Vol. 2, # 27, Feb. 13, 2004

Charlotte and Bill Announce Duffel Bags Success

HOW DO YOU SPELL 41 DUFFEL BAGS? EASY. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

The last of 41 duffel bags contributed by River Road Church to ISH will be delivered on Thursday, February 19th. The age group for every boy and every girl between the ages of infancy and 17 years will receive at least one duffel bag. They will be available for children rescued from abusive families in Henrico County. This represents another significant victory for River Road Church in the effort to help needy county families. Thanks, everyone!

The Denominational Affairs Committee Is Scheduled to Meet on February 18 (this year!)

The news item below was sent to PH by West Coast missionary Donald Deer:

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS [from Ecumenical News International, and used by permission. Excerpted by Donald S. Deer]

20 January 2004 Sofia (ENI). European Baptists have strongly criticized moves in the Southern Baptist Convention, the biggest Protestant grouping in the United States, to quit the Baptist World Alliance on the grounds that the alliance is too liberal. "Do we realize how much our witness to the world will be harmed when we try to explain that we are different groups of Baptists who cannot work together?" the Sofia-based European Baptist Federation said in a statement. The European federation said Baptists in Europe and the Middle East were "deeply hurt" by the proposal and it expressed full support for the world alliance.

Also PH sent Donald the following comment about last week's discussion:

There was discussion this morning that the New Interpreter's Bible uses the NIV and the NRSV. Is this true?

And Donald answered:

"Yes, unfortunately. That was for commercial, not scholarly reasons. But the New Interpreter's Study Bible, which I have on a CD--which is where I got the quote from--only uses NRSV."

Prayer Helps

Kathy Wade had asked that Dan Beatty and his family be placed on our prayer list. Dan lost his job at the IMB at the same time that Kathy lost her job. Kathy recently wrote PH the following news regarding Dan who was a photo editor for the Commission Magazine

"I knew you'd want to know that Dan Beatty got a job with the Richmond Times Dispatch. He'll be photo editing--which is his specialty. In fact he's one of the best in the country. He'll work with the photographers and editors on placement of the photos."

Terry Willie-Surratt Begins a New Job. Shepson Bill Reports

Hi! Did you all notice the fine article on Terry on page 7 of Monday's Metro Business section? She apparently left ISH effective the end of December and began a new job the first of January 2004 as executive director of the Richmond Court Appointed Special Advocates. Terry was so excellent that it will be difficult to replace her as community resource developer for the Henrico County Department of Social Services, but she has such superb qualifications for her new job that the Richmond CASA sought her out and aggressively recruited her for the new job.

Prayer Rounds

Sue Hodder has sold her condo in Midlothian and is moving to Glen Allen as soon as that facility is completed. Carole Royall will also be moving to the West end of Richmond. Remember Sue and Carole during this time of transition.

Emily King called today (Friday, Feb 6) to say that her aunt whom she frequently visits in New Jersey has had a stroke and is in the hospital. Emily plans to go up there Sunday (Feb 8) since there is no one else to look out for her aunt, and will stay an undetermined length of time.

Edna Frances Dawkins is in healthcare at Lakewood Manor and is going through a difficult time. She was a long time employee of the Foreign Mission Board and originally a member of Ginter Park Baptist Church.

Remember in your prayers the family of Gail Pollard, Linda Mears and her family, Matt Brooks, Carmella Bond, Durell Ashlock, Kay and Bob Culpepper, John and Margaret Oliver, Mary Pentecost, Dan Beatty and his family, Donald Deer, Dot and Cecil Sherman, Sue Hodder, Carole Royall, Edna Frances Dawkins, the Church staff, the Pastor's Search Committee, the Denominational Affairs Committee (which hopefully meets on 2/18), our military in harm's way, the least among us (especially those fellow citizens who are homeless) and those only known to you.

Missions Update

Remember that our class will do Easter Food Baskets for our March 1 to April 4 mission project. Details were in last week's PHA. You can read it on the web at:

http://www.rrcb.org/ministries/adult/sundayschool/sspha/sspha20040206.html

The details will be published again in PHA on February 27. Also Shepsons Charlotte and Bill will keep us updated and inspired about this project.

A West End Cross Over Ministries Medical Center Is Planned.

PH and Norma Hays attended the planning meeting for the Cross Over Ministries West End Medical Center. The meeting was held last Monday at the West End Assembly of God. Once inside the building on the way to and from the meeting room PH heard instruments of music practicing nearby. Such instruments have seldom been heard in RRCB. The planners of this free medical clinic have a proposed site location near Skipwith and Parham Roads. A lady lawyer who grew up poor is offering 2200 square feet of space at an affordable price. The proposed schedule for the creation of this much needed clinic is:

Site acquisition by 8/31/2004
Remodeling by 2/28/05
Equipment and Facility set up by 3/1/05
Training and orientation by 3/15/05
Grand opening on 3/19/05

The proposed budget for accomplishing the above is about $125,000.

Ninety per cent of Cross Over Ministries donations go directly to patient care. The vast majority of services are provided by volunteers. Seventeen churches in the West End are represented in this planning process. There are over eighty churches involved in Cross Over Ministries throughout the Richmond Metro area. The proposed building site would have four physician exam rooms, one dental exam room, a pharmacy storage room, medical records room, staff office, receptionist and waiting room. The building is handicapped accessible and has rest rooms. The Board of Missions will undertake the task of educating the church about this local missions project. PH will attempt to keep the SSBSC informed. Individuals with health insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not qualify for this service. Most of those served will be the working poor or those employed without health insurance who cannot afford medical costs.

Mary Pentecost Is Twenty-nine Next Friday

Also Shepson Ann and Church Treasurer Gus Sledge will celebrate forty-five years of wedded bliss next Friday. How can Ann be twenty-nine and married forty-five years? Would the Jesus Seminar print such an event in red?

Teacher Bob Begins Chapter Seventeen in John

It may be hard to believe but the SSBSC will begin chapter seventeen in the Gospel of John this Sunday. When you hear Bob read, "After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you,'" then you will know that we are beginning chapter seventeen. Of course the words might be slightly different as Teacher Bob uses the NRSV.

This is the beginning of what is often called Jesus' Farewell Prayer. The Jesus Seminar prints all of this prayer in black. The statement has also been made that this prayer is the Johnannine equivalent of the Lord's Prayer.

PH should mention that Shepson Rob James gave a dazzling lecture on Paul Tillich this past Wednesday night. Rob explained how our existential reality can strive to break through to the transcendent and kingdom of God. PH is probably simplifying a more complex theological issue. Rob did mention that Tillich had three nervous breakdowns while serving as a chaplain in World War I. Could such breakdowns be symbolic of the three temptations of Jesus?

Photo Quiz

The attached photo is an aerial view of the Medical College of Virginia campus, taken over a half a century ago. Name three church buildings in the photo and name three buildings that no longer stand.

PH

Poor Henry's Archives

February 6, 2004
January 30, 2004
January 23, 2004
January 16, 2004
January 9, 2004
January 2, 2004
December 26, 2003
December 19, 2003
December 12, 2003
December 5, 2003
November 28, 2003
November 21, 2003
November 14, 2003
November 7, 2003
October 31, 2003
October 24, 2003
October 18, 2003
October 10, 2003
October 3, 2003
September 12, 2003
September 5, 2003
August 29, 2003
August 22, 2003
August 15, 2003
August 8, 2003
August 1, 2003
July 25, 2003
July 18, 2003
July 11, 2003
July 4, 2003
June 27, 2003
June 20, 2003
June 13, 2003
June 6, 2003
May 30, 2003
May 23, 2003
May 16, 2003
May 9, 2003
May 2 , 2003
April 25, 2003
April 18, 2003
April 11, 2003
April 4, 2003
March 28, 2003
March 21, 2003
March 13, 2003
March 6, 2003
February 27, 2003
February 20, 2003
February 13, 2003
February 6, 2003
January 30, 2003
January 23, 2003
January 16, 2003
January 9, 2003
January 2, 2003
December 26, 2002
December 19, 2002