It began innocently enough.  Six years ago one of our members came to me asking what I thought about our church helping with a local elementary school’s Fall Carnival.  Her son was a member of the PTA and her grandchildren were students at the school.  After some prayer and conversation we agreed and co-sponsored the school’s Fall Carnival with the PTA.  We provided games, game stations, prizes, candy and people to work the carnival.  This allowed parents, who normally would have to work such a carnival, the freedom to be with their children and families and enjoy the carnival.  That was the beginning of our relationship.

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The earthquake in Chile over the weekend has affected many. American Baptist missionaries Barbara and Dwight Bollock were not in Chile at the time of the earthquake. See International Ministries update here.

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A roundtable discussion was held at the American Baptist Mission Center on January 28-29, 2010, to discuss the future of the Women in Ministry program, overseen by the Office of the General Secretary. 

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American Baptist International Ministries President Ruth Clark responds to the arrests of Baptists in Haiti

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Laura Lemons of First Baptist Church, Plainfield, Indiana has learned to listen to God. Beginning with Margaret O’Kon, chair of the Connectedness Board at First Baptist, Laura shared her calling with a number of church leaders.  All felt the same urge to meet this need, and knew that God was leading them.

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Within the United States, American Baptist Haitian Churches have been reaching out to their communities. In Jersey City, the Haitian Evangelical Church has been working around the clock to receive gifts and donations for relief in Haiti.

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It's just a small room -- the size of perhaps an infant's nursery - but healing prayers are sent out for dozens of people from the Prayer Tower at First Baptist Church in North Platte every week.

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The members of First Baptist Church, Columbus, Indiana have taken Jesus’ words very seriously. They were inspired to create a single day of ministry, with a variety of projects available. Read more about their event and successful day of mission.

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Second Baptist Church in South Hadley, MA, is used to serving as the hands and feet of Christ on mission trips both nationally and internationally, in places such as New Orleans, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However, many members of the church were unable to participate in these trips due to the challenges of finding a week to be away from work and family responsibilities. Additionally, the church wanted to be a blessing right in its own neighborhood.

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First Baptist Church in North Platte, Nebraska, prepared a “Blessing of the Backpacks” to send its students and teachers off to school on a prayerful note.

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While October 25, “Campus Ministry Sunday,” is probably not as widely observed as Christmas, or even All Saints Day, it is a good day to remember that American Baptists have a long and rich history of enduring conversations and transforming associations with students at American colleges and universities. 

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October 14 – 21, 2009 has been designated the Interfaith Week of Action to Fight Poverty.  During this week, I hope your congregation will accept the invitation to join faith-based organizations around the nation to raise awareness of this important issue. 

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In late July 2009, the Baptist World Alliance assembled in the Netherlands to remember our roots.  The Baptist movement started in Amsterdam in 1609, when a pastor named John Smyth and his congregation began practicing baptism by immersion and articulating beliefs we now identify as the first “Baptist” congregation.

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