When Jesus sent his first “church,” made up of some disciples, out to live the gospel, he told them to travel light – “take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food.”

(Matthew 10:9-10). He sent them out to proclaim the coming reign of God, to cure the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons.

As we enter budgeting season, I am comforted that the church doesn’t need much to live on. At a basic level, we don’t need personnel; we don’t

need a building; we don’t need a choir, a paid preacher, or an organ. We don’t need programs. At a very profound level – we don’t need these things – we are the body of Christ, even without a budget.

On the other hand – many of us have invested a considerable bit of our resources, our time, love and sometime heartache to bring this church to the place where it is right now; that is, to the vision of a vibrant, outward looking congregation that is driven by its mission. I don’t mean the narrow definition of mission – loosely defined as “good works that we do for the less fortunate.” I mean the mission of being God’s sent people in the world – where our worship, education, local and global outreach and justice work, community-building and hospitality are all driven by a desire to participate in Jesus’ work of reconciliation in the world – not simply through “church work” but through the totality of our lives. (Said differently, living out the gospel in our lives is our “church work.”)

In embracing that vision, we ask ourselves – what are we willing to do to support, deepen, and lay claim to that vision? Barbara Cook, in a recent letter from the stewardship committee, offered some suggestions for how to make that commitment concrete. She encouraged us to consider tithing ten percent of our income to the church. If not 10%, then aim for 5%. If not 5%, then consider raising our pledges by 10% of what we gave last year. “This year we are being called,” Barbara wrote, “to present our first and best gifts to support our financial plan for 2010. We cannot retreat from the pivotal work that we are doing in our ministry to children and youth, in our music ministry, our education ministry, our worship ministry, in our urban ministry, to our brothers and sisters in Cameroon, El Salvador and South Dakota.”

I know that some of us in this congregation are not in a position to give more this year (maybe even to hold steady) because of the economy. There are plenty more like me whose compensation either remained steady or increased. For most of us, there has never been a better time to deepen our investment in the church. Kate and I are coming up on our “annual meeting” when we will talk specifics about our giving for 2010. Part of what we do in that meeting is check in with each other about what we value the most in our lives. We try to organize our spending of money and our spending of time around those values. You can bet that we will have Barbara’s letter in hand. Whatever pledge we make for 2010 will truly be our first and our best gift. I encourage you to do the same.

Pastor’s reflections

TheTidings

november 2009

Good news from

PasTor’s reflecTions 1

clerk’s corner .......2

firsT Tiffany concerT Will be a Vocal delighT ...................2

high exPecTaTions exPands To MerVo ...3

global Mission square dance To be held

noVeMber 20 ............3

a road less Taken ..4

are you hungry? ....4

broWn coMMuniTy announceMenTs/ birThdays.................5

in this issueby andreW fosTer connorsandrew@browndowntown.org

PaGe 2 • the tidinGs november 2009

Do you remember when the clerk reported regularly to the congregation in this space? It has been awhile. Since the last report, we have had a large class of

confirmands and a large new member class. Sadly, we count the move of Emily Stanton and Hedley Abernathy to Ireland as a loss.

One of the most exciting events in the life of the church in the past months has been the calling of Emily Martin as our associate pastor. Emily brings talent and energy, and we heartily welcome her.

Many urban witness, global mission, Christian education, music, and other activities continue. Of note are the history project (See Karen Nelson.) and the new urban witness brochure (Ask Tom Waldron or Elden Schneider.). Hospitality has been the focus of the group taking care of membership. Have you noticed the usher corps (See John Warmath or Jenny Williams.) and the new Welcome! Brochure (Talk to Monica Rakowski.)?

Our long-time sexton, Frank Scott, retired at the end of July. We have hired Rob Brown as facilities manager. Rob in turn has contracted a cleaning service and other vendors as needed, and we are adjusting to this new staffing model.

Session voted to concur with the Govans Presbyterian Church’s overture to amend the Directory of Worship to define marriage as between two people. Current wording defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The overture was presented to the Baltimore Presbytery in September and will be voted on in November.

Session has begun the hard work of developing a budget for 2010. We take this aspect of serving as elders very seriously. We are reminded of the parable of loaves and fishes as we see more need than we see wherewithal to meet the needs/visions of the various missions of Brown Memorial. Along with the trustees, we continue to look for ways and means to repair the sanctuary roof and the tower.

Finally, this is a reminder to check our website www.browndowntown.org. If you see things you would like to update or you don’t see things you think would be useful, tell me or call the church office with your suggestions.

clerk’s cornerby carol geVecker graVes

first tiffany concert will be a vocal deliGht

“How Can I Keep From Singing?” is the theme of this season’s first Tiffany Series concert, presented by Brown Memorial’s acclaimed soloists Lydia Beasley, soprano; Diane Schaming, alto; James Cox, tenor; and Andrew Sauvageau, baritone. They are singing – individually and in groups – the pieces they love best from the entire vocal repertoire. Come and be captured by the enthusiasm, skill and musical depth of these young artists!

The concert brings together wonderful pieces from musical theater, operas, oratorios and the African American tradition – in a delightfully dramatic presentation. You will hear all your favorite pieces! Andrew will sing “Largo al factotum” from Rossini’s Barber of Seville (“Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!”), a song by Mahler, and a surreal work by Samuel Barber (“Green Lowlands of Pianos”). Lydia will perform Leonard Bernstein’s satiric “I Hate Music!” together with a tender, mystical love song by Messaien and a work by Hoiby. Diane will sing “An die Musik” by Schubert, “Amor” by Bolcom, and a hilarious work (with “lust” and a Gypsy violinist!) by Stoltz.

Jim will sing the famous “Sound an Alarm,” from Handel’s Judas Maccabeus, “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime: the Musical, and “Walk Together, Children,” a traditional spiritual that evokes memories of the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery. Despite the death of the Rev. James Reeb on their first attempt, two weeks later the marchers joined the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who exhorted them: “Walk together, children!” After five days of walking and singing, they reached Montgomery.

The singers will also perform the trios “My Soul doth Magnify the Lord” from Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio and the beautiful “Soave sia il vento” from Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte. They will sing in quartet “O Come, Everyone that Thirsteth” from Elijah, and the much-loved spiritual “How Can I Keep From Singing?”

They will be accompanied by Min-Kuei Yang on piano and John Walker on organ. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased during the week at the church office, after church in the Assembly Room, and at the door. For more information, call Sharon Holley at 410-523-1542.

Sunday, November 8th at 3 p.m.

§

november 2009 the tidinGs • PaGe 3

hiGh exPecations exPands to mervo

Many of you may recall hearing Ron Covington, a Child First organizer, speak to us during one of our adult forums last fall. He shared with us the work of High Expectations, a

program Child First and BUILD created in the spring of 2008 in response to escalating violence in Baltimore’s schools. This school year, High Expectations expanded to Mergenthaler Vocational Technical School (Mervo).

High Expectations seeks to initiate and cultivate relationships of trust with students, address the root cause of negative behavior, and refer students to community resources

that can help them succeed in school. The results speak for themselves. At Garrison Middle School, violent incidents decreased in the 2008-2009 school year from 49 to 5, attendance increased and assaults on teachers by students decreased from eight to one. In addition, High Expectations helped the school social worker start a grief counseling program for students. This program has helped children learn to process and manage their feelings after dealing with loss

But the real interest lies in the stories behind the numbers. For example, High Expectations has three full-time youth workers at Mervo – Ted Sutton, Greland Lowery, and Dietriech Williams, who have between them, more than 40 years of experience working with at-risk youth. They focus on a group of 30 students through weekly group sessions as well as one-on-one mentoring.

In one recent lunchtime incident, two young men exchanged words and began fighting. Mr. Sutton, Mr. Lowery, and Mr. Williams were present in the cafeteria at the time. Thanks to their previously established relationship with one of the students, they were able to immediately de-escalate the situation and escort the young men to the school office. Their ability to quickly intervene prevented the incident from becoming much worse.

After breaking up the fight, Mr. Sutton, Mr. Lowery, and Mr. Williams were able to mediate between the two young men and help them resolve their problem. The mediation process was essential because one of the students had previously been identified by the High Expectations team as a possible gang member. While the lunchtime altercation ended with the suspension of the two young men, which is the standard protocol when students are involved in a fight at a Baltimore City school, more violent retaliation was avoided.

In another instance, Mr. Williams had been working with a student who was experiencing adjustment issues. Mr. Williams was invited to sit in on a meeting about the student’s Individual Education Plan. Thanks to Mr. Williams

background in mental health, he was familiar with the process and was able to make recommendations for additional services.

When asked about his vision for High Expectations five years from now, program Director Ron Covington said he sees it operating in all Baltimore schools with needs for such assistance. He said that the program will also help schools set a culture of “High Expectations” in training administration, teachers, social workers and school police in how to effectively engage challenging youth.

Working with high-risk young people is extremely intense and can be exhausting. But Mr. Covington believes this full-time mentoring and support of young people in the school is long overdue. If, despite what is going on in their personal lives, these kids are still attending school, then Mr. Covington believes they want the help. High Expectations’ role is to help kids adjust to what real world is going to bring.

“Everyone has to operate within rules and systems, beyond the rules of the street, which they know very well,” Mr. Covington says. “High Expectations helps kids learn to respect and understand authority, even when they don’t agree with it.”

by elizabeTh reichelT, build liaison

Want to have fun and kick up your heels? Want to help support the work of Brown Memorial’s Global Mission programs? Then come to the sQuare dance

for Global mission on friday november 20th. where: Govans Presbyterian Church, 5828 York Road. when: Friday, November 20th from 7-10 p.m.why: To support Brown Memorial’s global mission projects in El Salvador and the Dakotas. cost: Students: $10; Individuals $15, Couples $25,

Families $30 (children under 12 free). Tickets are available at BMPA. Contact Sharon Holley at

410-523-1542. There’s a silent auction at the church for the preceding Sundays at Brown Memorial and also at the Square Dance. Wonderful bargains will be available! So come one. Come

all! To ask any questions or if you want to volunteer to help, please contact Christy Macy at Christy@iyfnet.org.

Global missionsQuare dance to be held november 20

PaGe 4 • the tidinGs november 2009

go Green WiTh your coPy of THE TIDINGS!Now that our new website is complete and we have a direct link to the most recent Tidings publication help us go GREEN by receiving your copy online. Receiving email notification of when the latest Tidings is available forreading will help us cut down on the environmental and financial costs of printing and mailing paper copies. If you would like to receive e-mail notification of when the latest Tidings is available, please send Sharon Holley an email at sharon@browndowntown.org. She will need your name and email address. Also, check our website directly for updates at www.browndowntown.org/index.php?s=newsletter to download the latest Tidings. Thanks for helping us to be better stewards of God’s magnificent creation.

take note

a road less taken

are you hunGry?Are you hungry for PRAYER? Are you hungry for

SCRIPTURE? Are you hungry for BREAKFAST? So are we! That’s why we are going to start getting together on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. to pray, study scripture, and eat breakfast. Prayer will begin at 8:30 in the labyrinth. From 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. we will share food we have brought and we will study the Bible beginning with the Book of Genesis. .

Starting November 7th, Jenny Williams and Jonathan Barnes will facilitate study of Journey Through the Bible by Cokesbury. Books are available through the church office for $8.50 or you can give a donation. Come one! come all! Bring some food to share and be prepared to talk about the first two chapters of Genesis. Enter the church through the courtyard doorway or the West Lafayette side entrance.

by ellen carTer cooPer

She has been skirting the divide between business and the community for a long time. This native of Baltimore studied human resources, business, and labor relations at the University of Baltimore. Along the way, she decided that businesses live to help people exist, but in general, businesses believe that people exist to help and serve them.

Jenny Williams managed to be a wife and mother while balancing her need to use her business expertise for the community’s greater good. She volunteered as a bookkeeper for Women: A Journal of Liberation, a women’s liberation organization founded in 1968 in Baltimore. As her children progressed in school, Jenny used her business skills to manage the Children’s Book Store in Roland Park. She continued to develop her ideas about economic activity as a foundation for building healthy organizations within communities.

Raised as an Episcopalian, Jenny joined Govans Presbyterian Church. When the family moved to Bolton Hill, Brown Memorial became their church. Jenny chose this church because it was nestled in the neighborhood and was a More Light church. She tutored, taught Sunday School, and sang in the Chancel Choir.

As she served in various capacities at Brown Memorial, Jenny’s spiritual life became a principal priority in her life. She did not know what road to take, so she conferred with a spiritual leader recommended by Sally Robinson. Her journey led her to the Servant Leadership School in Washington, D.C. The school is a part of the mission effort of the Church of the Savior founded by Gordon Cosby with funding from James Rouse. Members of the church pray an hour every day and work with a mission group.

In 2005, Jennie’s faith journey nudged her toward Virginia. There she enrolled at Union PSCE Theological Seminary. She will be graduated from Union Presbyterian Seminary (the new name of Union PSCE) in May 2010. During the voyage, Jenny has developed her abiding belief that churches should be more spiritually involved with the communities in which they reside. To her, this means that the churches’ neighbors should be invited into the church and the churches’ members should be visible in the community.

At BMPA, Jenny teaches 5th and 6th grade Sunday School classes and visits members who are housebound. Her latest venture is helping the Membership and Hospitality Committee with the revamped ushers group. Since Jenny believes that Brown Memorial members should spend time praying and studying scripture, Jonathan Barnes and she will facilitate a group to do just that on Saturdays beginning in November.

Jenny’s vision for Brown Memorial is more evolvement in worship. At the present time, she has observed that the

congregation is weighted heavily with young children and with veteran worshippers. Her desire is for more college-age persons to join the church. She also sees us as becoming more involved with BUILD.

Her family continues to travel with her on the altruistic, service-oriented road she has chosen. Her husband, Michael Seipp, is the Director of Baltimore Station, an artist and a recent convert to golfing. Her son, Josh, is the technical expert for the Institute of Christian and Jewish Studies. The second son, Luke, is a holistic health counselor and her only daughter, Sarah, is studying to become a medical assistant. When she has free time, Jenny enjoys reading, walking, and visiting people. In addition to all her activities, Jenny plays a spirited, aggressive game of Scrabble, also.

november 2009 the tidinGs • PaGe 5

november birthdays

11/01 Anne Heuisler

11/02 Jack Davis

11/02 Andrew Hughes

11/02 Sebastian McMillan

11/04 Keiffer J. Mitchell, Sr.

11/05 David Mock

11/05 Alex Reichelt

11/07 Barbara Cook

11/09 Miranda Hall

11/10 Lily Shields

11/11 Marijke McMillan

11/12 Kate Foster Connors

11/14 David Luljak

11/14 Katherine Sharp

11/16 Betsy Nix

11/17 Jamie Cunningham

11/18 Shirley Parry

11/18 Bert Schmickel

11/19 Willard Graves

11/19 John Walker

11/20 Bonnie Schneider

11/21 Michael Bell

11/24 Patrick Riorda

11/29 Eva McNabney

11/29 Carolina Mills

11/29 Amanda Ahmed

Note: If you wish to have your birthday listed in The Tidings, please contact Sharon Holley, church secretary, at 410-523-1542, or via e-mail at Sharon@browndowntown.org.

bible study – Rev. Bill Bearden has agreed once again to lead a Bible Study course beginning October 22nd through November 12th, Thursdays 10:30-noon in the church house. He will address the fascinating (and unknown to most of us) subject of Peter’s influence on the New Testament.

community dinners are being planned forSaturday, November 7th. If you are able to host, pleasecontact Monica Rakowski – mrakowski@chessys.com.

would you like to suPPort our youth ProGram but don’t have time to be a youth leader? Youth group is now meeting the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, after church beginning with eating lunch together. We are seeking volunteers to provide a simple lunch for about 15 youth and adult leaders. Contact Kate Foster Connors if you are interested: kate@browndowntown.org or 410-377-2261.

usher ministry needs ushers: Our group ofushers could use a few more folks to serve on Sunday mornings. We are especially in need of people who are available around 25 minutes before worship. Ushers assist folks, especially visitors, attend the side door so that worshippers are welcomed there, assist with the offering if extra hands are needed, regulate traffic flow during communion, help children back to their families after Children’s Church, and make a special effort to meet newcomers and note absences. If you attend regularly and have been musing about doing more at church without adding one more thing to your schedule, this may be the perfect service for you. You are already here! Contact Jenny Williams, 410-523-3961, or jennywren1800@yahoo.com.

we would like to beGin takinG communion to some of our homebound members onthe first Sundays of each month when we celebrate communion together as a community. In order to preserve the integrity of this sacrament, two ordained officers of the church (elders, deacons, or ministers) must be present when the already consecrated elements are shared. Jenny Williams is leading this ministry and is looking for elders and deacons who would be willing to leave at the end of our worship service and travel with her to one or more homebound members of our community. In order to participate in this ministry, one need not be currently serving on the session or the diaconate. Please contact Jenny, 410-523-3961, jennywren1800@yahoo.com, or Andrew Foster Connors if you are interested.

handbells anyone? The Brown Memorial Handbell Choir started rehearsing for the Fall season on October 11. We are always happy to have new members! Ringers from middle school age and up are welcome. Please contact Chrystie Adams by e-mail at cladams22@verizon.net or phone at 443-474-2200 if you are interested in being a new ringer.

brown communityannouncements

TheTidingsPublished for members and friends of

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian ChurchAndrew Foster Connors, Pastor

1316 Park AvenueBaltimore, MD 21217

410.523.1542www.browndowntown.org

Published monthly by the Membership Committee. Send contributions by November 18th to Ellen Carter Cooper

(edccooper58@hotmail.com) or to Sharon Holley (sharon@browndowntown.org).

1316 Park AvenueBaltimore, MD 21217Phone: 410.523.1542Fax: 410.523.5501www.browndowntown.org

TheTidings

daTed MaTerial

address serVice requesTed

non-ProfiT organizaTion u.s. PosTage

PaidbalTiMore, MdPerMiT no. 2610

Good news from