A new program called Christian Connections is beginning at BBC on Thursday, July 7th. It is designed to reach out to summer tourist, summer residents and summer workers from all over the country and the world.

Every summer Cape Cod is blessed with an influx of truly global visitors. Some of them are Christians who find their way to BBC for Sunday worship, and would like to connect with other Christians while they are on the Cape. BBC will host a unique opportunity for these visitors to come together and share what God is doing in their locale.

We will facilitate open discussions designed to:

• look for common threads of God’s activity in the areas of the world represented by the participants
• provide an opportunity for believers from around the globe to network together and encourage borderless Christian community
• build faith and refresh godly passion as we learn about God’s redemptive works beyond each one’s home region
• watch the Holy Spirit move in ways that can only happen when he brings diverse groups together
• pray in one accord about our findings

Prayer with global brothers and sisters may be the catalyst that sets godly initiatives in motion for some, while helping others catch God’s global vision and take it home. This may be the most meaningful summer experience for the Cape’s Christian vacationers  and summer workforce ever!

Christian Connections will meet on six Thursday nights throughout July and August from 7:00 to 8:30.

July gatherings are on the 7^th, 21^st and 28^th. August meetings will be on the 4^th, 18^th, and 25^th.  All BBC’ers are welcome to join the discussion. Child care will be provided (and so will ice cream sundaes, yum!)  Patti Ricotta and Rick Porter will facilitate the conversations. We welcome your discussion ideas. Email Patti at pattiricotta@gmail.com or Rick at rsporter@netzero.com.

The Missions Care Ministry team will be taking up two Haiti Relief projects recommended by TABCOM.

White Cross Bandages. Please bring old bed sheets to the church by March 28^th. These will be made into bandages.

Hygiene Kits. These kits can mean the difference between sickness and health for struggling families. Those who wish to do so could either make up a complete kit or bring some items from the list below for inclusion in a kit. We think that the items in a complete kit would cost about $10.

These need to be brought to the church by March 28^th.

Those who would prefer to do so may contribute money instead.

Items to be included in a Hygiene Kit for Haiti:

• One hand towel measuring approximately 16″ by 28″ (no fingertip or bath towels)
• One wash cloth
• One wide-tooth comb
• One nail clipper
• One bar of soap (bathsize in wrapper)
• One toothbrush (in original packaging)
• Six standard size Band-Aids

Place all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper close. Remove excess air from the bag and seal. Please do not include toothpaste.

Elizabeth Covell has agreed to arrange a time for making the White Cross bandages.

It you have any questions contact Mary Downs or Gini Haller, or call the church office at 508-896-3381.

Lisa Rothenberger, ABC/USA World Relief Officer, answers questions about giving to the Haiti Relief effort through One Great Hour of Sharing.

Q:  People want to know how they can help.  Tell me how people can help today.

A:  At this time there are 3 primary ways that people can help.

1. PRAY for the people of Haiti—and I mean all of the people of Haiti.  With the loss of life so great and destruction so vast it is hard to imagine any Haitian not being affected by this tragedy.

2. GIVE to One Great Hour of Sharing.  100% of the gifts given for “Haiti Relief” will go to the relief and rehabilitation of those affected.  You can give through your local church or online at www.internationalministries.org

Many people have asked me if there are supplies or material goods that they can gather.  I would encourage people who want to do something in addition to giving money to make hygiene or baby kits that are distributed by Church World Service.  You can find the details on what are in these kits on this page.

For those who want to provide medicines, I encourage supporting IMA World Health.  They specialize in the IMA Medicine Box which provides 2-3 months worth of medicines for approximately 1,000 people.  Their website is www.imaworldhealth.org.

3. PLAN TO GO in future weeks or months.  Right now there is need for people with specialized training—doctors, nurses, and search and rescue professionals.  We need to wait until the situation stabilizes to send teams to assist with the rebuilding.  This time will come, but it’s not in the first weeks after a disaster of this magnitude.  Contact Angela Sudermann at angela.sudermann@abc-usa.org for information on how to volunteer.

Q:  How will the money given to One Great Hour of Sharing “Haiti Relief” be spent?

A:  Well first, I want people to know that their gifts will save lives and rebuild lives.  We are in this for the long haul, and by that I mean at least the next 3-5 years.  What is critical is that we have a sustained response—one the addresses immediate needs but then also addresses the long-term need to rebuild homes, schools, clinics, and communities.  We will accomplish that by providing funds to our long-term partner in Haiti, the Haitian Baptist Convention, our missionaries, and our ecumenical partners including Church World Service and Baptist World Aid.  We will work through existing networks that already had ministry in Haiti because they know the people and the needs best.  Our partners “on the ground” are who will determine the needs of “what” and “where”—I believe this is ministry at its best and honors the intention of our donors.

Q:  How much will be needed?

A:  It’s impossible to know right now how much is needed, but I can say that the scope of this disaster could be compared to the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.  American Baptists gave $6 million to those 2 relief efforts within the scope of just 12 months.  That’s incredible!  It’s my prayer that even in these economically difficult times for us here in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, that the response will be as generous.

Q:  How do you get a handle on the needs when they are this great?

A:  This becomes more manageable with each passing day.  At first we were faced with the challenge of a lack of communication.  But as our partners and our missionaries have been able to make their way to Port-au-Prince, we learn more with each day.  It’s natural to focus on the epicenter of the earthquake, but the needs spread much wider than Port-au-Prince.  For example just yesterday we learned from Madeline Flores, IM missionary in the Dominican Republic, of needs for injured Haitians who made their way to the Dominican Republic and need medical care, food, water, and shelter.  We will also send IM missionaries into the affected area shortly to assist partners in completing a mid-term and long-term assessment so we can channel our funds to meet the greatest needs.

Q:  We’ve released $65,000 so far.  How quickly will donations flow to Haiti?

A:  We released the initial $65,000 in response to requests from our partners.  Online gifts that have already been received will enable us to respond to requests as they come in during the coming week.  As churches receive offerings and send their funds we will continue to provide assistance—in both the short and long-term.  The strong response to this crisis from the U.S. and other governments, the United Nations, corporations and other relief organizations will allow for the short-term needs of the people to be addressed, not in as timely a manner as we would like, but as timely as is possible given the circumstances and infrastructure of the country.

Q:  What is the unique role of the Church in crisis such as this?

A:  That’s a great question.  There is a very unique role for the Church, including American Baptists, in the aftermath of any natural disaster.  And that’s to look at the immediate needs in Haiti but also look with an eye towards the future.  We will walk with the people over the long-term—we’ll save lives and we’ll rebuild lives—that’s what the Church does.  American Baptists have been engaged in ministry in Haiti since 1823—and we will be engaged for years to come.  We know and love the people of Haiti.  We know the context and the culture.  This makes us uniquely positioned to rebuild lives.

Pray for Haiti devastated by a powerful earthquake. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti Tuesday with terrible results.

American Baptist missionary families serving in Haiti with International Ministries were in the United States at the time.

Steve and Nancy James are returning immediately and the Nzungas are on a planned U.S./Puerto Rico home assignment.

Kristy Engel and Madeline Flores-Lopez, in the Dominican Republic, report that all is well there.

Contributions for Haiti may be sent through BBC marked “One Great Hour of Sharing – Haiti” to provide emergency relief for the Haiti earthquake. $25,000 in One Great Hour of Sharing Funds has been made immediately available by the ABCUSA.

Prayer

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

Pray for Haiti which was the poorest country in the western hemisphere before this earthquake.

Pray for the people who are struggling to cope without enough basic first aid supplies, water, food, and electricity.

Pray for a swift, significant, and lasting response of the world to this tragedy.

Pray for believers in Haiti to shine forth the love of Christ is this time of desperate need.

Massachusetts has the third largest Haitian population in the United States, between 60,000-70,000 people. We especially want to lift up the four Haiti Churches in the Old Colony Baptist Association who are anxiously awaiting word of friends and family. These churches are: Eglise Baptist Haitienne de Siloe, Brockton Pastor Jephtet Roseme, Eglise Evangelique de L’Union Chretienne, Brockton Rev. Fred Ulysse, New Birth Church in Jesus Christ Primera Igreja Batista, Avon Pastor Jean-Nesley Chery Primera Igreja Batista, Hyannis, Pastor Alvacir Marcondes.

ABC Missionaries - The James Family

“Steve and Nancy James serve in Haiti doing medical work in different clinics under the sponsorship of the Haitian Baptist Convention. They have been commissioned as jointly appointed missionaries, in partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Language used in ministry: French and Haitian Creole.” ABC International Ministries