Monthly Recap
(With so much happening at CBC, we find it helpful to "review" God's work. Each month we will provide an update on this page).
February 2019 Recap
Well folks, I think the ground hog has lost his marbles! Either that or he has hormonal problems, I’m not sure which. I understand Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow this year—a sure prediction of an early Spring! So much for that old wives’ tale! Thus far, it’s been cold, rainy and windy…when it’s not raining, we’ve had snow, ice and freezing rain with the occasional 65F sunny day! Take heart though, by the time you read this, we’ll be a mere 17 days from the “real” first day of spring. I did, however, spot a Robin near the end of the month.
During the month, Pastor Dan re-visited our on-going narrative of influence for religious freedom during the 1700’s. You know of course that CBC aka Mt. Poney Church played a pivotal role when the then pastor, John Leland, met with James Madison promising Baptist support for the Constitution provided Madison would make an amendment for religious freedom. And the rest, as they say, is history! An annual review of our historical legacy helps us to appreciate and treasure the freedom to ‘worship God according to the dictates of conscience, rather than being told what to think or feel about religion or being forced to pay taxes to support an institution with which we disagree.’ For additional details of the Star Exponent article, check out the story here.
The first Saturday of the month, AARP sponsored a movie event in our Worship Center. The screening was Hidden Figures, a film that chronicles the incredible untold story of Katherine Jonson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind the launch into orbit of astronaut John Glenn. This stunning achievement turned the entire space program around. The visionary trio crossed all gender and racial lines and has inspired generations. Watch the website and the bulletin for the next movie event coming in April! It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Roger and Bonnie Clatterbuck are in Pollocksville, North Carolina, for the next several months where they will be serving as short-term home missionaries to coordinate the rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Be sure to keep them in your prayers; and you may want to think about sending them a card or two so they’ll know folks here at home are thinking about them and cheering them on in the recovery effort.
Iglesia Bautista Maranatha celebrated their 18th Anniversary on Sunday, February 24th. Can you believe they have made their home with us for eighteen years! Congratulations!
Acoustic Café came back strong after a winter break, and kicked off their third season featuring the band, Somewhere Tonight, along with David Martin, Alan Breztin, Don Caraway and Carol Young. Folks, our worship center is the “in” place to hear great music and chat with friends; the snacks aren’t bad either.
Congratulations to Brandi and Justin Warfield as they embark on the journey of a lifetime—marriage. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they begin their new life together.
With the coming of spring, the calendar is going to start spinning with lots of opportunities; so get ready to rock and roll. Plug yourself in to all that God is doing here at CBC and around the Culpeper Community. No experience necessary, just a heart for people who don’t yet know Jesus. C’mon in, YOU can make a difference!
Those Who Live On in our Memory
January 2019 Recap
Well, here we are in 2019—at the end of month one! Today [January 30th], we have bone-chilling cold, after approximately a 2 inch snowfall late yesterday afternoon. On top of that, we are experiencing a ‘Polar Vortex,’ so says the weatherman. Wikipedia defines a polar vortex as an upper level low-pressure area lying near the earth’s poles. I’ll say!! We will probably see temperatures around –5 to –10 F here in Culpeper, but up near the Canadian border and through the Midwest, temperature are expected to break records set back in the 1800’s! Take heart, Spring is a mere 50 days away.
We launched the New Year by joining with area churches for 21 Days of Prayer from January 6th through the 27th. Folks gathered daily for a time of singing and testimony followed by a brief devotion as we focused on specific needs within the Culpeper community as they relate to addiction. The prayer focus included national and local leaders, the school system, children, global peace and community unity. Folks, these are all subjects we need to be praying about every day.
We joined with Antioch Baptist Church on January 18th to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during Antioch’s Living the Dream service. Our own Alex Smith brought together a community choir that performed several inspirational pieces for this event. (The Community Choir will sing at the 8:30 a.m. service February 14th and both services on March 31st! You won’t want to miss this!). Dan preached using Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham Jail to challenge both churches to model a “beloved community.” You can read Dan’s sermon on the website under “monthly recap.”
All of our weekly ministries including tutoring, Youth Alive!, Converge, etc., are back and better than ever after a winter break during December. Stephen Ministry Training is setting a brisk schedule despite some postponements because of inclement weather. Keep this fledgling ministry in prayer—those taking the training as well as the folks who will benefit from this ministry.
A big Thank You to all the folks who dropped by for their photo shoot for the CBC Pictorial Directory. Wow! Everyone came dressed in their Sunday best! ‘You’re going to like the way you look’ in the new directory. If for some reason you didn’t make it to your appointment or otherwise missed this opportunity, be encouraged. The photographer will be here again February 17th and 18th. Check the front page for additional details.
The annual Christmas picture books have arrived, and our deacons are distributing them to our homebound members. We still have several copies available. If you would like to purchase one, please call Joyce at the church office, 825-8192. Be sure and check out the front cover. It’s precious!
Did you enjoy the 2018 Concert Series? Well, check out all the information about the 2019 Concert Series! You won’t believe who’s coming—the U. S. Army Chorus, that’s who, along with other powerhouses of the music industry! Save the dates on your calendar!
Despite the frigid weather, our senior adults braved the cold to bring delicious stews along with some great sides for a morning of games, good fun and gastro delight! If you haven’t taken advantage of the Senior Adult Game Day, you might want to check it out. Why not next month? Until then, be warm!
2018 Recap
Where did the year go?! It seems like the older I get, the faster the years tick off! The clock is running folks…’Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 ’ 2018 is now a memory, and a brand-new year stretches before us like a blank canvas—awaiting the brush strokes of an artist. While we think about that blank canvas…let’s take a quick look back at some of 2018’s highlights, shall we?
Two biggies that happened at the very beginning of the year immediately come to mind—the Hopeful Imagination field trip to Wilmington, NC and the field trip to the McShin Foundation, a recovery ministry located in Richmond, VA. Thirty-one church members and staff from CBC traveled to First Baptist Wilmington, NC, to hear firsthand about the twenty-five year journey this church made from being a very traditional congregation who, with God’s help, reimagined themselves into a vibrant, community-focused congregation. This trip continues to influence our own dreams today about how CBC can impact the Culpeper community in dynamic ways. The second field trip, to McShin Foundation in Richmond, VA, centered around the work of John Shinholser, McShin’s founder. This organization runs a day treatment center at Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church and helps provide care and resources for those in recovery. As a result of these field trips, we have continued the conversation and have created a group to focus our efforts on recovery in Culpeper.
During May we hosted a screening of the Oscar award-winning documentary, Heroin(e), from filmmaker, Elaine McMillion Sheldon. This short film documents how two gutsy women are fighting opioid addiction in their town of Huntington, West Virginia, which has been hard-hit by the opioid epidemic. Huntington has an overdose rate 10 times the national average! These two women, like other experts in this field, believe the opposite of addiction is community, and they are committed to using their positions as a springboard to offer a more hopeful alternative. We continue to take an active role in these conversations in and around the state.
In early spring, we teamed up again with the child development center for the annual Touch-a-Truck family event. This affair is a kid’s dream and features a display of assorted tractors, construction equipment, police cruisers, fire trucks, and rescue equipment and lots of other interesting vehicles, waiting to be clambered over and touched by eager little hands. This event continues to be part of our vision to foster community outreach and impact.
Mid-year, we launched the homebound senior adult food delivery ministry. We, along with another local congregation and residents of The Culpeper, connected with the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social Services to coordinate a once-a-month food distribution program to local, qualifying senior adults. This is a wonderful example of a partnership that ‘checks all the boxes.’ These senior adults receive the assistance they need, church members and friends of CBC and The Culpeper engage in needed, meaningful ministry and believers live out in a practical way the oneness of the Spirit that Jesus so passionately desires! It is also a practical outreach to individuals not yet acquainted with Jesus. Our seniors continue to reach out, sharing God’s love through a vibrant Pickleball culture, too. Hey! We had a pickleball workshop AND a tournament this year. Day trips and Game days are two additional methods our seniors use to connect with all ages in our local community.
Our family of churches increased to five with the addition of partnerships with City on a Hill Church and the Love Church. A new youth group, Converge, was birthed later in the year and composed of youth from five different churches, including City on a Hill, and we expect that number to grow in the coming months. Summer youth-centered events included the Matt Butler concert, Passport Youth Camp in Danville, and an evening of magic and comedy with DeWayne Hill.
The Child Development Center renovation was approved early on in 2018 and culminated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in December! Way to go CDC! This ministry has grown by leaps and bounds and now includes after-school care and free tutoring for elementary students as well as infant and toddler care. The entire second floor of the 1954 education building is alive with little people. If you haven’t visited it yet, please drop by—the transformation is amazing!
And while I’m talking renovation—check out the balance of the reno work: we’ve added a family bathroom and re-done the ladies and gents facilities on the second floor behind the sanctuary. They’re roomy as well as beautiful! The new HVAC system is doing a great job of keeping everyone comfortable These projects, while crucial to our vision of ministry expansion to folks in and around Culpeper, also make these areas more accessible to our church family as our needs change with the aging process. AND we exceeded the fundraising goal!
Two favorite activities of the Children’s Department were the Rice Bowl Project and Girls on the Run, a 10-week program for girls in grades 3-5 to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, and physical development. Several other new activities were launched in our Restore, Enrich, Affirm, Connect and Heal series, which included GriefShare, Financial Peace, the Piedmont Community Band and the Alpha Marriage Course. Dinner groups began a little later in the year to enrich fellowship and help us get to know each other better.
As usual, our folks along with the Maranatha congregation, provided food and/or served as overnight hosts at the Culpeper Winter Heat Shelter early in February. Providing a meal or staying overnight is a great way to be on “short term” mission and reach out to others with Christ’s love. Opportunities to serve in this ministry again this year are fast approaching! Call or email the church office to sign up.
March kicked off the 2018 concert series in celebration of the 40th anniversary of our Schantz pipe organ! The American Youth Harp Ensemble concert, sponsored by the Virginia Baptist Homes Foundation, was at the top of the lineup followed by the Duke University Chorale during April, then came the National Brass Quintet along with our own Randy Sheets, and a summer trip to the National Cathedral in Washington DC featuring Randy Sheets and Chuck Seipp. CBC launched Culpeper’s Independence celebration July 1st with the Celebrating America, Land of the Free, Home of the Brave Concert. This fabulous event was the brainchild of Randy Sheets. Next, Dr. Joby Bell gave an engaging and fascinating concert. The last in the concert series was the Seipp/Sheets duo at the end of October, a tradition we look forward to each year. The 2019 concert series promises to be equally as stunning!
The July 4th 5k Race and Kids’ Fun Run garnered lots of enthusiastic participation by locals, following a circuitous route through the lovely residential areas of S. West Street and Blue Ridge Avenue, meandering by stately homes of a bygone era before looping around Yowell Meadow Park and back to the church. Our softball team returned again last spring with Coach Dave Mullins at the helm and some young guns in the line up, too.
The Leadership Council approved a multi-church community weekend event, Experiencing God, held in September. This weekend event launched a 12-week small group study. Some groups met during Sunday School; others met on weeknights. Now we are following up with special Testimony Services—check the church calendar for dates, locations and times.
On November 18th, we hosted the Remembrance Ceremony that recognized the tragic lynching of Culpeper's Allie Thompson a century ago; two other victims, William Grayson in 1850 and William Thompson in 1877 were also recognized. The program included music and stories to remember and reflect upon the lives of these individuals as well as the impact on their families and the entire community. A ceremonial walk from the church to the courthouse grounds featured the reading of a resolution of acknowledgement. Perhaps this will be another step toward reconciliation and healing so badly needed in our culture today.
December was peppered with activities running the gamut of interest—grief support groups, Christmas concerts, opportunities to worship, the mid-month Christmas Musical program, all culminating in the beautiful Christmas Eve candlelight service. Two very special events include hosting the SAFE shopping event for families who have experienced domestic violence and hosting the families of incarcerated parents so they can enjoy a family Christmas with dignity and grace. This is by no means an exhaustive list. You probably have your own list of favorites. The point is—God is moving in amazing ways among us, come join Him on the blank canvas of 2019! You don’t even have to be an artist, let The Master Artist guide your brush! I’ll see you there!
November Recap
So much for fall! It came and went in about a week of rainy, blustery days. The oaks and maples lost their colorful fall plumage almost overnight in the wake of stormy, grey weather at the beginning of the month. Now they stand in stark relief against November skies much like sentries passing the time while awaiting orders. Of course it will be several months before cold weather gives way to the persistent balmy temperatures of early summer. In the meantime, we can enjoy all the hustle and bustle created by the oncoming holidays. Before you take a gander at the online, jam-packed December calendar, pause a moment as we catch our breath, and take a quick look back before galloping down the home stretch toward Christmas and New Years!
Our Tutoring Ministry is growing by leaps and bounds. Just about every week concerned parents call seeking help for their children. Is God nudging you to step in and help with this ministry? Hey, we can always use extra folks to read to children or to help with homework. If you would like to make an impact in a little life, call Jeanine and she will get you plugged in.
Our Senior Adult ministry and partnerships continue to grow. During the month, we delivered 47 Senior Boxes for our food delivery ministry. AND, we also hosted Aging Together and AARP as they presented a Caregiver Conference for the community that featured Matt Paxton as the keynote speaker. There were over 50 people from the Church and community in attendance. The monthly game day was combined with a soup and sandwich luncheon, and you should have been there! The tables were all decked out in their fall attire. Inside the cozy warmth of our Worship Center, there were plenty of brightly colored leaves and fat orange pumpkins along with lottttttts of good conversation and laughter—the kind that just wraps around you like a warm blanket and pulls you on in for a great big bear hug! Why not plan to drop by for the next game day. It’s good for the soul!
Mid month we partnered with Antioch to host the Allie Thompson Remembrance Service. Several hundred folks gathered on Saturday, the 17th, for a time of quiet reflection in remembrance of the tragic lynching a century ago of Charles “Allie” Thompson. Two other young victims were also remembered, William Thompson (1877) and William Grayson (1850). It was a solemn but joyful event, ending outside the local jail from where young Allie, just 18, was taken before his brutal death. A century later attendees stood outside the same building to join hands in unity and reflect upon how we can each be an instrument of reconciliation and healing to others. To quote Zann Nelson, a key organizer: “May we have the Fortitude to learn from our past ...the Grace to acknowledge the truth, no matter its face...the Courage to speak with Honesty and Compassion in our daily lives, and may we have the Strength to stand in Unity and Peace with our brothers and sisters for a better tomorrow.” And to that I say, “Yes!”
As we continue through Experiencing God, we are excited about the conversations around joining God in His work and making adjustments in our lives. Many of our Experiencing God groups end next month, but we will have a time of testimony in January to share what God has done in our lives. Save the date on your calendar and come! You have a story to tell, and we need to hear it.
Near the end of the month, the softball team pitched in to help many other volunteers get the church campus all spruced up in it’s Christmas finery. Be sure to give them a high 5. These guys and girls did a super job, and I know for a fact the Flower Team says a big THANK YOU! Check out the December calendar—it’s jam-packed! Decide early to free up some time so you can journey with us through Advent.
Converge continues to meet on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor. Five churches currently participate with between 20-50 kids in attendance and 8-10 volunteers. Expansion is on the horizon, though. We anticipate the addition of three additional churches to participate and our thoughts have begun to turn toward offering this ministry on more nights, adding activities and breaking into age groups. If you have a heart for young folks, talk to Dan—he and the volunteers would welcome your help.
The Financial Peace class celebrated the completion of another group on November 11th. This group paid off more than $80,000 of debt in just 9 short weeks! How would you like to change your life one step at a time, build a legacy, plan for your future, win with money, communicate in marriage AND dump debt? You can learn all this and more. The next class starts in February 2019. You might want to take advantage of it. I think I will.
Well folks, this is a wrap! God continues His work among us at almost breathtaking speed—just take a look on the facing page. Where do you see yourself joining Him? If your heart’s still beating, that’s your invitation! Join the One who loves to love others [that’s Joyce-speak for you, me and everyone else].