The Pane: UBC Hosting CBF’s Executive Coordinator on September 19
In a conversation with religious leaders trying to entrap Jesus into giving the wrong answer, they asked him what the As a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church, we celebrate the excellent work around the globe in renewing God’s world. From field personnel building sustainable agriculture in impoverished nations to church starters beginning new faith communities throughout the United States, from chaplains and pastoral care providers being the presence of Christ in diverse settings to the equipping of congregations for innovation in an ever-changing world, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is comprised of individuals and churches working to spread the hope of Christ.
On Sunday, September 19th, University Baptist Church will host CBF’s Executive Coordinator, Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley.
Paul comes to CBF after serving First Baptist Church of Athens, Georgia. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University (Bachelor of Arts – Religion, 1991), Duke Divinity School (Master of Theological Studies, 1996), and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (Doctor of Ministry, 2003).
In addition to leading Cooperative Baptists through a Global Pandemic, Baxley works alongside dozens of leaders from across the Fellowship in CBF’s Towards Bold Faithfulness initiative. This initiative is designed to enter this season of prayerful discovery and faithful response in the confidence that the Holy Spirit would guide us to bolder faithfulness for the sake of Christ’s mission.
In addition to preaching in the worship hour on September 19th, Paul will lead a special Spiritual Formation hour session in the Fellowship Hall for all classes.
So please make plans to join us in the Fellowship Hall at 9:00 am for a time of coffee, donuts, and discovery.
You can learn more about the work of CBF by visiting www.cbf.net.
Make a Care Package for Highland Elementary Staff
We invite you to sign up to provide a care package for one of these 41 staff members. The care package should include candy, a $6 gift card to Lighthouse Coffee or CC’s, a small hand sanitizer bottle, lip balm, and something fun of your choosing.
We want to equip you to be the hands and feet of Jesus by pouring time, care, and attention into making one of these packages. This is why we are asking you to prepare the packages versus donating to the project.
Once you have purchased the items, drop by the church office to fill one of the official package bags, and write a personal note to put on the finishing touch. The office will be open on Sundays 9-11:30 am, and Monday through Thursday, 9 am-4:30 pm.
Communion on August 15th
Sharing with one another at Jesus’ table is one of the most profound theological practices of the church. On August 15th, we will share in communion with one another online and in person during worship. If you are joining online, please prepare your choice of bread and cup. In-person participants will receive a pre-packaged communion set upon entering the worship space.
Quarterly Business Meeting
If you are interested in joining our Quarterly Business Meeting, stay in the Sanctuary after service on August 15th.
Join in person or tune in via Zoom using the Meeting ID 43901325216 and password ubc.
Become a Reading Friends Mentor at Highland Elementary: Training at UBC on August 29
Join our decades long partnership with Highland Elementary by signing up to being a reading mentor for the school’s EverBody Reads program. Volunteer reading friends commit to mentoring one student 30-minutes per week, September to May. UBC will host a training with East Baton Rouge’s VIPS department on Sunday, August 29 at 11:45 am, with lunch provided. There are three steps to sign up for the program:
Sign up here for the August 29th Training: https:// form.jotform.com/212197785350158
Complete the EBR Volunteer form: https:// app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/ 4bad1876-68fb-4cc6-aa23-57c8398dd008/1
MISSIONS
Ecuador Mission Immersion
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us yesterday to explore the 2022 Ecuador Mission Immersion.
We are pleased to announce that the trip will be held on July 18/19 through 26/27 (37) from yesterday's feedback.
Please remember that the $100 deposit is due by September 12, which will also be our next team meeting.
In the next few hours, you'll receive several Google calendar invitations to key dates and meetings. Please RSVP to the calendar invites to help with clear lines of communication for these key dates.
As we get close to some of the later meetings (January, May, and June), we will set specific times.
In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
I look forward to collaborating with you.
VOLUNTEERING
We Need Your Help as Our Church Grows
As out church continues to grow, we need your help. Consider volunteering for one of the above.
Volunteers for Soccer Academy Wanted
UBC's Soccer Academy returns in September. We need 12 different volunteers each Saturday to make the Academy function.
Sign up to help for one or as many Saturdays as you are able. Volunteers can sign up here for set-up, player check-in, group guiding, coaching, snack distribution, and participant care: https://form.jotform.com/211653094079155.
RELATIONSHIPS
Young Adults Night Out CANCELED
Out of an abundance of caution with rising cases of Covid-19, we will be canceling August’s Young Adults Night Out.
HOPE Grief Support Groups
Fall Soccer Academy Registration Ends on August 30th
UBC's Soccer Academy returns in September for six one-hour Saturday sessions for children ages three to ten years old.
The six-week academy begins on Saturday, September 18. The academy dates are September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, and 23.
Instead of trying to schedule your entire week around scattered soccer practices and games, especially if you have more than one kid playing, register your kid(s) for a series of 1-hour sessions on Saturdays for six weeks. Your child will learn the fundamentals of soccer through fun activities and a scrimmage at the end of each session, all in the comfort of one hour per Saturday for six weeks.
The first player in your family is $45, with each additional player at $35.
Registration closes August 30. For more information and to register, visit www.ubc-br.org/academy.
Summer Gathering and Kid’s Club Follow-Up
What a brilliant evening building relationships, intergenerational connections, and formation. Thank you to all those who were able to attend. We are especially grateful for those that lead the various opportunities.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Why Sunday School & Spiritual Formation Groups? A Weekly Dialogue
One of the successes we celebrate about UBC is the health of our Sunday School and Spiritual Formation Groups. We’d like to explore why.
Each week, we ask these groups to spend five minutes at the beginning of their meeting to discuss a provided question. Insight from the group’s discussion can be sent to Andy (andy@ubc-br.org) and Eric (eric@ubc-br.org).
August 15: Our church is growing. What would it look like for our class to continually invite new participants to join our group?
Noon Summer Book Club
Join our Noon Summer Book Club on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays for a conversation about Jemar Tisby’s new book, “How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice.”
The group will meet in-person and online in the Fellowship Hall through August.
Purchase the book on Amazon in digital, audio, and hardback editions.
For those joining via Zoom, use the Mtg ID: 314 698 8114.
Please contact Andy via email (andy@ubc-br.org) or phone (225.766.9474) if you plan to join.
Reading Schedule:
• August 26, no reading
Audacious Series Daily Prayer
This week’s prayer is one of: Capitulation Prayer written by monk, theologian, and social activist Thomas Merton.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Participate in CBF's General Assembly August 26-27
CBF will host another virtual annual gathering online. There are workshops, plenary sessions, and worship experiences that you can join online for free. For more information about the opportunity and to register for the event, visit https:// cbf.net/general-assembly.
Sunday Name Tag Project
Get to know new and unfamiliar faces on Sundays by picking up a name tag as you enter the worship space. The name tags will be in the Narthex center table. Write your name and answer each week’s conversation starter question.
CHURCH OF THE NATIONS
Church of the Nations in the Sanctuary this Sunday
Come join us for worship in the chapel this Sunday at 10:30am! Before worship at 10am, in the sanctuary narthex (outside through the courtyard), we will have Coffee and Community!
KIDS
Spiritual Formation Series
Please bring your children to join us for our current Spiritual Formation Series, “Seeking Justice Together.” The series is led by Rev. Tanya Parks and takes place in the Children’s Branch during Sunday school.
Tune into Sunday School on Zoom
For those of you who aren’t able to join us in person, we’d love to have you on Zoom Sundays at 9:15 AM.
Zoom Information
Meeting ID: 516 969 4578
Password: ubc
YOUTH
Youth Sunday School Schedule
For more information, contact Eric at eric@ubc-br.org or visit www.ubc-br.org/youth
GENERAL UPDATES
Save The Dates
A Note From Rebekah Odenwald
Dear UBC Family and Friends,
What a blessing you are. Thank you for all the many ways you found to love and support our family as Neil’s health failed. Each call, meals, prayer, and word of encouragement gave us strength and hope. You generously shared your gifts of faithfulness and love. We are truly blessed.
Much love, Rebekah Odenwald and the Odenwald Family
Update from the Facilities Team
UBC operates in a campus physical plant with buildings constructed from the 1950s to the 1990s. Understandably many of the building systems that operate in these facilities have exceeded their expected life and require updates and or replacement. This reality has become more acute with the summer heat, and multiple efforts are currently ongoing. Thankfully, our finance team has been anticipating this need and has set aside funds to make improvements.
Current activities fall into 3 general categories as outlined below. We will update you periodically as repairs are completed, and improvements are planned.
Contracted preventative maintenance and repairs:
• Regular maintenance of air conditioning systems and related components
• Repairs to systems components to keep air conditioning systems operational on an as-needed basis
• Juggling air conditioning systems where possible to minimize the impact of outages on church operations
• Activities are monitored daily by Don Garland and Aaron Biggers
Emergency Repairs that are larger and more urgent than can be addressed by our maintenance contract. Ongoing efforts include:
• Monitoring of campus electrical service and testing of primary campus electrical service components
• Restoration of the electrical service for the Fellowship Hall (currently scheduled this week)
•Replacement of one compressor for the Sanctuary air conditioning unit
• Activities are monitored by the Facilities Team and the Finance Committee
Planning for timely system updates to replace old equipment and Save energy:
• Team has engaged a consulting engineer to evaluate respective systems and recommend priority improvements
• Effort is evaluating spaces and components to optimize overall campus performance
•Effort will result in planned improvements when they are least disruptive to church operations
• Plans are being developed by the Facilities Team for review and approval by the Governing Board
In response to the growing challenges, the Governing Board established a subcommittee to study the short term and long-term needs - AC/Heating, Electrical, and Roofing - and resolve the needs expeditiously. The subcommittee is composed of Ken Tipton, Don Garland, Aaron Biggers, Terry Hill on the technical side, David Crifasi on Finance, and Martha Forbes and Russ Futrell on the Governing Board.
While UBC has set aside funds for emergency facility purposes, we encourage you to continue to give out of faithfulness to our growing church. Gifts to UBC can also include gifting stocks, mutual funds, or ETFs. You can explore some of these options with the Finance Committee and your accountant.
How To Give
GIVE: https://www.ubc-br.org/give
STAY CONNECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC
Mask Policy Update
UBC once again recommends both vaccinated and unvaccinated participants wear a mask while indoors on campus.
We invite you to sign up to provide a care package for one of these 41 staff members. The care package should include candy, a $6 gift card to Lighthouse Coffee or CC’s, a small hand sanitizer bottle, lip balm, and something fun of your choosing.
We want to equip you to be the hands and feet of Jesus by pouring time, care, and attention into making one of these packages. This is why we are asking you to prepare the packages versus donating to the project.
Once you have purchased the items, drop by the church office to fill one of the official package bags, and write a personal note to put on the finishing touch. The office will be open on Sundays 9-11:30 am, and Monday through Thursday, 9 am-4:30 pm.
