first baptist church in newton

Learning to love well. “The only measure of love is love without measure.” Bernard of Clairvaux

2

You are not invited You are included

1

We are seeking to become increasingly diverse, drawn together by a desire to learn how to love well.

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) said, "The measure of love is love without measure." Loving others is difficult and requires courage, faith, and hope. Our simple hope right now, today, is to be people who love well.

We have inherited the history of a people who called themselves Christians, followers of Jesus. Like all family histories, our lineage includes saints and sinners, faithful and faithless. Today, we are no different - saints and sinners, faithful and faithless, depending on the person and the day.

2

We have also inherited the history of a people who didn't call themselves Christians or followers of Jesus. Some were people with a faith tradition and some were not. All, however, were seekers of "the ability of the soul to soar up to heaven to behold beauty, wisdom, goodness and the like." (Plato in Phaedrus).

Since we see all truth as God's truth, we seek along side all seekers of “beauty, truth, and goodness”. Nonetheless, we are unabashedly Christian, not because we are unflappably committed to particular creed or political agenda, but because we have discovered Christianity is not something we do but a gift to be received.

Rublev’s icon depicts the mysterious fellowship of the Trinity.

3

“We are seeking to live our lives

together in an ancient rhythm.”

1

"How do we sing God’s song in a new and strange land?"

Our world is changing

rapidly. Some of us are native to

this new, strange land of tweets

and drones and some of us are

immigrants. Nonetheless, we who

rightly pass as Protestants,

Catholics, agnostics, atheists,

eastern orthodox, evangelicals,

progressives, and emergents

have inherited the history of a

people who called themselves

Baptists. For nearly 250 years in

Newton, these people have

shared a life together, first on the

shore of nearby Crystal Lake

(once called Baptist Pond) and

then on the corner of Beacon

2

and Centre Streets. These

people insisted that the Gospel

Jesus lived and taught was a

Gospel of freedom:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon

me, because he has anointed

me to bring good news to the

poor, to let the oppressed go

free, to proclaim the year of the

Lord’s favor.’ - Jesus

We are seeking to live our

lives together an in ancient

rhythm of feasts and fasts, of

celebration and lament, of

contemplation and action; a

rhythm that follows a Christian

liturgical calendar. Perhaps the

most familiar of these feasts and

fasts is Advent and Christmas,

Lent and Easter.

4

Our life

together

includes

gathering in

groups of three

different sizes

Large

“sanctuary-full”

On Sundays, we gather to celebrate with songs, readings, prayers and communion.

Medium

“house-full”

Medium sized groups, or mini-communities, gather around areas of affinity and interest in homes and at the church building.

Small

“car-full”

Smaller groups of people gather independently over coffee, for Bible studies, for book studies, for prayer, to take walks, and to serve others.

Current and emerging groups:

Facilities and Properties Christian Formation & Education Congregational Life

Compassion and Social Action Parents of Students Parents of Children

Students (6th-12th grade) Music/Arts/Worship Hospitality & First Impressions Loaves and Fishes

5

1

We know 'spiritual renewal' by what it yields:

• exuberance for life

• serenity

• compassion

• wisdom

2

How will we contribute?

Individually, we will continually ask ourselves:

"What does Love require?"

Collectively, we will build a network of affinity based

medium sized groups that are passionate about creating

the world that ought to be.

Our one aim:

contribute to spiritual

renewal

in the Boston metro area

In 2014, we will focus on a few things

we want to do well.

1. Curate imaginative

worship gatherings.

2. Empower people to

lead medium sized

groups.

3. Invest in the spiritual

growth of children,

students, and their

families.

2013-2014 • 10a worship (NEW time) • 11a gatherings • October 26-27: Ivy Beckwith (author/educator) • October 27: All Church Meeting • November 3: Baptism & New Members • Annual Appeal Desserts • November 24: Stewardship/Commitment Sunday • Shop and Stroll/Lighting of the Church Celebration • Advent/Christmas

• Student Ski Trip • NEW: Life Together leadership experience • February 2: All Church Annual Meeting • Baptism & New Members • March 5: Lent

o "40 Days of Life Together" gatherings • Leadership Advance

• April 20: Easter

o Celebrate 'Covenant Partners' • 2nd Annual Community Day/Pilgrimage

o off-site all-church Advance • End of the Year, graduation/student Sunday • Baptism & New Members

september

october

march

february

november

december

january

april may

june

ongoing gatherings

House Parties (students &

parents of students)

Parents of Kids lunches

Christian Formation &

Education

Congregational Life

Facilities & Properties

Social Action & Compassion

Council

Choir

Biblical Archeology

Community Compass

first baptist church in newton 848 beacon street

newton centre, ma 02459 www.fbcnewton.org