Planning Ahead
Without any plans, we get nowhere. Accomplishing the next chore, going on our next vacation or preparing for the next chapter of the future of our church, won’t happen. Taking time to plan requires time to collect information to understand what it means to us. Hearing our ideas and opinions from one another is necessary. And in the end, particularly in planning for the church, we discern the will of God on how our best-conceived plans coincide with God’s. Before Jesus celebrated his last supper with his disciples, he sent his disciples to the city to ask a certain man for a place to prepare the Passover meal. Jesus knew his time was near that he was going to be betrayed and give his life for us so he made plans for it to happen.
Since July 2013, FCBC has been engaged in the process of Long-range Planning. Appointed by the Deacons and affirmed by the church membership, 14 people participated in 14 meetings gathering data, analyzing ideas, prioritizing issues, testing priorities at an all-church event, and finally completing their written report that was submitted to the Deacons. The Deacons spent time reviewing the report’s 7 priorities and recommendations and on October 5th, released the entire report to the congregation for discussion and action. At two forums, Oct. 19 and 26, the Deacons and members of the LRPC engaged in further discussion with anyone who wish to further explore the impact of the report.
In activating the Long Range Planning Committee, the Deacons identified 3 concerns:
1. The church’s role in Chinatown/outreach/community involvement
2. What attracts people to FCBC?
3. Integrity/makeup and relationships of the three services/groups
The LRPC identified seven issues that they felt FCBC should address in the years to come:
- Challenges Faced Due to Church Diversity
- Lay Leadership Development
- Fellowship Groups
- Community Outreach
- Youth Ministries
- Pastoral and Staff Leadership Transition
- Space Needs
For each of these issues, the Committee provided recommendations on how to address the issues. These issues and recommendations are fully described in the report. Furthermore, during the course of this planning discussion, the Committee identified several issues that should be looked at in future Long Range Planning studies. These issues are not urgent now, but may become more urgent in the future:
1. Re-evaluate the church Mission Statement for relevance and currency.
2. Examine the demographics of the Chinatown community to evaluate whether our focus may need to expand beyond Chinese-speaking residents.
While the work of the LRPC is finished, planning ahead for FCBC is just beginning. We invite you to secure a copy of the report and discuss it in your fellowship groups, in board and committee meetings, and with your friends as we discern where God is leading us in the years to come. Paper copies are available from the church office or a digital copy can be sent to you by emailing Wendi at office@fcbc-sf.org.
Pastor Don
Mission in Chinatown
In the 1880s, Rev. Jesse B. Hartwell having returned from China as a missionary to assist with his wife’s medical needs noticed that there were many Chinese men in San Francisco. He wondered why there wasn’t a Baptist mission in San Francisco when there was a concerted effort of missionary work in China. After a few years of appealing for this missionary endeavor, the Chinese Baptist Mission was started in 1880.
Today the Chinese Baptist Mission is now the First Chinese Baptist Church that will be celebrating 135 years of ministry in 2015. While our church building has remained pretty much in the same place after it was rebuilt in 1908 after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire and renovated after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, the people in Chinatown are always changing. As every group of Chinese immigrants gets their feet firmly planted on the ground, they seek larger housing and move out to the other neighborhoods in the city and beyond.
While San Francisco Chinatown is one of the must-see attractions of anyone visiting the Bay Area, it remains a place for people to live, go to school, work, grow old and we hope and pray come to church. As we occupy the corner of Waverly Place and Sacramento Street, what is our “mission in Chinatown?” Today, we continue to offer Friday Night School to teach English and citizenship, Day Camp for community children during the summer, and our regular Sunday morning Sunday school classes and worship services. But is God calling FCBC to be more involved in the life of Chinatown? What do we offer as a Christian community to contribute to the health and livelihood of our next-door neighbors?
The 2015 Canvass theme as well as the church theme for 2015 is “Mission in Chinatown.” We want to explore and discern what God is calling us to do as we continue to be a growing and vibrant church in Chinatown. And we invite you to participate with us as you make your pledge commitment to FCBC in 2015. Information about pledging to 2105 has been sent to you to send in your pledge or to attend Pledge Sunday All-Church Worship at 10:30 AM on Oct. 26 in the YMCA. Join us in making the Good News of Jesus Christ known as FCBC commits to “Mission in Chinatown!”
Milton Dong & John Tom, Canvass Chairs
Senior Center
The monthly meeting of Seniors at FCBC is on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 12:00 noon. The speaker will be Dr. Alan Wu who will talk about “Your Best Posture.” As we mature in our later years, it’s more important for us to maintain good posture to minimize injuries and maintain good health. Every Senior Center event features a hot lunch, birthday wishes and cake, and great fellowship. Sign up with Dick & Anna Quan Wong or Jimmy Yee.
Holiday at FCBC
There’s no better place to celebrate the upcoming holidays than to spend them with your church family! Come to the Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon and Senior Appreciation on Sunday, Nov. 23, 12:30 in the Fellowship Hall. We’ll have turkey, sticky rice, cranberry sauce and pie. And if you are a Senior, 65 and older, we celebrate you with a free lunch. Tickets are: Adults & Youth–$5; Children 5-12–$3; and Under 5—Free.
Advent begins on Nov. 30th followed by Christmas Sunday on Dec. 21, Christmas Workshops on Dec. 7 and Christmas Eve Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols on Dec. 24. Plan to come and worship the King!
Church Membership Meeting
The final Membership Meeting of the year will be on Sunday, Nov. 30, 1:00 in the sanctuary when we will adopt the 2015 Church Budget, elect 2015 officers, board and committee members, hear testimonies and approve candidates for Baptism and church membership, and celebrate another year of faithful and effective ministries accomplished by FCBC. Plan to be with us.
New Lanna Coffee
The FCBC Lanna Coffee Team is proud to announce new coffee options for this holiday giving season. For the first time, there will be Lanna Decaf coffee along with our regular choices of French Roast and Espresso Roast. A new roasting process will also offer the Honey Dew premier beans. And for holiday giving, we will once again have the half-pound red gift bags available for purchase. Plan to purchase coffee at this year’s Christmas Workshops on Dec. 7th or you can contact the church office to place your order. Remember: when you buy Lanna Coffee, you support not only the economic development of coffee growers in Northern Thailand but you give to ABC missions by supporting the House of Love and the New Life Center in Chiang Mai. Every sip saves lives!
ABC President Update
The “BGM” is the Board of General Ministries in the ABCUSA. Comprised of one person from each of the 34 ABC regions, the BGM is the only fully represented board in the denomination today. The work of this board involves matters that affect the life and vitality of the ABC family. The board deals with Baptist identity, mission support, congregational renewal, ecumenical relations, professional church leadership, administrative operations and other general matters. The BGM is the main sponsor of the Biennial Mission Summit that will meet next year in Overland Park, Kansas on June 26-28, 2015. As President, I will preside the BGM on Nov. 12-15 in Valley Forge, PA. This board meeting will focus on how to encourage more churches to give to the United Mission Budget that supports all of the denomination’s programs and meet the new General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ, Rev. Jim Winkler.
I am thankful for your prayerful support of me to serve our ABC family as its president while continuing to serve as your pastor. Whenever I have the opportunity to share, I enjoy sharing how grateful I am of my church to permit me to be away and how confident I am to know that you are so capable to serve the Lord as the church of Jesus Christ.
Family News
Congratulations to Bernice Lee and Erwin Yeh on the birth of their son, Dylan Alexander Yeh on September 24th and blessings on the dedication of Nicodemus Tom, son of Eunice and Kenneth Tom on September 28th.
Congratulations to Rev. Moa Imchen on his installation as the new pastor of the First Baptist Church in Hudson, NH on October 19th.
Congratulations on the marriage of Josephine Wong and Kenneth Kwan on Oct. 25th.
November
10/31-11/1 Men’s Retreat
1 Women’s Fellowship
1 DST
2 Gifts Planning Sunday
10—V
10—D
11—D
5 Staff, 10:00
8 Semanons
9 10—V
10—P
11—D
Deacons, 1:00
12 Senior Center
16 10—V
10—P
11—D
CE, 1:30
19 Staff, 10:00
20 Lanna Coffee, 6:00
22 Sojourners
23 10—V
10—P
11—D
Thanksgiving Luncheon & Seniors Appreciation, 12:30
27 Thanksgiving Day (H)
29 Youth Camp Retrospect
30 1st Sunday of Advent
10—V
10—P
11—D
Membership Meeting, 1:00