Rev. Martin Rolfs Massaglia and grandsons Julian and Adrian

Posted January 5, 2012

When people ask me about First Baptist, I’ve taken to saying we are a small congregation in a huge building with a vast ministry.  When I think of the breadth and depth of the ministry and what goes on in and around our church, it leaves me breathless.  The evidence of God’s movement in this community is breathtaking.  In a time that is economically as challenging as anytime in my years of ministry, “The state of the church” here at FBC is amazingly vibrant.  Let me give you some examples.

The nursery is bursting at the seams and we have a whole new wave of expectant parents who will be bringing their children to the nursery in the next year.  We are expanding the nursery to two rooms, one for babies and one for toddlers and are excited to be able to offer the toddlers more than baby-sitting.  To lighten Jeff Gordon's load a bit, Stephanie Allen will begin coordinating this ministry.

Jeff Gordon and his faithful volunteers continue to see increases in the number of children that participate in the ever popular and exciting Elevate; a high tech, high energy, bible centered discipleship class.  Jeff has visions of beginning a second expression of Elevate so that we can have a pre-school section.

Our Children’s Center, under the direction of Jane Pernicone, is currently serving more children and their families than at any time in its history.  We have waiting lists in many classes.  Thirty-five talented and committed staff people are the “face of Christ” to 141 children and we’re still growing.  Our Center has maintained a Two Star rating (very difficult to achieve) in the Step Up to Quality Program since October 2008.

A new children’s choir has been organized which seeks not simply to prepare children to sing in worship, but also to teach them about worship in its varying styles. In addition to graded Discipleship classes on Sunday morning and Fellowship time on Sunday evening, our youth have launched a Praise Ensemble that rehearses on Wednesday evening.  It’s gotten rave reviews from those participating, parents and those who attended their first concert in late November.

FBC youth are part of an outstanding new inter-congregational worship experience called Converge.  Through Converge, youth have an opportunity to participate on the second Sunday each month in a worship experience designed for them, joining with youth from other area churches.  Youth leaders from the participating churches share leadership.  Converge meets in our Spahr Center for now, but if it continues to grow at the current rate, it will soon outgrow the space.  Though state budget cuts deprived us of anticipated funding for our After School Program and Summer Camp, Jae Williams is developing a relationship with Cleveland Heights Open Doors. This is a developmental out-of-school enrichment program that is designed to provide a safe, nurturing environment promoting academic, emotional, and social enrichment for middle-school students in unity with family, school, church, and community. Jae hopes that we will become a partner with Open Doors, utilizing our wonderful youth facilities to work with youth in our community.

Six Covenant Groups have been formed which add a whole new component to the resources available for spiritual growth, discipleship training, fellowship and nurture. Covenant groups are individuals and couples who covenant to meet together on a regular basis to fellowship, care for one another, study and pray.  This addresses our goal of helping people build relationships in the church that are multi-cultural and intergenerational.  The people that are in the Covenant Groups are very excited about them…and as the groups grow in intimacy and in numbers, the entire church body is strengthened.

In 2011 we expanded our one year old Farmer’s Market with more vendors and many more neighbors participating.  The ministry supports local farmers, promotes and sells locally grown, wholesome and nutritious food.  It also provides a gathering place for our neighbors to meet together, eat a simple meal and socialize.  We were amazed at how many people discovered our Market each week.

FBC continues to be a center for the expression of artistic gifts, featuring music, theatre, dance and art of members of our own community in recitals, plays, concerts and exhibitions; but also inviting performing groups from the greater Cleveland area to utilize our facility as a venue for their art.  There is rarely a week that some work of art is not on display within our walls.

Members and friends of FBC continue to be active in supporting community ministries such as feeding homeless persons, the listening ministry at the men’s shelter at 2100 Lakeside, Family Promise, Bethany Baptist Church Hunger Ministry, produce distribution to low income persons in the Wade Park area, Homeless Stand-down, and shelters for the victims of domestic violence. 

We took our 41st mission brigade to Nicaragua to support the work of American Baptist Missionaries, Laura and David Parajon and their ministry, AMOS Health and Hope, serving the rural poor of Nicaragua.  We also have a member, Jessica Chapman Martinez, serving on the staff of AMOS and we provide some financial support for her. We provided not only financial support, but also moral and pastoral support to our Sister Church in Nicaragua, the First Baptist Church of Managua and our beloved Joan Parajon.

In spite of the continuing economic slump in the nation and in our area, we experience just a modest decrease in tithing.  We made creative use of our endowment income, we increased income from facility use, Clusters for Ministry found ways to maintain and expand their ministry with fewer financial resources.

Jeff Gordon, our business administrator did a magnificent job of stretching our resources beyond belief, and together with our very talented maintenance crew renovated the Fireside Room, reconfigured the space and redecorated Fellowship Hall, Bell Dining Room, the two adult classrooms in the Shelburne hallway and the library.  Through a rebate opportunity offered by First Energy, Steve Rosen, our resident electrician, was able to replace almost every old fluorescent fixture in the building with new, energy efficient bulbs and ballasts.  95% of the cost was paid for by First Energy…and our building is much brighter.

Our Green Team has helped us make major changes in our behavior to honor God’s earth and save natural resources.  We now recycle a major portion of the waste in the building and have decreased by at least 90% our use of paper and plastic disposable cups and tableware. 

We continue to be blessed, and ushered into the presence of God by our worship services utilizing the gifts of our exceptionally talented musicians, preachers, worship leaders and many others. We have visitors every week in both services; our worship attendance is increasing slowly.  Following two successful sessions of FBC 101 I have had numerous conversations with newcomers wanting information about becoming a part of the FBC Community. What is most exciting to me is that from their feedback I can tell we are getting our messages across through the ministry of our church; that we are a fellowship, seeking to live in the way of Jesus amid the challenges of a changing world.  That we are a congregation that is Theologically Open, Creatively Diverse and Outwardly Focused. In the conversations I’m having with newcomers, almost to a person they have become interested in First Baptist Church precisely because we are that kind of church. 

We have much work to do.  We have myriad challenges financing this vast ministry:  in these economically troubled times; in an aging building that needs far more work  than we can afford right now; trying to reach out in all the ways that call to us with a relatively small group of members.  But if one will only take stock of what is happening in the life of First Baptist Church, it brings home very clearly that on which we find the courage and faith to move forward: “NOTHING is impossible for God!” 

There is nowhere I’d rather be; no group of ministry partners I’d rather have in pursuing my calling and traveling the journey of faith.  It is a joy and a privilege to be your pastor.

 In the hope of the Christ and in thanksgiving,

Martin

 

Rev. Martin Rolfs Massaglia

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