home ● going on now ● calendar ● recent events ● regular schedule
The retired pastor smoked his cigars often at night in his seminary office, enjoying the freedom he had not felt in his former study. It was not surprising to see him reading an ancient text by dim light in a cloud of Cuban smoke, with the window open of course, no matter what the weather outside. “Excuse me Professor, I mean, Brother Campbell, but I noticed your light still on, so I thought I’d see if you had a moment to answer a question about church for me.”
The long hallway from the dormitory to the professor’s offices allowed a clear line of sight for any attentive minister in training. From this vantage point, either by careful design or by a miscalculated oversight, any resident of the seminary dorm could see if any professors were “in house” and available for consultation and conversation. As an eager seminarian, the young novice felt compelled to take every opportunity. “Yes, William, what can I do for you?”
Brother Campbell was a favorite in the community, always offering a glad hand and a wise word. He was in the possession of a long and distinguished career in the church, noteworthy not because of the size of the churches he pastored but because of the fruits his congregations bore. His face was graceful but tough at the same time, as if he had spent his career in the West Texas oil patch while loving every minute of it. Retiring as a pastor emeritus to a seminary community was a perfect setting for this old pastor who moved slower but spoke from a deeper place than any of his junior peers.
Having rehearsed this exchange, young William asked a simple but profound question. “I understand theology, I am pretty good with history, and I am learning about the art of sermon crafting and delivery, but what makes a church really thrive, you know, what is the difference between a successful and unsuccessful church?”
After a long pull on the Cuban, Brother Campbell, his preferred moniker that drove the intellectual elites crazy, responded thusly: “Ahh, good question. I’d say first there are no successful churches, just ones who struggle with the right struggles and the ones that don’t. And the difference between the churches that struggle admirably and the ones that don’t is what I call ‘The Want To’.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s the difference young sir. Every church is full of members who say they want to mature and grow and represent Christ in this world. The ones that thrive are filled with people who understand what that means. Less talk, more walk. But you can’t do it for them good sir; they’ve got to want to themselves.”
“So what is the job of the pastor?”
“You can only do that which you can do for yourself. You can love, and walk too, and you will fail often, but if you are loving and walking with other people who are loving and walking, they won’t notice your missteps, nor you theirs, because their eye is not on your shortcomings, but rather on that transformative Jesus you are both trying to follow.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep, that’s it. Want a cigar?”
Kevin M. Roberts, Pastor
By Van Newman
The official dedication of the renovated home at St. Lawrence Place will be held on Thursday afternoon, July 17, at the home, immediately following the conclusion of Family Ministry Week that afternoon. It is anticipated that this will be at approximately 7 p.m. and all members of Kathwood are invited to be there for the celebration.
This is the climax for those Kathwood members who have worked so hard and so faithfully for these many weeks. Still, with two weeks remaining before the dedication, there are a few things remaining to be done.
The major construction work now is essentially completed, and the clean-up committee has done its job, but the hospitality committee still has a few needs. Most of these are minor, but are needed to turn a building into a potential home.
Among the items still needed when this was written include an over-the-door mirror, a kitchen towel rack, "rabbit ears" for a TV, and such incidental items as an extension cord, dust pan, and a number of pantry staples -- sugar, flour, coffee, towels, napkins, and light bulbs. As you can see from this list, the big challenges have been met and the "finishing up" work is well underway.
This dedication will be a big moment for St. Lawrence and for the Kathwood workers who have toiled so faithfully. When a facility is in such condition that it sat empty for more than ten years, it is a little short of amazing that it soon will be perhaps the nicest unit in the entire project.
July 9 Country Fried Steak
July 16 Family Ministry Week
Thank You for making your reservations due by noon on Tuesday.
It is the season now to contemplate reaching out to support the gospel and ministry of Christ by our special offerings to support the marginalized and impoverished in South Carolina. The Missions Team has set a Kathwood goal of $6,000 toward the CBF statewide goal of $80,000. Knowing from last year's outpouring of love from you, Kathwood, the Missions Team knows you don't really need a drive, you have the drive. Let's continue to step out of our comfort zones in faith and in love for Christ and His sheep.
By Tressa Oswalt
Prepare to Share from the Inside Out!
Preparations for Family Ministry Week are in full swing. Members are being placed in their family groups, curriculum is being written, activities are being planned, supplies are being bought, t-shirts are being printed. All of this is being done to help us focus on loving and sharing from the Inside Out.
Family Ministry Week starts Sunday evening, July 13 and ends Thursday evening, July 17. Although it is a commitment, it also is a time for Kathwood members to come together, get to know one another better and represent the church in the community.
by Jerre Threatt
We are over halfway through the year and I am pleased with how things are progressing. Our recent Ministry Team Extravaganza was a huge success. All of our Ministry Teams welcomed new recruits and they are experiencing a level of involvement never seen before. I hope this will continue to be evident in all of the areas the Ministry Teams serve. Some meetings have already been held to gather members together and others will be scheduled in the near future. Thank you for your willingness to participate and be a part of the ministries of Kathwood Baptist Church.
It has been awhile since I mentioned Deacon/Member relationships. How is your relationship with your Deacon? Do you chat while eating Wednesday night supper together or just say hello in the hallway? Do you get a phone call once in a while or a note in the mail? I would be interested in hearing how your Deacon communicates with you and how you communicate with him or her.
All Deacons are different and they most definitely perform their duties differently. Members are very unique as well. Some don’t want to be bothered while others enjoy phone calls and visits. It really depends on the individual.
I’m not a big fan of a Deacon rule book. I think each Deacon should be able to evaluate his or her designated families’ needs and customize a plan for each and every one. I think members should want to be involved in that process.
When I first became a Deacon, I didn’t have a clue of what I should have been doing. Sure, we go through an orientation process and mentor program but I didn’t really know how to care for people. Luckily, I had Whitson and Mildred Brooks to “train” me. I would visit the Brooks with my children and when I left I felt like they had given me more than I had given them. I realized early on that being a Deacon is an honor and an opportunity to get to know people in my church.
During the next six months I want to encourage you to spend some time with your Deacon. Share some interesting information with them about your children, grandchildren, your travels or vacations, or whatever you like to do in your spare time. I’m sure they will be happy to listen and share some stories of their own.
By Sherry Bomar
I’m sorry you missed Him. We who attended the 2008 CBF General Assembly last month were honored with a very special visitor—God. The conference was held at St. Matthew Baptist Church, North Charleston, which is the home of Metanoia. Reports during the business meeting were quickly delivered, officers installed, and the out-going moderator delivered an inspiring message to the assembly. Our own Christina Whitehouse-Suggs was installed as the Associate Coordinator of CBF, and received a beautiful liturgical robe and stole.
In a moment of reflection, Marion Aldridge recounted how he and Beverly Greer had driven to Charleston some years ago looking for an area in dire need of help and rescue. They found it in North Charleston, following the close of the Naval Station, where children roamed the streets and were the poorest of the poor. Out of their vision grew Metonoia, which is led by Bill Stanfield. A tour of Metanioa and the community was one of the breakout sessions and believe me, it was impressive.
This brings me to Friday night. Following a delicious catered supper, we had a real worship service and the music was wonderful! We swayed and clapped our hands with the choir, children danced and, truly, God was there. The message given by Dr. Cleophus LaRue, Associate Professor of Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary, was “Why Bother.”
Saturday morning, the assembly moved to Providence Baptist Church, Daniel Island. I attended another breakout session led by Christina called, Moving the church to the 21st Century. Following this informative session, was worship and communion. The theme of the service was, “Here am I.” Dr. LaRue’s message was “The University of Adversity.” I would gladly have skipped lunch and supper to continue the worship that began the day before.
This was my second CBF Assembly and if I am able, I will be at the 2009 conference. I hope that you will make every effort to join me.
· Our youth are over half way to our goal of $5,000 to buy an ARK to feed hungry people. They have raised a little over $3,000. If you would like to help them, please send a check payable to Kathwood but marked for the Heifer Int’l. project. Thank you to all who have helped us already!
Book Club will be at the Aldridges on July 29th, Tuesday night, at 6 PM. The book for July is C. S. Lewis' SCREWTAPE LETTERS
Everyone is welcome! Please RSVP by leaving a message on the answering machine for Sally at 776-5837.