Collegiate Ministry at Virginia Tech: It’s All About Community
Kairos Initiative
Moving out, going to college, getting the first "real" job, signing a lease, getting engaged, voting, getting married, and having kids? The number of life events facing young adults is staggering! For many, this is also a time of drifting away from their childhood faith, discovering new beliefs, exploring different churches or even religions, or sometimes giving up on God altogether. As Virginia Baptists, we are continually evaluating and redefining our approach to ministry among young adults; we long for them to grow close to Jesus, engage in ministry, and be active in God’s kingdom.
The Kairos Initiative, a moving of the spirit among young adults, is our new approach to ministering to this generation. Previously, our emphasis was on campus-based ministry through our Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM), but now and in the future, our focus is on connecting all those who minister to young adults in new and creative ways. Young adults are in our churches, in our communities, and on our campuses. Through innovative thinking, new partnerships, fresh ideas, and working together, we can develop creative ways to engage young adults in worship, service, community, spiritual growth, and leadership. Imagine a group of young adults—some students and some not—working together to refurbish a homeless shelter and teach kids about Jesus all because a collegiate minister shared an idea with someone at a church who contacted a friend at a local shelter...all coming together in a Kairos moment.
The Emerging Leaders Team and its church-based partners in ministry around the state are beginning to gather to discuss, pray, and re-imagine our ministry to young adults. There are exciting days ahead, but there are also exciting days going on right now on our campuses around the state. From feeding the homeless to helping new students move into dorms, our young adults on campus are involved in advancing God’s kingdom. To find out more about what they’re up to, check out Collegiate Frontline News.
This Month's Kingdom Vision with John Upton
The theme of our annual meeting next month, “A Story Worth Living,” has captured John’s attention in a profound way. Listen as he shares what he has found to be unique about the Virginia Baptist story—in our over 180-year history, we have learned the important difference between passion and enthusiasm. John asserts that while someone can be full of energy and enthusiasm, they can have no passion for God or God’s children. Passion, he says, is really about people.
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Virginia Baptist Hunger Summit The Hunger Summit will provide the opportunity for individuals and churches to connect with others around the state who are seeking to address hunger in their communities. Participants will learn about tools for dealing with immediate hunger relief and long-term solutions that seek to empower individuals for life change and influence systemic change through advocacy and community development.
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Virginia Baptist Male Chorale October 19, 2010 The Male Chorale, first organized in 1963, is open to all men who are current or former full-time staff members in Virginia Baptist churches responsible for music in their churches. The current director is Rev. Thomas B. Ingram, Coordinator, Worship & Church Music Ministries, VBMB. Concerts include Renaissance and Baroque selections, traditional anthems, hymns, spirituals, and contemporary songs. |
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Virginia Baptist Women's Chorale The Women’s Chorale is open to musically trained women who are practicing singers serving in music leadership roles in their churches. |
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OTHER EVENTS: |
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Consider Your Call Sunday Each year, Virginia Baptists set aside a special day to focus on the calling of God on our lives as God’s followers. For some, this calling means a call to leadership as a volunteer in the local church; for others, this calling is to pursue full-time ministry. The VBMB has prepared publicity items, Sunday School lessons, sample sermons, a worship toolbox, and many other resources to help your church celebrate Consider Your Call Sunday. All of these are available on the Consider Your Call website or you can contact Ken Dibble at 800.255.2428, ext. 2255 for more information. |
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This year, Virginia Baptist students are once again donating the change from their pockets at the many student events around the state. So far, they have collected $5,565! This year, the emphasis is “hunger,” and all donations collected will be used in Virginia and around the world to meet the needs of those who are suffering from hunger. Find out more about how our students are making a difference in the fight against hunger at Change Matters or contact Dean Miller at 800.255.2428, ext. 7264. |
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All-State Choirs 2011 Auditions Any student (grades 4-12 and college freshmen) who is part of a BGAV church is invited to audition for the Virginia All-State Choirs. Students planning to participate should submit an audition tape/CD through their Minister of Music, Music Director, or Pastor—all forms and audition recordings should be postmarked by October 22, 2010. For more information, visit the All-State Choirs webpage or contact Debbie Cobb or Tom Ingram at the Office of Worship and Church Music Ministries at 800.255.2428, ext. 6235. |
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World Hunger Awareness Day (10/10/10) October is World Hunger Awareness Month, and World Hunger Awareness Day is October 10. This is a day set aside by Christians around the globe to give special attention to those who have to deal with all of the issues related to a lack of nutritional food. How is your church going to observe World Hunger Awareness Day on Sunday the 10th? |
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BGAV Connect:2010 Annual Meeting Come join us at the 187th BGAV Annual Meeting! This year’s theme, "A Story Worth Living," will explore how Virginia Baptists are living out their faith. Come hear our inspirational speakers who will share how their lives are living out the message of Christ. Online registration is now open! Churches of the BGAV are reaching out to those in their communities and the world more than ever before. Whether it’s a food pantry, a clothes closet, or a soup kitchen ministry, or perhaps something more ambitious, the Program Committee wants to know about it. If you’ve posted a video on your website or submitted an article to your church newsletter, then the Program Committee just needs a copy of it. Write to Mila Spaulding to provide your outreach stories or call her at 804.749.8690. Messenger packets were sent out last month. Please contact Rita Smith at 800.255.2428, ext. 1204 if you did not receive your packet. For more information on lodging, breakout sessions, guest speakers, registration, and more, visit the BGAV Connect:2010 website. |
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Shiloh Baptist Church is located just outside the village of Carson in Prince George County, Virginia. It has several ups and downs in its long history but once it actually was pronounced “dead.” The story of its revival is a classic tale associated with William E. Hatcher, the 19th century preacher whom this writer often portrays. When Hatcher was pastor of First Church, Petersburg, he attended a meeting of the Portsmouth Association of which the churches in the area were once members. The moderator requested the clerk to call the roll of churches; and when he got to “Shiloh,” the moderator stopped him, declaring: “Don’t call Shiloh; Shiloh is dead.” |
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At this time of the year, church budget committees begin the process of deciding how much
the church
will give to Cooperative Missions. It’s more than crunching the numbers.
It’s more than paying the bills.
It’s more than balancing the budget.
It’s how much the church multiplies its offerings to
reach the world for
Christ
through ministries supported by Cooperative Missions.
It’s a simple equation. Do the math.
Calculate the exponential growth of ministry
that is possible through
the combined giving power of over 1,400 Baptist General
Association
of Virginia churches
to Cooperative Missions. Go figure.
For free downloadable ads for use in your church bulletin,
click here.
