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SUMMARY:And On This Day\, Communities Were Born
DESCRIPTION:A consistent and welcomed question over the years from members old and new has been\, “How can I get directly involved with the good work of the Alliance?”   The answer to that question is to join or form an Alliance community. \nWhat is a community?  A “community” is birthed by one or several Alliance members who feel called to a particular ministry or area of interest.  This member(s) then “sounds the call” to form a community in order to organize for ministry and action.  The goal is to provide a place of belonging for Alliance members who seek a wider engagement with the Church and the world.\nHow do I join a community?  Each community will have a contact person who has agreed to facilitate at least the first two conference calls of a community for which a call has been sounded.  Email the contact person and start sharing your ideas and or enthusiasm around that particular ministry!\nHow will the community gather?  Initially\, the community would gather via conference calls\, blogs or email.  There will also be specific time allocated for communities to meet face to face at all future Alliance convocations (the next convocation is in Louisville\, KY from April 28-May 1\, 2011).\nWhat resources can the Alliance offer the community?   You will be able to publicize information about your community in connections and on the Alliance web site.  You will be given access to the Alliance’s conference calling system.  Exhibit space will be available at the annual convocation. \nHow do I “sound the call” for a new community?  Forward to Mary Andreolli at mary@allianceofbaptists.org [mailto\:mary@allianceofbaptists.org] a brief description of your idea or area of interest and she will publicize your “call” in the next issue of connections. \n****************************\nAn opportunity to “sound a call” was given to members during the annual meeting at this year’s convocation at Asilomar.  Twelve\, yes 12\, people stepped forward to say that they were moved by the Spirit to sound a call!  If you share a passion around any of these ministries or areas of interest\, you are invited to respond to the contact person listed. \nCommunity for Students & Campus Ministry - This community seeks to provide support for students in undergraduate\, graduate\, and seminary life and empower them to be a progressive Christian voice in their communities.  We will help students explore their vocational calling\, engage their faith through social justice and service opportunities\, and nurture holistic growth.  Additionally\, we will seek to strengthen connections between colleges\, seminaries\, and local congregations directly and indirectly affiliated with the Alliance. Contact Eric Cain at cainericm@yahoo.com [mailto\:cainericm@yahoo.com].\nCreative and Collaborative Worship Community- Worship services that celebrate inclusivity and the diversity that make up our congregations with creativity are a joy for all participants and worthy of our Creator. How we develop such worship experiences is the question. This community is for dreamers\, people who stretch the boundaries of the traditional 11 AM hour on a Sunday morning. Let’s develop a clearinghouse of ideas and how-tos for building creative and collaborative worship experiences. Contact Mary Jo Crawford at maryjo47@bellsouth.net [#_top#_top].\nPastoral Leadership Community– This community is for those men and women currently serving in a pastoral role in an Alliance congregation.  We will seek ways to provide support\, fellowship and professional development for clergy.  Contact Mike Castle at mdcastle@aol.com [mailto\:mdcastle@aol.com].\nCommunity on Spirituality and the Environment- The idea that this theme might form the basis for a community within the Alliance arose from our  meeting in convocation at Asilomar which is set in a forest on California’s Monterey Bay where earth\, sea and sky come together in mostly unspoiled natural harmony.  Many of us have had similar experiences and insights in other settings that bring together great natural beauty\, strength and inspiration. Many of them are under increasingly serious threat due to global warming and related causes. So are many other places\, perhaps not so scenic or clearly meaningful\, but where tens of millions of people live\, work\, play and experience community with one another and with G-d*. Contact John Shippee at John.Shippee@hotmail.com [mailto\:John.Shippee@hotmail.com].\n*Dash used to recognized the infinitude and undefiniabily of the De-ty.   \nWomen in the Church Community - This community will gather around the themes of supporting\, promoting\, and connecting women.  I envision the community functioning as a patchwork quilt of support and encouragement through an increased network of fellow women in church.  Also\, I hope for it to be a practical help for those women engaged in church life.  The community will also be deliberate about the work of promoting the role of women in church life and leadership.  Contact Mandy England Cole at sardismandy@aol.com [mailto\:sardismandy@aol.com].\nCuba Community - Given the Alliance’s commitment to its partnership with the Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba and to improving US policy toward Cuba\, this community will serve to promote and support the establishment of more partnerships between the churches of both countries.  It will facilitate communication and collaboration among Alliance churches that have existing sister churches in Cuba. Additionally\, the community will serve to inform the wider Alliance community about US policy issues affecting Cuba\, its people\, and US citizens and encourage active participation when appropriate. Contact April Baker at aprilbaker@glendalebaptist.org [mailto\:aprilbaker@glendalebaptist.org].\nOutreach & Communications Community- Are you passionate about the stories of the Alliance of Baptists?  Do you enjoy writing?  Are you skilled at editing?  Is photography something in which you take pleasure?  If you answered yes to any of these questions\, join us as we tell the stories of the Alliance. Contact Laura Mayo at laura@covenanthouston.org [mailto\:laura@covenanthouston.org].\nCommunity for Justice in Palestine & Israel -This community will seek to follow the model of 1st Century Jesus by “speaking truth to power” in 21st Century Palestine and Israel. The pursuit of justice will be based on building meaningful relationships between and among all people\, using the definition given to us by Martin Luther King\, Jr.\, “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice\, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” This community will work for justice in Palestine and Israel by raising awareness about the current situation there\, sponsoring trips/pilgrimages to the Holy Land\, networking with other like minded faith-based groups\, and advocating the pursuit of justice with elected policy makers. We believe that if justice exists\, peace will be found. Contact GJ Tarazi at GJ@tarazi.net [mailto\:GJ@tarazi.net] or Dona Smith-Powers at donamaysp@sbcglobal.net [mailto\:donamaysp@sbcglobal.net].\nClergy Recognition Community– This community is made up of lay and clergy persons for the purposes of supporting Alliance clergy as they move through the Clergy Recognition Process.  Clergy Recognition confirms that a clergy person is in good standing with the Alliance and provides them with a professional denominational identity.  It also allows clergy to be a part of the Search and Call Process.  Members of the community will work closely with the Minister for Leadership Formation to support and connect recognized clergy in creative and evolving ways and encourage their on-going participation and accountability in the life of the Alliance. Contact Leah Lonsbury at leahlonsbury@gmail.com [mailto\:leahlonsbury@gmail.com].\nCommunity for Sustaining the Alliance through Time\, Talent\, and Treasure - This community will work towards financial and volunteer service to sustain the Alliance.   We will share the good news of the Alliance through cards\, calls\, and visits.  We will meet and encourage new folks through email\, Facebook\, and  Twitter.   We will send cards of appreciation to folks who support the Alliance.  We will donate our creativity for revenue enhancement – art\, poetry\, music\, pottery\, quilting\, woodwork and the list is limitless . . .     We are the folks who are passionate about financial viability of our faith community for the sustaining of ministries and missions around the world.  Contact Ann Charles-Craft at acharles@vcu.edu [mailto\:acharles@vcu.edu].\nSpiritual Life Community- For a spiritual life is simply a life in which all that we do comes from the centre\, where we are anchored in God\: a life soaked through and through by a sense of God’s reality and claim\, and self-given to the great movement of God’s will. (Evelyn Underhill) We will be searching for the personal and communal stories toward the spiritual life. How do you embrace the spiritual life? Are you in a community that fosters the spiritual practices? What does the community look like? What are you reading? What are you practicing? Who is with you on this journey? How has your life changed? How has the world around you changed? What is your spiritual friendship factor with Jesus? Join our community. Offer your story. Contact Ken Meyers at kjm@knollwood.org [mailto\:kjm@knollwood.org].\nPeace & Justice Community- Can "advocacy" in the political world be a spiritual practice?  For some of us\, the work of advocacy is our response to God&#39\;s call to discipleship.  The Peace & Justice Community will work with many ecumencial and interfaith groups who advocate for peace and justice on Capitol Hill.  We will share our information with Alliance members through the ClearVoice network and other resources.  Join us in working for those whose voices are not heard in our political discourse\; or to help the Alliance lift its voice for peace & justice\; or to work ecumenically for justice in our land and in our time.  Contact Carol Blythe at blythe-goodman@comcast.net [mailto\:blythe-goodman@comcast.net].\n
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