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Greetings!
This is the second issue of BVBCNews. If you missed the first, send us a message at bvbcnews@bvbcnet.org. Thanks for the great feedback on our first issue and for your story suggestions. We want to know what you think, so feel free to write to us!
Thanks especially to those who have joined our team of contributors already -- Lynn Wilson (writer), Sally Kantzes (small groups), Julie Lober (photography), and Shirley McKay (missions). We need more eyes and ears! If you're interested in making regular contributions about your area of interest/involvement here, write us an e-mail and let us know. We'll get back to you and explore how we might work together to collect and share the news of our BVBC community.
If you have information you'd like us to include in our May issue, the deadline is May 20. If you enjoy the newsletter, just keep us up to date with your e-mail address and it will reach you. If you wish to opt-out, an "unsubscribe" link is included at the end of the newsletter.
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BVBC's 'beacon' in place
Phase 3 construction on schedule
 Anyone who travels our stretch of U.S. 202 probably has noticed it by now - the striking 96-foot-high spire installed in front of BVBC in March.
As you can see by Duane Benton's photographs, it is one of the most visually stunning parts of Phase 3, the $8.5 million upgrade to our sanctuary, teaching and fellowship space.
After dark, the spire is bathed in light -- temporary lights for now, with even more effective permanent lights yet to come, creating a powerful new landmark.
"What we have now is a beacon in North Wilmington," said Lanny Weaver, chairman of the building committee. "And it says, 'Here is a place where, if you don't have a church, if you don't know God, you can come and find it. That's the joy of this."
The design by architect George Yu already is getting strong reviews.
"The design of the building, both exterior and interior, has been very intriguing," said Ed Griesel, superintendent of the project for C. Raymond Davis. "It's not just a square box. It's detailed and it's definitely going on my resume when I get it done."
Griesel, who has about 40 years of experience in the construction business, said another superintendent told him the design was so well done that "all the dimensions on the drawing have worked out within an eighth of an inch."
 The project is on schedule, he said, and may even be a bit ahead of schedule. But Weaver said nobody is buying his prediction that the project will be done by late September.
"Whenever I say that, the contractor winces," he said. "He knows - and I do, too - that every time you think you're home free, something will bite you."
Almost all of the steel work is complete, with about 320 tons of steel now in place, he said.
Now, workers are framing the inside of the building. As they proceed, the mechanical tradesmen come in to work on heating, ventilation and air conditioning, electrical systems, plumbing, sprinklers and such. Then come county inspectors and drywall installers.
With the economy taking such a bite out of the building trades, many subcontractors are glad to have the project now, Griesel said.
Weaver said he believes the congregation will be delighted with the new sanctuary, which will seat about 750 people.
"It is amazing how close people are going to be to the front," he said. "I think people are going to love it. It's not a big cavern. It's going to have that close feel."
No one has been injured during the project and strict safety measures are in place, Griesel said.
"This job has been very good," he said. "I'm getting along well with the building committee and I believe they are getting along well with me. It's nice to do a project of this caliber."
Please continue to pray for all of the workers, the building committee, and the church staff as the project continues. |
| From the Pastoral Staff
This Month:
Mark Smith, teaching pastor
Because of you
Each of us has been given a gift - the gift of a life to be lived. We have experienced grace, forgiveness, acceptance, and power through Christ.
So we are not on a crusade; we are on a mission to live our lives according to God's purposes. When we do that, we make possible an environment of change where a person who does not have a meaningful relationship with Jesus might become curious about someone who does. Much of life is an experience of the power of subtle influence, not coercion.
Because you live, work, and play with and around people, others can experience your acceptance, respect, compassion, interest, and even small acts of service.
Don't ever sell short the difference your life can make in God's greater plan for the people around you.
Because of you, people can experience the love of God. Small deeds and words of love can change the world.
Pastor Mark Smith
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| Easter season services
invite reflection, worship
To commemorate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, BVBC will provide a number of worship services this Easter season:
Thursday, April 9: Our Maundy Thursday service will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the gym. This service is also called Tenebrae, meaning a service of darkness. We will reflect on Christ's life, His last days, and His death by crucifixion. In this candlelight service, we will meditate, read scripture, have communion, and listen to music by Jubilate Deo and an instrumental ensemble. Violinist Ben Shute will play 15 minutes prior to the service, so be in your seat by 6:45 p.m. to hear all of Ben's music.
Friday, April 10: The Good Friday worship service will be from noon to 3 p.m. in our gym, and you are welcome to attend all or any part of it. BVBC and congregations from six area churches will join together as seven pastors teach on Christ's last words on the cross. Music is provided by each participating church. The service reflects the worship of diverse congregations, including African American, Korean and charismatic fellowships.
Sunday, April 12: BVBC will celebrate Easter at the Double Tree Hotel located on U.S. 202 near the Concord Mall. Contemporary services begin at 8 and 10 a.m., with the worship teams leading music. The traditional service will begin at 11 a.m., led by the Worship Choir. Expect plenty of joy at both -- but there might not be much elbow room! In an effort to balance capacity at each Easter service, we ask that you pick up tickets in advance for each member of your party. They're free and may be picked up in the McCrery lobby or outside the gym on Sundays (before Easter) or in the church office during the work week. (Please note that the office will be closed on Good Friday.) Childcare will be provided for walkers through age 5. Children over 5 should have a ticket.
Join us as we reflect on and celebrate Christ's death and resurrection. He is risen!
Lynn Wilson
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Work Day crew gets it done
BVBC volunteers tackle chores
with rakes, wrenches, paint brushes
Fresh paint, fresh flowers, and assorted repairs and clean-ups were on the agenda for the March 28 Work Day organized by BVBC's property committee, which is overseen by the Board of Deacons. And a diligent crew of volunteers got that mission accomplished. In the photo above, deacon and committee chairman Alex Bourdon paints the stairwell walls leading to the West Wing loft.
Halfway up the stairs is Herb Schrock's  position. The legs beside him belong to Joe Vaites, who was reaching the high spots!
Below, Sandra Arthur wields a roller brush as part of the crew painting the West Wing lounge.
The nooks and crannies got attention, too -like this one over the soda machine in the West Wing lounge, which Wendy Waites fearlessly addressed. 
Repairs were made to doors that weren't closing properly, and outside the property was tidied up. This grounds crew - Jared Downs (left), John Robinson (center) and Jack Woodall (right) - raked a parking-lot island where new blooms already had been planted.
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| Have you met ...?
BVBC kids find a treasure
in longtime teacher "Miss Winnie"
Every morning at about 4 a.m., 81-year-old Winnie Jones gets up, gets her coffee and gets back to work. She reads the Scriptures, checks out her favorite commentary, and draws on years of experience to prepare her weekly lesson for BVBC's second graders.
"Miss Winnie," as most everyone calls her, has been teaching children since she was 17 years old, a brand new believer who volunteered to help teach the kids at Kingswood Methodist Church on Wilmington's East Side, where she grew up.
Miss Winnie's parents didn't take her to church. She found her way there by herself - as a child.
"God was always with me," she said. "I always say God raised me."
She taught Sunday School for years at Kingswood, she taught at Immanuel Baptist Church, she taught in Oregon when she moved there, she taught at Immanuel again when she moved back, she taught a "Good News Club" for neighborhood kids for more than 10 years, and she taught again as a charter member of Brandywine Valley.
She doesn't remember a time when she wasn't a believer, but Miss Winnie said she made her first public profession of faith at Pinebrook Camp when she was 16 years old. The next year, her lifelong teaching career started.
She prepares her lessons by dipping into the large library of materials she has collected over the years, all filed by subject. She plans a craft for each week's lesson, too.
She dearly misses her husband, Clarence, who died last June. But she continues her teaching and savors her connections with children -- including her grandson, Austin (left) and her former Sunday School student Shane Oakes (right), who are with her in this photograph by Julie Lober.
"Oh, the blessings I get," said Miss Winnie. "The hugs and kisses, the kids who come back to see me, the kids in college who come back to see me - that's my blessing. I love it."
And the kids love Miss Winnie, said Jollie Wilcox, who retired as BVBC's director of children's ministries last year.
"Even the kids you would least expect - some of the boys you think might be put off by her style - they are so drawn to her," she said. "It's her love of her children. That's her whole heartbeat." |
| Missions emphasis
brought new challenges
Editor's note: BVBCNews asked Missions Committee member Shirley McKay for her reflections on the 2009 Missions Emphasis events at BVBC during March.
"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too" Acts 17:6. "It sounds like the book of Acts," I thought as David Carroll of Gospel For Asia described God's use of native Christians to reach their own countrymen. K.P.Yohannan's "Revolution in World Missions" (available free from Gospel For Asia) brought home even more the tremendous changes taking place in the very concept of foreign missions today Missionaries who shared their stories demonstrated another aspect of that revolution: the changes necessary to present the gospel to a largely illiterate world. How do we tell God's story to millions who cannot read? The techniques of Orality (see more at International Orality Network) - drawn from a people's own culture - seemed to complement Gospel for Asia's support of native missionaries. Samuel Chiang's statistics on world literacy were mind-boggling. "How do they relate", I wondered," to the story of Bartimaeus?" As he left his beggar's cloak to grope his way to Jesus, am I being asked to reject old concepts and expect God to act in different ways? Will I let Jesus open my eyes to see my own lifestyle in the light of the world's needs? The questions bore deeper: who are the native missionaries here? The challenge of the conference becomes not only to give or go, but to BE -- to change the way I respond to the Great Commission, the way I see the world around me, what I say when I walk across a room.
Shirley McKay
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| Divorce Care group:
Support and understanding
There aren't many people around you who understand the pain your separation or divorce has caused. That's the reason for the Divorce Care Program.
Consider joining us. Through interaction, you'll learn that there are others who understand what you are feeling and can offer encouragement and support.
Our next session will begin late March/early April -- as soon as we have at least five participants. We will be meet from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays in Pastor Bo's office.
For more information about the program, contact Deb Sterndale at (302) 543-5319. To register, contact the church office at (302) 478-4255.
Deb Sterndale
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BVBC women find
important connection
in small groups
BVBC's small groups have had a great impact on the spiritual, emotional and mental growth of women in our church. They also provide small communities where people find connections in a large church -- an essential component for growth as Brandywine moves into a new phase of our church life. But don't just take our word for it. Here are some comments from women involved in our small groups: "[This group] is an avenue to be with God. To let other women know how God speaks to me. To learn and renew my mind. Being with this group gives me strength and hope." - Linda DesMarais "My small group is very important to me. It is my safe place to go where I can share my life and learn about God. It is where I can grow in the Lord. My prayer partners are the best." - Julie Nichols "Small group is an opportunity to fellowship with believers after a long day of working with nonbelievers. It provides accountability and encouragement. It guides me and challenges me in my walk with God." - Sandy Ebbott "Small group is a greatly needed source of fellowship for me. I feel refreshed and encouraged when I am with these new friends. This is my way of getting to know more people at BVBC." - May Shoemaker If you are interested in joining one of our small groups for women, we have many types: intergenerational, singles, mature believers, new believers, support groups, specific topic/study groups. These groups meet at various times and locations during the week. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone ( stangl728@msn.comor (302) 478-7404) if you are interested or want more information.
Sally Kantzes |
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Haiti comes alive
in kids' missions event
On Sunday, March 15, our children had a unique opportunity to learn about the people who live in Haiti. Their interest was whetted during Sunday School, when they learned about a Christian family struggling to survive in a Haitian village run by voodoo witch doctors.
To set the scene, the church was decorated to look like it was draped in rich tropical foliage. There were a number of stations where the kids learned about the food that Haitians eat (like plantains), the unsanitary water supply some families have to drink from, the brave pilots who fly supplies and missionaries to the island, and the kindness and love flowing from Christian missionaries living in Haiti.
Parents reported that their kids emerged from the event with big smiles, a better understanding of missions in Haiti, and goodie bags for keepsakes.
Lynn Wilson |
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Why everybody's reading
Just Walk Across the Room
It's been said that Christians and non-Christians have something in common: we're both uptight about evangelism!
For far too long many of us have felt too much pressure in this important and exciting area of the Christian life.
What if something as intimidating as evangelism could feel natural, purposeful, and exciting?
Unfortunately, traditional methods and techniques of getting the gospel to those outside the walls of the church are often meaningful to us (believers) but not effective in reaching the world around us.
Maybe something as important as pointing people to Christ could feel natural, positive, and helpful.
The Pastoral Staff and the Deacon Board have sensed that God is leading BVBC to turn increasingly outward -- both as a church and as individuals -- to introduce people to Christ. The book "Just Walk Across The Room," by Bill Hybels, provides timely assistance in this effort.
"Just Walk Across The Room" (JWATR) emphasizes these points:
●The Holy Spirit is active in us and in the lives of the people around us. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit by being responsive to the everyday prompts He provides. It means walking over to someone when the Spirit says walk, talking when the Spirit says talk, and listening when the Spirit says listen.
●There is no impact without contact, therefore genuine friendships are the basis of understanding and helping people. Making room in our lives for people demonstrates true compassion and care for them.
●Genuine conversations provide insights into the lives and hearts of people.
●Telling "God's story" and how it has affected our lives can be done simply, naturally, and effectively, without awkward and pressured presentations.
I guess the best motivation is the belief that the single greatest gift we can give to our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers is a gentle introduction to the God who created and loves them and has a purpose for their lives. It's exciting and encouraging to know that each of us can do this in our own way.
Pastor Mark Smith |
| Youth concert raises
money for 'Invisible' kids
About 150 people attended a night of music at BVBC, a fundraiser for the "Invisible Children" non-profit effort to help traumatized and struggling children of north Africa.
Several area bands played -- including Dood! You're An Animal, with lead singer Jordan Maguire, shown in this photo by Julie Lober.
The film "The Rescue" also was shown to provide more information about the work.
About $600 was raised, said Chris Zwakenberg, assistant to the pastor of student ministries.
Zwakenberg said he plans to attend an overnight rally April 25 in Philadelphia's Love Park that is part of a 100-city global effort to persuade government leaders to do more for these children.
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Our Mission
To be followers of Jesus Christ, known by our love
Our vision is to be:
- Engaging our God with heartfelt worship
- Engaging our communities with compassionate deeds
- Engaging our culture with gracious discernment
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BVBCNews is produced by:
Brandywine Valley Baptist Church
Office of Assimilation & Communication
Brenda Wilson, director
(302) 478-4255 |
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