ITLOTC 3-7-14

Holy Ground

Two qualifying statements:

1. This is more about me and less about the church.  An apology on the front end for self-indulgence.
2. I might suggest this as an auditory companion for your reading.

“Each place is the right place--the place where I now am can be a sacred space.”

- Ravi Ravindra

Lindsay and I spent our honeymoon on the north shore of Lake Superior.   Married just one week we returned home eager to pack and move to the whimsical Waco, TX.  After we put the last thing in the moving truck we said goodbye to her parents.  Lindsay cried.  I did not and not because it was my in-laws.  I didn’t cry when I said goodbye to my parents a week earlier either.  I don’t cry at a lot of things that most people do.  It’s part of my enneagram 3ness.  It’s difficult for me to connect to what I’m feeling.  On our way out of town we stopped by the house I grew up in.  My excuse was that I needed to grab something … an item I can’t remember anymore.  It was empty.  My parents were out of state for my cousins wedding.

I entered the house one last time.  I say one last time, but I’ve been back a few dozen since then.  But it was goodbye.  It was the last time my relationship with that house was what it was.  I wouldn’t return to that as my “home” ever again and my heart knew that even if I had failed to process it with my head.   I hadn’t planned on this trip being a sacramental moment, but it was. Time slowed down and everything became vivid.  I noticed blemishes that had become part the houses character in the 18 years that I lived there.  Stains in the carpet.  Loose bricks in fireplace.  Chips in the paint.  Each of those scars … a marker of memory full of what felt like limitless meaning.  Objects would remind me of stories, which would remind me of people.  That house held so much and was so full, and I had to let it go.

As I was guided through that house and towards the door by the Holy Spirit (I really believe that), I flicked off the lights and I collapsed.   Literally collapsed.  Lindsay rested her hand on my shoulder and cried with me because she’s good at compassion like that.  I gathered myself and made my way to the picnic table that sits on the top of hill overlooking the Thomas Kinkaid lake that my parents three acres rest on (Lake Mabel by the way).   And there I mourned the end of that relationship.

We moved to Waco.

Our first apartment was God-awful, the perfect environment for exacerbating year one marriage fights. Our second year we lived an apartment in North Village on Baylor’s campus because I was a resident chaplain.

After that year was up, with ambitions to start a family, we decided to roll the dice and buy a house.  And we did, a brand new brick home on N 14^th St. with 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms and 1,400 square feet.  We felt like millionaires.

Our house is in a neighborhood that a lot of people would not be comfortable living in.  It’s part of why we could afford it.  I’ve watched over the years as polite friends and acquaintances have bit their lip or subtly winced as they’ve discovered where we live.   I don’t think my neighborhood is rough, but that’s because I live here … but I also understand why other people do.

I’ve always thought that those opinions and a few of my own have kept me from falling in love with this house.  I’ve appreciated this house, but never felt attached to it.  I didn’t think twice about it when we listed it a year ago.

A few weeks ago we got a call from our realtor that our house of eight years had an offer.  We negotiated and found a price that worked for both parties.   Our house is under contract.

On that evening when I got the call with an offer and old friend came to visit me.  Someone whose presence I hadn’t felt since I fell apart in the foyer in the house I grew up in.

This house which I have spent the last eight years and dismissed as “just as a house” on so many occasions became vivid.  It was about 8:30 PM when I got the phone call.  I moved to the bedrooms in which my children slept and watched them.  I remembered.  I remembered a million memories that came together to make this place so special to me.

I brought three children home from the hospital in this house.

I watched my dad fight and overcome cancer in this house.

Lindsay and I received phone calls telling us that that grandmas and grandpas had died … in this house.  (don’t misplace the modifier :) )

I got my first job living in this house.

We held parties to celebrate new life and say goodbye to old friends in this house.

On March 20^th this will no longer by my house.

And I am sad.

In Exodus three Moses meets God in the form of a burning bush.  At one point God tells Moses to kick off his sandals because Moses is standing on holy ground.  Holy Ground.  In a world that is already good because it was created by God, God told Moses something like “this place you are standing is set apart for the time being.  Different than the dessert that surrounds it.”

Do you know why it was different?  Because God was uniquely present there.  Before that moment that bush as just a bush and after that moment it was the place Moses talked with God.

In Matthew’s gospel the curtain in the Holy of Holies is torn.  A symbol communicating that God’s bush burning presence has now been proliferated.

After the curtain tore you could find God’s presence all over the place.  In crazy places like N10445 Pine Shore Ln. Tomahawk, WI.   And 805 N. 14^th St. Waco, TX.  And I have found the presence of God in those places.

S. Kelly Harrell says that “Sacred space” is another way of saying “with intention.”  I think that that’s probably correct.  The bricks in mortar that hold my house together are no more special than yours, but here in this place my family has found God.  With intention we have looked for Him, and He was found.

And I trust that He will move with us again.

Meet The Finance Team

Meet Tom Haines

Family:  Wife of 30 years, Kim; twin 18 year-old daughters, Abbey and Caroline; 11 year-old Golden Retriever, Lucy

Vocation/Job/What I do:  I teach healthcare administration and healthcare finance in Baylor's MBA program

Favorite Movie:  the ones that I watch sitting on our couch between my daughters, eating pizza

Best Restaurant in Waco:  Lula Jane's

Chapter from the Bible that is meaningful to me: not a whole chapter, but I love how simply and succinctly Micah 6:8 tells what God wants from us:   The Message says it this way:  "But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.  It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously."

Best Television Show:  I've lived through too many to pick just one, so: 60s: Batman; 70s: M*A*S*H; 80s: Hill Street Blues; 90s: Star Trek: TNG; 00s: Law & Order, Criminal Intent; now: Chuck

Favorite Holiday:  can't choose a favorite; our family has developed and enjoys traditions at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas which make them all special

Something you might not know about me: I served in the Air Force for 33 years and retired as a Colonel in 2010

Hobbies:  whatever my daughters are involved in

A Note of Thanks from Pastor Emily

A sincere THANK YOU to all of the kids, parents, staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make the UBCKids Service happen this past Sunday!  I am SO proud of our kids…they constantly amaze me and last Sunday was no exception!  Each one of them inspired me, and our congregation as a whole, to be people of the Spirit!

Parents, thank you for your support and for allowing us to share your kids!  Thanks, also for putting in the time to listen to music endlessly, make sure your children were otherwise prepared and invest in the UBCKids program as a whole!

Our staff, as always, rallied around the UBCKids Service and each contributed their gifts to the program!  Thank you for your time and investment into this ministry!

To our volunteers, whether you teach week-in and week-out or only did your part for the UBCKids Service, thank you for your faithfulness!  You are VITAL to UBCKids, but from a more big-picture perspective, your commitment to sharing God’s love and creativity with these kids will change their lives forever!

I would also like to thank one volunteer specifically…Katie Smiley, my faithful intern-turned-friend-turned-devoted-UBCKids-Volunteer!  You may recognize her as the girl who greets the Bloom class every Sunday and who was sitting by me on stage-right, but Katie began interning with Toph and me in the fall for a class and, even after the class was finished, she has continued to meet with me weekly and to pour into the curriculum for the UBCKids Service and every single Sunday!  Not to mention her INVALUABLE help on Sunday mornings, making sure teachers have arrived, kids are happy and curriculum is prepared and delivered!  The next time you see her, give her a BIG thanks for all that she does for your UBC and your children!

All in all, I am SO blessed to be a part of the UBCKids Ministry…I love this church and the beautiful people (little and big) who make this their home!  And to the greater UBC Community, whether you spoke, sang, practiced, played, recorded, ran sound, tie-dyed, taught, drove, dropped-off, clapped, prayed, or even just CAME to the UBCKids Service…Thank You!

Sincerely~

Emily

Lenten Ecumenical Services: For the Love of the City

I have been working with some downtown churches to put together a series of noontime Lenten services for the larger Waco community.  They will be held at Turner’s on Austin Ave (723 Austin Ave) from 12:00-1:00 for four consecutive Wednesdays.  There will be food trucks stationed outside if you need eat.  The services will be about 20 minutes.  Would love to see you there.

• Wednesday March 19^th
• Wednesday March 26^th
• Wednesday April 2^nd
• Wednesday April 9^th

Christ In the Desert Monastery Trip

As many of you also will be this week, Craig and a group of UBCers are traveling today.  This group is spending a few days at Christ in the Desert Monastery.  Please be in prayer for their formation and safe travels as well as all of those who travel over spring break.

Sunday School

A Reminder that during the two Sundays during Spring Break, March 9^th and 16^th there will be no Sunday School.

Work Is Worship

3-9-14

Coffee Makers: Nathaniel & Emily Mosher

Coffee Clean Up:

Greeters:

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
• John Sunday School:  No Sunday School during Spring Break
• Christians in the Headlines: No Sunday School during Spring Break
• Psalms of Ascent Sunday School: No Sunday School during Spring Break
• If you feel like the music is at times too loud, we have earplugs available next to the mints out front.
• Michelle has started a lost and found.  If you are missing an item please check in the box under the bench in her office.
• Families: We will be having a game day at the Baylor Soccer Field after church on March 23^rd.  Bring your lunches and join us for some frisbee football, soccer and many other exciting things.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members.

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

ITLOTC 2-28-14

An Update on the Membership Process from Craig

It’s a question we get often:  “What do I need to do to be a member?”

In the past, when our Sunday morning attendance was larger, but the amount of people involved in the life of the church much smaller, the answer was simple:  “Well, just come hang out with us for a bit. Share life with those you see hanging around here and that’ll make you a ‘member.’”

Slowly, though, as those ratios began to change (fewer people in worship on Sunday mornings, more people involved in “everything else,”) the question of what constituted belonging became more complicated.  There were far more people “hanging around here” than ever before.  And that also begged the question of what “sharing life,” (which became as buzzed a word as “community,”) meant, and how one went about “sharing life” with “those who hang around here.”

2011 came and through a series of important conversations we decided we wanted to be more than a church that housed spiritual refugees who do “hanging around here” quite well.  Though we knew we would continue to be such a place, we wanted spiritual refugees to find in us a place to call home and to practice citizenship in the Kingdom of God being lived out here in Waco, TX.  The best way to communicate this was through the ancient, oft-misunderstood but ever-relevant word: Discipleship.  This movement toward a more intentional practice of discipleship led us in 2013 to re-tool our mission statement—

UBC seeks to form a community of people in the way of Christ that embraces beauty and lives missionally.

It was never our intention during these conversations over the years to make membership the “next step” in our journey as a community.  We didn’t sit down in 2011 and say “Alright, first we will stop being a ‘college church,’ then we will start talking about discipleship and beauty and living missionally, adopt bylaws and then in 2013 we’ll change our structure and mission statement and then, finally, institute a membership policy as a bow on top of the package.”

But the subject kept coming up.  Usually in passing, sometimes with deliberate intent, in all these conversations “membership,” and our lack of any real definition of what that may mean for UBC, always seemed to be peeking its head around the corner.  Eventually we decided it was something we should tend to.  So we created a team, led by myself, to pray about and explore healthy ways to move forward with what I have deemed a “codified system of belonging” at UBC.

We have met several times already this semester assessing the need and looking at models of church membership.  We have been sorting through things that are not consistent with our ethos and things that fit perfectly within it.  We are consulting with other churches and trying to be creative. Above all, we are keeping our mission in front of us, to form a community of people in the way of Christ that embraces beauty and lives missionally.  Our goal is to have something to the leadership team by their meeting in April to look over and approve (or disapprove.)

What we have all discovered in our meetings is that this adventure we are embarking on is a bigger deal than we first envisioned.  It is both more exciting and scarier than we first thought.  And if this is the case for us, we imagine it will be the case for you as well.  With this in mind, I’d like to offer observation about our work up to this point by telling you a couple of things that membership at UBC will probably NOT look like, and a couple of things that it WILL look like.

NOT….

• Rules to follow, “or else…” Most of the current writing and theological thinking around church membership tends to be by fundamentalists and those who have a vested interest in exercising some semblance of power and control over congregations.  If you’ve been around UBC any amount of time, you know this is not in our DNA and, frankly, wouldn’t “fly” if we wanted it to. (Which we don’t.) We are, however, interested in encouraging practices and rhythms of life that help us all become the people God most wants us to be.
• A weekly opportunity to “join…” Many of us grew up in church traditions where the opportunities to join, or to become a member, were plentiful. You could basically “join” whenever you wanted to join.  The flip side of this is that you could also leave whenever you wanted to leave. There was really no encouragement to spend time in discernment  about whether this church was the place we needed to be or not.

WILL BE…

• Costly…  We are not planning to start a commune or a cult that manages the daily affairs of its people from above and keeps constant tabs on how members are contributing to the life of the church.  (Waco has had enough of those.) But we do recognize that life in community, ANY community, whether it be a family, a country or a friend group, requires something of us for it to be meaningful and transformative.
• Counter-Cultural... (Alliteration unintentional.) We live in an over-involved but under-committed culture.  Many of us give a little of ourselves to a million different organizations and groups, but not much of ourselves to any one of them.  If we do, it’s likely that it isn’t to the one entity that God placed on the earth to be his body—the church.  Again, we aren’t concerned with demanding absolute allegiance to UBC or being enablers to “church rats,” people who sign up for every opportunity the church offers. (This would actually be antithetical to the “lives missionally” part of our mission.) But part of living in Christian community, as opposed to being a member of the Rotary Club or Sam’s Club or a Greek organization, is that the church becomes (at the very least) one of our most life-defining associations.  This is not the world we live in, but we believe it is the world God has called us to.

It’s likely that once we create a system of membership, you may see very little change.  We visited last week with Gideon Tsang, who was the interim teaching pastor between the death of Kyle Lake and the hiring of Josh Carney, whose church instituted a system of membership several years ago.  He showed us all the materials they use and the processes by which one becomes a member at Vox.  But in the middle, he stopped and said that all of this is stuff that Vox was already doing, but had no way of formally moving into.  I imagine this will be the same for many of us. A large number of you will “move into” something you’ve already been living into for quite some time.  For all of us, hopefully, it will be an exciting opportunity to join with the people of God for the purposes of being formed in the way of Christ, embracing beauty, and living missionally.

Below are the names of the folks on our membership team.  Please spend the next few weeks in prayer for each of them as we do this important work.  And feel free to contact any of us with questions, concerns or contributions you may have to this process.

Elizabeth Andrasi

Rachel Larrabee

Craig Nash

B.J. Parker

Kareem Shane

Anna Waldrop 

Meet The Finance Team

Meet Josh McCormick

Family:  Jessica and I met at Baylor a very very long time ago and dated through college.  We’ve now been married for 10 years and have two sons, Jake (5) and Drew (3).  We have a good time!

Vocation/Job/What I do:  I am the Commercial Sales Manager for the Dwyer Group Franchise System.  My job is to recruit, train, and manage the commercial sales force for 150+ Mr. Electric locations across the U.S. and Canada.  It is more interesting than it sounds (has said no one ever).

Favorite Movie:  Shawshank Redemption or Joe Dirt, I like it when the good guys eventually win

Best Restaurant in Waco:  Baris is so good.

Chapter from the Bible that is meaningful to me: Exodus 20 (ten commandments)

Best Television Show:  Game of Thrones … new season April 6^th!

Favorite Holiday:  Memorial Day Weekend.

Something you might not know about me: I am an introvert, which seems to surprise a lot of people.

Hobbies:  I’ll have to find one someday.  For now, family, kids and Baylor Soccer.

Lenten Ecumenical Services: For the Love of the City

I have been working with some downtown churches to put together a series of noontime Lenten services for the larger Waco community.  They will be held at Turner’s on Austin Ave (723 Austin Ave) from 12:00-1:00 for four consecutive Wednesdays.  There will be food trucks stationed outside if you need eat.  The services will be about 20 minutes.  Would love to see you there.

Wednesday March 19^th

Wednesday March 26^th

Wednesday April 2^nd

Wednesday April 9^th

Fat Tuesday Family Pancake Dinner

Hey families.  This Tuesday we will be having a Fat Tuesday pancake dinner @5:30.  It’s a time set aside to hang out and fellowship in the Lord.  If you are interested in coming please contact josh@ubcwaco.org

Ash Wednesday Service

 Will be held in the backside this Wednesday at 6:30.  Please join as we begin our journey towards Good Friday.

Work Is Worship

3-2-14

Coffee Makers: Jen Hinshaw & Claire Cole

Coffee Clean Up:

Greeters: Sarah Picken & Leigh Curl

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: Galatians 5:22-3
• John Sunday School:  John 9
• Christians in the Headlines: Cancelled this week
• Psalms of Ascent Sunday School: 125 & 126
• If you feel like the music is at times too loud, we have earplugs available next to the mints out front.
• Michelle has started a lost and found.  If you are missing an item please check in the box under the bench in her office.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members.

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

ITLOTC 2-21-14

Money

You may have heard me mention "the enneagram" in a sermon.  The enneagram is something fantastic and complicated that Toph & Emily make fun of, but for simplicity sake, we'll call it a personality profile thingy.  That feels blasphemous to me because it's really so much more.  It's a tool for growth and reflection, but for this conversation it's personality profile thingy.  It includes 9 numbers of which I am a 3.  That means a whole bunch of things that I won't go into here, but you can read about here if you'd like.

If you do work with the enneagram eventually you move beyond just learning about your number to learning how to grow in health.  One of the things you learn about in that growth process are the instincts.  There are three of them.  Here's a paragraph from the Enneagram Institute website.

"The three Instincts (often erroneously called "the subtypes") are a third set of distinctions that are extremely important for understanding personality. A major aspect of human nature lies in our instinctual "hard wiring" as biological beings. We each are endowed with specific instinctual intelligences that are necessary for our survival as individuals and as a species. We each have a self-preservation instinct (for preserving the body and its life and functioning), a sexual instinct (for extending ourselves in the environment and through the generations), and a social instinct (for getting along with others and forming secure social bonds)."

Of these three I'm dominated by the self-preservation instinct.  That's a lot about me especially since this is not really about me, it's about the church,  but I wanted to share about the self-preservation instinct so I can make a confession.  I hate dealing with money. It gives me anxiety.  You can ask my wife and she'll confirm that on more than one occasion I've been accused of being cheap.  When it comes to money, I'll always make the safe bet.  I cringe if I feel like our savings are getting to small.  Fiscal conservatism is probably a form of idolatry in my life.  But, again, the reason I am this way is because of my self preservation instinct.

Because this is a source of fear in my life, it's a source of sin in my life.  The real reason I'm telling you about all of this, is because we are in the season in the life the church when it's time to put together the budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Here's the tension.  Churches need vision.  Vision needs money.  Part of growing is believing that money will be there to do things that support the vision.  Proverbs 29:18 says that without vision the people will parish.  On the other hand Proverbs 22:7 says "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender."  I'm present to both of these truths in the moment.

Last week I had a meeting with the staff in which we all submitted budget proposals.  They did a good job.  It was fun to hear them dream and hear about where their hearts are longing to take the ministries of the church.  No one's asking for anything obnoxious.  It was a great meeting.  The sad truth is that we can't afford to do everything that everyone wants.   And this process will kill me because the enneagram 3 wants to be loved by everyone and consequently wants to please everyone.

Do you see what I'm doing here, I'm taking you to the vortex of my stress!

A bible verse that has been very meaningful to me this spring is 1 John 4:18.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

I have not been called to fear.  1 John could care less about my need for self-preservation or that I'm a 3.  He insists that I rest in the love of God.  And so this has been my meditation.

This week in our staff meeting I was naming these anxieties and then I read from Exodus 16.  You know the story.  Israel complains.  God responds with manna from heaven.  And the punchline in v 15 "Moses said to them, 'It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.'"

God provides.  I want to ask that y'all join me in caring for the church during this season of planning.  That you will join me by believing the God of Man for provision.  You can care by praying the following:

1. That the finance team would hear the discerning voice of the Spirit as we make cuts.

2. That we would not operate out of fear, but out of joy and vision.

3. That we would not covet things we don't need.

4. That God would be glorified with how we use the money people graciously give.

Thanks friends.  I love all of you.

Meet The Leadership Team

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Meet Jana Parker

Vocation:  Speech-Language Pathologist

Favorite Movie:  close tie between Sleepless in Seattle and Anne of Green Gables

Best Restaurant in Waco:  Amelia's on the Avenue (Amelia's trio is the best!)

Chapter from the Bible that is meaningful to me:  Phillippians 2:1-11 I love what this passage has to say about God's character--Our God, the "Servant King".

Best Television Show:  Parks and Rec

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas of course!!

Something you might not know about me: I've studied opera.

Hobbies:  jogging, cooking/baking, organization, spelling error analysis

Children’s Service Reminders

Parents a few reminders for our children’s service, which is coming up on March 2^nd.

1. We will be getting T-Shirt sizes for the kids and helpers this Sunday for the UBCKids Service.  The cost will be $8.00 a shirt (if the cost is a problem, they can contact me!)  We will be tie-dying them at the evening practice and would love for each child to have a shirt for the service!

2. Also, our big UBCKids Service evening practice will be Thursday, February 27th from 4:00-6:00!  Pizza will be served and we will be tie-dying shirts, so wear something that can get messy!  If you can’t make it, let me know and we will tie-dye your child’s shirt for them.

3. The Roots class will meet in the campers room this Sunday for the full duration of the service.

Thanks Sean DelBeccaro

 

Because Toph (our normal big events guy) is in India, Sean DelBeccaro graciously agreed to take the leadership role in overseeing this last Sunday’s Love Feast.   If you see Sean and were at the Love Feast, please take a moment to let him know how much you appreciated his contribution to our community.

Meet Our Newest UBCer

 

Name: Nash Hall Jobson

Birthday: 2-12-14

Height: 19 in

Weight: 7 lb. 1 oz.

Enneagram Number: 8

Work Is Worship

2-23-14

Coffee Makers: Bex Flannery & Becky Fowler

Coffee Clean Up:  Haines Family

Greeters: Josh Blake & Joben David

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: Matthew 5:39-49
• John Sunday School:  John 7 & 8
• Christians in the Headlines: The Noah Movie 
• Psalms of Ascent Sunday School: 124 & 125
• If you feel like the music is at times too loud, we have earplugs available next to the mints out front.
• Michelle has started a lost and found.  If you are missing an item please check in the box under the bench in her office.
• Marriage Ministries Presents: Round Table Discussions February 23^rd at 6:30 PM.  Child Care provided.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Getting to Know You(BC): Monike Garabieta...

Age? 16, going on 17. Or, 27.

Where do you call home?

Waco, Texas… It’s on my license, so it must be true.

What do you do in Waco?

I’m a Speech & Language Pathologist working at Scott & White. I spend my spare time finding random blocks in my scrubs pockets, daydreaming about writing really funny blogs and finding ways to trick Facebook, and, most recently, illustrating a children’s book.

What do you love most about UBC?

Craig Nash. Just, Craig Nash.  (Editor's Note: On a one of Josh's recent Facebook posts, Monike wrote "Josh, You're the Best," making the editor question the veracity of this answer.)

Favorite Movie?

It has to go to It’s a Wonderful Life. I feel like this is a hard question, though. I’ll probably always be thinking about Looper. Lars and the Real Girl is always going to restore my faith in people. I will always quote Lord of the Rings as I watch it, to Everyone-I-Know’s dismay. I suppose a good movie just has to be incredibly memorable and moving (and may or may not include Elijah Wood crying…a lot).

Favorite Book/Author/reading material?

All-time favorite has to be East of Eden. I recently finished Neverwhere, and now I’m onto a 600-pager about a woman who travels back in time to 16^th century Scotland. Needless to say, I’m overjoyed.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A paleontologist, like all the cool kids whose grandfathers gave them subscriptions to National Geographic when they were 4.

What do you want to be now when you grow up?

Something with people, art, and literature. For now, being an SLP is making me very happy.

Favorite artist/band/musician?

Top 5, in no order: Sigur Ros, Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ryan Adams, The Beatles.

Best Burger in Waco?

I’m not sure – ask me about BBQ. And if you were to ask me about BBQ, I would definitely say – BUNKHOUSE (to Chad’s chagrin).

What do we HAVE to know about you to really know you?

I’m in a cover band with one of my best friends. I get too attached to animals. I would most likely rather be sleeping. Oh, and for all of you Myers-Briggs fans, I’m an ENFJ.

Favorite YouTube Video?

This is obviously the one I quote the most:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh0NLQJfAYU

ITLOTC 2-14-14

That word “Love”

Every time I’m asked to a do a wedding, I’m thrilled.  I recently heard a friend say that weddings are the closest thing a pastor does that resembles magic.  He or she says something like “I now pronounce you man and wife,” and in the sphere where Christians locate meaning, those words matter.  The couple really is married and a spiritual reality is present after those words that was not before.  It’s a great privilege.

Since I began pastoring seven years ago weddings are something I’ve learned to love again.  Given the awesome responsibility of shepherding that moment in people’s lives has caused me to think more deeply about what’s happening and what I’m saying.  I want to give care to that moment.  Part of that process of care is inviting the couple to think through what the ceremony looks like.  At some point we talk about the text and I ask them to help me pick one.  Usually the couple will defer and I’ll do my best to listen the voice of the Spirit and think about the couples personalities and needs to determine what to use.  Whenever I ask though, I hold my breath hoping they won’t pick 1 Corinthians 13.

It’s probably not fair, in fact I know it isn’t because it’s a form of judgment, but for years when I would go to weddings and hear 1 Corinthians 13 read, I would think to myself “you have no idea what those words really mean.”  The truth is neither did I.  Stanley Hauerwas has suggested that when a couple confesses their vows theres no way they can really know what they are saying in that moment.  We can hear and see and feel what a covenantal relationship looks like and might cost us, but we only know those things in their essence when we experience them.  For this reasons, when I do premarital counseling I’ll ask a couple to imagine a worst case scenario.  Something like … she gets in a car accident and becomes quadriplegic for the rest of her life.  Or he falls into a deep depression at 35 and never really comes back from it.  And then I ask them, “do you really want to be committed to that?”

This week friend asked me to watch a movie called The End of All Wars.  It came out in 2001.  I didn’t remember hearing about it and it stars Kiefer Sutherland.  Two strikes against it, but my friend’s enthusiasm was enough to convince me to give it a try.  It was so good at points that I forgot to breathe.  The story is about a group of Scottish soldiers who end up in a prisoner of war camp in Thailand run by the Japanese.  One of the soldiers persists in bitterness and resentment.  He grows to hate his Japanese captors and comes up with a plan to take the camp and kill them.  His plan fails and he’s sentenced to death.    This is what happens.  It’s more powerful if you know the back story, but as I was watching the guy get crucified one of the thoughts I had was, “that’s the sort of love that makes marriage work.”

I guess the issue here is what I detect in the flippancy of our use of the word love, especially on holidays like this one.  To my surprise that’s not unique to America in 2014.  I was recently rereading some NT Wright and came across this.

“It isn’t simply a matter, as some people used to think, of getting back to the “true” meaning of the Greek word agapē.  That word, actually, had almost as much of a checkered career in the centuries before and after Paul as our word “love” (and, for that matter, “charity”) has had in the last three hundred years … The specific meaning of agapē which we find in the New Testament isn’t the result of the early Christians discovering a word which already said exactly what they wanted to say and latching on to it.  Rather, they seem to have settled quickly on this word as the best available one, and they then gave it fresh privilege of carrying a new depth of meaning in which some aspects of its previous career were highlighted  and others were set aside.  The early Christians, in fact, did with the word agapē pretty much what they did with the ancient notion of virtue.  They picked it up, soaked it in the message and achievement of Jesus, and gave it new life, a new sort of life."

On this Valentines Day I pray that the love you give to relationships will be soaked in the message and achievement of Jesus.

Meet The Leadership Team

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Meet Austin Tiffany

Vocation (could be your job or something you love doing that you believe you were made for): I am a senior at Baylor studying religion and sociology. I'm especially interested in how and why different faith groups interact with each other, and I've been accepted to Cambridge to study that kind of thing.

Favorite Movie: Dark Knight Trilogy

Best Restaurant in Waco:  El Crucero

Bible verse/chapter/book that is meaningful for you:  Genesis 32:22-32 (where Jacob wrestles with an angel)

Best Television Show: Parks and Rec

Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving (because that's when I get grandmother's pumpkin pie)

Something we might not know about you: I am obsessed with the Olympics to an unhealthy extent (I love the winter and summer games equally)

Hobby: Reading, day hikes, road trips/traveling in general

How Can You Support Our Mission to the DR?  Read This.

This May we will be completing the school in Batey 50, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the team.  Please be praying for us as we prepare to go, and as we complete the school in Batey 50.   Our team is: Toph Whisnant, Melissa Rowland Whisnant, Caitlin Closeen, Kareem Shane, Jihye Lee, Kim Shine, Byron Roldan, Kristi Goff, Tucker Doiron, Rick Lhotan, Justin Partridge, Laura Tobey, Leigh Curl, Alyssa Lorfing, and Rachel Vaughn.  
If you would like to support one of our team members, please consider buying a shirt through the link below:

http://thesimpleengine.com/store/ubcwaco/UBCWacoDR2014

A message from Tye

First of all I would like to thank The Digital Age and Wes Bulter for leading us these past two weeks. We are so fortunate to be a part of a community that has such talented artist who are willing to lead us. Be sure and find each of them on Facebook and let them know how much you appreciate them.  

These past two weekends I have been away with the Gladsome Light leading the music for D Now weekends, discipleship retreats for youth. I was able to visit First Baptist Church Tyler, home church of our former Pastor Kyle Lake. It was a very meaningful weekend to say the least. In many ways FBC Tyler looks upon our band and our church as a familial extension of the ministry of their beloved Kyle, because of this many of them are more open to hearing from a rock and roll band than almost any other place we visit.

Last weekend we were at my home church in Amarillo. It was a great joy to get to lead in worship Sunday morning all of those that led me and helped develop me into a leader. We were also invited to sing at the high school. It was terrifying!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. It is great to see how God is using music and UBC to form and influence students.

Peace,

Tye

P.S. This next Saturday afternoon, I will be playing a show at Royer Pie Haven in Round Top, Texas. If you want to join us for the day there should be plenty of room in the van. Yes, there will be free pie.

Vacuum Cleaner

Still looking for extra vacuum cleaners if you have a spare. email josh@ubcwaco.org.

Work Is Worship

2-16-14

Coffee: Marshall Hinders & Tyler Clark

Coffee Clean Up: Jess Hinshaw & Leigh Curl

Greeters: Sarah Picken & Claire Cole

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: John 7:37-39
• John Sunday School:  John 7:37-39
• Christians in the Headlines: Religious Violence and Conflict
• Psalms of Ascent Sunday School: 123 & 124
• Love, Love Feast this Sunday Night, February 16^th at 6:00 PM
• Marriage Ministries Presents: Round Table Discussions ... February 23rd 6:30 PM.  Child care provided.
• Please be in prayer for my friend Lindsey Trozzo who will be preaching Sunday.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Getting to Know You(BC): Tye Barrett...

Name: Tye Barrett

Age: 29

Where do you call home?

Waco, but I am from Amarillo, TX. The greatest medium sized rural city in America.

What do you do in Waco? I create music for our church and with my friends.

What do you love most about UBC?

The people here are family to me.

Favorite Movie?

Rushmore

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A cowboy

What do you want to be now when you grow up?

A chef

 Favorite artist/band/musician?

Wilco

Best Burger in Waco?

Double R

What do we HAVE to know about you to really know you?

Pie is my love language. Buttermilk Pie is the strongest expression of that love!

What is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be an around the world trip with my wife Katie or a road trip across America with Katie and our dog Tillie!

ITLOTC 2-7-14

New Roman Women:

We are now two weeks into February.  As such Baptist are celebrating Martha Stearns Marshall month.  Last week we were blessed by the preaching talents of Natalie Webb and next week, February 16th, my friend Lindsey Trozo will bring the thunder.

Something I have never done from the pulpit is establish why UBC has taken this position.  I can't really do that here, but I did want to say a few things and address one text in particular that I think is problematic for this position.

Though there are some texts that speak restrictively against women being in positions of authority in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34 & 1 Timothy 2:12), there is also a substantial amount in the Bible about women doing just that.  Whether it's Huldah interpreting the Deuteronomical material recovered by King Josiah, Deborah the Judge, Mariam the sister of Moses, Lydia, a successful business woman, providing space for the church in Thyatira, Priscilla, Junia, Phoebe in Rome, or Syntyche & Euodia in Philippians, the Bible is full of women leading in significant ways in the church.

Still, troubling texts remain.  One such text that has always struck me as not just odd, but downright crazy is 1 Timothy 2:15.  It reads, "But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."  Yikes!  What about the protestant belief of justification by faith alone.  And what about women who struggle with infertility?  What on earth could have possibly been meant by this?

There is a chapter in Scot McKnight's book The Blue Parakeet that deals with this issue eloquently and exhaustively.  I recommend reading it if you get a chance.  From his chapter on the New Roman Woman I want to quote two things extensively.

Scot says:

"When Paul wrote his letters to the Christians in Corinth and to Timothy in Ephesus, a gender and sexual revolution  was observable in many of the major cities of the Roman Empire.  What many today are calling "new Roman woman" describes an aggressive, confrontational public presence on the part of women during the very time Paul was writing these letters... Three features of the new Roman woman set our passage in its historical context.  

First, the new Roman woman was expressing her newfound freedoms in immodest, sexually provocative, and extravagant dress.  Rome was not terribly conservative, but those women were flouting even the limits of the Romans. 

Second, the new Roman woman was noted for snatching the podium for public addresses and teaching. 

Third, especially in Ephesus, alongside the presence of the new Roman woman was the Artemis religious fertility cult.  The worship cult not only favored  the freedom of women in public religion as did the new Roman woman movement, but it also surrounded these worshipers with eunuch (castrated males) priests.  Part of their worship was the elimination of normal sexual relations; these women despised marriage and childbearing.  Furthermore, this fertility cult extended their sexual and gender freedoms into open practices of abortion and contraception."

McKnight uses these suppositions and some texts from antiquity to argue for an understanding  of Paul's command that "women need to be silent" not a generalization of his beliefs about women in ministry, but as addressing a specific problem created by women from this movement.  McKnight would suggest that the command to "keep quiet" is there so that the new Roman women could learn and (admittedly an argument from silence) eventually have a voice in the community.

As to the specific issue of Timothy 2:15?  McKnight suggest, "I doubt very much that Paul is demanding that all women everywhere marry, have children, and manage their homes.  But if we factor in the new Romans woman's desire to end marriage and childbearing and to pursue instead a sexually promiscuous life, Paul is countering those ideas with the virtue of marriage and managing a home." 

Perhaps you are female reading this and you don't think this goes far enough.  I'm sensitive to that critique and have found some versions of Christian feminism compelling.  That being said I think McKnights work with this text helps locate the whole of the hermeneutical trajectory of women in ministry in a healthy place.  It is a movement towards, I think, Christ honoring liberation for women and a vision of the kingdom to come.

Meet the Leadership Team:

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Meet Teri Walter

Vocation (could be your job or something you love doing that you believe you were made for):  Speech Pathologist

Favorite Movie: Currently Midnight in Paris and Elf

Best Restaurant in Waco: 1424

Bible verse/chapter/book that is meaningful for you: Be Still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!'  Ps 46:10, because I need this, I need to be still.

Best Television Show: Downton Abbey, this season of American Idol

Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving, all of my family comes to Waco, I love it.

Something we might not know about you: I have ridden in the Goodyear Blimp

Hobby: my new grandson Walter!, Zumba, reading

Meet Our Newest UBCer:

Name: Averie Grace Kitten

Birthday: 1-30-14

Height: 20.5 inches

Weight: 8 lbs. 12 oz.

Enneagram Number: 1

Speaking of new UBCers, Averie's mom Crystal, is responsible for coordinating all the meals that all the other new moms received from all you great UBCers.  So I say it's payback time darn it!  If you haven't signed up for a meal yet, please consider blessing the Kitten family this way.

Church Need:

UBC is in need of a few healthy vacuum cleaners.  If you have a good one that you are planning on garage saleing or if you looking for the way to bless the church, we could use one.

Family Ministries Spring Calendar:

1. Marriage Ministry Presents: Round Table Discussions (February 23 @ 6:30/childcare provided) 2. Children’s Service (March 2nd) 3. Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner and Lent Workshop Kickoff (March 4th @ 5:30 PM) 4. Game Day at Baylor Soccer Field (March 23rd After Church) 5. South Waco Community Center/UBC Easter Egg Hunt (April 12th, 11:00 AM) 6. Marriage Ministry Presents: Game night (April 12th, 6:30 PM/childcare provided) 7. Picnic in the Park Palm Sunday (April 13th, After Church) 8. Dos de Mayo Date Night (May 2nd, 6:00 PM)

A Message from Emily: 

We will be getting T-Shirt sizes for the kids and helpers this Sunday for the UBCKids Service.  The cost will be $8.00 a shirt (if the cost is a problem, they can contact me!)  We will be tie-dying them at the evening practice and would love for each child to have a shirt for the service!

Also, our big UBCKids Service evening practice will be Thursday, February 27th from 4:00-6:00!  Pizza will be served and we will be tie-dying shirts, so wear something that can get messy!  If you can't make it, let me know and we will tie-dye your child's shirt for them!

Thanks~

Emily

Work is Worship: 

2-9-14

Coffee Makers: Marshall Hinders

Coffee Cleaners: Kaley Eggers, Monike Garabieta, & Marcus Mataga

Greeters: Joben David & ????

Announcements:

• Our bible verses for Sundays sermon are Matthew 5:1-12.
• John Sunday School Class: John Chapters 3 & 4 with particular attention paid to the difference in Jesus conversations between the Samaritan woman and Nicodemus. 
• Psalms of Ascent Sunday School Class: Revisiting Psalm 121 and introducing Psalm 122.
• Christians in the Headlines Sunday School Class: This Article.
• UBC Love, Love Feast February 16th at 6:00 PM

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 366 9779

Marriage Ministry Events...

Last fall we began to be more intentional about nurturing the health of the marriages in our congregation.  Between our marriage seminars, Hitched Dinners and Emerging Parents, we saw a lot of great movement in this area.  We wanted to make you aware of a couple of events in the coming months to put on your calendar.  These particular events are for ALL married couples-- newlywed, oldywed, with kids or without.  Childcare will be provided.

---

Marriage "Roundtable"

Sunday, February 23rd @ 6:30p.m.

Similar to the marriage seminars we held last semester, this will be a time to get together and discuss several aspects of marriage.  Couples will join each other around a table working through "case studies," and will share their findings with the entire group.  This time will be facilitated by Josh Carney.

---

Game Night

Saturday, April 12th @ 6:30p.m.

There will be one agenda for this time together-- FUN! We are currently working on a spot off-site for games, so you can drop your kids off at the church and not worry about them for a bit.  (This is the same day of the Easter Egg Hunt, so just put on your calendar a great big UBC FUN DAY in the April 12th square.)

ITLOTC 1-31-14

The importance of Owning a Mistake

As a child I grew up tucked away on three acres on Mable Lake.  Cable television would have never (and still hasn't) reached that remote part of the universe and a satellite dish was, at the time, about 13 feet in diameter and a luxury that a small town pastor's family could not afford.  Our sole chance of being entertained was provided by a spotty antenna that delivered ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS in the spring.

As antennas improved I was able to eek CBS on a small TV in my room.  Though it was scrambled I could hear and clearly and made a habit out of listening to David Letterman.  It became a ritual for me.  Though I generally thought Leno had better guests, I loved Letterman's timing even if I didn't understand the socio-political state of the world sometimes required to get his dry humor.

Ever since then I have been a Letterman person and so was disappointed back in 2009 when he was accused and found guilty of having an affair.  It's not like I thought he was an upstanding moral citizen, but I was still slightly disappointed.  I'll never forget when he come on the air the weekend after the story broke and apologized.  He was so direct and to the point.  He didn't try and pad the news or offer an excuse.  He just owned it.  Though his mistake remained, his apology was an anomaly in the world of celebrity.  I found it inspiring.  With professional athletes denying PED allegation and politicians covering up scandals here was a guy who completely accepted his problem fully and publicly from the get go.  Growing up when I'd witness something similar I'd note to myself how I felt and determine that if I was ever in a position to offer an apology I would.

This last Sunday I preached about the unity of the church.  In that sermon I wanted to point out that in order for diversity to exist together long enough for unity to emerge, that diversity must be protected even when it's difficult.  By way of illustration I offered my marriage with my wife as an example.  After exploring the topic of marital strife and fighting I stated that those fights worked because we never said the word divorce nor it was an option.

On Monday I got a generous email from an individual who has been divorced.  This person humbly shared their experience and cared enough about the issue and me to help me see the situation from another angle.  After reading the email I thanked them and asked if I could share an edited version with you, to which they graciously agreed.

Thank you friend, for your courage on behalf of yourself and those who have shared your experience.

Hey Josh,

I wanted to mention something that I’ve been thinking about from your sermon today. You were making the point about unity and used an illustration from your marriage where you said that one thing that fosters unity (even during fights) is you and Lindsay’s agreement to never talk about divorce.  I did hear what you said before this illustration – that you know that there are some situations where divorce seems to be unavoidable. Your intentions in caring for people who have been in unhealthy and unsustainable marriages is clear, and I really appreciate that. It was thoughtful (and risky, I know) to say what you did.

Anyway, it dawned on me that I don’t think I ever really talked to you about my previous marriage and the end of that marriage. Of course, I did talk to the pastor of the church where I was a member at that time. Anyway, after church today, I feel like I’d like to share just a little bit about that, in relation to your illustration.

Before we got married, my ex went out of his way to make sure to make sure that we would never ever talk about divorce, never even say the D-word. I thought this was a good idea - seems pretty obvious. But I think now that this was a way for him to create a safe space, not for our unity, but for him to be increasingly abusive. I’ll spare you the details. For two years, I never talked to anyone about the way that he treated me, and I really thought that if I just kept trying harder, things would get better. In the end, when I finally did go to talk to someone and get help, he decided it would be better to not be married than to acknowledge and address the brokenness of our marriage. After it became clear that reconciliation was not possible, I finally asked him if he wanted a divorce. He said, yes. And that was it - the extent of our conversation on the matter.

I'm telling you this because I want you to know that not talking about divorce doesn't really do anything to keep it from happening. In fact, what I've found from my experience and from the experiences of others, is that many abusers are very intentional about taking divorce off the table so that the people they are with are effectively trapped. This is especially so when they can give it the force of piety or religious obligation. In my situation, when I finally told someone for the first time about what our marriage looked like, the jig was up and he cut all ties with me and anyone who knew me.

Now, I really think that most people have very good intentions in not talking about divorce. And I don’t think it is healthy to use divorce as a threat, which I know is another way some people manipulate and abuse their spouses. But even for the happiest and healthiest of couples, denying the fragility of our relationships can also be a way of neglecting the maintenance that all relationships need.

I’m betting that in actuality, what makes for a safe space for you and Lindsey’s fights is not the absence of the word “divorce” (although I think that is good), but the presence of ten years of practicing love and patience. Years of children who you care for together, of meals cooked and shared, ten years of proving your trustworthiness to each other fight after fight after fight. Ten years of apologizing for broken dishes and for yelling and ten years of working together to clean up the mess and reconcile through the fights.

So, the rational, happily re-married, friend-of-the-pastor part of my brain understands your illustration today and gets what you meant. But I also have the part of my brain that will always hear everything as a devoted wife to an abusive husband. And what that woman takes away from illustrations like that is: “Well even the preacher throws things, so my husband probably isn’t that bad. Maybe the way he treats me is normal.” She is affirmed in her inability to even consider getting help or talking to anyone. And her husband is affirmed in his ability to do whatever he wants with no fear of her leaving. I know that is not at all what you meant to convey, and you probably didn’t convey that to anyone. But that’s what I would have heard.

There’s also a part of me that is still very wounded by my first marriage and insecure about my place in the church afterwards. What that part of me thinks is, “Well, Lindsey yells at Josh and Josh breaks things and they are still together. Why couldn’t I make my marriage work? Is there something wrong with me? Did I not try hard enough?” When it seems like not talking about divorce is a guarantee of marital sustainability, I feel like people around me are staring at me thinking, “Wow, if only she hadn’t talked about divorce, then she wouldn’t be divorced,” or “Wow, she and her ex-husband must have talked about divorce all the time.” Now, I know how ridiculous that is. And I know that probably no one is thinking about me at all. But somehow, in that moment I still feel kind of small.

This is not a big deal for me. I can shake that kind of thing off and remember where I am and what I believe and that I know you personally and know what you were getting at. But it makes me start thinking about other faces in the congregation who don’t know you and whose loss is much more fresh than mine. People whose spouses continue to threaten them with hellfire and damnation while at the same time physically and emotionally abusing them. These people are in our church. And these spouses and ex-spouses are in our church. And I’m betting there are one or two seemingly happily married couples (or dating couples) in the church for whom this is an underlying dynamic. I know we can’t help stepping on some toes when we preach, but I also know that the last thing you want to do is affirm an abuser while stepping on the wounded toes of the abused.

Anyway, know that I think you are great and I’m so glad you’re my pastor! I’m not upset with you or even asking you to change anything. I just feel like I might be able to provide some insight into a section of the congregation that I hope you will never have to be in.

Meet The Leadership Team

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Meet David Wilhite

Vocation (could be your job or something you love doing that you believe you were made for):   I teach early Christian history and theology at Truett/Baylor.

Favorite Movie: The Last Dragon (1985), featuring "Bruce Leeroy" and "Sho Nuff"

Best Restaurant in Waco:  Mi Taquilla

Bible verse/chapter/book that is meaningful for you:  2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Best Television Show: The Muppets

Favorite Holiday: 4th of July (if you're on the lake; otherwise, Thanksgiving).

Something we might not know about you: I have a 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do

Hobby: Anything with family, friends, and/or involving the outdoors.

Empty Nester and Almost Empty Nesters

Are your kids way past Sponge Bob and Dora?  Do you pay more for car insurance than health insurance?  Do folks ask if you qualify for the senior citizen discount?  If so you might be eligible to be part of empty nester and almost empty nester group.

The next event will be dinner.  It held on Friday, February 14^th at 6:30 in the home of Jim & Mindy Wren.  Their address is 1700 Royal Oaks Drive, Waco, Texas 76710.

Please RSVP (call or text) to Linda Taft if you plan to attend, 254 717 8191.

Church Need

There is a fence on the backside (northeast) of the church that is made of bamboo.  A few of our fence pieces have gone missing.  I fear these missing pieces will only invite more mischief.  Would you be willing to find a few pieces of bamboo and repair this fence?  If so email josh@ubcwaco.org.  Thanks.

Work Is Worship

 2-2-14

Coffee: Katie Wilson & Daniel Lairmore

Coffee Clean Up: Dan Picken

Greeters: Paul & Linda Taft

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: Luke 2:41-52
• John Sunday School Class: John 2:13-25
• Love-Love Feast: February 16^th at 6:00 P.M.
• The Culture Sunday School class has posted an article on our website.  Even if you don’t go to that class, Toph is encouraging folks to read the article and give feedback.  Read it here.   Comment on the Facebook thread on the UBC Facebook page.
• Penny Lynn Duke will be dedicated this Sunday.  Please be in prayer for her and her family.
• CDs for the children's service will be available in the children's rooms after church this sunday.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Getting to Know You(bc): Will Knight...

  Name: Will Knight

Age: I am 30.

Where do you call home?

A small little town known as Belton, TX. It has that small town feel with a lot of great people. The longer that I have been in Waco it is becoming more and more home.

What do you do in Waco?

I am the Operations Manager for Heart of Texas Produce. We sell fruit and vegetables to restaurants, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.

What do you love most about UBC?

How outgoing everyone is. No matter where you are in life everyone makes it a mission to make all feel welcome. On Sunday morning, Wednesday for Communion or Pub Group, at Home Group, or just running into each other around town.

Favorite Movie?

There are so many great movies. If I have to pick one it would have to be Hunt for the Red October.

 books/author?

My favorite book of all time is Being George Washington and anything scifi. Author is a little harder. It would be a tie between Brad Thor and Vince Flynn.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Astronaut. I always had a fascination about space and exploring it.

What do you want to be now when you grow up?

A spy or maybe a critic so I can try a lot of different stuff.

You say you might want to be a critic.  What do you want to criticize?  

Food.  I love good food.  They also talk about service and cleanliness of restaurants. It is about the combination of all three.

Favorite artist/band/musician?

Flyleaf. It is kind of cool cause I went to high school with some of the band members. Being able to watch them grow to what they are today is epic.

Best Burger in Waco?

Smashburger.

What do we HAVE to know about you to really know you?

I enjoy comic books. It is what has kept my interest in scifi and started my fascination with superheros. If you have not picked up already I'm a scifi fan. Everything from Star Wars to Doctor Who to Battlestar Galactica and beyond. If it's scifi I'm in.

Who is your favorite superhero?

Gambit. He is always laid back and cool about everything.

ITLOTC 1-24-14

How Much Does A Pastor Really Make? On one of my visits to Facebook world this week I spotted this article, which was posted by my friend.  If you didn’t click the link, the premise/the title is “Why Your Pastor Doesn’t Make Enough Money.”

There’s a checklist in the article that explains why Pastors leave the ministry.   It’s a “hazard” list.  As I went through the list in my head I silently replied “nope” to most of them.  UBC really is a great place work.  I’m not sure, but I think that most of us on staff probably make less than we could elsewhere.  It’s really important that you understand I don’t list that as a complaint or even to try solicit raises for everyone.  Rather I want to point out the powerful pull of the ethos, that I suspect is a big factor in making UBC a place we love to work.

When Dave and Chris cast a vision for the church almost 20 years ago, they did with specific language and ideas that have protected the church all these years.  We  are not a church that argues over carpet colors or choir robes.  Those sorts of things have never been an issue.  Of course the institutional structures that give space for those sorts of arguments come with their own advantages, but again we’ve never been blessed and/or cursed with those issues.  Here’s a succinct way to put it.  If we are going to call a spade a spade, then carpet colors and choir robes are “BS” issues.  I’ll let you decide how to fill out the abbreviation.  UBC is a great place to work because we don’t deal with a lot of BS issues.

Lest I leave the impression that it’s perfect, let me be clear that it is not.  As a staff we’ve had our fair share of arguments and occasionally we receive complaints (usually indirectly) from someone in the congregation who is frustrated.   But I’ve often reflected that the things we fight about are things that are worth fighting about.  They are issues of ecclesiology and theology and the process we use to make decisions and the decisions we come to know matter deeply.

I have a lot of pastor friends who I've heard lament their situations.  I would take my problems over theirs most days.

But there is a better reason that makes pastoring at UBC great.  There is a richer form of intangible currency that ends up in our proverbial pockets every month.

I sometimes reflect on how long I will do what I am doing.  The blessing and curse of what I would refer to as “a call” is that there is part of your decision making that you don’t really think belongs to you.  The conclusion to this journey evades me, but I do know this, every time Lindsay and I have made a major decision in our life there seems to be a transcendent peace that comes with it.  I cannot see the end of my road, but that doesn’t stop from reflecting from the place of telos from time to time.  When I enter that mental space I think about what I might miss most about this job.  What I have discovered has surprised me.

It is the profound privilege of being invited into your suffering.  A lot of jobs have their own perks.  Athletes can compensate friends and family with tickets.  An editor gets to see amazing work before the rest of the world.    A car dealer always has something new to drive.  Teachers get summer (kind of).

The pastor gets invited into the recesses of the human heart.

And why should that be such a gift?

Philip Yancey writes this, “For some time I accompanied a friend to a life-threatening-illness support group, which met monthly in a hospital waiting room.  I cannot say I “enjoyed” those meetings, yet every month, walking home, I had the sense that the evening was one of the most meaningful I had spent.  We skipped trivialities and faced into the issues most urgent to everyone in the room—death and life, and how best to spend what time remained.”

Every time someone walks into my office with their pain in tow I’m floored that they have invited me to share it with them.  About a month ago someone came into to confess that he and his wife had a miscarriage.  I did what I always do.  I listened, talked without trying to say more than I actually know, and prayed and when they left I think I probably felt more ministered to by their invitation to care than they did by the care I gave.

In that moment, and in so many like it, I did not doubt that my work had immense meaning.  I will never get over that.

Empty Nester and Almost Empty Nesters

Are your kids way past Sponge Bob and Dora?  Do you pay more for car insurance than health insurance?  Do folks ask if you qualify for the senior citizen discount?  If so you might be eligible to be part of empty nester and almost empty nester group.

The next event will be dinner.  It held on Friday, February 14^th at 6:30 in the home of Jim & Mindy Wren.  Their address is 1700 Royal Oaks Drive, Waco, Texas 76710.

Please RSVP (call or text) to Linda Taft if you plan to attend, 254 717 8191.

Meet The Leadership Team

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Meet Kaley Eggers

Vocation (could be your job or something you love doing that you believe you were made for):   I'm a social worker- the site coordinator for Communities In Schools at Connally Elementary School. It's sort of complicated to explain, but essentially I get to provide a wide variety of services to help support the students and families at my school. It's pretty hectic, but I feel very honored to have the opportunity to be a dependable, encouraging and loving presence in the lives of these kids.

Favorite Movie: This is a really tough question. I've been really into documentaries lately (A Place at the Table and Miss Representation are excellent and available on Netflix if you're interested), but I think if I had to pick one all-time favorite it would be Baby Mama. I probably quote this film at least once a day. Seriously. You just can't beat the combination of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

Best Restaurant in Waco: Once again- really tough question. I love D's Mediterranean Grill, but I think Homestead Heritage would probably win as my favorite. (Or Homestead Cafe? I'm not sure what the actual restaurant is called?)

Bible verse/chapter/book that is meaningful for you: Two come quickly to mind. OT: Isaiah 61:1-3 and Mark 5:35-42. I feel very strongly connected to passionate calling described in the Isaiah verses. If someone were to ask me why I became a social worker, the simplest way for me to respond would be to quote this section of Scripture. That passage in Mark is the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter. To me, these verses communicate so much about who Christ is and the immense hope we have in him.

Best Television Show: Parks and Recreation.

Favorite Holiday:  Toss up between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Something we might not know about you: In high school I went through a really serious Lord of the Rings phase. Fact: I dressed up as an elf when I went to see The Two Towers in theaters. Follow-up fact: It was not the midnight showing. It was probably 2 weeks after the premiere. Obviously my coolness peaked in high school.

Hobby:  Ukulele-playing. Crafting. Baking. Hanging with my dog, RG IV.

 

Work Is Worship

 1-19-13

Coffee: Emily Driscoll and Michael Scott

Coffee Clean Up: Kara Edmondson, Jacob Robinson and Byron Roldon

Greeters: Dan Padgett and Jeff Latham

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17
• Love-Love Feast: February 16^th at 6:00 P.M.
• The Culture Sunday School class has posted an article on our website.  Even if you don’t go to that class, Toph is encouraging folks to read the article and give feedback.  Read it here.   Comment on the Facebook thread on the UBC Facebook page.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Geting to Know You(BC): Ashley and Brandon Stroud...

 

Name: Ashley Stroud Age: 29

Where do you call home? I guess Waco now since we are raising our family here. But I grew up in Roswell, NM.

What do you do in Waco? I just started this past fall as an elementary art teacher for Woodway Elementary. In other words I get to play arts and crafts all day and get paid!

 What do you love most about UBC? I love Sunday morning worship. We have visited many churches in the area and none compare. Love the music. Love the sermons. Love the diversity of people worshipping together.

Favorite Movie? This is hard. I'm a movie addict. Favorite manly movie is braveheart. Favorite animated movie is croods. Favorite chick flick is new in town. And about a million others.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A lot of things. Veterinarian, teacher, archeologist.  My mom likes to make fun of the fact that I use to play accountant. I invented a lot of stuff too. I'm actually the real inventor of the laptop and the rewinding tv (dvr).

What do you want to be now when you grow up? I really just want to be a stay at home mom. I love to cook and craft and play with my precious baby all day long.

Favorite artist/band/musician? Michael buble. People just don't sing like that anymore. My parents always played good oldies like that when I was growing up!!

Best Burger in Waco? Hmmm....I really enjoy fuddruckers. I like building my own burger with goodies I like. But the new smash burger in town is pretty awesome.

What do we HAVE to know about you to really know you? I'm actually an introvert. I feel really awkward around people I'm not close friends with. And I have a really hard time making friends. I could probably count on one hand the number of true friends that I really felt close to. My mother is exactly the same and bc of that we have always been best friends. Family is really important to me.

Tell us about your family.  

I assume you mean Brandon and Chloe. What exactly do you want to know? Brandon and I have been married 4 years this April. Chloe turns 2 at the end of January. Chloe is a big goober. She has so much personality. I love it! Do you want more info about Brandon?

Sure!

Brandon (in his own words)

Age: 33

Where do you call home? Waco, TX

What do you do in Waco? Configuration Analyst @ Ferguson Enterprises Inc. Distribution Center and CrossFit Coach @ CrossFit Waco

What do you love most about UBC? The variety of ideas and people that I would not normally be exposed to in my everyday life.

 Favorite Movie?  The Goonies

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Major League Baseball Player.

What do you want to be now when you grow up?  Happy

Favorite artist/band/musician?  Glenn Kaiser "The Ressurrection Band"

Best Burger in Waco?  Fudruckers Buffalo Burger.

What do we HAVE to know about you to really know you?  I am a quiet person if I don’t speak to you it’s not because I think I am too cool.  It is because I am shy and it takes a lot of time with someone for me to open up.

Spring 2014 Sunday School...

We still do good old-fashioned "Sunday School" here at UBC.  Christian Education, a term that is becoming, unfortunately, antiquated, is an important aspect of formation, and we are excited to have so many gifted teachers in our congregation to offer their expertise.  Below is a list of the Spring classes we have.  We hope you can join us at 9:30 a.m. in the morning!

The Gospel of John-- Exploring the fourth gospel.  Led by Lindsey Trozzo in the "Red Room."

Psalms of Ascent-- Looking at the book of Psalms within the book of Psalms.  Led by Craig Nash in the "Brown Room."

Christians and the Headlines-- Analyzing Christian responses to the news of the day.  Led by Toph Whisnant and Maggie Griffin in the "Rock and Roll Room."

Hitched-- A group for the Married-Without Children crowd.  Led by the Hollymans (and others) in the Backside.

ITLOTC 1-17-14

Women in Ministry

I’m not sure if you have slowed down to notice, but UBC has no full time pastors that are women.  Emily is a part time children’s pastor, which is not an atypical position for a woman to hold in church life, and Michelle is our office manager.  With this information one might glean that UBC has a pretty standard view of woman in ministry for the Baptist south.

I think I sometimes feel defensive about this issue.  When it comes up I’m quick to point out that when we hired two community pastors in 2010 two of the final six (out of about 50 applicants) were women.  When we hired Emily, I intentionally advocated for her title to be changed from “minister” to “pastor” because I believe she is.  I want people to know that despite our lack of a full-time female pastor on staff we are very much for women in ministry.

A few months ago I submitted an article to the Christian Century.  The magazine called for submissions on the topic of mentoring.  My story was about Michelle, a hall director at Bethel College in St. Paul, MN.  In the article I shared about how I went to college with a complementarian view of women in the household and church.  Looking back I don’t think those position came from deep thoughtfulness, but rather merged out of few opinions I’d heard and no real study on the issue.

My flimsy perspective on this issue was called into question my junior year by Michelle.  Michelle is not a bra burning feminist nor did she ever bring up the issue of women in ministry.  She just led.  And she led me effectively.  Her witness smacked my suppositions in the face.  And let me be more specific because a few complementarians are already objecting that they do believe women can lead.  OK you’re right, but I wasn’t just led by Michelle, Michelle grew me as a disciple, and so that there’s really no question … exercised a spiritual authority (and not the sort of authority that needs to let you know it is authority, but rather Jesus picking up a towel sort of authority) over me that resulted in my being closer to Jesus.  I submitted to her spiritual leadership and was a better Christ follower as a result of it.

When my year as a resident assistant under Michelle was over, I realized that I had changed on this issue.  I decided that women belong in ministry.

You might have also gleaned from UBC that we allow space for diversity on issues.  If isn’t explicit in the way we talk about an issue, then it’s explicit in the way we don’t talk about that issue.  Part of that is simply diplomatic and a reflection of the ethos of the church, but part of that is that I just don’t think people’s opinions change via Facebook posts or through arguments.  I think change, real change, happens most often over the course of year when you spend time learning to love someone different than you.  Change happens in relationship when people take the time to love us through change.

That being said I should note that UBC does take a stand on one issue explicitly, namely, women in ministry.  February is Martha Stearns Marshall women in ministry month.  To join thousands of other Baptists in celebrating women who are or should be in ministry we will feature two female preachers.  If you agree with UBC on this issue I hope you’ll come and be blessed.  If you find yourself opposed to UBC on this issue, I hope you’ll come and be blessed.

A message from Tye:

I would like to say thanks to everyone for the generous amount of support that has been flowing in lately. It has been great having everyone back in town and singing loudly on Sundays. (And how about the Tri Delt choir last week!)

The Gladsome Light has been hard at work recording many of the songs that we sing here at Ubc on Sundays and it has been a very rewarding process. We hope that when the recording is finished it will be a meaningful contribution to you and your faith. Also, this season is a popular time for youth groups to have weekend retreats focusing on spiritual growth (aka D Nows). We have been fortunate to be invited to participate in several of these retreats this season, including one at my home church in Amarillo and FBC Tyler, the home church of our former pastor Kyle Lake. These weekends are a great way to connect with the larger body of Christ and continue to build on lasting relationships. If you would like to know more about the band and how we are working to embrace beauty and live missionally, you can follow us on Facebook, twitter and instagram.

This Sunday my good friend T.J. Ono will be leading us in worship. He has a solid heart and a desire to use music for the church. Be sure and thank T.J for stepping up and leading our community.

As always, if you have any comments or song suggestions, they are always welcomed. Feel free to call or email anytime. tye@ubcwaco

Peace,

Tye  

Meet The Leadership Team

I would like to ask the church to be in prayer for our next leadership team meeting, which is January 22^nd.  If you have anything you would like the leadership team to consider please feel free to contact me (josh@ubcwaco.org) or any of our leadership team members.

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Meet Byron Roldán

 

Vocation (could be your job or something you love doing that you believe you were made for): Intern for Baylor Intramural Sports

Favorite Movie: The Natural, For Love of the Game, Field of Dreams, Moneyball

Best Restaurant in Waco: Captain Billy Whizzbangs

Bible verse/chapter/book that is meaningful for you:

Verse: Isaiah 42:16

Chapter: 1 Corinthians 12

Book: James

Best Television Show: Breaking Bad, House, Sherlock, House of Cards

Favorite Holiday: Memorial Day

Something we might not know about you: I’ve worn a hat every day for over 5 years

Hobby: Hat collecting, baseball, drums

Beauty:

At UBC we have so many talented folks living out mission in the life of the larger Waco community.

This week I’d like to feature the talents of Arna Hemenway.  Arna just may be the most professional artist among us.  He graduated from the Iowa Writers Workshop, which if you know anything about that you know it's like the NBA of basketball.  He was hired to pioneer the creative writing program at Baylor.  I've read his forthcoming novella Elegy On Kinderklavier and can tell you this guy has a literary A game.

You can check out some of this stuff here or just google him because he's that big of a deal.

Work Is Worship

1-19-13

Coffee: Jon Harrison

Coffee Clean Up: Haines Family

Greeters: Emily Driscoll

Giving Statements

Giving statements for the 2013 tax year will be available Sunday.  They will be located on the table on right of the foyer after church.  Look for Michelle.

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon Text: John 1:35-42
• Love-Love Feast: February 16^th at 6:00 P.M.
• Sunday School Classes will meet for the first time this Sunday, you should check one out!
• The "Christians In The Headlines" Sunday School class has posted an article on our website.  Even if you don’t go to that class, Toph is encouraging folks to read the article and give feedback.  Read it here.   Comment on the Facebook thread on the UBC Facebook page.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Getting to Know You(bc): Chad Conine...

We are reviving our "Getting to Know You(bc)" series by featuring people in our congregation and letting you get to know them just a little bit.  If you would like to participate in this, or if you know someone you'd like to know more about, email craig@ubcwaco.org.) __________

Name? Chad Conine

Age: 36

Where do you call home? Waco.

What do you do in Waco? Run WacoFork and write for several sports media outlets.

What's the best press box you've ever worked in? 

The Alamodome because it's open air and at the top of the lower bowl, so the view of the field and the atmosphere of being in the crowd is the best. and it has all the other bells and whistles like comfortable chairs and plenty of space and all that.

What do you love most about UBC? That seems like a loaded question.

It is.  What do you love the least about UBC?

Ok, I was really just trying to avoid a long, complicated, borderline cliche answer to the "what do yo love the most about UBC" question. To be concise, I feel really comfortable at UBC because of its transitional nature. People come in and come go out and it's there for a specific time of life. It just so happens that I've been in that time of life for about 15 years. I was a member at (another church in town,) but came to the realization that it is way too focused on helping young families raise young children for me to really have a place there. I most like that UBC is accommodating to people outside the standard blueprint for life.

I couldn't answer what I love the least about UBC without first saying why I'm there in the first place. That stated, I would really have to nit pick to define what I love the least. I don't have any better answer than to say I preferred the Sunday night service after Thanksgiving when it was very much like the usual Sunday morning, just at a different time of day.

Favorite Movie? The Outlaw Josey Wales.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A sportswriter.

What do you want to be now when you grow up? A sportswriter or possibly the road manager for a rock n' roll band or a spy.

Favorite artist/band/musician? The Drive-By Truckers.

 Best Burger in Waco? Cafe Homestead South of the Border or Quesadilla burger, pretty much any of their burgers. Honorable mention: Sironia California Burger.

What do we HAVE to know about you to really know you? That my grandfather Milton Conine was an ornery SOB with a heart of gold and one of my favorite people to hang out with and I think my personality kind of mirrors his and I'm totally fine with that.

ITLOTC 1-10-14

Belonging 

I recently rewatched the final episode of The Office.  There are many great moments in that last episode, but one of my favorites is a reflection from Andy Bernard.  Andy, after a failed attempt at a musical career, gets a job at his alma mater Cornell.   This after spending a lengthy part of his working career at Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. longing for the days when he was singing with his a cappella group at Cornell.  His reflection is worth thinking about.

Watch it here.

Andy reminds me how difficult it is for us to see ourselves in the present.  Hindsight is 20/20.  The future is full of vision.  And we are blind to the present.  In light of this I’ve been asking myself questions about the present state of the church.  Where are we?

In my first year of at UBC, back in 2004, I consumed the “couch conversation.”  It was a service UBC used to do early in the fall to tell it’s story.  At the couch conversation I heard Ben (a former community pastor) tell about when he first arrived at UBC fresh from Amarillo.  Ben approached then community pastor Byron Weathersbee and asked him how he could transfer his membership to UBC.  Byron laughed.  Laughing not so much to make fun of Ben, but rather at the supposition of Ben’s question.  The thought that UBC was organized enough to have membership seemed hilarious.

That story was always helpful to hear because it revealed something about the ethos of UBC.  UBC was started by two college kids who saw a need and sought to fill it.  And they did.  David Crowder and Chris Seay went to a bunch of fraternities and sororities and handed out flyers.  A few weeks later a college church was born.  It started as a movement that was raw, untamed and unafraid, with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

In its first few years UBC didn’t have nor did it worry about budgets, finances, buildings, maintenance, staff dynamics and many other grown up issues including membership.  They were having too much fun to worry about that stuff and it’s worth mentioning, being quite successful while not worrying about that stuff.

A year or so ago I was having lunch with my friend Burt reflecting on where the church was at.  I pointed out that we’d gone through many changes.  We’d added a finance team, an HR team, hired a part time children’s pastor, hammered out new bylaws and added Sunday school classes that accommodated our growing diversity.  Since that conversation we now have a volunteer youth leader.

Burt gave me language to understand what was/is happening at UBC.  He said, “every movement eventually becomes an institution, and then a new movement is born to takes its place.”  Institution.  That’s what is happening to UBC right now.

This fall the staff had a conversation about the possibility of membership.  We took that idea to the leadership team and they approved Craig forming an exploratory committee to talk about what that might mean at UBC.

I realize that even that word “membership” has connotations that are not always positive.  That will be one of the many questions considered by the committee as they navigate these thoughts.  Still we believe it might be time to ask and possibly define what it means to belong to this once-movement-now-becoming-institution.  We think it’s important work.  Please be praying for Craig and our membership committee as they do this work.

Thank You 

On Sunday December 22^nd the HR team, on behalf of the larger community, presented each member of the staff with a gift to express your gratitude for the work we do.  We’d like to express ours in return.  Working at UBC is such a joy and privilege.  It felt really great to be thought of by all of you.  Thank you for helping make this such a wonderful place.  We are blessed to be able to serve along side all of you in this ministry.

Meet Our Newest UBCer

Name: Chaim Kosal Loeung

Birthday:12-27-13

Height: 20 inches

Weight: 7lbs 1oz

Enneagram Number: 5

Need Among Us 

Speaking of new UBCers there have been a slew of them lately and a good deal more coming.  If you can help by bringing one of our families a meal or a gift card please sing up.

Ryan & Kristen Richardson: http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/16966575

Britt & Holly Duke: http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/16893900

Rath & Sharyl Loeung: http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/16953550

Meet The Leadership Team

I would like to ask the church to be in prayer for our next leadership team meeting which is coming up at the end of January.  If you have anything you would like the leadership team to consider please feel free to contact me (josh@ubcwaco.org) or any of our leadership team members.

Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson

Vocation (could be your job or something you love doing that you believe you were made for):   Veterinarian- I love caring for animals and the people that love them.

Favorite Movie: Bend it like Beckham

Best Restaurant in Waco: Homestead Heritage

Bible verse/chapter/book that is meaningful for you: Hebrews 11.1   - faith believing in something you cannot see

Best Television Show:  The Cosby Show

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas

Something we might not know about you:  Maiden name is  Schwebke

Hobby:  Riding horses- I grew up riding horses and showing in evening. Now I ride dressage.

Work Is Worship

A few weeks ago I announced that there are many ways folks could sign up to serve the church for the January-March quarter.  That sign up is located outside of my office.  As of now no one is signed up to make coffee this Sunday morning.  If that is something you could do, please email josh@ubcwaco.org.

When does Church Start? 

Earlier in the fall semester our staff had a discussion about starting church on time.  10:30 is our official times, but we usually started at 10:35, which turned into 10:40, until that got all the way to quarter to 11.  We decided that we are committed to starting at 10:30.  I have to admit there were a few times when I thought no one was coming to church, but eventually it filled in.  I thought about sharing our decision in the newsletter last semester, but was hesitant because I didn’t think we’d actually do it, but we have.  So if you’d like to get to church when it starts, we are starting at 10:30.

Giving Statements

Giving statements for the 2013 tax year will be available starting this Sunday.  They will be located on the table on right of the foyer after church.  Look for Michelle.

Children’s Ministry Spring Update (from Emily)

The UBCKids' Service will be March 2nd!  Our theme is the Fruit of the Spirit!  there will be more news and music coming soon!

Sunday School:

1 year-Kindergarten:

Younger Kids will be enjoying their time of fellowship and fun!  As we approach the date for the UBCKids Service, we will also be using this time to sing songs and practice for the big day!

Chronicles of Narnia Book Study:

We will be skipping A Horse and His Boy and moving on to Prince Caspian, followed by The Voyage of The Dawn Treader this semester!

Children's Church:

Our classes will continue as normal until February 2nd when we will begin our look at the Fruit of the Spirit in preparation for the UBCKids Service!

Beauty

At UBC we have so many talented folks living out mission in the life of the larger Waco community.

This week I’d like to highlight a photographer.  Wes Kitten is a husband, future father of two and native San Antonio Spur.  Wes has a plethora of photographic interest and abilities and has been used by both Baylor and the cities of Waco and San Francisco to do some killer time-lapse work.  Check out his stuff here.

He also has artistic taste buds.  Check out his instagram work @THEBEERHAUL

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

Spring 2014 @ UBC...

This coming Sunday, January 12th, during the Sunday School time at 9:30a.m., we will have an all-church gathering in the backside to introduce everyone to all the ways you can get involved in the life of UBC this Spring, from Home Groups to Sunday School, and everything in between!  We will provide donuts (the good kind,) and coffee. Spread the word!  If you are new to UBC and looking to get connected, this is a perfect opportunity.  (It's also a perfect opportunity if you are old to UBC.)

ITLOTC 12-27-13

"This is it."

Who is my family?

Mark 3:31-35 “31 And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you." 33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother."”

Luke 12:53 “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

I've often wondered why Focus on the Family doesn’t paste these verses across their home page.  That’s rhetorical.  Of course they don’t paste these verses on their home page.  Perhaps the real question is “WTH [heck] Jesus?” 

I remembered when I first discovered these verses as a kid.  I was mad at Jesus.  I had/have a great mom and dad who love me, taught me the gospel and raised me in the way the Christ.  Surely Jesus would have no qualms about our relationship and certainly wouldn’t try and pit us against each other.  We were all wearing the same jerseys and they belonged to team Jesus.

As I have pastored I’ve seen these verses come to life; I’ve grown to see their value.  I think there are two ways to appreciate these verses.  The first is tragic, but nonetheless good news.  For the daughter who abused or the son who is disowned or the parent who is rejected the good news is that the characters who played parts in your sad story do make up the whole of your family.  You belong to the church and for all of those of you who have needed to, the church stands ready to listen and receive you as you confess “here are my mother and my brothers!” 

I’ve thought about and prayed for you.   It is very often this time of year when folks go back to where they came from and discover that there has been a slight shift in their worldview and that doesn’t sit well with mom or dad.  Or, so and so, seems to have changed a little and now I feel a disconnect.  I think it’s important to point out that, those disconnects happen and that it’s ok if you feel like they are an occasion for sadness.  Difference often feels a little bit like pain because it usually involves a small death of expectations.  When we go to these places where we have come from we suddenly find that we are not sure if we are from “here” any longer.  And where we came from strangely feels more like home.  It’s in those moments that we find worth in Jesus words. 

The Waters of Baptism

A few years ago I was talking with a friend who had recently discovered that his and his wife’s child-conceiving-options had been narrowed by circumstances out of their control.  As such, they began exploring other avenues.  One option was to get a sperm donor.  I asked my friend if that would bother him.  Would it bother him to have a child with his wife using someone else’s sperm?  In response he said, “No, because if it does then the gospel isn’t true in my life and I have believed what the world tells me, namely, that my biological relationships are the ones that really matter.  But that’s not what the gospel tells me.  It claims that water is thicker than blood.  That the waters of baptism speak more truly about who my family is then the blood that runs through my veins.”  I was humbled by the presupposition of my question and pastored by my friend in that moment. 

That phrase, “water is thicker than blood” has become dear to me.  Tye has employed this phrase in a song he has written about baptism.  It's a truth worth singing.  It names a reality that gives me great comfort as I live thousands of miles from my biological origins and into the reality of God’s great family which is shared in baptism. 

Top Ten Lists

As New Years approaches TV shows will begin airing that feature top ten lists from the year.  Top ten crazy moments of 2013.  Top ten songs of 2013.  Movies in a review, 2013 at the box office.  You get the idea.  In the spirit of closing out the secular calendar, I’d like to highlight my favorite UBC moment of 2013.

I told you there are two ways to understand the verses listed above.  Here is the second.  A few years ago I was interviewed for an article about pastoring and was asked, “have you ever had a moment when you felt like 'this is it.'”  Had I been asked that now I might have answered this way. 

Jeff and Teri Walter have three children whom they love dearly.  Those children love them dearly.  It’s a household filled healthy relationships.  They welcomed their first grandbaby this last year.  Life is good for the Walters.  Brennan Winn is a thriving first grader.  She loves God, has great parents and two sets of Grandparents who love her, even if from 2,000+ miles away.  Brennan had a problem.  Grandparents day rolled around at St. Louis Catholic School and Brennan’s grandparents were still 2,000+ miles away.  Point being I don't think Jesus would be interested in splitting up either of these households.  

I don’t remember when it was, but one day this fall I hopped on facebook and saw this picture.  When I did I thought of two things.  1. The kingdom is among us, and 2. Water is thicker than blood. This will always be one of the memories I treasure the most about UBC.

 

Beauty:

At UBC we have so many talented folks living out mission in the life of the larger Waco community.

This week I want to highlight one of our many awesome photographers. Molly Winn, mother of the above mentioned Brennan Winn, is a photographing champion.  Her photos have been featured on HGTV’s blog, and few other fancy places. 

She’s one of those people who had the artistic prowess to make photos look cool, like on instagram, 7 years before instagram was invented. 

Enough with my accolades, see it for yourself.

Newest UBCer:

Name: Mayer Reece Richardson

Birthday 12-23-13

Height: 18 inches

Weight: 6lbs 12oz.

Enneagram Number: 8

Announcements:

• Sunday School will begin again on January 12^th
• From our Children’s Pastor Emily: “For the next two weeks (the 22nd and 29th), we will have our oldest three classes (Bloom, Branch and Root) joining us in the service!”
• There are still spots available for the Spring Break Monastery Trip.  Contact Craig@ubcwaco if interested
• Please be in prayer for Dan Venzin.  Dan is our volunteer youth group leader and will be preaching for me on January 5^th. 

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 366 9779

ITLOTC 12-20-13

Worth It!  Good job team.

I love my job.  It’s the best.  I often think to myself, “Wow, I can’t believe I have this job at this church.”  God has been so gracious to me and my family.  Now for the dirty part.  Sometimes it’s hard.  So hard that I want to pull out my hair, quit, and move to a lake on Northern Wisconsin and open a rundown bait shop.  Very often in those moments when pastoring is hard, God sends me grace in the form of encouragement.

I got one such form of grace early this week.  My friend Carlie, who graduates this week, sent me a note.  It was one of those notes that reminded me exactly why we do what we do. But it isn’t a note for me, it is for all of us.  Enjoy UBC and thanks Carlie.

UBC,

this is a thank-you note of sorts. i have never been good at writing these, much to my mother's dismay. it usually takes about 4 months of her nagging before my thank-you notes from christmas finally make into the mail around….april. but this season of my life has been one marked by newness and change, accompanied by a deep sense of gratitude. gratitude for the people, places, and things in my world that have been the pillars of my faith and my sanity, the words that have been spoken to and over me that have become mantras of courage and freedom as i have continued to learn how to crawl, walk, run, and sometimes fall in my faith.

and now seems like the most appropriate time for me to offer my little piece of gratitude to a larger whole, and tell you what this church has meant to me. i just finished my time at baylor, a journey of 4.5 years that was literally chock full of the richest experiences. of course, the journey was not without pitfalls, failures, doubts. my quest for freedom, my own college soul-search led me in and out of the church, more than once.

church...i have loved it. i have hated it. i have resented it. i have been embarrassingly cynical toward it. i have been disillusioned with it. i have questioned it. i have listened as it has tried to teach me grace and humility, not to stamp my foot at God in child-like indignation. i have rationalized and justified almost every sunday i did or didn't walk through its doors. i have felt nothing and i have felt more than i knew what to do with. i have had just about every emotion that i could have imagined having toward this thing…church.

i came to UBC my freshman year thinking i already had it all figured out. but i couldn't, for the life of me, understand what things like, say, russian literature or movie clips had to do with God. i crossed it off my list, assuming church had to be a certain way, assuming interaction with the Divine took only one form. fast forward a few years- years full of figuring things out only to figure out how little i knew- i find myself back at UBC. now a writer, a lover of art, an avid reader. someone who has finally stopped making the poor distinction society seems to make between things that are secular and things that are sacred, someone who sees and feels and finally notices the goodness and the beauty of the One who loves me, eyes now trained to detect the traces of the holy that are woven throughout everything.

i have a patient God to thank for that, and i have a group of people at UBC to thank for it, too. people who have dared to suggest God as the source of every ounce of beauty, God as the source of everything that is good, God as the one who offers fullness of freedom and no condemnation. it is you all who have taught me that i am just as likely to meet God in a middle school lunchroom or on a soccer field as i am in a candlelit sanctuary with a band and a pastor and a liturgy.

you have helped lift the fog. you have told me to look for Him and you have taught me how. for that, i am eternally grateful. i am leaving waco now, much different than i came to it. thank you for helping me know Him. i really believe earth is just a little bit more like heaven on account of you guys.

sincerely,

carlie davis

Beauty:

At UBC we have so many talented folks living out mission in the life of the larger Waco community.

This week I want to highlight one of our many awesome photographers. Kristin Crawford is a mother, photographer, pretty-wicked-awesome athlete, and all around Pinterest Ninja.  She can sew, photograph, paint, design, and do all kinds of other things that make me feel comparatively uninspiring.   You can check out here work here.

The Crawford Family always does a really amazing Christmas card.  This was this year’s entry. If it doesn’t make any sense to you, then watch this.

Lost and Found:

We’ve had this key for a few weeks.  Please contact Michelle@ubcwaco.org if it is yours.

 

Announcements:

• This Sunday we will be celebrating the fourth Sunday of advent and then turning towards Christmas because we do not have Christmas day service.  There will be no traditional homily.
• This is the last week for the advent Sunday school class in the backside.  Sunday School will begin again on January 12^th
• From our Children’s Pastor Emily: “For the next two weeks (the 22nd and 29th), we will have our oldest three classes (Bloom, Branch and Root) joining us in the service!”
• There are still spots available for the Spring Break Monastery Trip.  Contact Craig@ubcwaco if interested

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 366 9779

ITLOTC 12-13-13

There is wisdom among us.

UBC has a reputation.  We, according to the Waco-public-opinion-poll, are the college church.  Anyone who goes to the church knows the demographic makeup tells a different story.  An interesting question I’m often asked is, “what percentage of the folks at UBC are Baylor students.”  We’ve never been able to answer that question with accuracy.   When I first came here I would have guessed something like 90%-10% or 85%-15%.  Now I would say something like 55%-45%.

There have been two factors that make this shift glaringly obvious.  One has been rapid increase in all things children’s ministry.  The other is that during the summer the sanctuary stays more full than it ever used to.  The fastest growing group of UBC in the last few years has definitely been the 25-45 age group and their kids if they have them.  But it wasn’t always this way.  About five years ago the Wilhites had the Carneys over for dinner and asked, “we like the church, do you think there is a place for us?”  My answer to that question always went something like, “I hope so, come hang out and if it doesn’t fit after a few months …  no hard feelings.”   Those conversations were almost always with young families.

Two folks at UBC who are very dear to me are Jeff and Teri Walter.  Jeff and Teri have weathered many seasons at UBC and always done so faithfully.  I’ve often thought to myself that there are probably a hundred other churches in Waco that could better serve their needs, but they with Don and Roni Bush, Scott and Nancy Gunvordahl and a few others have dared to be the “old people” at UBC through all these years.  I’m so grateful they have.  A few weeks ago a couple asked to meet with me.  Both about 50 years old, they visited UBC on a whim one day because they accidentally slept in too late and missed the service at another church they were visiting.  The question came up, “do you think there’s a place for here?”  I gave my answer.

Tonight Lindsay and I will be joining the first official gathering of the “Empty and Almost Empty Nesters” at 1424 for dinner.  There’s about 20 of them. I’m so excited!

If you are part of our community, fall within the 45ish on up demographic and would like to be part of this and/or future gatherings please email josh@ubcwaco.org or terijan@gmail.com (Teri Walter).

Work is Worship 

A few weeks ago I wrote on this topic.  UBC is the people's church.  Your opportunity to serve the church is now a little easier.  Outside my office door is a sign up chart.  Signing up is a quarterly commitment.  January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December.  These sign ups are for the January-March quarter.  Some jobs are weekly, some are bi-weekly, and some are monthly.  Please stop by and consider signing up.

Meet our Newest UBCer:

Name: Penny Lynn Duke

Birthday: November 30th @ 11:39

Height: 19 inches

Weight: 7 lb s 0 oz

Enneagram #: 9

You can read her story here.

Mission: A Note from Toph

Over the past few months, I have been in conversation with several missionaries, non-profit organizations, and mission sending agencies around the world to discern where UBC’s next international partnership might be.  Over the last few weeks, the Leadership Team and I have discerned that our next partnership will be in Asia.  In February of this year, Melissa and I will travel to India to explore two potential partnerships in hopes we will begin working with one of these partners in 2015.  If these partners do not seem like a good fit, we will explore possibilities in Malaysia and Indonesia later this Spring.  Please join along side of us in prayer as we enter the final stages of a long discerning process and look ahead to partnering with what God is doing in Asia.

Embrace Beauty,

Toph

Music:

As many of you know Ty led us in a Sing-O de Mayo last May.  That live album was released this summer.  Over the next month Ty and a few other UBCers, current and past, will be recording that same CD in a more professional environment.  Ty’s heart is that the music ministry is the church’s ministry.  As such he would appreciate your prayers these next couple of weeks as The Gladsome Light records music FUBU.  For us By us.

Beauty:

At UBC we have so many talented folks living out mission in the life of the larger Waco community.

This week I’d like to feature the talents of two of our musicians.  Hannah Read and Andrew Hulett are two of the dreamy members of the musical extravaganza Lomelda.  I’d describe their stuff as post-indie dream core.  But I don’t know anything about music so don’t read into that.  Better yet check it out and determine for yourself.

Just a Reminder:

Baylor Football won the Big 12.

Announcements:

• Our bible verses for Sundays sermon are Luke 1:46-55.
• Sunday School will begin again on January 12th
• If you are a parent and planning on being here December 22 and/or 29, please email Emily@ubcwaco.org and let her know so we can plan for childcare accordingly.
• We are having Sunday School in the Backside during Advent.  This will be an informal time to hang out and have conversation around the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
• There are still spots available for the Spring Break Monastery Trip.  Contact Craig@ubcwaco.org if interested.

Do you have an Emergency?  Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 366 9779