ITLOTC
(In the Life of the Church)
June 15, 2014
(While Josh is away on sabbatical, Craig will be writing the newsletter. Which means you should expect less Harry Potter and more Hank Williams.)
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Rhythms
This summer has been slow. REAL slow.
Our summer Sunday School and Wednesday night dinner/enneagram workshops have been great. They have been marked by meaningful conversations about discipleship and Spiritual Formation. Michael Laminack (Sunday School) and Wade Mackey (Wednesday nights) have done a phenomenal job at leading us and sharing their wisdom. (And if you need numbers to gauge success, we've had good, consistent attendance.)
But in the office, during the week, crickets.
This is a change from previous years. In the past, the summer office atmosphere was hopping. People would stop by randomly, play a game of chess or Mario Kaart, talk about a book they are reading, have lunch, joke around or sit around.
Obviously Josh being gone on sabbatical and Tye leading camps have something to do with this. They bring an energy that is hard to replace.
I also think our changing demographics have contributed to this change of atmosphere. Ten years ago our Sunday Morning summer attendance was drastically smaller than it is now. But those who were around were undergrads taking classes or working part time jobs, so they had a lot of expendable time during the week. Now, though our Sunday attendance is larger, those who are here are, for the most part, people for whom "summer" means nothing more than hotter temperatures.
And so, in the office, I've been left reading, studying for groups I'm leading in the fall, planning, praying and resting. I am someone who tries to value rest, seeing it as a spiritual discipline. But even so, it is easy to fall into the cultural expectation of busy-ness that looks with disdain upon people who are trying to grow the margins of their lives. I was beginning to fall prey to this guilt when an acquaintance posted this on Facebook:
Rhythms matter. For instance: I know that I usually have an energy slump in the late afternoon, and that summer is my toughest season. The ongoing project is to work with my rhythms, not act as though they aren't real. I am not a machine.
"I am not a machine." I believe this is something that must be internalized in order for discipleship to happen. I often find it interesting the phrases we use to describe periods of rest and rejuvenation, as well as periods of activity. When we are resting we say we are "recharging." When we are getting active in a project, a community, a movement, we say we are "plugging in."
Recharging.
Plugging in.
Like machines.
Robots.
But we are not machines. God has created us to experience rhythms of life that exist on different levels from the sheer mechanics of working and efficiency.
God leads us beside still waters. (Psalm 23)
Jesus tells his disciples "come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31)
"Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently..." (Psalm 37) is a command. Obey it. We are not machines.
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Josh's Sabbatical Support
UBC responded very well to our request to help Josh out financially with his sabbatical. If you have pledged to help, or even if you haven't and would like to, you can donate via paypal. Even though we are about 2/3 through the summer, he will still have financial needs that have not yet been covered. If you write a check or give cash, please mark it somewhere with "Josh's Sabbatical." If you give money online via paypal (at ubcwaco.org, click the "$" icon on the top right of the page,) email our office administrator, michelle@ubcwaco.org, to let her know that your donation is to be designated for Josh's sabbatical.
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For Parents
Emily would like for you to keep the art projects your kids have been working on this summer at church and bring them back by AUGUST 24TH. On August 31st we will have an Art Gallery featuring these masterpieces. If you have any questions, email emily@ubcwaco.org.
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Garage Sale Info
Two things about the Garage Sale:
1. This Sunday, be on the lookout for a sign-up sheet in the foyer for work times.
2. The originally scheduled work day this Sunday has been cancelled due to a building rental.
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Enneagram
This coming Wednesday, July 30th, will be our last Wednesday night dinner and Enneagram conversation. If you haven't been able to attend, but are still interested, this would be a good one-time event to show up to. We'll be wrapping up our time together with questions, concerns and stories about the enneagram and how it has been helpful for us. Bring your dinner at 6:00. We'll start talking enneagram at 6:30.
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Work is Worship: Sunday, July 27th...
Coffee Makers: Austin and Marshall
Coffee Cleaners: Kaley & Company
Greeters: Jana and Betsy
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Leadership Team
If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members.
Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com
Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net
Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com
David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu
Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com
Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu
Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com
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