Supper)
12 noon Women On Mission Luncheon
Wednesday 7th, 5:00 p.m. Sandwich Making Mission
5:15 p.m. Mission Hour
6:00 p.m. Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
6:45 p.m. Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
Sunday 11th, 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship
Tuesday 13th, 10:30 a.m. Women on Mission (WOM) Soup Making
Wednesday 14th, 5:15 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
6:45 p.m.
Mission Hour
Lunch Making Mission
Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
Sunday 18th, 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship
Wednesday 21st, 5:15 p.m. Mission Hour
5:30 p.m. Grocery Bags Mission
6:00 p.m. Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
6:45 p.m. Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
Monday 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Sunday 25th, 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship
Wednesday 28th, 5:15 p.m. Mission Hour
6:00 p.m. Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
6:45 p.m. Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
January Birthdays
1
3
18
22
26
30
Pat Fritz
Dorothy Lloyd
Michael Holmes
Emi Hayashi
Susanne Emory
Glyn Swallows
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University Baptist Church Newsletter
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February
Sunday 1st , 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship (the Lord’s Supper)
12 noon Women On Mission Luncheon
7:00 p.m. The Gathering (Davis Chapel)
Wednesday 4th, 5:00 p.m. Sandwich Making Mission
5:15 p.m. Mission Hour
6:00 p.m. Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
6:45 p.m. Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
Sunday 8th, 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship
7:00 p.m. The Gathering (Davis Chapel)
Tuesday 10th, 12:00 p.m. Women on Mission (WOM) Day of Prayer for Home Missions
Wednesday 11th, 5:15 p.m. Mission Hour
5:30 p.m. Lunch Making Mission
6:00 p.m. Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
6:45 p.m. Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
Sunday 15th, 9:00 a.m. Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Worship
7:00 p.m. The Gathering (Davis Chapel)
Wednesday 18th, 5:15 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
6:45 p.m.
Sunday 22nd, 9:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
7:00 p.m.
Mission Hour
Grocery Bags Mission
Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
Chapel Assembly (Davis Chapel)
Sunday School
Worship
The Gathering (Davis Chapel)
Wednesday 25th, 5:15 p.m. Mission Hour
6:00 p.m. Dinner ($2 for student, $6 for individual and $15 for family)
6:45 p.m. Adult Bible Study & Compassionate Kids Bible Study
In Sympathy
We are saddened to report
that Juanita Trammell passed
away on December 19th. A
service was held in her honor on
December 23rd. Juanita was a
faithful member of UBC for over
fifty years.
* If you wish to submit material for The Link, all content must be submitted by the 15th of the
month.
Thank you,
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University Baptist Church
3501 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21218-2499
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You may now donate electronically!
VIDEO RECORDINGS
You may easily access UBC worship videos
directly by adding the following URL to your
browser’s ‘favorites’: http://vimeo.com/
user16055454. If you have not visited the site,
take a moment to check it out.
The recordings of the various youth activities
will be posted but, for the protection of our
minors, will be made available only via a specific link and a password. When a new video is
created, that link (URL) will be published in
the Friday UBC emails. The password may be
retrieved at the church office and will be
changed every few months for reasons of security.
If you have a smart phone or tablet, point your
QR code scanner at the image below or go to,
http://goo.gl/p8y0m, that is the Googleshortened web site address. There is also a
donation button under the “Giving” tab that
can be found on the church’s web site (http://
www.ubcbaltimore.org/giving). All of these
lead to the church’s PayPal page, which will
allow you to securely enter your donation
amount and credit card or existing PayPal
account information. You will be billed the
exact amount you enter, but note that PayPal will subtract a small fee from what
goes back to the church, so we ask that
our recurring givers continue to use
cash or check in your numbered offering envelopes.
Questions?
Please contact Paul Thiessen,
[email protected]
The Link is published monthly by University Baptist Church.
Amy Smith DiBari, Editor
PHONE 410-467-2343 FAX 410-235-6909 EMAIL [email protected]
WEB www.ubcbaltimore.org
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