ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Thank You from Taylor
Today Kim and I are at the Texas Baptist Women in Ministry Conference. And it has me thinking about a lot of things. I’ve been thinking about UBC and how I’ve been formed by my time there as a congregation member and as a pastor. And I’ve been thinking about women in ministry – the ways that women have found to be ministers no matter their circumstance and how that has formed me and the church. And I’ve been thinking about women generally – about the ways in which we move through society and the church, about the ways in which we are affirmed and the ways in which we aren’t affirmed.
And I think mostly I’ve been thinking about myself – about my particular call to vocational ministry and the ways that this call has changed and transformed my life. Or – maybe more accurately – the ways that the Holy Spirit has changed and transformed my life through this call. A part of my story that you might not be familiar with is that I grew up in a church that was not affirming of women in ministry. When I first felt a call to ministry in the 7thgrade I was met with skepticism. And then eventually, a reluctant compromise: “Well,” they said, “maybe you’ll be a pastor’s wife.”
But I knew, deep within myself, that that was not the call – that my calling to ministry was about my own particular vocation. But because I was met with such skepticism and because I had never seen a woman be a pastor of any kind I did not have the imagination to even begin to set a vision for how I might become a minister. And so I went to college, and I got a degree in music, and I spent a season of life teaching music. And while those years were dear and valuable and I learned and grew so much and I could not be the pastor that I am without those experiences it is also true that those years were a sort of wilderness for me. And a particular lonely one because even though I felt a deep calling – I did not believe in my own ability to be a minister. And I didn’t think anyone else did either.
But eventually I could suppress the call no longer. So I came to Truett, and eventually I came to UBC as well. And let me tell you friends – I know that we all love UBC so deeply and in our own individual ways – but it was a revelation for me. At UBC and at Truett I found a place where I was affirmed in my ability to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was encouraged to lean hard into the person that God had crafted me to be, to see and learn how to use what my own particular gifts and skills were and then use those gifts and skills to tell and show other people about the way of Jesus. I was set free – and I had not even know that I was living in bondage.
And so I guess what I’m really trying to say is thank you. Thank you to UBC. Thank you to the versions of UBC that existed before me. Thank you to the many different versions of UBC that I have experienced. Thank you the versions of UBC that will exist long after I have gone. Thank you to each of you. Thank you for accepting me, for encouraging me, for refining me, and for loving me well. Thank you for creating a place where our little girls will never have to wonder whether or not they are fully invited to the table. None of our children will ever lack the imagination to see themselves as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I cannot tell you how much of a gift that is. Thank you for being UBC. May we continue to be UBC to each other – in hard seasons and in easy ones. May we continue to love each other well – and to life each other up.
As always - if you have thoughts about this and want to talk or process - please feel free to email me at taylor@ubcwaco.org.
Guest Preacher
As February comes to a close and we continue to celebrate Black voices and lives that have changed the world and shown us Jesus we prepare to welcome guest preacher Rev. Cokiesha Bailey Robinson. Please be in prayer for Cokiesha as she prepares to bring a word from the Lord to UBC.
Second Wednesday Training
This Wednesday, 2-27, we will have our second conversation with regards to UBC’s relationship with the LGBTQ community. In this particular session we will be talking about biblical exegesis of verses that address sexuality.
If you’d like to do your own study before hand, the primary verses we will be talking about are:
Genesis 19:1-29
Leviticus 18:22, 20:13
Romans 1:18-32
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (as a collective read of 1 Tim 1:10, Acts 15:28-29, etc.)
This discussion will be led by Dr. Brian Gamel. Brian’s work is in the field of New Testament.
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Parishioner of The Week
Karen Carney for coming up and cleaning the Sunday school rooms and the youth room.
Announcements
Sermon Text: Philippians 1:21 with Rev. CoKeisha Bailey Robinson
3-3 Unity Sunday
Ash Wednesday Service 3-6 @ 5:30 PM
Hermeneutics Training Session on LGBTQ texts 3-6 6:00-7:30 (note this time shift as we will be observing Ash Wednesday).
Lenten Prayer Services begin
Work is Worship
Greeters: Blaylocks
Coffee Makers:
Mug Cleaners: Andrew S-C
Money Counter: Catherine B
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- Adam Winn: adamwinn68@yahoo.com
Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@gmail.com
Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu
Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com
Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com
Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com
Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com
Student Position, Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu
Student Position, Anna Carol Peery: anna_peery@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.
JD Newman: JD_Newman@baylor.edu
Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com
Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com
Doug McNamee: douglas.mcnamee@gmail.com
Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.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.
Josh Blake: joshnblake@gmail.com
Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu
Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com
Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com
Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com