Children, Youth and Music: Wow!
—
Jewel Cannon, Children’s Ministry Associate; Zach Mason, Youth Ministry Associate: We have been thrilled to welcome Jewel and Zach to our ministry team here at First Baptist. They were introduced this past Sunday for the first time; they officially begin their ministries with us this Sunday, August 27th. I’m so grateful to Reverend Andrea Corso Johnson (She will be ordained at FBCD this Sunday!) As our brand new Pastor for Families, it is thanks to her and because of her good connections at McAfee School of Theology that we have been blessed with these two high quality student ministers to begin their work among us. We are truly fortunate. I hope you will continue to join me in welcoming them and all the ministries they will be facilitating here and in our community.
Support and Volunteer Opportunities: Chances are, Andrea or Zach or Jewel will be approaching some of us to volunteer for Children and Youth activities. I hope you will seriously consider ways that you can support them and our growing vision of our church. First Baptist can be a place that not only remains the front lawn of Decatur, but is growing to be the future of Decatur. What better way to do that than to be the place that welcomes, nurtures and loves children, youth and young families. And along with each of them and their new ministries, there is more …
The Children’s Tent at the Farmer’s Market: As many of you know, Shelley Woodruff, our Pastor for Community Engagement, ministers to us and our neighborhood in numerous ways. She weekly coordinates our Fresh Start service, providing numerous creative worship opportunities for that time and space each Sunday. In addition to this and a number of other positive areas of leadership, she is engaging our community, with a really cool, fun and attractive Children’s Tent every other Wednesday afternoon. This happens at The Decatur Farmer’s Market on our FBCD Front Lawn. I had the brief opportunity to assist her a little bit a couple of Wednesdays ago, just trying to help her move all the materials she uses every other week. It was hard work just moving all that cool stuff! She and several others offer crafts and games and entertainment to the children of our community while their parents shop.
If you have never experienced the fun vibes and multiple chances for great food and fresh fruit and veggies, you need to join us on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-6:30 p.m. And what Shelley provides during this time is another kind of community ministry to our area families that is unique. She and those currently helping can also use your support. And of course, there is more …
The Decatur Fine Arts Academy: On August 28th, we will officially welcome our newest partner on our campus, The DFAA, or Decatur Fine Arts Academy. Our own Caroline Owen and Robert Cushing are the dynamic co-directors of this exciting endeavor. Part of our larger and growing vision for FBCD is to continue to have a whole host of excellent opportunities for young families to participate in our community. The DFAA fits that mission perfectly. Almost every day of the week, highly trained teachers with masters degrees and doctorates in music will be teaching children (and some adults!) in all kinds of music and on a variety of musical instruments.
Caroline was teaching piano lessons just over a year ago. Then one evening, she and I began to brainstorm about the potential of a broader, more expansive vision. The idea was to leverage the incredible musical talent we have in our church and our local area and combine that with the tremendous and growing need for affordable music lessons for children in our community. A little later, Caroline and Robert talked and began to dig into the details of how this might be possible.
Now, thanks to their persistence, connections and eye for vital details, that early vision has exploded into an academy of multiple teachers offering high quality lessons on violin, saxophone, viola, percussion, voice, music theory and even composition. And the list of options continues to grow. Word is spreading and so are the terrific opportunities for our church to impact our community in powerful ways. And more …
The Decatur Avondale Children’s Choir: As most of you know, in addition to the Decatur Fine Arts Academy, our own Mark Green, our Pastor to Senior Adults and Youth and Children’s Music continues to grow this vibrant addition to our church family. Every Tuesday afternoon, over one hundred children and many of their parents gather in our Music Suite and Sanctuary. Every week, Mark and his many assistants teach children how to read music, to sing properly, how to harmonize and how to work together in a large choir.
If you have heard them sing in our sanctuary during worship or at one of their concerts, you know that Mark is creating magic. His choirs, made of children from First Grade all the way up to seniors in high school, sing with gusto and with a resonant, well-trained choral sound that astounds. This ministry, again, is the perfect complement to our ardent hopes for young families entering our campus with participation in something truly remarkable. What a joy it is to be here on Tuesday afternoons as the students and their parents begin to arrive. You can feel the energy: children anticipating learning new things, honing a new skill and sharing together with others in making a joyful (and well-trained!) noise.
Music can change the life of a child. Isn’t it thrilling to imagine what Mark, Caroline, Robert, and their assembled colleagues might accomplish in the coming months and years. Add their good work to the ministry of Andrea, Zach, Jewel, and Shelley, and wow!
I hope you’ll join me in a common support for all that is happening, and for the many other blossoming gifts to our church and community that are rising among us. These are exciting days! Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and support.
Love, David
David Jordan
Senior Pastor