SEPT21.pubA TENTATIVE PLAN FOR RETURNING At the time of this
publication (the beginning of September), our church is sharing
worship and Bible study online only. However, we hope to be able to
return to some in-person gatherings as we move through the month.
Our leadership team – along with Sunday school leaders from our
children’s, youth, and adult departments – held a joint meeting on
September 1 to discuss next steps toward regathering. As with all
things during the course of the pandemic, our plans are somewhat
fluid at the time of this printing. For now, though, we know the
following guidelines will be in place when onsite meetings
resume:
Masks, properly worn over the nose and mouth, will be required at
all times for all people over the age of 2, regardless of
vaccination status.
We will practice safe physical distances of at least six feet
between individuals not living in the same household. This applies
in Sunday school classrooms and in the sanctuary.
We will not serve food or beverages in any areas of the church
until further notice. Classes that typically provide breakfast are
requested to suspend that until the current COVID wave
passes.
Music in our worship services will be limited to instrumentalists,
soloists, duets, and small ensembles. We will not share
congregational singing until community case counts diminish.
Congregating for conversations in hallways, the church foyer, and
other indoor spaces is discouraged for these coming weeks.
Thank you for understanding the need to make these adjustments that
will accommodate a safer return to our facilities. By following
these practices, we hope to soon resume gathering onsite at the
church. Please watch for Friday Update emails and other timely
communications as clearer pathways forward are determined.
STRATEGIES FOR DECISION-MAKING Through the course of the pandemic,
our congregational leaders have been guided by shared faith values
of loving God and neighbor, as well as the insights of healthcare
professionals both within our church and beyond. In a recent joint
leadership meeting between deacon officers, Sunday school leaders,
and church staff, time was spent discussing the long-term reality
of COVID’s presence with us. Specifically, the group decided to
develop a simple framework for illustrating when and under what
circumstances different church activities will be adjusted based on
health trends in our area.
Watch for more specific information about this in the weeks ahead
as we continue to adapt to these realities and live into our
commitment to care for the
health and well-being of each other and all our neighbors.
Volume XX, Issue XX
4680 Walnut Grove Road Memphis, TN Www.2ndmemphis.org
Volume 32 Issue 9 September 2021
Encountering God at the
of community and mission.
4680 Walnut Grove Road Memphis, TN www.2ndmemphis.org
FROM THE PASTOR I sincerely hope that we will soon be returning to
in-person worship and Sunday school
class meetings. The recent wave of coronavirus cases in our
community has been overwhelming in the healthcare community and its
negative effects – especially among the unvaccinated – has been
devastating to people throughout our area. As we look toward
resuming onsite meetings at Second, please know that our leadership
team continues to keep the health and well-being of all people as a
top priority. This is one of the ways we express love for God
through our love of our neighbors. I want to state clearly that I
recognize there are some in our Second family who have compromised
health conditions or who may not feel safe participating in
in-person activities right now. Please know that we will continue
to provide online offerings for Sunday school groups and our
worship services so that people can participate in that way. As
always, if you are experiencing any health symptoms that may be
signs of COVID, please stay at home to keep yourself and others
safe. Remember, we have a segment of our congregation that is not
eligible to receive vaccinations yet. If it is for no other reason
than caring for the youngest among us, please consider these
families and their households. I continue to give thanks for the
wisdom and care our leadership team is providing through this long
season we are enduring. We hope that this surge will soon pass so
that we can be together again on Sundays not many weeks from now.
Until that time, though, please join me in doing what is necessary
to live into Christ’s call to love God and to love our neighbors
together. Grace and peace, Stephen
MIFA’S OUR CITY, OUR STORY
A Virtual Conversation with Elizabeth Gilbert & Kiese
Laymon
Tuesday, September 14 Make plans to join others from around
our
community for this virtual event on Tuesday, September 14 at noon.
“Our City, Our Story” will feature a conversation between two
extraordinary authors, Kiese Laymon (Carnegie Medal winner, Heavy
and How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America) and
Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love and City of Girls). MIFA was
created in 1968 during a period in American history that was as
turbulent and divisive as we have ever seen. And now, after a
period of separation—physical, due to the pandemic, but also
political and ideological— we are tasked with coming together and
finding unity again. These two brilliant authors will explore the
concepts of unity, healing, and reconciliation through their own
very different perspectives. To register or learn more, follow the
links in
Center Your Week.
Volume 32 Issue 9
SERMON TOPICS September 5: Title: What’s in a Name? Text: Proverbs
22:1-2, 8- 9, 22-23 NT Lesson: James 2:14-17 September 12: Title:
Ears Wide Open Text: Proverbs 1:20-33 NT Lesson: James 3:1-12
September 19: Title: Chosen Company Text: Proverbs 31:10-31 NT
Lesson: James 3:13- 4:3 September 26: Title: Realizing Our
Opportunity Text: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 NT Lesson: James
5:13-20
.JOIN THE FUN BECAUSE THE PUMPKINS ARE COMING!!!!
Pumpkin Patch season is our church’s annual opportunity to reflect
the love, kindness, and generosity of Christ to our neighbors.
Though it is a fundraiser supporting youth missions and ministries,
it has become so much more than that to our community. It is a safe
place where children laugh and smile, families create memories,
kindness is offered freely, and glimpses of the kingdom of God are
on display. Each year, guests come to purchase a pumpkin, but
receive so much more thanks to our
amazing church and community volunteers. Review the list of Pumpkin
Patch activities and volunteer opportunities (something for
everyone of every age) and find your way to enjoy one of the most
wonderful times of the year at Second Baptist Church. Visit
2ndmemphis.org/ pumpkin-patch for all online sign-up links. PATCH
PREPARATION AND PALLETS We will once again be cautious and move the
pallets in small batches in the weeks leading up to our unload.
Volunteers can contact Daniel or sign up online to help lay out the
pallets and other supplies during the weeks of September 20 and 27.
Set times of 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. are available for youth, but
adults can help at any convenient time. Even thirty minutes is
helpful. THE GREAT PUMPKIN UNLOADS: Saturday, October 2 and 16 Find
your Pumpkin Patch shirt, invite a friend, and be a part of the fun
and fellowship that occurs when we unload a tractor trailer full of
pumpkins and transform our front lawn into a pumpkin paradise.
Whether you can lift the biggest or only the smallest pumpkin,
EVERYONE is invited to participate. Because of our new unloading
process, everyone needs to sign up online for specific tasks and
times. Look for the sign-up links in Center Your Week, Family
Ministry News, and on social media. We hope to see you – and your
friends – in the patch. PUMPKIN PATCH SHIFTS: October 2 - October
31 We need your help serving daily three hour shifts in the Pumpkin
Patch! During your shift, you’ll welcome people to the patch, hand
out stickers to children, hand out PUMPKIN BREAD to everyone, water
flowers, take payments, help people to their cars, share about our
church and so much more. Be sure to invite a friend to serve with
you and wear your Pumpkin Patch shirt. Don’t have a shirt? Don’t
worry, we have one for you. Want to serve but you can’t serve the
whole shift or want to serve more than three hours? No problem.
Just let Daniel know and we can work around your schedule. Sign up
online today! SAVE THE DATE FOR THE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL After missing
our annual Pumpkin Festival last year due to COVID, we are planning
to celebrate pumpkins and Fall with our community once again! So,
mark your calendars for Saturday, October 23, from 11:00 a.m. -
1:00 p.m. for our Pumpkin Festival! We plan to have all of our
regular stations: Trunk or Treat, Registration, Hot Dogs, Popcorn,
Hay Ride, Inflatables, Games & much more! Be looking for an
online sign-up to serve or contact Tanya or Daniel.
Page 3
CHILDREN’S PROMOTION PARTY Our Promotion Party for children’s
Sunday school was rescheduled to a fun, safe outdoor
celebration with children, their families and children’s teachers
the afternoon of August 23. We enjoyed games, cookies and cool
popsicle treats while playing outside with friends. New Bibles were
presented to our first graders and Bible story books shared with
others. Backpack tags with our 2021-2022 verse: “A friend loves at
all times. Proverbs 17:17” were shared and Stephen Cook prayed for
our children to have a safe and wonderful school year. A HUGE
thanks to all the families and teachers who came and helped!
YOUTH PROMOTION PARTY Our youth "went ape" to welcome our incoming
6th graders! We also compared the experience to our faith in Christ
which requires encouragement from others, overcoming obstacles,
facing our fears, and trusting the One holding us safely.
Page 4 Volume 32 Issue 9
STEWARDSHIP SNAPSHOT Take a peek at our generosity and ministry
costs through August 30, 2021: Year-to-Date Receipts $611,590
Year-to-Date Expenses $662,855 Net ($51,265) Remember that when it
comes to giving, we have several options for sharing gifts with our
church: Cash and Checks Text-to-Give: 901.401.9621 Online at
2ndmemphis.org Click "Giving" and follow the
prompts Stock and Mutual Fund
Transfers To learn more about any of these, please contact our
Financial Administrator, Patti Calvert, at
[email protected].
SOCK SABBATH(S) It’s time once again to help restock the Brinkley
Heights Clothes closet with *NEW* socks. Through the month of
September, socks can be dropped off in the church foyer or
purchased through our Amazon Wish List. Like a cup of cool water to
the thirsty, clean socks meet a need and offer dignity to the
recipient. Let’s work together to show the compassion of Christ and
sock it to the issue.
SOCCER AT 2BC Registration for our first fall season is now open!
We are excited to announce our first 3v3 fall season for players
ages 5-11! This 4-week season starts on September 7 and will end on
October 2. Practices will be Monday - Thursday from 4:15 p.m. -
5:00 p.m. We will have two game days on Saturday mornings
(September 18 and October 2) and the locations will be announced
throughout the season. Sign up at www.playwhereyoustay.org/sign-up.
We have a suggested fee of $10 per week to help cover our coaching
costs but no one who can’t pay will be turned away! If you have any
additional questions, please call/text (901)864-2800 or email
[email protected]
Page 5
Please note that the church office and
Christian Family Life Center will be closed on Monday, September 6
in observance of the Labor Day holiday. In
the event of an urgent pastoral care need, please contact the
minister on call at
901.604.6686.
CHURCH DIRECTORY: A NOTE FROM CARMEN ANDERSON Our last church
directory was completed two years ago but as time has gone by, we
have
experienced several changes of emails, addresses and phone numbers.
In order to update our information, I would like to hear from
anyone who has any changes that should be made to the information
that we currently have on file. (Obviously, this update will not
include any photos, just information.) In order to do this, I need
everyone’s help! Your info may be the same, but you probably know
someone at church whose info has changed. Reach out to that person
and give them my email. I will collect the changes through Friday,
October 1 and then the church can provide everyone with a paper
copy that can be mailed or with a digital copy that can be emailed.
It’s so important that we have current contact info on everyone,
especially in light of the vagaries of COVID and the speed with
which we often need to contact everyone. My email is
[email protected]. I look forward to hearing from anyone who needs
their information updated and I’m sure that we all will be glad to
have an updated addendum to the directory!
LIBRARY NEWS We have some great new books in the church library. A
few new children’s titles are: Time for School, Little Blue Truck,
Say Something, How to Spot a Best Friend, and more! We also have
some new books for youth such as: Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome
Friendly Spooky Stories, and new editions of the Survivor series.
Adults, we have The Women of the Bible Speak and a new Karen
Kingsbury book, A Distant Shore. Drop by the library and browse
before and after in-person service when we return! OUR MUSIC
CONTINUES As we have seen throughout the pandemic, our people have
stepped up to lead us in meaningful worship, no matter the medium
or safety precautions that need to be taken. While the Delta
variant runs its course in our community, we have heard solos and
hymns from some familiar voices, as well as friends we haven’t
heard from before. Each voice raised has been Spirit-filled and
moving. We have heard new songs and old songs. Thank you all for
sharing your voices, and we are thankful that, no matter what this
virus throws at us, our community is strong, and our worship
continues.
THE ROLE OF GIVING IN GOD'S KINGDOM "You shall remember the LORD
your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth."
(Deuteronomy 8:18) God gives us the blessing of being able to work,
earn, save, spend, and accumulate wealth. We do this for our
children. We do this for our community. We do this for ourselves.
But we also do it to honor God as faithful stewards. And as
stewards, we joyfully worship God each Sunday (and during the
week!) by giving back from what we have earned so that the church
can do meaningful work for God's kingdom in our community and the
world. Fun ways to give are to shop "AmazonSmile" and support us
for a percentage of your purchases (search for Second Baptist
Memphis). Kroger shoppers may also give a percentage by choosing
Second Baptist Memphis in the Community Rewards program. Contact
[email protected] for more information.
Page 6 Volume 32 Issue 9
CROSSROADS Submissions: Material for inclusion in the monthly
CrossRoads publication must be submitted by the 15th day of the
month. Digital Option: To receive an electronic version only,
please contact Annabeth Nixon at
[email protected]. Next
publication date: October 1, 2021 Center Your Week: Those signed up
to receive our communications via email will also receive our
midweek update Center Your Week.
IMPORTANT PUMPKIN PATCH DATES
Pallet Moving and Preparation: Monday – Friday, September 20-24 and
September 27-October 1 First Pumpkin Unload: Saturday, October 2
Second Pumpkin Unload: Saturday, October 16 Pumpkin Festival:
Saturday, October 23 11:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m. Volunteer Appreciation
Lunch: Sunday, November 7, 11:30 a.m.
Page 7
CROSS ROADS (USPS 0005-206) is published monthly by Second Baptist
Church, 4680 Wal- nut Grove Road, Memphis, TN 38117-2599.
Periodical Postage Paid at Memphis, TN.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.
CLOSED SUNDAY
STAFF
Rev. Daniel Johnson
Associate Minister: Congregational
Children’s Ministry Coordinator