ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Pentecost
A Word on Missions (by Toph)
There is this story found in Mark and Luke that I have been thinking about over the past week. In Luke 18, Jesus is on his way to Jericho, and a blind beggar begins shouting from the side of the road: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Those who were leading the way with Jesus rebuked the man, and in typical fashion when someone rebukes an individual for interrupting Jesus, Jesus tells them to bring him over. When he is brought near, Jesus asks: “What do you want me to do for you?”
I find this question both peculiar and refreshing. The story gives away the miracle at the beginning, in as much as the first thing we learn about this man is that he is blind. At this point in Jesus ministry, he is known for having the capacity to heal, thus why the man wouldn’t keep silent even when being rebuked. As a reader, an onlooker, the question from Jesus would seem like a moot point, yet Jesus still asks. “What do you want me to do for you?” This question is refreshing because it gives the man agency in asking for what his biggest need is. We also know the man was begging, so he could have asked for food, or money, or shelter. And I believe, had the man asked for any number of those things, Jesus would have replied in kind.
A brief history of missions at UBC, which we have reframed to partnerships. When I first came on to staff we had two local partners: Cesar Chavez Middle School and Waco Arts. CCMS is our longest standing partner, we have been with them for well over a decade now. Waco Arts was a wonderful ministry that worked with kids in the Kate Ross housing complex, giving them access to arts education which had been recently defunded in Waco ISD. Waco Arts eventually closed its doors, after its founder moved out of state and the ministry was not sustainable without a full-time effort from a director. Over the years at CCMS we have had mentoring programs, soccer camps, tutoring, teacher appreciation, and even a chess a club. We currently have two other local partners: South Waco Community Center and Jesus Said Love. We have worked with the SWCC to throw large parties for our neighborhood, helped with tutoring, and have hosted field trips during their summer camps. In working with JSL, we have sponsored outreach nights, given to special events/classes, helped in preparing for outreaches, and placed folks on the prayer and security teams. This is not intended to be a comprehensive overview, just a window into some of the work we have done with our partners.
Internationally, when I first started, we were working with a few partners in Kenya. A month after I was hired, I went with a UBC team to Kenya, and to be honest, from a leadership perspective, it was a frustrating trip. We had some great partners, but no long term vision for what our role was there. We spent the next year praying, discerning, having many conversations about what an international partnership might look like for UBC, and this lead us to a new model. We began a model of 3-5yr intentional partnerships, focusing on specific goals, and allowing us to see what God is doing in different parts of the world. This model first led us to the Dominican Republic, in which we worked in the village of Batey 50, building a school. Next, we found ourselves in northern Thailand working with South Asian immigrants, helping our partners do outreach and hold discipleship/church planting conferences. Most recently we have found ourselves in CUBA, working with the Fraternity of Baptist Churches (FIBAC). FIBAC is a wonderful organization that is comprised of around 43 churches, with an emphasis on women’s empowerment, social justice, and ecumenism. The partnership in Cuba is a shift away from a 3-5yr intentional model, and a shift towards more long-term engagement, revaluating ever 5 years or so. However, over the course of the pandemic and some administration changes both in the US and Cuba over the last several years, this partnership has become incredibly difficult. We are still trying to figure out ways to support FIBAC, but we are currently not allowed to send teams or resources to Cuba. We are still in communication with our stateside contacts through CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship), and will update you as we know more. With this in mind, we are also in conversations with CBF about initiating another long term partnership with field personnel, and will also hopefully have more information on that in the coming months. In conduction with looking for a potential new international partner, we are also in conversations with CBF to create a domestic partnership, with a program called Together For Hope.
Finally, a word about one of our driving philosophies missionally. In each of our partnerships, we approach them with discernment, and a partner first mentality. To put it another way, we do not go in with preconceived notions of what we would like to see happen, or what we feel their needs are, we simply ask and continue ask: what do you want us to do for you? This is an empowering question, and honestly a shift from evangelical models that always saw sharing the gospel as the first and most pressing need. Many times this “soul winning” strategy ignored, and completely disregarded what people actually wanted/needed. This is why I love Jesus question so much to the blind man. In Jesus question we see a humility, and a desire to partner with the man in his own transformation. Each summer I try to meet with all of our partners, and stay in communication throughout the year, about what their ongoing needs are. This is why programs and/or partnerships may change from year to year, or why we stop or start new ones. The pandemic changed the ways many organizations operate, and also what the most immediate needs may be. We are currently in communication with our three local partners about what next year will look like, and I look forward to having opportunities of engagement for you soon. If you ever want to learn more about our partnerships, or the strategies behind why we do what we do, I would love to sit down with you.
Meet the UBCer(s)
Team Loomis
Waco Dives Location - Tru Jamaica
This is a fantastic spot, and you don’t want to miss out on the best Jamaican food in town. Meet us there at noon on Wednesday. 937 Taylor St, Waco, TX 76704
Summer Side (7/23)
We have an open mic/open wall event coming up on Friday, July 23rd, at 7pm. If you have any interest in sharing some songs/poems/stories or visual art, please email jamie@ubwaco.org.
Parishioner of the Week
Jeremy Nance and Kerri Fisher, thank you for your excellent service on Leadership Team these past few years!
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: kathykrey@gmail.com
Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com
Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com
Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com
Student Position: Davis Misloski
Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy
UBC Finance Team
Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.
Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com
Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com
Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com
George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.
Erin Hill: erin.albin1@gmail.com
Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com
Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu
Kristen Howerton: khowerton94@gmail.com
Patrick Broaddus: patrickjbroaddus@gmail.com