ITLOTC 2-27-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Lent 2015

Over the next six weeks of lent, the main article of the newsletter will be a lenten reflection written by someone from our community.   This week I'm honored to have Sharyl Loeung write for us.  Sharyl is  a graduate of Truett Seminary and currently works as a resource specialist for the department of Multicultural Affairs for Baylor.  

On Vulnerability 

The more I preach, the more I realize that the hardest part is not determining what to say, but what not to say. After careful study, there are usually other ideas floating around that you just can’t explore without derailing your entire sermon. These rabbit trails end up on the cutting room floor if you will. So when Josh asked if I would consider writing this week after preaching, I saw an opportunity to chase some rabbits and do some Monday (or Friday) morning quarterbacking. 

In summary, my sermon explored the approach to Lent that leads us to examine our mortality and sin. When we examine our sin we tend to have one of two responses. The first response comes from deep-seated shame and guilt. We see ourselves as utter failures that just can’t get it together. We are paralyzed in our fear of further failure. The second, often in response to experiences of the former, leads us to choose the dismissal of sin as significant altogether. In this state we refuse to give weight to our actions. Both of these responses fail to allow us to live as people created in the image of God.

In exploring the problem of shame I showed Brene Brown’s TED TALK. Her research collected qualitative data that brought her to the conclusion that the result of people living under the heavy hand of shame is an unhealthy disconnectedness.  We might say it prevents people from “living life to the fullest.” The alternative, Brown says, is a kind of wholehearted living. Her research further uncovered that those who live wholeheartedly have embraced vulnerability. You can see the whole talk here ((http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en)  if you are interested.

So here’s the rabbit I wanted to chase…

…his name is Winston by the way.

                  The God we serve is trustworthy with such vulnerability. Dealing with our sin is part of following Jesus. This kind of life requires a depth vulnerability that most of us try to avoid at all costs. But the God who calls us to follow vulnerably, is a God worthy of such trust. In last week’s text (Psalm 25:1-10) the Psalmist says:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.

We know the path that calls us to be lead in truth and wait on God is not an easy one. But the Psalmist continues:

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

Despite the difficulty of the journey we are reminded of God’s steadfast love that casts aside our sin and sees us as more than sinners. There’s a kind of knowing that transcends our ugliness and “remembers us” even when we have trouble remembering ourselves.

This week the lectionary sends us to Genesis  17 and the story of the Abrahamic  Covenant. In the midst of Sarai’s barrenness, God promises Abram descendants to be made into great nations and most importantly, to forever be their God. This covenant is capped off with the renaming of Sarai and Abram to Sarah and Abraham, highlighting this covenant relationship. Beyond God promising to do the impossible in the life (and body) of Sarah, this passage highlights the intimacy of God with God’s people. I know at UBC there is a great pride taken in the naming of babies. We have some of the most unique, beautiful baby names around! For anyone that has gone through this process you know the love and care that goes into naming. It is the first truly bonding  experience we have with our unborn children.  It is startling then that in this story of promised greatness, kings , land, nations etc. that God pauses to give these two individuals new names. That’s the God that we choose to follow, worthy of our vulnerability.

This Lenten season may we recognize the God that calls us to follow an uncertain path also promises to walk beside us and knows us deeply.

Emerging Parents

Our next Emerging Parents night is Wednesday, March 4th.  If you'd like more information on emerging parents and what it's about email josh@ubcwaco.org. 

Leadership Team Nominations 

UBC is looking for two new leadership team members.  Here are a few pieces of information from the bylaws.  If you'd like to nominate someone for our leadership team, please send that name to josh@ubcwaco.org.  

(A) Purpose.  The Leadership Team shall be the primary decision-making body of UBC.  The Leadership Team will oversee all the business and property of the church, as well as make the final decisions regarding hiring and dismissal of staff and the acquisition and selling of assets that are beyond budgetary provisions.  

(C) Qualifications.  Each member of Leadership Team shall have been a member of UBC for at least one year, exhibited an understanding and commitment to the mission and values of the church, and be willing to fulfill all responsibilities in the Leadership Team job description.

Lenten Services ... No Wednesday Communion

Over the next few weeks of Lent, UBC is partnering with some local Waco churches to participate in a series of ecumenical Lenten services.  These services will be on Wednesday over the noon hour.  As such we will not be having communion services at UBC over the Wednesday lunch hour during this time.  Please note that we will not have a service or a communion service at UBC on the week of spring break.  The schedule is listed below.  

Lost & Found Items:

Our lost and found is overflowing with items.  Please take a look at this and reclaim what is yours.  Note: if these are not claimed this week they will be donated to Goodwill.  

- Small, white toy cat that moves it's legs

- Tiara w/ pink gems

- Brown & Blue scarf

- Navy Blue umbrella

- Blue jacket

- Celtics beanie

- Female, grey mossimo short sleeve shrug

- Furry brown neck warmer

- Toddler play phone

- Women's short sleeve, blue shrug

- Size 6, white, abercrombie & fitch shorts

- Pink hairbrush

- Black Sparkly headband

- Orange/White striped tank top

- Gold Mardi Gra beads

- Laura Geller Lip Gloss

- Brown Hair Claw

- Green pacifier with clip

- Nissan Car Key Fab

- X Sports Sunglasses

- Micro USB chord

- Curling Iron

- NASB Brown Bible with cross on front

- Reusable Baylor Bag

- Kids Red Jacket - size 18-24 month

- Tan Message Bible

- NRSV Black Bible with Apocrypha

- Size 3-6 month baby black hoodie with skeleton outline

Work is Worship 

Greeters: Kelsey Lawson 

Coffee Makers: Jake & Byron  

Mug Cleaners: Michael & Kayla 

Shutdown Team: The Blue Flames 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Mark 8:31-38

• Our next town hall is March 22nd after church.  

• UBC families at the Soccer Field, Sunday March 29th @ 12:00 PM.  Email josh@ubcwaco.org for more information. 

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

Setlist 2-22-2015

This week, we were fortunate to have Sharyl West Loeung preach to us from Psalm 25 about Lent. Our songs were also broadly gathered around the theme of Lent. Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is a brief explanation of how this week’s songs fit together. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Come Thou Fount

Beautiful Things by Gungor

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

In the Night by Andrew Peterson

Be Thou My Vision

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme.

Come Thou Fount: This song proclaims God's carrying us through difficult times, despite our tendency to try and take matters in our own hands.  In Lent, we know that we are to put effort into living whatever different lifestyle we have chosen, but that God will be the one to actually form us into something new.

Beautiful Things: As we contemplate our sin and seek to allow God to form us through obedience during this season, we cling to the fact that God's creative trademark is making gloriously beautiful art out of unlikely materials.

Lord, I Need You: We sang this together to proclaim that as we enter Lent with the intention of making ourselves live in a certain way for the next 40 days, God is our strength.

In the Night: We will be singing this song for the next five weeks, adding a verse each time. Lent is often a rough time for us as we confront who we are and who we are becoming, and this song does a good job at placing hardship and hope side by side.

Be Thou My Vision: We will be singing this every week in Lent as well--as we close our services, we will ask God once again to be our vision and wisdom as we continue on for another week in the desert of Lent.

-JM

ITLOTC 2-20-15

 ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Lent

Over the next six weeks of lent, the main article of the newsletter will be a lenten reflection written by someone from our community.   This week I'm honored to have John White write for us.  John is the Harold and Dottie Riley Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and director of the sports chaplaincy program at Truett.  

Kyrie, Eleison

Over the last couple of weeks the news junkies and pundits have excessively watched and debated the whys, whats and hows concerning the tragic fall of NBC’s Brian Williams. David Brooks, NY Times Op-Ed columnist, comments, in his imperturbable manner, that it is certainly sad whenever we go to such lengths to secure others’ admiration, which in Williams’s case it appears that (on a few important occasions) he did not let the truth get in the way of telling his stories. And, yet, Brooks also puts us uncomfortably in the dock when he points the finger at how barbaric our response can be to scandal. He writes, “When somebody violates a public trust, we try to purge and ostracize him. A sort of coliseum culture takes over, leaving no place for mercy.” I believe his final point about mercy steps into Lenten territory, in that, our journey during this season of our Christian calendar reminds us that God’s good news calls us to change our perspective and posture on how we respond to our and others’ failures.

One particular enemy that Lent can have us examine and turn from is the temptation to allow our coliseum culture to referee our exercise of mercy. This culture’s haughty spirit relishes the power that comes with standing in judgment to declare which public performances verifiably meet its bar of approval. If thumbs are up, your spectacle is praiseworthy, but if down, blameworthy. This is exponentially true when people fail morally and spiritually; this is David Brooks’s point.

From the first week of Lent readings, Psalm 25:4-5 prayerfully orients whether our Lenten focus will faithfully keep in step with God’s way or not. The psalmist humbly petitions God for direction: “Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.” God’s will and ours confront us at every turn, especially in our coliseum culture. When our will is done, we enter into the vicious cycle of death, withholding the life-giving teaching of the God of our salvation. This bent of the will sees failure first and foremost and seeks to make people pay for their wrongdoings. How do you respond to failure? When we trust and wait on God’s instruction, however, we un-learn those life-denying strategies that can easily separate us from one another, bringing kindness rather than smugness and self-righteousness. Kyrie, Eleison (Lord, have mercy).

The psalmist continues with a direct appeal to God’s character (vv.6-7), his mercy and steadfast love, as the basis for what he wants his God of salvation to remember or be mindful of when attending to him. With the psalmist as our voice, we confess to a past strewn with sins, and thus, we recite and embrace Kyrie, Eleison (Lord, have mercy).

The Genesis 9:8-17 reading adds a little twist to God’s mercy, for it not only portrays God’s promise after the flood as him graciously and freely entering into a relationship with all humankind, but it also shows God extending this covenant to include every living creature. The wideness of God’s mercy gives us pause to marvel how mercy triumphs over judgment. This reminds us that God makes the first move in light of our sinful predicament. This is the God we observe in Jesus, for his salvation rescues us, and it was this good news he came preaching (Mk. 1:15), calling us to repent from our ways, the coliseum’s way, of evaluating others’ successes and failures as the true measure of who we are.

My father is a recovering alcoholic. He regularly tells me how AA’s protocol at their meetings is for members to introduce themselves before talking by saying, “I am John. I am an alcoholic.” My dad has boldly leaned into confessing this reality along with his life reflecting compassion toward others’ past sins and brokenness. His example in AA echoes these Lenten readings’ underlying assumption that we are all sinners. Furthermore, when we appropriate God in Christ’s grace and mercy, it follows that we should show mercy and forgiveness toward others. I am thankful for my dad’s life, because he sacramentally witnesses to God’s way of mercy.

David Brooks describes this aspect of forgiving others as pre-emptive mercy. He explains, “In this view, the forgiving person makes the first move, even before the offender has asked. She resists the natural urge for vengeance. Instead, she creates a welcoming context in which the offender can confess.” This kind of mercy is gospel logic, since it initiates (because God in Christ first moved) by hospitably opening space for others to learn and trust in God’s way over against the coliseum’s way. 

Although I do not completely understand how justice and mercy meet, I do trust that Easter satisfies and sums it up. UBC, as we make our Lenten trek together, let us receive one another on Sundays with God’s “yes” of mercy, so that we are prepared to turn from and resist the coliseum’s temptation to say “no.” Now that’s a true thumbs up! Kyrie, Eleison. 

Lenten Services ... No Wednesday Communion

Over the next few weeks of Lent, UBC is partnering with some local Waco churches to participate in a series of ecumenical Lenten services.  These services will be on Wednesday over the noon hour.  As such we will not be having communion services at UBC over the Wednesday lunch hour during this time.  Please note that we will not have a service or a communion service at UBC on the week of spring break.  The schedule is listed below.  

Lost & Found Items:

Our lost and found is overflowing with items.  Please take a look at this and reclaim what is yours. 

- Small, white toy cat that moves it's legs

- Tiara w/ pink gems

- Brown & Blue scarf

- Navy Blue umbrella

- Blue jacket

- Celtics beanie

- Female, grey mossimo short sleeve shrug

- Furry brown neck warmer

- Toddler play phone

- Women's short sleeve, blue shrug

- Size 6, white, abercrombie & fitch shorts

- Pink hairbrush

- Black Sparkly headband

- Orange/White striped tank top

- Gold Mardi Gra beads

- Laura Geller Lip Gloss

- Brown Hair Claw

- Green pacifier with clip

- Nissan Car Key Fab

- X Sports Sunglasses

- Micro USB chord

- Curling Iron

- NASB Brown Bible with cross on front

- Reusable Baylor Bag

- Kids Red Jacket - size 18-24 month

- Tan Message Bible

- NRSV Black Bible with Apocrypha

- Size 3-6 month baby black hoodie with skeleton outline

Clean Team

Trying to figure out how to get more involved at UBC? Consider joining the clean team! It is a once a month commitment to clean a specific area of the church. Just sign up with your name and email on the Work is Worship Board outside of Josh's office and Michelle will contact you to explain the details!

BU Basketball Faith & Family Night

Interested in going to the last home basketball game this season? On March 6th it's Faith & Family Night and tickets are $10/piece if we get 20 or more people to go and rep UBC at the Ferrell Center! If your Mi Casa/Small Group, group of friends, etc. are interested please contact Michelle@ubcwaco.org to let her know. Please send an email by February 28th so that we can see if enough interest has been generated in order to get the $10 tickets. Michelle will let you know if enough people expressed interest by 2/28 so that you can make plans! 

Sunday School Update 

1. The "Life Together" class will be meeting this Sunday at Rudy's BBQ for breakfast at 9:30.
2. This Sunday will also kick off a Lenten Sunday School class taught by Craig.

Finance Team

UBC is looking for a new finance team member.  If you would like to nominate someone for the finance team you can do so by emailing the name of that nominee to josh@ubcwaco.org.  Here is some information about the role from the bylaws: 

(A) Purpose.  The Finance Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To serve as the primary advisory group for the Leadership Team in all budgetary and financial aspects of the church. 

b.    To oversee, in coordination with the ministerial staff, yearly budgetary processes, working to create a financial ministry plan in alignment with the ethos, mission and values of UBC.

c.     To advise the staff and Leadership Team on any emergency financial matters that may arise with regards to the physical infrastructure of the church building, as well as those matters pertaining to compensation and benefits of personnel.

d.    To assess the current financial status of the church on a monthly basis and advise the staff and Leadership Team on matters concerning changes in planned ministry expenses.

e.    To advise the Human Resources/Staff Support team on all financial matters regarding new and existing personnel, including available resources concerning salaries, salary increases, insurance, taxes, etc.

f.      To advise the church body on all matters relating to stewardship, financial integrity, etc.

(A)  Qualifications.  Finance Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for at least a year, have received at least a bachelors degree level of education (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in business or finance,) and have at least a basic understanding of financial reports and budgets.

Work is Worship 

Greeters: Graham & Joy 

Coffee Makers: Allyson & Logan 

Mug Cleaners: Team Kuhl

Shutdown Team: The Cavemen

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Psalm 25:1-10.  Please be in prayer for our guest preacher Sharyl who will be preaching this Sunday as we celebrate Martha Stearns Marshall Women in Ministry month.  

• Our next town hall is March 22nd after church.  

• Q is coming to Waco, check out this video.

• Emerging Parents, Wednesday March 4th @ 5:30.  Email josh@ubcwaco.org for more information. 

• UBC families at the Soccer Field, Sunday March 29th @ 12:00 PM.  Email josh@ubcwaco.org for more information. 

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

Setlist 2-15-2015

This week Josh preached from Psalm 131 about humility. Our songs were gathered around the theme of depending on God. Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is a brief explanation of how this week’s songs fit together. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

All the Poor and Powerless by All Sons and Daughters

Your Love Is Strong by Jon Foreman

Because He Lives

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme.

All the Poor and Powerless: This song sets the name of God across from other names like "poor," "powerless," "lost," and "lonely." In many ways, the latter group of names is all of us at one time or another. The simple phrase "He is God" points out the unshakable truth that God is the counterpoint to all of our struggles and failures.  

Your Love Is Strong: This song champions the fact that the love of God is strong enough for us to hang all of our needs on God.

Because He Lives: This song points to the resurrection of Jesus as the ultimate point of hope in human history, and claims this hope for the strength to get out of bed in the morning, despite circumstances that may make us wish we would not wake up at all.

Lord, I Need You: This song’s significance is summed up well in the name—it is a declaration that we need God all the time.

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail): As usual, the final song we sang was a look over our shoulder at the songs we sang last week.  Aside from that, this song declares that, while God does call us to live lives that make us uncomfortable, we can depend on God to be our strength.

-JM

ITLOTC 2-13-15

ITLOTC 

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time 

Dan is the Man ... and so are You!

When I first began this newsletter I compared it to a small town newspaper.  I grew up in a small town with a newspaper.  It was fantastic ... kind of the like a print version of a family discussion board.  Said differently, it was a place where silly, quirky and mostly charming gossip about our community members was published.  That's my long introduction to justify singling out my friend.  In last weeks newsletter I introduced you to Dan Vinzen.  Dan has been volunteering (for free) as our youth minister for about the last year and a half.  He's that kind of guy.  

For about two years I have identified that I needed to create a work day or even carve out an afternoon in my own schedule to clean up the area by the loading dock and the dumpster.  A job made less enticing by the fact that homeless folks sometime treat these areas as outhouses.  Monday I pulled up to church and there was Dan ... with broom, shovel and trashcan in hand cleaning those areas.  No one asked him to do it.  He just did it.  

This happened the morning after our volunteer appreciation banquet.  Dan's actions made me reflect on the hundreds of you who do the same things in a different space.  You change stinky diapers. You bring the house lights up at the right time.  You mop floors during the week.  You clean mugs after church.  You make coffee before church.  You lead a mi casa.  You serve on one of our committees.  The danger of starting to make a list like this is that you inevitably leave out the hundred other jobs and people that also contribute. 

Paul tells me that the church is like a body with many parts.  We all need eyes, ears, and a nose.  It doesn't make sense for the hand to get mad at the foot or for the heart to be jealous of the brain.  Because without any of them, we can't function 100% as a whole. 

At our volunteer appreciate banquet on Sunday night Toph created a space for volunteers to share about serving at UBC or just about their experience at UBC in general.  Bridget Heins, shaper of young minds and shepherd of post adolescent wayward souls, shared about how she loved that maintenance and cleaning the building falls into the hands of the people and not into the hands of a hired janitor.  For her, it is about ownership and connection.  I have to confess, on more than one occasion ... usually when picking up dead cockroaches or staying late to clean up after a love feast, I have dreamed about having a paid janitor among other resources.  But Bridget's comment and Dan's selfless work reminded me of something important about our community.  The church belongs to us, and there's something special when that's embodied.  

Not everyone who we had on our volunteer list was able to make the banquet, and the truth is there are probably more of you who we either forgot or have no formal volunteer role.  But you are part of the body that makes this body work.  So on behalf of the staff and the rest of the body, I want to say thank you.  Thank you for giving of your self.  Thank you for being faithful on Sundays when you wanted to sleep in.  Thank you for caring enough to not just give your money, but also yourself.  Thank you for being a part of the body.  We'd have trouble getting anything done without you. 

Meet Our Newest UBCer 

Thomas James DePalma 

Birthday: 1-30-15

Weight: 8lbs 4oz 

Height: 19 3/4 inches

Enneagram Number: 5

Love, Lovefeast - 2-15-15 - 6:00 PM 

This Sunday night is the Love Lovefeast!  Bring the food you love the most, and enjoy tasting the dishes everyone else loves as well.  The Lovefeast starts at 6pm, so don’t be late.  If you want to bring a dessert, make sure to sign-up in the lobby after church on Sunday.

Thailand Mission Trip - May 18-31, 2015

The deadline to sign-up for the Thailand Mission Trip is February 22nd.  To sign-up, you need to email toph@ubcwaco.org with a confirmation, and a $500 deposit is due on the 22nd.  If you have any questions, please contact Toph.

Ash Wednesday Services

We will have an Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM on Wednesday. Join us as we enter the Lenten season together.

Two Announcements from Craig 

1. Because of our two Ash Wednesday services, there will be no communion next Wednesday at noon. Communion will be observed at both of the Ash Wednesday services.

2. This Sunday will be the last week of Winter Sunday School.  Beginning on February 22nd, the "Life Together" class will be led by Sharyl Leoung, who will share with that group her lessons on "The Outsiders of the Bible." Craig Nash will be leading a special Lenten Bible Study during that time.

 

Finance Team

UBC is looking for a new finance team member.  If you would like to nominate someone for the finance team you can do so by emailing the name of that nominee to josh@ubcwaco.org.  Here is some information about the role from the bylaws: 

(A) Purpose.  The Finance Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To serve as the primary advisory group for the Leadership Team in all budgetary and financial aspects of the church. 

b.    To oversee, in coordination with the ministerial staff, yearly budgetary processes, working to create a financial ministry plan in alignment with the ethos, mission and values of UBC.

c.     To advise the staff and Leadership Team on any emergency financial matters that may arise with regards to the physical infrastructure of the church building, as well as those matters pertaining to compensation and benefits of personnel.

d.    To assess the current financial status of the church on a monthly basis and advise the staff and Leadership Team on matters concerning changes in planned ministry expenses.

e.    To advise the Human Resources/Staff Support team on all financial matters regarding new and existing personnel, including available resources concerning salaries, salary increases, insurance, taxes, etc.

f.      To advise the church body on all matters relating to stewardship, financial integrity, etc.

(A)  Qualifications.  Finance Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for at least a year, have received at least a bachelors degree level of education (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in business or finance,) and have at least a basic understanding of financial reports and budgets.

Work is Worship 

Greeters: Tessa & Leigh 

Coffee Cleaners: Chad & Joel 

Mug Cleaners: Sara & Vince 

Shutdown Team: Golden Glitter Girls 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Psalm 131 … “Humility”

• Love Feast will be Sunday February 15th at 6:00 PM

• Q is coming to Waco, check out this video.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

Setlist 2-8-2015

This week Josh preached from Psalm 129 about perseverance. Our songs were gathered around the theme of hope. Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is a brief explanation of how this week’s songs fit together. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Bonfire by Jameson McGregor

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United

How Great Thou Art

Future / Past by John Mark McMillan

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme.

Bonfire: This song talks about looking toward the day that God will make everything new, and seeks to grab hold of the hint of this new life that we glimpse in the resurrection of Jesus.

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail): This song seeks out the faith to live like a people who have hope that God is fixing what is broken in the world, even though it does not seem that way at times.

How Great Thou Art: This song proclaims the greatness both of who God is and what God has done in time and space, and connects the awe that we feel toward what God has already done to the awe that we will feel toward what God has yet to do.

Future / Past: This song contemplates the fact that God, Glorious as God may be, has chosen to have a relationship with humanity, and places hope in the fact that the same God who has provided for us in the past will continue to do so in the future.

Fall Afresh: We sang this song this week to look over our shoulder at a song we sang last week (we will likely do this every week), that being said, the kind of hope that we have been singing about is only possible through the help of the Spirit, so it is fitting that we ask the Spirit to breathe life into us.

-JM

ITLOTC 2-6-15

In the Life of the Church

(ITLOTC)

Ordinary Time 2015

Moving Forward

Over the last few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to meet with some of you to talk about the frustrations you’ve had with the process involved in the personnel decision.  

As I said on Sunday, the leadership team was scheduled to meet that day to begin to work through some of those concerns.  I’d like to use this space in the newsletter to report on that meeting.  

Insularity:

Most of our conversation was given to the discussion of insularity within leadership team.  Here’s a section from the bylaws on “selection”

(A) Selection.  When a vacancy arises on the Leadership Team the congregation shall be notified immediately at a regularly scheduled Sunday morning worship service, as well as through social media and electronic communication.  At that point a call for nominations shall be made and any member of UBC will be allowed to make nominations.  Not less than three weeks shall pass before the window for accepting nominations will close.  All nominees shall then be vetted and selected by the current Leadership Team.

The potential criticism is that, though the community provides the nominations, because the leadership team is consistently selected from within, the community has no say in who is selected.  Admittedly this is difficult problem to tackle, primarily because UBC does not have membership.  In other words if we did move to letting the community decide who gets onto leadership team, how do we define the community that gets to decide.  

I proposed an idea in the meeting that we’d like to share with you and get your feedback on at our next town hall meeting.  Which brings me to the second point of the agenda.  

Communication:

Two changes have been made to address this issue in the immediate.  First, our old BMS (business management system), which is an informal document we created a few years ago to address financial needs, calls for three town halls a year.  The leadership team has decided to add a fourth.  These town hall meetings will occur roughly a month before the quarterly leadership team meeting.  Secondly, in addition to these town halls we will do our best to provide the community with the most up to date working agenda for that leadership team meeting.  The primary purpose of the town hall will be for the community to share opinions about agenda items.  Our next town hall will be March 22nd after church.  As will probably become normative, we will provide a half hour period for folks to grab lunch and then begin around 12:30.  

Transparency:

In addition to the town halls and shared agendas, the leadership decided to do the following.

• publish the bylaws and budget on our website

• make minutes available upon request

Technically, this second bullet point was already true.  We talked about putting the minutes online as well, but decided against that.  However, I will publish a summary in the newsletter after every meeting, much like this one you are currently reading, and remind people that they can email me and request a copy of the minutes.  

Moving Forward:

I realize that we have a long way to go, but I’m hopeful about our start.  As I said Sunday, UBC is at its best when we name and lean into our pain.  As we lean, I’m confident we will find healing.  

Grace for today.

UBC Backpacking Trip - March 8-14, 2015 - Eagle Rock Loop, Arkansas

If you are interested in going on the UBC spring break backpacking trip, the deadline to sign-up is Monday, February 9th.  To sign-up, you need to email Toph to confirm your spot, and turn in a $30 deposit.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Thailand Mission Trip Meeting - February 8th, 2015 - Brown Room

We will have our second Thailand mission trip meeting this Sunday, after church in the Brown Room.  If you are interested in learning more about the work we will be doing, and the trip May 18-31, 2015, please come to the meeting.  If you cannot attend, but want to know more, please email toph@ubcwaco.org.  The deadline to sign-up for the trip will be February 22nd, and a $500 deposit will secure your spot on the trip.  If you have any questions, please contact Toph.

Love LoveFeast - February 15th, 2015 - 6pm at UBC

This is one of our favorites: bring yourself, bring your friends, and bring the food you love the most!  This is a time to “treat yo self” to the food everyone loves the most.  There will be a sign-up sheet for desserts in the foyer at UBC, so if you want to bring a dessert, make sure to sign-up.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org for more details.

Meet the Mentees

As you may or may not know Truett Seminary places students at churches all across the states and world as part of the mentoring program.  This semester we are honered to have two of the best.

Elizabeth [Liz] Andrasi (Rhymes with Swayze)

Born: July 19th, 1989

3 Places I’ve called home: Austin (1989 – 2007), College Station (Gig ‘em! 2007 - 2012), Waco (2012 - ?)

Education:

·       B.A. in Psychology, Texas A&M University

·       Master of Divinity, Truett Seminary (in progress)

I get itchy feet…

·       3 places I haven’t been but would like to visit: Hungary, Germany, Scotland

·       3 places that I’d like to return to one day: Russia, Ireland, India

Some fiction that is a part of me:

·       The Boxcar Children (series) – Gertrude Chandler Warner

·       Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling

·       To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

·       The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

Some nonfiction that has changed me:

·       Letters and Papers from Prison – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

·       Anything – Jennie Allen

·       An Altar in the World – Barbara Brown Taylor

·       On Writing – Stephen King

I started coming to UBC in the fall of 2012 when I began at Truett. For a lot of reasons it took me almost a year to really plug in and feel part of the community – weekly communion in the summer of 2013 and joining a Mi Casa that fall helped me make that jump into belonging. I stay at UBC for the authenticity, the liturgy, and the people.  I’m excited to be around even more this semester and hopefully get to know you all better as I serve and learn!

Dan Vinzen

DOB: November 11, 1987

Born in Detroit, MI

Family: Jay (father) & Judy (mother) – Birmingham, AL; Matt (brother) & Beril (sister-in-law) – New York City, NY; Kirby (sister), Randal (brother-in-law), & Ryker (nephew) – Houston, TX; Nick (brother) – College Station, TX

Education

BA in Communications, minor in Business Administration – Texas A&M University

MDiv – George W. Truett Theological Seminary (in progress)

Favorite TV Shows

Friday Night Lights

The Office

Parks & Recreation

The Walking Dead

Favorite Movies

What About Bob?

The Lord of the Rings

The Way, Way Back

If I could be any animal I would be…

A Golden Retriever

An American River Otter

I came to UBC in August 2012 when I started graduate school at Truett Seminary.  The first Sunday morning I was in Waco, I rolled over in bed, google searched “Baptist Churches”, saw UBC, went to the website and saw that it looked like a “normal” church, showed up at 9:30am and was greeted by Craig Nash saying that there was no Sunday school that day.  Craig and I sat on the bench next to the coffee room, talked about Truett and then he invited me to grab coffee with him at Common Grounds.  From that moment on I have considered myself a member of UBC.

Finance Team

UBC is looking for a new finance team member.  If you would like to nominate someone for the finance team you can do so by emailing the name of that nominee to josh@ubcwaco.org.  Here is some information about the role from the bylaws:

(A) Purpose.  The Finance Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To serve as the primary advisory group for the Leadership Team in all budgetary and financial aspects of the church.

b.    To oversee, in coordination with the ministerial staff, yearly budgetary processes, working to create a financial ministry plan in alignment with the ethos, mission and values of UBC.

c.     To advise the staff and Leadership Team on any emergency financial matters that may arise with regards to the physical infrastructure of the church building, as well as those matters pertaining to compensation and benefits of personnel.

d.    To assess the current financial status of the church on a monthly basis and advise the staff and Leadership Team on matters concerning changes in planned ministry expenses.

e.    To advise the Human Resources/Staff Support team on all financial matters regarding new and existing personnel, including available resources concerning salaries, salary increases, insurance, taxes, etc.

f.      To advise the church body on all matters relating to stewardship, financial integrity, etc.

(A)  Qualifications.  Finance Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for at least a year, have received at least a bachelors degree level of education (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in business or finance,) and have at least a basic understanding of financial reports and budgets.

UBC Backpacking Trip - March 8-14, 2015 - Eagle Rock Loop, Arkansas

If you are interested in going on the UBC spring break backpacking trip, the deadline to sign-up is Monday, February 9th.  To sign-up, you need to email Toph to confirm your spot, and turn in a $30 deposit.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Thailand Mission Trip Meeting - February 8th, 2015 - Brown Room

We will have our second Thailand mission trip meeting this Sunday, after church in the Brown Room.  If you are interested in learning more about the work we will be doing, and the trip May 18-31, 2015, please come to the meeting.  If you cannot attend, but want to know more, please email toph@ubcwaco.org.  The deadline to sign-up for the trip will be February 22nd, and a $500 deposit will secure your spot on the trip.  If you have any questions, please contact Toph.

Love LoveFeast - February 15th, 2015 - 6pm at UBC

This is one of our favorites: bring yourself, bring your friends, and bring the food you love the most!  This is a time to “treat yo self” to the food everyone loves the most.  There will be a sign-up sheet for desserts in the foyer at UBC, so if you want to bring a dessert, make sure to sign-up.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org for more details.

Work is Worship

Coffee Makers: Emmy & Steve

Mug Cleaners: Haines

Greeters: Ryan and Joel

Shut Down Team: The Blue Flames

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Psalm 129 … “Perseverance”

• Volunteer Banquet … Sunday, February 8th @ 5:00-7:00

• Feast will be Sunday February 15th at 6:00 PM

• Q is coming to Waco, check out this video.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 12-19-14

 ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Advent 2014

Omnipassive

This last Sunday I began my sermon on joy explaining my apprehension to preach about it.  It's difficult to imply, even if subtly, that we should be a joy filled people when we are constantly aware of the suffering around us.  I sometimes wonder if this has been intensified by relative ease with which we now have access to global information.

In my senior of college I took a capstone marketing class.  In one of the final days of class our professor noted this phenomenon of proliferated information and pointed out that most people see a few culture changing events in their lifetime.  He then went on to suggest that we, at young and eager age of 22 (in 2004), had already seen four: the falling of the Berlin Wall, 9-11, postmodernism, and the dawning of the internet.

For my parents it was the assassination of Kennedy and Vietnam.  For the generation before that it was Pearl Harbor and WWII.

For me it was the murder of 26 people at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT in December 2012.  I realize that event did not have the political magnitude as some of the others on this list nor does it represent the largest sum total of human suffering from a single tragedy, if such a calculation could be made.  But something changed in me.  I remember watching the news break from a TV down in the weight room at Columbus Avenues the Center.  I was then and still am at a loss for words when I think about what happened.  Somehow I get a little numb when I think about it.  Not angry or even sad.  Just overwhelmed.  It's just too much.

Whenever I find myself unable to process the events of life I turn to my faith and look for something to match my experience.  For that reason I've taken great comfort in Paul's words in Romans 8:26 "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

The complexities of Sandy Hook were magnified for me by the fact that these events happened on the Friday before the Sunday in advent in which the church highlights joy.  It seems as though a tragic symmetrical mirror was placed between now and then.  Just two days after we celebrated joy in this advent season there was a school shooting Peshawar killing 148 people, mostly children and teenagers.

I don't know what to say or feel.  In my sermon on joy I worked hard to point out what joy is and is not.  I suggested that it has an eternal character rooted in the transcendent and that we often find its authentic nature in the midst of suffering, where it's doppelgänger happiness, always disappears.  Here is a confession.  I don't know where the joy is in Peshawar.  I can't imagine it.

And yet for so many in the world, joy is full.  A college friend welcomed her third child to the world on Tuesday.  Other friends found out the gender of their first child.  My dad got a great report from his oncologist on Monday.  Millions gave sacrificially so that someone else could have a better Christmas.

Early on in my theological reflecting I discovered that our gospel which is so much about life is also so much about death.  Now that I've reflected some more I think that's because our lives which are so full of life are also full of death.

Aristotle said that God was the unmoved mover.  Consequently he reasoned that God is impassive, meaning without emotion, because to have emotion would be to change how God feels.  A change in feeling would imply a change in God and because God is already perfect any change would be for the worse.  Early Christian theologians adopted a version of this.

This always bothered me.  Sure, the early church talked about Jesus' two natures and how human nature suffered, empathized and all those things, but they stood firm on the fact that God didn't.

One day, as I was walking away from my doctrine of God class in college, a friend suggested that God is omnipassive.  Perfectly present in every emotion with all of us at all times.  I'm not sure if that passes the orthodoxy test, but that's consistent with my experience.

God in the person of Jesus is both on the floors of the school in Peshawar and in the gender reveal cake of expecting couples all over the world.  And right now, that's what getting me through.

Grace and peace ... and because I'm trying to be faithful ... even joy for Peshawar.

Christmas Schedule Information

UBC will be having church services on each Sunday morning through the holidays.  We will not have a Christmas eve or Christmas day service.  Enjoy your families and/or visit another one of the great churches in town.

The church building will be closed December 22nd-26th.  However, a pastor will be available during this time.  Please see the contact information listed below.

ITLOTC, aka this newsletter, will be taking a two week break as the seasons wind down.  Look for the next edition on Friday, January 9th.

Mugs

**** Leaving this in here one more week in case you forgot last week *****

Hey Friends,

We are in the process of getting rid of our coffee mugs that are chipped and stained beyond our ability to tell if they are clean or not.

If you are like me (Craig)-- (A person who has been described as just a little too addicted to coffee, even though I can stop anytime, LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT IT, OK!)-- you will probably be getting at least a couple of coffee mugs for Christmas. Why don't you go ahead and create space for those mugs by bringing us one or two of the ones currently taking space from your cupboard this coming Sunday? As it stands, we could use about 20-25 new coffee cups.

UBCKids Info

The kids will be joining us in the services on December 21st and 28th!  As usual, the Nurture and Sprout Rooms will be open to you if you need it, but we want you all to know that, as a whole, UBC understands that kids are kids!  We consider it our joy to get to share parts of this special season with ALL of our UBCers; both big and small, old and young, developed and undeveloped prefrontal cortices, alike!  Service-Survival-Kits (seasonally appropriate snacks, color-sheets and crayons) will be provided in the foyer for those who would like them!

Work is Worship 12-21-14

Mug Cleaners: Craig

Coffee Makers: Toph

Greeters: Jeff and Teri Walter

Shutdown Team: Cavemen Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Luke 1:26-39 /Advent Theme Love
• Please be in prayer for baby Evie Bates who is being dedicated this weekend
• Advent Sunday School Continues.  It will be located in the backside.
• On December 28th, our service will be comprised mostly of carroll singing and scripture reading.  Please come celebrate the arrival of Jesus with us on that day.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 12-12-14

 ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Advent 2014

Tiger

Is what I call him.  It's a nickname I picked up from his dad.  A nickname I discovered at his wedding, which was here, at UBC back in 2011.  It's crazy that, that was only three point five years ago because so much has happened.  Tye you may or may not know, was accepted and on his way to law school when we asked him to stick around.  Though courtrooms promised Tye a more robust financial future, he was overcome by the dazzling complexities and opportunities that come with what we call ministry.  One Dave Crowder stepped down in December of 2010 and Tye and Haley had already been helping out quite a bit by filling in.  It was a natural step to ask Tye fill in as an interim worship pastor.

We've got Tiger for two more Sundays, but I thought I would use this space to craft a formal farewell.

After the search committee conducted the process they recommended to the leadership team that Tye be the new Worship and Arts pastor.  We were all able to sigh in relief.  We all wondered how we would fill in the shoes of such a gifted musician.  Tye was the man.  Not because he could fill those shoes, but because he figured out how to shop for his own pair altogether.

Tye grew up at/with UBC.  He first came here in 2003 as one of the many Dudleyites from the extravaganza that is known as FBC Amarillo.  With West Texas swagger in hand, Tye tackled the Baylor storm.  As a philosophy major, Tiger ate lifes largest problems for breakfast and graduated slightly more cynical, a lot smarter and with at least four good friends.  After that Tye tried his hand at seminary, but Truett couldn't contain him so that only lasted one semester.  It was the American Studies program that called Tye forth to receive his masters.  After writing a riveting thesis on Cowboy Boots Tye looked back West where frontier justice found it's roots (AKA Texas Tech) to teach him the law.  But lo, he found his home where it had all started, with the saints gathered together University Baptist Church.

Now, in the year of our Lord 2014, that same Spirit that brooded over the waters in Genesis has called Tye forth once again.  This time south, to New Braunfels, where the college football teams aren't quite as awesome, but the waterparks are really something to behold.

So we, those left behind, grab our kleenex and join the litany of thank-yous that have been uttered by the saints throughout history.  Thankful to God for spoiling us yet again, with the electric ability of one of the Greater Zion Victory Choir's greatest ... Tiger Barrett.  Thankful for the pastoral care he offered us.  Thankful for the great music he composed and shared.  Thankful that his fingerprints will continue to be found all over this place.

As a parting gift I leave you with these five facts concerning Tye

1. As much as it pains me to say--with those skinny jeans, thick black glasses, foodie diet, and unpredictable hair style-- Tye just may have been the coolest one among us (the staff).

2. We are almost half as sad to lose Tye as we are to lose Katie.

3. The Homestead Heritage restaurant is projecting a 7% loss in sales in the upcoming year.

4. Tye is not an Enneagram 4 because he's done with the Enneagram.  He's an Enneagram number you've never heard of.

5. and most interesting of all ... no one knows his middle name.

Mugs

Hey Friends,

We are in the process of getting rid of our coffee mugs that are chipped and stained beyond our ability to tell if they are clean or not.

If you are like me (Craig)-- (A person who has been described as just a little too addicted to coffee, even though I can stop anytime, LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT IT, OK!)-- you will probably be getting at least a couple of coffee mugs for Christmas. Why don't you go ahead and create space for those mugs by bringing us one or two of the ones currently taking space from your cupboard this coming Sunday? As it stands, we could use about 20-25 new coffee cups.

 Alumni Share Meaningful Reflections

If you were in church this last Sunday you heard us ask our undergraduate population to consider sharing about UBC's impact on their life with their parents and inviting them to be a financial partner with the church.  As part of that effort Craig has created a blog and solicited stories from alumni about what UBC has meant to them.  As I read them I was moved and thought they would be worth sharing.  Enjoy.

Big XII News

The Baylor mens football team is the Big 12 champion ... which has sent me reflecting.

Jesus is one person with two natures ...which this the church calls a mystery

The Big 12 is one conference with two champions ...which this the church also calls a mystery

UBCKids Info

This week in UBCKids we will be celebrating Jesus' Birthday a little early!  (Which will involve a sweet treat as every birthday should!)  We will talk about how birthdays celebrate the unique and amazing gifts that one's life brings to the world and when we celebrate Jesus' Birthday on Christmas, we are celebrating the unique and amazing gifts that His birth, life, death and resurrection give us!

Also, the kids will be joining us in the services on December 21st and 28th!  As usual, the Nurture and Sprout Rooms will be open to you if you need it, but we want you all to know that, as a whole, UBC understands that kids are kids!  We consider it our joy to get to share parts of this special season with ALL of our UBCers; both big and small, old and young, developed and undeveloped prefrontal cortices, alike!  Service-Survival-Kits (seasonally appropriate snacks, color-sheets and crayons) will be provided in the foyer for those who would like them!

Work is Worship 12-14-14

Mug Cleaners: Jacob and Byron

Coffee Makers: Michael and Kayla

Greeters: Ryan and Joel

Shutdown Team: The Golden Glitter Girls Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Psalm 126 /Advent Theme Joy
• Please be in prayer for baby Roxy Parker who is being dedicated this weekend
• Advent Sunday School Continues.  It will be located in the backside.
• On December 28th, our service will be comprised mostly of carroll singing and scripture reading.  Please come celebrate the arrival of Jesus with us on that day.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 12-5-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Advent 2014

A Farewell (from the McCartys)

Josh asked us to contribute some thoughts about our time at UBC and what it has meant to leave.  I think it was his way of forcing us to sit still and process what we were thinking, what we have learned, what this community has meant to us.  (Either that or he wanted out of writing a newsletter for a week…)  I’m not a writer, but we do have a story and if there is one thing I have learned here, it is important to share your story.

 

I (Beth) slipped into UBC many years ago.  I was that girl on the back row...back when we still had the old orange pews.  I wanted to find a place that it was ok to ask questions, to discover a faith for myself.  I wanted to feel apart of something, and I wanted it to feel real.

 

I listed that day to Kyle speak about being a part of the church…of this community.  He talked about how all the parts were important…no matter how big or how small…everyone was needed…everyone mattered.  I stuck around and I slowly found my place.

 

Tom and I both started at UBC in college and early in our careers.  We let ourselves be a part of the community as we began to shape who we were as people. 

 

Time went on. The church watched as Tom and I met, became friends, and then (finally) fell in love. Our church became an extension of our family.  You stood witness as we took our vows and celebrated our marriage.  You came to the hospital to visit and meet Aiden and Asher as they each arrived. We dedicated our boys here and we watched as you became a part of our their lives.   We celebrate holidays together, grew our families, laughed and cried together, and genuinely shared life. Like our parents watching us grow as children, UBC has witnessed the many milestones that come with this stage of life.

 

This family continued to be there when life got really hard.  We asked for help and we felt you wrap your arms around us and carry us through some hard times.  This is what we come for.  For community.  To live life with people.

 

We encourage you to dive in.  Don’t isolate yourself.  Allow others into your story and share life with them.  It’s not always easy.  It can be awkward.  You will feel vulnerable.  But the life that it gives...  Wow.  You get to experience what true unconditional love can be.  Its like you get to experience a glimpse of  heaven on earth. 

 

This community surrounds you in pain, celebrates your joys, and encourages you in your questions. These people care about you, about your spirit.  Allow them to…and then be there and do the same for others.

 

This is hard, I have put it off…because I don’t know how to say goodbye.  I don’t want to say goodbye.  I know the friendships we have made here are lasting ones.  We have kindred spirits, vacation buddies, business partners, friends with children our children grew up with.  You don’t say goodbye to that.  Instead you find a way to snuggle them down into a part of the heart that doesn’t really ever let go.  You share Christmas cards, you visit, you don’t say goodbye. #ThankGodforInstagram

 

You can’t truly say goodbye to a community that has forever changed your life.  It’s impossible.  These people, these memories, this church is too engrained into who we are.   You take it with you wherever you go.

 

But, I’m not so naive that I don’t believe things wont change.  Distance, new environments, life…it changes these relationships.  What doesn’t change is that for a moment in life we shared life with these people who helped to form who we are.  Because of that they will always be with us.

 

 Loving God, embracing beauty & living life to the fullest (no matter where we are),

The McCarty’s

Study Hall

When Jesus wanted to study, he went to church (Luke 2:46).  UBC will be open for you study from 10am-midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  We will have drinks and snacks throughout the day, and we will have our traditional pancake extravaganza at 10pm on Wednesday night.  Bring your friends, and you will get bonus points on every test during finals (not a promise, but it might happen).

Work is Worship 12-17-14

Mug Cleaners: Sara and Vince

Coffee Makers: Chad and Joel

Greeters: Paul and Linda

Shutdown Team: The Blue Flames Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: 2 Peter 3:8-15  /Advent Theme Peace
• Please be in prayer for babies Davis and Shanks who are being dedicated this weekend
• CCMSTCCE (Caesar Chavez Middle School Teacher Christmas Card Encouragement). Be on the lookout December 7th for more information in the foyer.
• Advent Sunday School Continues.  It will be located in the backside.
• On December 28th, our service will be comprised mostly of carroll singing and scripture reading.  Please come celebrate the arrival of Jesus with us on that day.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 11-28-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

Timing ... A Spiritual Discipline for Social Media 

The last two times I preached I talked about words.  The importance of words.  How words carry immense power and, in the tradition of John, a creative power.  This weeks news has solicited all kinds of words, which has sent me reflecting on another value of thoughtful expression.  Timing.

Good words timed poorly can do as much damage as bad words.

I believe that the difference between now and 10 years ago is not that people have more opinions, it's that those opinions are now easier to come by because the way social media has proliferated information.

There's an obvious solution to this problem ... shut down my Facebook account.  I've considered it.  Were it not for my need to be able to edit the UBC page, I think I would.  There's another solution--not share our opinions.

I'm well aware that in some social circumstances silence can be deadly.  Holocaust survivor Ellie Wiesel said "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."  I'm also aware that social media has played critical roles in political revolutions.   But I'd like to also submit that often social media does nothing more than add noise to problems that are already drowning in a sea of undereducated loud voices.  In these instances, silence could prove to be a gift.

Because of social media it's probably obvious that my reflections have been generated by the news from Ferguson, MO.  Because I'm a white privileged male who has known a middle class existence most of his life, and because my opinions have been formed mostly by an a priori ivory tower eduction, I just don't think I have much to add to this discussion.  I can admit my complicity in a systemic problem and fall on God's mercy asking the Holy Spirit to continue to open my eyes to the way i'm unknowingly racist.  Other than that, the best things i might say, probably come in the form of a question.

But that's me and my experience.  I don't know what yours is.

Because of my subject position on this particular issue, I choose to listen to voices I trust.  Let me share one with you.  Delvin Atchinson is a friend of mine.  We went to Truett at the same time.  Delvin is the pastor at Antioch Missionary Bapist Church here in Waco, and probably the best preacher in town.  Delvin posted this, this week:

Which reminded me of something I read in Job this last year that became very meaningful to me.  Job a few chapters into listening his friends pedal what I like to call cosmic-karma-distribution-theology responds, "If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom."

I realize that more in this newsletter than any other I sound like I'm standing on soap box,  but I think this is important.

If there is one thing that social media contributes to our development I would suggest that it is that it exposes our insecurities.  As we engage, debate and dialogue it becomes clear what we feel we need to defend.  As Stanley Hauerwas points out, "any time you feel pressure to protect your God, you can be sure you are worshiping and idol."  I would add that any time you feel the need to protect your "gods" of ideology, the same proves true.

Mike Brown's parents asked for two things.  Peaceful protests and four and half minutes of silence to match the four and half hours his body lay in the street.  I'm not sure we gave them 45 seconds.

I return the original topic of this post.  Timing.  There are many helpful constructive things that have been said about this tragedy.  There will be many more.  I urge you to find the right time to say what you must.

nUBCErs Party Follow Up

Thanks to all of our new folks who come out to our event last Friday night.  And a BIG thank you to Jeff and Teri Walter for hosting.

Work is Worship 11-30-14

Mug Cleaners: Vacant

Coffee Makers: Vacant

Greeters: The Haines, Jana Parker, Sara Laminack

Shutdown Team: The Cavemen Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Mark 13:24-37
• CCMSTCCE (Caesar Chavez Middle School Teacher Christmas Card Encouragement). Be on the lookout November 30th and December 7th for more information in the foyer.
• Advent Sunday School Begins Sunday.  It will be located in the backside.
• Advent worship will be after church this Sunday
• Study Hall – December 9/10: You need to study, and UBC is the best place. It is that simple. UBC will be open 10am-midnight both days, and pancakes will be served at 10pm on the 10th.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 11-21-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

What is Christ the King Sunday

You may or may not notice that I have "ordinary time" listed in the newsletter in the summers.  That's a nod to the church calendar.  A subtle reminder that even our calendars have a 1st allegiance to Jesus.  This Sunday is New Years eve ... for the church.  It's the last before a new year.  Craig has written a thoughtful piece on the purpose of this Sunday that has been used in the liturgy of this Sunday in past years.  As is often the case the revolving door at Baylor, we have a lot of new folks.  I thought it'd be meaningful for Craig to share his thoughts with us.

The next couple of Sundays are special days in the life of the church, especially for us “Christian calendar nerds.” UBC has followed the Christian calendar to some extent for several years now and in earnest for two years. We do this for at least a couple of reasons. One, I spoke about at the beginning of advent last December—The liturgical year helps us make a statement: We are not like the rest of the world. Though we are affected by the seasons of our surrounding culture—The academic year, the fiscal year, the seasons of new television programs and awards shows, and the seasons dictated by the placement of the sun-- as followers of Jesus, the rhythm of our lives is ultimately dictated by the rhythm of HIS life.

But there’s another reason why Christians for centuries have followed the liturgical year. The Christian calendar is didactic. It is a tool that teaches us WHO Jesus is and HOW we should follow him. Following the Christian calendar is a tangible way of practicing discipleship. We not only learn how we should live by the songs we sing, the prayers we pray and the sermons we hear. We learn to follow Jesus after years and years of following his rhythm.

 Last December 1^st, the first Sunday of Advent, we represented all humanity by asking the tepid question-- Is there any hope to be found anywhere for our broken condition?

Over the course of the next four weeks the light got brighter until Christmas day when Immanuel—God WITH US—made his appearance into the world.

We followed the Wise Men giving gifts to the young Christ child and we walked with Jesus to his baptism.

In late February of this year we began Lent, a season of penitence, following Jesus into the desert. We followed him out of the desert on Palm Sunday, proclaiming that he was the one who came to save, and then on March 5^th we rubbed ashes into our foreheads to remind us that the brokenness of the world ensures that we will all die. Two days later we followed Jesus to the cross, the ultimate symbol of shame and defeat.

The answer to our original question seemed to be this: No, there is NO hope for the world.

But on Sunday morning, April 20^th, our hope was restored. We followed Jesus to an empty tomb and rejoiced that death has been defeated and our sins forgiven!

After celebrating his ascension into heaven and his promised return, we remembered the triune nature of God on Trinity Sunday and then began 25 weeks of Ordinary time. During ordinary time we asked ourselves this question—What happened on that first Christmas, the journey through the desert to the cross, the empty tomb, the ascension to heaven and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit onto the church… does any of that actually matter to our lives?

This Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, the last day in the liturgical year, the church answers that question and the first question—Is there any hope? With a resounding YES! Our hope is found in crowning Jesus the King of our Lives. And the implication is clear—if Christ is the King of our lives, then no one or nothing else is—neither wealth nor poverty dictates who we are, Jesus does. Presidents don’t dictate who we are, regardless of what party they represent, Jesus does. Our families are not our King and neither are we our own King, Jesus is.

Sunday we celebrate Christ the King Sunday by singing songs and hearing Scripture that proclaim where our allegiance lies. We also will celebrate it by hearing stories from those in our community as they reflect on the presence of God in their lives throughout the past year.

Made In Waco

Emily would like to offer a large thank you to all of you who helped with Made in Waco.  I'd to add to that, a huge thank you to Emily for leading another great event.

Thanksgiving Love Feast

You're probably going to have Thanksgiving dinner with your family.  You're probably going to have Thanksgiving dinner with your mi casa, but champions for the Lord, make sure you have thanksgiving dinner with one another.   When?  This Sunday night at 6:00 P.M.

Advent Workshop

UBC annual advent workshop for children will take place next Sunday (11-30-14) after church.  If you would like more information on what this is about and how to get your children involved, contact josh@ubcwaco.org.

Advent Sunday School

Join us during the Sunday School Hour (Sundays at 9:30) for the four Sundays of Advent (November 30th, December 7, 14 and 21) for a special all-church Advent Sunday School. This will be a relaxed time of decorating the church for Christmas, getting to know each other better, and reflecting on the meaning for the season. We will be using the Advent Conspiracy model as a springboard for our time together. Oh, and there'll be donuts and hot chocolate.

Work is Worship 11-23-14

Mug Cleaners: Haines Family

Coffee Makers: Logan & Allyson

Greeters: Graham Dodd & Joy Wineman

Shutdown Team: Golden Glitter Girls

  Announcements:

• Sermon Text: Christ the King Sunday Texts
• CCMSTCCE (Caesar Chavez Middle School Teacher Christmas Card Encouragement). Be on the lookout November 30th and December 7th for more information in the foyer.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 11-14-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

The Church Together

If you remember back to my first week back from sabbatical I preached on my own experiences and how I felt like God had delivered me from, among other things, cynicism.  I'm still working on that and finding life in the process.

As a discipline in the process I've made a commitment to be more ecumenical than I probably have been in the past.  There are plenty of other churches in Waco that I admire and have been in fellowship with, but I've kept my distance from others.

There is a group of interdenominational pastors/priests/rectors in Waco that meet once a month.  I've gotten the invitation for about a year now and have not gone.  But lo, with a renewed commitment I accepted the first one that came my way this fall.  Our lunch was held in the Baylor Club at the new stadium and was hosted by Drayton McLain.  There were other important speakers there like Judge Starr and few other fancy people that I can't recall.  As it became apparent that the guest list was full Baylor Celebrities I became intensely curious.  Why were we gathered in this state of the art facility, with this amazing meal, with these important people and about 100 local pastors?

As the story unfolded it became apparent that we had gathered to listen to an idea be pitched.  A few folks in Waco, mostly important people, wanted to fill up the stadium for a Palm Sunday evening service.  Moments before this I was marveling at how great it was 100 pastors had gotten together to hang out and now we were talking about filling up a stadium.  My heart sank.  Cynicism crept back in.  I listened closely and fought the instinct to ask the question, "Why are we doing this?"

Let me explain.  There are a lot of great reasons to get together to worship God.  Images of McLain stadium filled with worshipers reminds me of Revelation 4 and 5.  But I also think the desire to fill up a stadium stands on a razors edge, constantly in danger of falling into idolatry.  Said differently I think we could tell ourselves all kinds of stories that seem like they are about God's glory, but are really about our own ambitions.

That meeting was about month ago and Wednesday I went to my second.  There were only 12 of us and so I found the courage to raise some of my concerns.  The conversation that followed was very meaningful and my concerns were assuaged as I listened to my brothers share their passions about seeing what God could do through the unity of pastors in Waco.

About six years ago, not long after I started pastoring, I read a lengthy article by N.T. Wright on the book of Romans.  In it, Wright argued that the point of the letter isn't actually all the weighty theology that's found in chapters 1-8.  Nor is the point the sometimes controversial material found in 9-11.  Wright thinks that the point of the letter is the particular issues that the church is dealing with in 12-16.  It is first and foremost a letter about ecclesiology.  About unity.  All of chapters 1-11 lay the ground work in service to 12-16.  This was new to me and quite astonishing.  In all that I had hear about Romans growing up, and that was a lot, almost none of it came from those chapters at the end.

After I considered Wright's proposal in Romans, I began noticing how pervasive this concern is not just in this letter, but in all of Paul's letters.  Paul is deeply concerned about the unity of the church and sometimes fiercely so.  That was a sobering discovery for me.  How serious must God take this issue?

I was reminded of this thought from Paul at our meeting on Wednesday.  This particular gathering was hosted by Aaron Zimmerman who is the rector at St. Alban's.  After our "business" meeting we gathered in the St. Alban's sanctuary.  There we were, probably the most unlikely choir in Waco.  A few Baptists, an Episcopalian, a Catholic Priest, and a few non-denominational pastors.  Aaron led us in a time of worship.  We sang hymns, read scripture, and confessed belief.  And I couldn't help but feel that God was pleased.

Meet Our Newest addition to the HR team 

Mathew Crawford

Vocation: (could be your job or something you love doing/believe you were made for): Teaching (though for now my profession is being taught how to teach)

favorite movie: The Fountain

best restaurant in Waco: Torchy’s Tacos

Bible verse/chapter/book that has been meaningful for you: Isaiah 43:2

best television show: Breaking Bad

favorite holiday: Thanksgiving

something you might not know about me: I once played the ‘Rock-n-Roll’ but have now lost my touch.

Made in Waco

Made In Waco is FINALLY here! Join us Tomorrow from 10:00-3:00 to help support local artisans and pick up a few gifts for your friends, family and YOURSELF! And DON'T WORRY! We STILL have ways that you can help us out!

If you were wondering what to do with yourself from 11:30-1:30 or 1:30-3:30 tomorrow, I have a great idea! Come help us out in our concession stand and in many other ways at Made In Waco! I think it's perfect! I knew you'd agree! Thanks in advance for emailing Emily at emily@ubcwaco.org and signing up immediately!

If all of this cold weather has gotten you in the mood to cook, but you're worried about packing on the pounds before the Holidays, have I got a deal for you! Last year, UBC's baked goods were a HUGE hit in our concession stand and we hope to have a repeat performance this year! So, you can bake like crazy and bring ALL of it up to UBC before 10:00 on Saturday! Please put one serving of your delicious treat in a baggy so it will be ready to FLY off the shelves!

And, of course, COME to Made In Waco on November 15th from 10:00-3:00 at UBC! It's will be one of the best decisions you've made...possibly ever.

nUBC’ers Cookout - Friday (11/21) 6pm

If you are new to UBC in the last year, we would love for you to join us for a cookout at the Walter’s house next Friday night.  This will be a great time to hang out with the staff, and get to know other UBC’ers.  So we can prepare enough food, please sign-up in the lobby at church Sunday morning, or email toph@ubcwaco.org to let him know you are coming.  We hope you can make it!

Thanksgiving Lovefeast - 11/23 - 6pm

It is everyone’s favorite holiday: UBC Thanksgiving Lovefeast!   Lovefeast is coming up, and we need people to cook some turkeys and ham for us.  We will purchase the turkey, we just need you to cook it!  If you are willing to help cook a turkey or ham, please sign-up in the foyer on Sunday and let us know.  Also, if you would like to bring a dessert, please sign-up for that as well in the foyer.  Everyone else, bring a side to Lovefeast.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Work is Worship 11-11-14

Mug Cleaners: Jacob & Byron

Coffee Makers: Kayla & Michael

Greeters: Tessa & Leigh

Shutdown Team: Blue Flames Announcements:

• Sermon Text: Matthew 5:33-37
• Advent Workshop will be November 30th after church. More info to come.
• Study Hall - December 9/10: You need to study, and UBC is the best place. It is that simple. UBC will be open 10am-midnight both days, and pancakes will be served at 10pm on the 10th.
• CCMSTCCE (Caesar Chavez Middle School Teacher Christmas Card Encouragement). Be on the lookout November 30th and December 7th for more information in the foyer.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 11-7-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

Politics?

"My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place."

John 18:36

Jesus said that.  He also prayed for God's kingdom to come.  I get confused.

This past week was marked by another American political election.  I've been eligible for 15 of these now.

My friend Ben posted this picture as a gentle reminder of why that's important.

There are plenty of stories from human history that have tyranny and oppression as their villain.  I get it.  Voting is a privilege and I'm grateful for all the people who have died to make that possible.  I think it's important to vote.

And yet I confess I have become extremely apathetic to voting.

Not because a divided government will get nothing done.

And not even because 90% of Texas's political race outcomes were predictable six months ago.

I get worn down by seeing Christians using political platforms as moral barometers.

I think there was a time when I was naive enough to believe that politics didn't matter.  I'm past that now.  They do matter and some moral solutions that are good for humanity can be achieved best by political action.

I bet if I said that no one candidate or political platform completely represented the Kingdom of God few people would object.  Those kinds of generalizations are safe statements to make.  Most of us could find at least one thing we disagree with our favorite politician about.  But to my astonishment this never keeps people from tagging Jesus to their political presuppositions.

I read a discussion thread this week about an issue that is extremely decisive.  One of the participants had been deeply wounded by a topic and consequently spoke with passion.  That experience elicited my empathy.  I have not suffered nor been effected like this person has.  Part of their passion filled speech included a statement that "Jesus would ..."  I can think of few things more blasphemous.  This, to me, is the quintessential meaning of taking God's name in vain.

This brings me to my main point.  In a recent sermon I defined idolatry as anything in our life that we try and get the kind of life form that only God can give.  To me this is the biggest problem with Christians and their politics.  It's where we tend to get our life from and perhaps the bigger indictment is this ... this is where our hope lies.  In this way Christians look no different than the world.

When I read Christian commentary on politics, I feel like the author of Ecclesiastes.  Cynical.  Like nothing new under the sun will be said.  That being acknowledged I did like retweet one thing on twitter that I appreciated.  Shane Claiborne posted this:

Perhaps the initial tension I raised in Jesus' words can be resolved this way.  Jesus' kingdom is not of the world.  Not of this style.  Not of the this imagination.  But it is coming to earth as it is in heaven.  And it is coming through his church who conquers through the blood of the Lamb.

Important Update from Emily!!!! 

Hello, UBC!  I want to convey my appreciation for the kind words and encouragement that Jeremy and I have received since announcing our departure!  We have never felt so loved by our UBC family!  But, even though we took all precautions to insure that we did not make our move public until we were TOTALLY sure that it was an inevitability, it seems that life thrown us another curveball.  I am excited to announce that the circumstances surrounding our move to Mississippi have changed and our family will be able to stay in Waco for the foreseeable future!  We sincerely apologize for the back and forth of all of this.  We deeply value UBC, the community and the roles in which we have served during our time here, and we would never want to appear flippant about these things that we cherish so much.  To those of you in our community who felt called to step into my role as Children's Pastor, I am incredibly grateful for your willingness to serve the children and families of UBC.  It is awesome to know that we have so many in our community who share my passion for our sweet kids!  So with our sincerest apologies, deepest appreciation and trust in God's plan for our family and for UBC, we look forward to our future here in the community that we love so much!

Sincerely~

Emily

Made In Waco

It's the final countdown!  Please join us for Made In Waco on November 15th from 10:00-3:00 at UBC!  We are SO excited about our vendors this year and we hope that you will ALL join us to celebrate our local artisans!  Not only that, but I have some GOOD NEWS!  We have ways that the less-crafty-UBCers can help make this event a success!

1. Visit the Made In Waco event page via UBC's Facebook page and LIKE the HECK out of it!  TWEET it!  POST it!  INSTAGRAM it!  RETWEET it!  Make it such a social media sensation that Lebron James and Taylor Swift feel like they are no longer cool because they are only hearing about it now!  BLOW IT UP!  (Disclaimer: UBC does not endorse the use of any actual incendiary devices for the purpose of promotingMade In Waco on November 15th from 10:00-3:00 at UBC!)

2.  ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE CHANGE OR MAKE TREATS!  Be on the look out Sunday for sign-ups for our concession stand!  We will have three two-hour shifts and we would LOVE to have YOU behind the counter!  If you can't make it to Made In Waco on November 15th from 10:00-3:00at UBC, I'm sad for you, but don't worry!  We need YOU to bring homemade individually wrapped baked goods to sell to our guests!  These can be dropped off any time before next Saturday so get your ovens preheated and strap your aprons on!  This is our chance to show the WORLD that the UBC Community is a hotbed of Culinary Genius!

3. Check out the big table in the foyer on Sunday for Made In Waco cards!  You can take them with you and distribute them to your pals, community boards and all of your local hang-outs so that EVERYONE will want to come toMade in Waco November 15th from 10:00-3:00 at UBC!

4. And, of course, COME to MadeIn Waco on November 15th from 10:00-3:00 at UBC!

nUBC’ers Cookout

If you are new to UBC in the last year, we would love for you join us for a cookout at Jeff and Teri Walter’s on Friday November 21, 2014, at 6pm.  We will provide the food and drinks, and we would just love for you to be there.  This will be a time to get to know some other UBC’ers who have been around for a while, and meet some of the other new folk.  If you are thinking of joining us, please sign-up in the foyer at UBC on November 9th or November 16th.  If you have any questions, or want to sign-up through email, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org.

Meet Our Newest Finance Team Member

Hannah Kuhl

Vocation: (could be your job or something you love doing/believe you were made for): Social Worker for Waco ISD

favorite movie: Elizabethtown or any other Cameron Crowe film

best restaurant in Waco: Claypot - Pineapple Fried Rice

Bible verse/chapter/book that has been meaningful for you: James

best television show: Gilmore Girls #teamjess or Parenthood also known as Gilmore Girls 2.0

favorite holiday: I can't help it - the magical season of Christmas

something you might not know about me: one of my favorite places is the Automatic Car Wash. I break into involuntary fits of high pitched laughter. It's like being in a washing machine!!! I also like the smell of skunk, so there's that.

Work is Worship 11-9-14

Mug Cleaners: Sara & Vince

Coffee Makers: Chad & Joel

Greeters: Ryan & Joel

Shutdown Team:  Cavemen

Announcements:

• Sermon Text: 1 Kings 18 .  Please be in prayer for and ready to celebrate our guest preacher David Wilhite.
• nUBCers at Walter's on Friday, November 21st at 6:00 PM.  More information to come.
• Advent Workshop will be 30th after church.  More info to come.
• Thanksgiving Love Feast!!!! At UBC on Sunday November 23rd at 6:00 PM

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 10-31-14

ITLOTC

(in the life of the church)

Ordinary Time

Happy All Hallows Eve

The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs by Fra Angelico 

Christians don't say goodbye, they say see you later. 

Very early in my life I learned that I did not like cliches.  I also learned that cliches become cliche because they are, for the most part, experientially verifiable.

At the conclusion of my senior year at Bethel University I planned a series of strategic goodbyes.  On the top of that list was one my resident directors Michelle.  Michelle had been extremely formative in my emotional and spiritual development.  When I found Michelle we exchanged hugs, meaningful words, and then she punctuated our conversation with "Christians don't say goodbye, we say see you later."

Have you ever known someone who oozed so much character and goodness that everything they said, no matter what they said, dripped with meaning?  Michelle is like that.  Her words are grace, not so much because of their content, but because of the authentic nature with which her character encases them.  I took Michelle's words seriously ... which sent me reflecting.

Christians don't ever say goodbye.  Why?  Because as the movie Wit so eloquently pointed out, in the tradition of John Donne, death is a comma, not a period.  It's the reason Paul has swagger in his letter in 1 Corinthians 15, and why the martyrs marched to their deaths with such a cavalier joy.

If you weren't at church this last weekend you missed a rather large announcement.  Our Worship and Arts Pastor Tye and our Children's Pastor Emily are both turning the pages in their story.  Tye has taken a call as the Worship Pastor of Oakwood Church in New Braunfels, and Emily is celebrating a professional opportunity that came for her husband Jeremy that will take them to a different town.

I don't want to be overly dramatic.  In all likelihood we will see Tye and Emily on multiple occasions after December 31st.  But that is not the goodbye we are saying.  We are saying goodbye to these relationships as they exist now.  We are saying goodbye and thank you to Tye for the gifts he shared with through his music and Emily with our children through her creativity.

And yet ... the truth is even these relationships remain intact because the work our friends have done belongs to the eternal.  And that is all of our destinations.  Right after Paul gives a rousing resurrection speech in 1 Corinthians 15, he points out that for this reason our labor is never in vain.  And neither are our relationships.  The reality of eschatological truth works backwards in the Christian life shaping every present moment with what the church has called faith.

So over the next few months as Tye and Emily's time with us winds down, we rehearse all the meaningful emotions that come with saying goodbye and letting go.

Idolatry teaches us what we cling too tightly to.  What is improperly ordered in the catalogue of the affections of our hearts.  Saying goodbye can often be a form of deliverance and renewal.  It reminds all of us that all of us ultimately belong to God before we belong to each other.  So with courage, glad and sincere hearts we give these gifts in form of our friends back to God.  And we say thanks be to God--we'll see you later.

An Apology

In a previous newsletter I've written how important I think it is for pastors to apologize when needed.  Because I'm given the microphone for 30 or so minutes every week and conduct a monologue, I think it's especially important that I be conscious of what I say.

This past week I put a picture of a blue whale on the screen as part of a sermon illustration.  The picture of the blue whale also included a 747, a few dinosaurs and a human.  It's purpose was to compare and contrast the enormous size of the blue whale.  Most of what I say in a sermon is scripted, but I went off script for a second and said, "this picture is about 6,000 years old."

It was subtle, but it was a jab.  No one has said a word about that comment.  I suspect given what I know about our congregation, most people didn't care and probably even the majority agree with the sentiment that the world is very old.  But as Sunday wore on I was bothered by my comment.  I would like to apologize for making that comment and this is why.

As I've grown in my Christian faith for the last 33 years, I can look back and recognize critical developmental moments.  More often than not, large and potentially painful changes in my own theology happened by someone who graciously and carefully walked me through those changes. They were patient to field my questions and never gave me the impression that my objections were naive and/or stupid.

I think it's important that people know what their pastor believes.  So I don't want to hide my beliefs on the age of the earth or my perspective on creation, but I do apologize for not being gentle.

I was talking to a friend this fall who gave me a really helpful quote, "we need to be kind to every previous version of ourselves."  That has been meaningful and liberating for me.  So to an old version of myself, I say thank you for your passion and care for this issue.  You are a critical part of who I am and belong to the kingdom every bit as much as present me does.   Thank you for your generosity in listening.

Time Change!!!!

Don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour on saturday night.

Special Thanks

At the conclusion of this fall quarter two valuable UBCers are stepping down from the finance and HR teams.

Tom McCarty has served on the finance team for the last 5 years and for a 3 year stint prior to that.  One thing that I'll miss the most about Tom is his fervent optimism.  Very often when I would be tempted to get down about the financial state affairs, but Tom's peace and trust would invade the atmosphere.  In those moments I would be reminded of the God's faithfulness to our community.  I'm grateful for his service.

Lacy McNamee has served on the HR team for the last several years.  Lacy led passionately through some major changes at UBC.  One thing I've learned from Lacy is the value of integrity.  She has been insistent on doing things the right way and made the culture of UBC better for it.  I'm grateful for the time she has served our community.

On that note ... I'd like to introduce one of our newest HR team members!!!

Meet Maxcey Blaylock

Vocation: (could be your job or something you love doing/believe you were made for): Marketing Communications Specialist at Baylor University

favorite movie: A Knight's Tale and Beauty and the Beast

best restaurant in Waco: Hmmm... Baris? Maybe? So many good choices!

Bible verse/chapter/book that has been meaningful for you: Romans 5:3-5. It has offered encouragement to me many times.

best television show: Castle

favorite holiday: Christmas

something you might not know about me: Well... I kind of can't ride a bicycle. I'm sure I could if someone's life was in danger and the only way to save them was to ride a bike. But otherwise... It's just hard because if you try to go slow then you fall over :(

Work is Worship 11-2-14

Mug Cleaners: Haines Family

Coffee Makers: Emmy Edwards & Stephen Adkinson

Greeters: Maxcey & Gerhard

Shutdown Team:  Golden Glitter Girls

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 10-24-14

ITLOTC

(IN The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

Sacred/Secular 

I remember when I first came to UBC back in the fall of 2004.  There were many values that I fell in love with, but one that I remember poignantly was the language they are using to dissolve the dichotomy between the sacred and secular.  What that meant for me was that they weren't just admitting that they loved U2 and Garden State, they were finding Christian messages in those forms of art that were aiding in their formation.

That was new for me.  And it was also cause for pause.  While I loved this newfound appreciation for a world what was often withheld from me as a child, I had also had enough bad experiences with "worldly" things to know that being desensitized was a real spiritual phenomon.  On one of our old websites we included a conversation about this that was authored by our former pastor  Kyle.  I remember the first time I read it.  Kyle had anticipated and calmed my fears.  This isn't verbatim, but he said something like, "nothing is secular does not mean nothing is sinful."

Good ... he understood me--now I was more confident that I could get on board.

I was thinking about this moment from my past because this issue is coming up yet again as I prepare for Sundays sermon on worship.  Interestingly, though this value is so deeply engrained within our DNA, I'm still not completely sure how to work out all of the kinks.  I haven't found all of the right language.

For example, our staff was recently doing an interview with some former UBCers who were undergoing an ordination process.  The purpose of our interview was to talk with them about the church side of that process.  One of my questions went something like this, "we believe that sacred/secular division is a poor one and yet when we read scripture we are taught both that God created this world good and that in certain instances God does things like tell Moses to kick off his sandals ... because was standing on holy ground.  Was that ground sacred or more sacred than the ground next to it?"

I haven't answered that question, but I believe in the merit of the discussion.

I once heard a friend say that "secular" was a term used by the church fathers to describe the state of affairs between the fall and 2nd coming.

Lucky for UBC the man that is considered an academic wrangler of church fathers goes to our church ... so I called him to talk about it.

He pointed me to Augustine's City of God.  In this book Augustine argues that city of man exists within the city of God.  It's best not to think of these as geographic locations but rather spiritual realities.  Brokeness exists within God's good creation.   The word secular comes from the Latin word saeculum which means "generation, lifetime" or I think in Augustines case "age."  What Augustine suggests is that this broken saeculum exists within God's saeculum--or this broken age exists within God's age, just like city of man exists within the city of God.

Which brings me full circle.  After the respondents fielded my question about the sacred and secular in that ordination interview, Craig reminded us that Kyle used to talk about that which has been redeemed and that which is in need of redemption.

There is a sort of dualism that pervades our experience.  I just want us to be careful about what language we use because I think it matters.

When Paul was contending with the philosophical juggernauts on Mars Hill in Acts 17, he identified the unknown god as the one he knew.  It was a savvy move.  To bolster his case he did theology by quoting a pagan poet from the island of Crete, "in Him we live, move, and have our being," Paul says in verse 28.

Here's why I think this matters.  Had Paul been convicted that there were sacred and secular dualisms present he might have been inclined to present his Greek counterparts with Truth packed in Jewish presuppositions and experience ... and that would have landed flat and the whole thing would have ended poorly.  But because Paul believed that creation was good and the God was so awesome that Greeks couldn't keep him out, he was able to identify the holy longing behind the pagan poets quote and bring a statement was partially redeemed into full redemption.

This is a difficult and beautiful task the church has been called to.  I hope you'll join us in it.

Marfa Trip reflection by Joshua Blake

Did you see any snakes? No. Coyotes? No. Roaches? No. These are the first questions people ask after I tell them I went camping in Marfa. On the contrary, I saw beautiful things which pretty much sums up the trip and the town of Marfa, where unexpected beauty exists. Marfa is a desert town, however, it’s anything but sterile and desolate. It has out-of-place art, stars for days, and terrain unlike any I’ve seen in Texas. And to think that I almost didn’t go on the trip, because I thought I was too busy. When the trip was first pitched, I thought there is no way I can go with my schedule, and then my friend/coworker Dustin pressed me to go. Long story short, everything worked out for me to go and I am so grateful it did. I did not realize how much I needed to breathe cool, dry air, experience west Texas sunrises, view and listen to art (even if they were dressed up in Halloween costumes), feel a sense of accomplishment from a hike, and share all of this with new and old friends. On the drive back, I realized that God wanted me to go on the trip, but at first I didn’t believe/think that God would want it for me. I thought he wanted me to work and take care of business at home. He does want me to care of my responsibilities, but he also offers opportunities of rest and rejuvenation. He offers living water and some times that water comes from unexpected places at unexpected times. I truly hope that UBC makes this an annual trip, so everyone has the opportunity to embrace beauty (in unexpected places) and live life to the marfullest (even when we think we are too busy).

SWCC Halloween Festival

This week, we are helping our friends at SWCC throw the biggest party this neighborhood has scene. There will be food trucks from all around Waco, inflatables, games, and lots and lots of candy. This is our second annual SWCC/UBC Halloween Festival, and we need your help. We still need people who are willing to help run a game from 6-8pm, and we also need folks who are willing to bake a cake/pie/brownies/cookies etc... for the Cake Walk. If you can help out, and you haven't signed up yet, email toph@ubcwaco.org or sign-up on Sunday. The festival is this Wednesday night, the 29th, from 6-8pm at SWCC. If you are a family with kids at UBC, we would love for you to come out on Wednesday, bring the kids, and just have a good time. We can't wait to see everyone at the party this Wednesday!

Jesus Said Love Outreach

This coming Friday, October 31st, we are sponsoring our first outreach with Jesus Said Love. We will have two prayer services for the outreach on Friday: 7:15am and 12:15pm. Both of the services will be 30 minutes long, and we will spend time lifting up the outreach team, the dancers, and the clubs in prayer. If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Meet Our Newest UBCer

Name: Graham Porter Gonzales

Birthday: 10-11-14

Weight: 7 lbs 9 oz.

Height: 20 1/4 in.

Enneagram Number: 6

Last Soccer Game of the Year

We’d like for you to have an opportunity to fellowship in the Lord and support are very awesome friends Paul and Marci Jobson.  The womens soccer team plays Texas at home this Sunday night.

Game starts at 6, but Josh McCormick is tailgating starting at 4.

Here are a few notes from him:

Come join us for the official unofficial UBC Baylor Soccer Tailgate. This is the seasons last home game. We will have a gas grill and serving table either in parking lot or grassy area by baseball fields. Get there early and get ticket for free t-shirt.

What to bring: -Loud voice -General disdain for UT -Anything you want to cook -any sides made famous by someone's great grandmother -whatever you want to drink -chairs if you like to sit

Work is Worship: 10-26-14

Coffee Makers: Logan & Allyson

Mug Cleaners: Byron & Jacob

Greeters: Joy & Graham

Shutdown Team: The Blue Flames

Announcements:

• Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 7:7-12
• The UBC youth group will be going to Jump Street in Dallas on October 25th. Interested persons should contact Craig@ubcwaco.org.
• UBC Girl’s Day, Saturday, October 25th @ 11am: Meeting at Farmer’s Market, getting pumpkins, then heading back to UBC for pumpkin carving and fellowship
• Wednesday, October 29th, UBC partners with South Waco Community Center for Halloween Festival. Those interested in volunteering should contact toph@ubcwaco.
• Friday, October 31st Jesus Said Love Outreach … more information to come. MADE in Waco will be Saturday, November 15th more information to come.
• Advent Workshop will be 30th after church.  More info to come.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Tom McCarty: tomjmccarty@gmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Lacy McNamee: Lacy_McNamee@baylor.edu

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

10 Suggestions for Simplicity

A few of you asked about the list of 10 ways to simplify that was given in the sermon this morning.  Most of these are taken from Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline.  

1. buy things for their usefulness instead of their status
2. reject anything that is producing an addiction in you
3. develop a habit of giving things away
4. refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry
5. learn to enjoy things without owning them
6. develop a deeper appreciation for the creation
7. do not participate in buy now pay later schemes
8. reject anything that breeds the oppression of others
9. don't go to something that is scheduled
10. say, "no, I can't"

ITLOTC 10-18-14

ITLOTC

(In the Life of The Church)

Ordinary Time

Simplicity and Sabbath

(this solicited a genuine LOL from me)

I love Fall.  Football.  Kind-of cool weather.  All things pumpkin spice.  The two weeks of it that we have in Waco are probably my favorite season in the south.   But something is tempering my appreciation.  It seems to be the season most filled with chaos.  Tomorrow I will be preaching on the spiritual discipline "simplicity."  What that actually means is something that is difficult to get down in a few paragraphs of a church newsletter.

So I want to address part of it--namely time.  We can simplify our lives spiritually by how we use our time.  As my own kids have gotten older I've noticed something developing in the lives of our young families.  We. Have. So. Much. Going. On.  And I bet you do to.  We were talking about this phenomenon in our emerging parents class this semester when my friend Rob recommended a book--Wayne Muller's Sabbath.  Muller's book had been on my list form some time, but Rob's recommending was the nudge I needed to pick it up.

Thomas Merton calls our incessant need to be doing (activism and overwork) a form of violence.  At first I thought that term too strong until I began pondering some of the pastoral conversations I've had over the years.  Violence, I suppose, is anything that undoes our health ... in whatever form.  On more than one occasion, I've noticed unhealthy lifestyles born out of overcommitment and a general inability to say no.

Employing Merton's definition Muller writes, "Sabbath time can be a revolutionary challenge to the violence of overwork, mindless accumulation, and the endless multiplication of desires, responsibilities, and accomplishments.  Sabbath is a way of being in time where we remember who we are, remember what we know, and taste the gifts of spirit and eternity."

As someone who thrives on "doing" I used to find the notion of Sabbath almost useless.  "An excuse for laziness," I thought.  When I read Abraham Joshua Heschel's book on Sabbath something changed.  Heschel argues that the 7th day of creation was not a day off for God.  On that day He created, and we are called to actively create what the rabbi's called menuha.  Menuha is sometimes called rest, but that translation doesn't do enough.  It's the active creating of tranquility, serenity, peace and response.

We have been called to cut out a day, not to turn our brain off, but rather to lay aside the labor which if done in excess can steal from our human identity and in turn cultivate the peace that exists from knowing you belong to God.

It is fall break weekend at Baylor and for many other professionals around Waco.  This means most of us will fill up our weekends with something fun, but also something that we will need an additional two days to rest from when we are finished.  Good rest ... God rest is different.  It quiets the soul and restores the human.  We need this experience as humans.

As a practical suggestion in tomorrows sermon, I'm telling listeners to say no to something.  For me it was this newsletter.  The newsletter is supposed to out on Fridays and for the most part, I've been pretty faithful in doing that.  Yesterday I created a rare two day weekend for my family by taking Friday off.   Getting the newsletter done nagged at me all day.  But then I thought about my own advice. I decided that my family was more important than one newsletter.  And the decision gave me life.

The line between wisdom and foolishness is thin.  Cutting out the right thing takes discernment, but I'd ask you to think about this week.  How might God be calling you to rest?  To create menuha?

nUBCer's ... In Review

Last Sunday we hosted our first ever nUBCer's gathering in the backside.  We just wanted to thank everyone who came out to get to know the church better.  It's honor to have you worship with us at UBC.  We will be doing more of these events from time to time, but if you are new to UBC and would love to hear more about the church and events like these please email toph@ubcwaco.org and/or craig@ubcwaco.org.

Craig Nash giving some history on the church.

UBCers, new and old, alike fellowshiping in the Lord

Marfa Fall Break Trip

Please offer a brief prayer for our UBC folks traveling back all day tomorrow from their Marfa trip.

Guys Night ... In Review

Last Friday, October 11, UBC hosted it's first guys night.  It was a memorable night that including scouting random dead cows that died for mysterious reasons, using a zip line that we were unsure could support that weight of the participants, and grilling meat on a fire.  Vegans starved as hair grew on our chests.  John Eldredge was supposed to come a special guest speaker, but on surveying the layout decided he wasn't man enough for the festivities.  Bad dad-jokes were told, bodily gases were emitted without apology, and memories were made.  Please consider joining us for our next extravaganza.  On a more serious note, we'd like to thank Michael Heins for providing us with his space for a fun evening.

Craig "Bull" Nash relaxes in a chair after punishing the man landscape with his rugged his Honda Civic.

We thought about not cooking anything and eating it raw.

Miller Nance laughs at the ground below him as he flies from one tree to another without a safety harness.

Some UBC "boys" skipping puberty and heading straight into manhood.

Work is Worship: 10-19-14

Coffee Makers: Chad & Joel

Mug Cleaners: Chris & Hannah

Greeters: Paul & Linda

Shutdown Team: Cavemen

Announcements:

• Sermon Text: Ecclesiastes 7:29 The UBC youth group will be going to Jump Street in Dallas on October 25th. Interested persons should contact Craig@ubcwaco.org. UBC Girl’s Day, Saturday, October 25th @ 11am: Meeting at Farmer’s Market, getting pumpkins, then heading back to UBC for pumpkin carving and fellowship Wednesday, October 29th, UBC partners with South Waco Community Center for Halloween Festival. Those interested in volunteering should contact toph@ubcwaco. Friday, October 31st Jesus Said Love Outreach … more information to come. MADE in Waco will be Saturday, November 15th more information to come.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Tom McCarty: tomjmccarty@gmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Lacy McNamee: Lacy_McNamee@baylor.edu

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 10-10-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

Dying Well

I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better

Philippians 1:23

I'm listening to Science Friday this afternoon.  Today's show features guest Atul Gawande, who wrote Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.  Most of what he and Science Friday host Ira Flato are talking about has to do with what medicine can vs what medicine should do.  More particularly they are discussing the quality of life those have who have it extended by modern medicine.

This reminded me of a learning moment I had back when I was attending seminary at Truett.  I took a CPO class, which in case you don't speak seminary curriculum, means I spent a semester at Hillcrest in a quasi-internship doing chaplain work.  This was back in 2007 when Hillcrest was still at its old location on 30th.  One day in a debriefing session our supervisor Ross was talking to us about the possibility of Hillcrest moving to a new location out towards the highway. He explained that ever since Providence had moved out of the area, Hillcrest, then geographically closer to economically challenged areas, began servicing the majority of ER visits.  In that year alone he explained, Hillcrest did $65 million worth of unpaid healthcare.  Ross was making the point to have an ethical discussion about healthcare, but we were stunned by the numbers.  As we began talking healthcare numbers he pointed out that (I might not be remembering these figures precisely, but it was something like this) 1/3 of health care costs are accumulated in the last 3 months of a persons life and 1/3 of that from the last 3 days.

I'm concerned that as a society we don't know how to die well and even more concerned that the church is complicit in the problem.

In last few weeks I've written about Christians & ISIS and Christians & Ebola.  It is worth pointing out that in both of these posts the potential conclusion I was drawing comes with costly results.  Namely, death.  The subtle presupposition at work in both of those entries was that death is the not the worst thing.  And even more poignantly, for Christians death is a comma, not a period.  This summer when I was on sabbatical I assigned myself Karl Barth's book on baptism.  In the book Barth said something that jumped out at me: "the baptized never die."

It's takes that kind of courage ... that kind of faith to do what Christ calls us to do.  To go the places that Christ calls us to go.  I'm reminded of Paul who when awaiting a potential death sentence so casually wrote to the Philippian community, "I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better."

Lest I seem too detached from the reality of death's sting, let me confess that I still fear death.  Maybe not dying, but losing.  Losing my family and departing and moving into the unknown ... or maybe the uncontrollable.  But those fears are not reasons to avoid talking about death or more importantly to speak truthfully about death.  And the truth is, Jesus has laid death in its grave.

Stanley Hauwerwas says that it's too late to begin preparing for death when you are dying.  So as a disciple, I do work on preparing for my death, even now at the vibrant ripe age of 33.  Part of that formation means looking to the saints who have died well.

Mike Toby is the former Senior Pastor of FBC Woodway.  Mike passed away in December of 2012.  He died of an aggressive form of brain cancer.  Almost two years ago to the date, October 14, 2012, Mike woke up with a numb hand.  A few days later he was diagnosed with cancer.  Though I never knew Mike, I, with the masses, mourned his suffering and death.  But I also admired him.  Mike chose not to treat his cancer at all.  He had decided that he had a good life, and that he wanted to go quickly.  From time to time in that brief two month period Mike would offer updates to his community through family, messages or a video.  In his messages, something became starkly clear.  Mike was testifying to the truthfulness of the gospel through his thoroughgoing commitment to dying well and dying without fear.

I'll never forget that.  I leave you with a video he posted that I found especially moving.

Made In Waco

It's time for UBC's second annual Made in Waco: Handmade Market! Made in Waco wants to celebrate the amazing artisans that our city has to offer by giving them a place to display and sell their creations and gives the rest of us a chance to buy them! Last year we had a fantastic array of jewelry, soaps, clothing, baked goods, knitted items, stationary, decor and more! Perfect for those one of a kind Christmas gifts and indulgences!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please go to ubcwaco.org for more details on how to get involved and to download an application. Vendor applications and payment are due by October 31st! For those of us who are more appreciators of handmade goods, join us on November 15th for this unique and exciting display of the best of what is Made in Waco!

UBCYP (University Baptist Church Young Professionals)

 We are having our first ever UBCYP event, Friday October 17th, at the Griffin’s house, at 7pm.  If you are a young professional, grad student, or just want to come hang out, this event is for you.  There will be snacks, drinks, games, etc….  We would love for you to come and meet other UBCYP’ers at UBC!  The Griffin’s address is:

Byron and Maggie Griffin

2301 N 52nd St.

Waco, TX 76710

If you have any questions, email or call toph (254-498-2261).

Guys Night ... TONIGHT!!!!

We our having our first annual (or first in a long time) Guy's Night this Friday.  We are heading out to a lease just outside of town, and we will be out there starting around 5pm.  We will have drinks, plates/napkins/etc..., and stuff for smores.  Bring whatever you want to grill and your own sides.  There will be a large bonfire, a place to fish down by the river, and we will hang out till the cows come home (or run as off the property).  Bring a camping chair, if you have one.  If you need directions, email toph@ubcwaco.org .  This is for guys of all ages: dads and sons, grad students, college, etc...  Hope to see you all Friday night.  If you decided at the last minute to come, call Toph (254-498-2261) for directions.

Work is Worship 10-12-14

Mug Cleaners: Sarah & Vince

Coffee Makers: Kayla & Michael

Greeters: Linda and Paul

Shut Down Team: Golden Glitter Girls

Announcements:

• Sermon Text: John 15:1-7
• The UBC youth group will be going to Jump Street in Dallas on October 25th.  Interested persons should contact Craig@ubcwaco.org.
• UBC Girl’s Day, Saturday, October 25th @ 11am: Meeting at Farmer’s Market, getting pumpkins, then heading back to UBC for pumpkin carving and fellowship
• Wednesday, October 29th, UBC partners with South Waco Community Center for Halloween Festival. Those interested in volunteering should contact toph@ubcwaco.
• Friday, October 31st Jesus Said Love Outreach … more information to come.
• MADE in Waco will be Saturday, November 15th more information to come.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Tom McCarty: tomjmccarty@gmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Lacy McNamee: Lacy_McNamee@baylor.edu

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com

ITLOTC 10-3-14

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Ordinary Time

Ebola and Christians

Like some of you I'm paying close attention to Dallas and its diseases.  On the mornings after I drop my children off at school I tune in to hear the latest on the ebola case being addressed in Dallas.  As of now 100 people have allegedly been exposed to this man and about 15 or so of them in a manner in which they could have possibly contracted the disease.  A family of four is now being quarantined in an apartment.

At first I was angry.  My lack of empathy and irrationality immediately asked why they let anyone fly from West Africa back to the States.  And then I reasoned that if anyone wanted to do that, that was fine as long as they were willing to live in an isolated warehouse for 30 days until they had been cleared.

I do think making smart decisions for the common good is important and I'm glad we have government officials dedicated to the caring of this issue.  But after things became clearer in my head I thought about my response.  Two things seem to be a failure in my own discipleship.

1. My first instinct was not to pray for this man and the people who had been in contact with him.  I think one of the hardest parts of the gospel is the consistent and pervasive demand to love the other ... even at the expense of yourself.  Surely this individual is scared and feels the magnitude of his circumstances.  Instead of being concerned about him, I chose to be concerned about myself.

2. The other thing that came to my mind was something I read in Rodney Starks book The Triumph of Christianity.  In chapter titled "Misery and Mercy" Stark answers the question, "how did Christianity grow so fast in the first few centuries?"  Stark's answer is essentially that Christianity loved those who no one else would.  In the year 165 AD a devastating epidemic swept through the Roman Empire.   Historians suspect that this may have been the first appearance of smallpox.  About a century later, the plague showed up again and this time people recognized early symptoms. As a precaution people threw their loved ones out on the streets with the already dead and dying.  Can you imagine that?  Tossing your child out the door to save the rest of your family.  But there was nothing else to do.

The religious system failed.  If people went to the temple to pray, they found that their pagan priests had fled.  The philosophical systems were no better.  They simply blamed the circumstances on fate.  Even the medical professionals left town.  Documents from antiquity record that the famous physician Galen fled Rome for his country estate where he stayed until the danger subsided.

The Christians, however, would care for the sick and dying ... at the risk of their life being exchanged for the sick.  In a pastoral letter to his members in Alexandria Egypt the Bishop Dionysius wrote about the courage of his people:

"Most of our brothers showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another.  Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains.  Many,  in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead .... The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that in death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way equal to martyrdom."

I'm reminded of Kent Brantley who was working in Liberia with Samaritan's Purse to fight the disease on Africa's turf without the comfort of America's medical infrastructure at his disposal.  I reminded that at it's best, Christ following produces some of the most remarkable people.  And I reminded that this is not a safe calling, but it is a good calling.

UBC Podcast

Some of you have asked about the podcast this summer.  We have recently gone to a new format and sermons can now be found on iTunes by searching "ubc waco."

nUBCer’s Lunch

We are having our first ever (or first in a very long time) nUBCer’s luncheon on October 12th, after church in the Backside. If you have started coming to UBC sometime within the last year, we would love for you to join us for lunch. We would love the opportunity to get to know you better, make sure you are connected in the life of the church, and share with you a bit about our history. After church, go grab your lunch and bring it to the backside, and we will plan on starting around 12:15. If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

JSL

This Sunday UBC is hosting our ministry partner Jesus Said Love.  Brett and Emily Mills will do an interview as part of the service and there will be a Q & A with them after church as well.  Please be in prayer for Brett & Emily and the JSL/UBC partnership.  They are awesome and their ministry is God glorifying.  We are so excited to have them.  You can learn more about the ministry here.

Kaley 

As Toph point out Sunday, there are a lot of UBCers on mission in their own lives doing wonderful things.  I'd like to share one particular story with you.  Kaley Eggers recently became a foster parent.  She has been blogging through her journey and it is beautiful.  Do yourself a favor and read this.

Satan Slayers

In their last two games of the season the Slayers dropped both.  The slayers end their season 2-6.  The one stat that doesn't show up in the books is heart ... and the Slayers had a ton of it.  The one-two punch of Byron Roldan and Jacob Robinson booked the losses, but the formation of character and the fun had were both chalked up in the win column.

The Slayers were a team of vibrancy and fun.  They found a way to play this great American game of softball and make it a transcendent encounter.   We'll always remember watching the wheels turn in coach Millers head as she strategized about signals to call.  We'll never forget Byron Roldan's change up "the stinky cheese."  Not soon will we forget the play by play commentary of Arna Hemmenway and Jacob Robinson.  The Slayers gave us to something to believe in.  Something to strive for ... and for that we are grateful.

Coach Miller has this to say after the game: "it didn't end the way we wanted, but in another sense it did.  What I got from these kids [choking back tears] ... you can't put a price on that.  I tell every senior class that they've built a foundation, but some foundations are stronger than others."

Work is Worship: 10-5-14

Mug Cleaners: Haines Family

Coffee Makers: Emmy Edwards & Stephen Adkinson

Greeters: Ryan Graf & Joel Berner

Shutdown Team: Blue Flames

Announcements:

• Sermon Text: Philippians 4:8 Friday, October 10th, Guys Night at Michael Heins’ lease on the Brazos River (men of all ages including dads and little boys are welcome/encouraged to come)
• UBCYP (University Baptist Church Young Professionals) October 17th - Epic Game Night Extravaganza - 7pm - more details to come in the next few weeks
• Fall Break Weekend (October 16-19) UBC will be taking an Embrace Beauty trip to West Texas. Those interested should contact Tye@ubcwaco.org. More information to come.
• UBC Girl's Day, Saturday, October 25th @ 11am: Meeting at Farmer's Market, getting pumpkins, then heading back to UBC for pumpkin carving and fellowship
• Wednesday, October 29th, UBC partners with South Waco Community Center for Halloween Festival. Those interested in volunteering should contact toph@ubcwaco.
• Friday, October 31st Jesus Said Love Outreach … more information to come.
• MADE in Waco will be Saturday, November 15th more information to come.

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: Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com

Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Tom McCarty: tomjmccarty@gmail.com

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Lacy McNamee: Lacy_McNamee@baylor.edu

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu

Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com