“It’s a Small World” comes to Richmond, Virginia

Story by Chris Hillman. Photos provided by Chris Hillman, Mark Larson and Louis Watts.

If you recall Disney’s “It’s a Small World,” you might feel its theme of joyous international unity and world peace may be in the only place it works – the dream world of an amusement park. But at First Baptist there is a place where such lofty themes are being lived out.

Through FBC’s Ministry of Invitation, very special relationships are nurtured with Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) more than 1500 international students, from some 96 countries. Volunteer opportunities include being a conversation partner once or twice a month, temporarily hosting a student in your home, and building lasting relationships.

My family now enjoys one of those relationships. Pamela Haney, VCU’s Student Engagement Coordinator, introduced me to Aso Quadir from Iraq. We began with brief telephone conversations, then lunch meetings, and ultimately family gatherings with my wife and six-year-old son, and Aso’s wife and two small children.

Pam’s guidance also led us to a different kind of hosting. Last year my wife, Resa, and I shared our home with 20-year-old Abdullah Alhumaid from Saudi Arabia. He was excited about living with a real American family while at school. Abdulla warmed our hearts and quickly became a welcomed addition to our family. We met his parents via Skype and will always remember Abdulla’s mother looking at Resa and with tears in her eyes, whispering, “May God bless your heart for opening your loving home and being an American mother to my son while he is away from us.” Then Abdullah introduced her to our son, Chasen, “Please meet my new American little brother.” Our family and theirs have grown in so many ways!

Wonderful friendships continue to grow through FBC’s relationship with VCU’s international students. Ralph Starling, FBC’s Associate Pastor for the Ministry of Invitation, and members Louis and Linda Watts and Mark and Carrie Larson led summer activities including meals, trips to Virginia Beach, and a 4th of July picnic. Varied events are planned for the fall.

When a very appreciative international student asked Ralph why he shared his time and energy, he replied, “We’re just here to love you the same way that God loves you. We want you to feel welcomed in America, to help you have lots of fun, and make great friends!”

We can’t know all the results of these conversations and dinners, of sharing our homes and our lives. But we can be sure that the world is indeed smaller for us, for First Baptist, and for a number of VCU’s international students.

See related story:  A little more like the Kingdom of Heaven

Author’s note: Aso recently graduated and returned home to the Kurdish city of Irbil. Numerous atrocities have been committed in that city with the intent of driving out the Christian community. This distresses Aso, who is a devout Muslim, because he has many Christian friends in his home town. Please pray for the safety of both the Christians and Aso’s family.

Editor’s note: To be involved in this ministry, contact any of the following:
Louis and Linda Watts (804-794-9630)
Mark and Carrie Larson (804-658-4972)
Ralph Starling (804-307-4376)

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Chris Hillman is in his third year at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. He, his wife, Resa, and son, Chasen, have been part of Richmond’s First Baptist Church since 2011; he is currently serving as an intern in FBC’s Ministry of Invitation. Chris previously worked with the National Geographic Society, so ministering to international students comes naturally to him.

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Engaging the Spirit

By Katie Smith. Photos by Paul Bickford and Win Grant.

“First Connection” is the jazzy new moniker for the revamped membership process at First Baptist Church. My husband and I took our time joining the church—around two years. By the time we decided to take the leap, we luckily got to be in one of the first groups to go through First Connection.

In some ways, we were expecting to need an extra cup of coffee to make it through a church history lesson mixed in with membership requirements. However, our real experience was delightfully different. First Connection is a four-part process, plus attendance at one membership luncheon (offered three times a year). All sessions are offered during the Sunday school hour and after the 11 a.m. service, conveniently.

(1) On the first and fifth Sundays of the month, prospective members can attend an “In-House Coffee” to get to know others who are also new to the church, in a casual setting, in the Adams Room. In this way, a sense of community begins.

(2) On the second Sunday of the month, prospective members have the chance to mingle with the ministers. (In our case, we skipped the mingling, and found the opportunity to corner two ministers and ask them some of the tough questions on our minds about being Baptists. The ministers handled it very gracefully.)

3) The third Sunday was arguably my favorite — The “Tour de First Baptist.” Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine our church had so many floors, so many nooks and crannies, and so much SPACE. We toured everything from the choir room to the middle school hangout to the beautiful chapel used by our deaf congregants, and I was astounded.

(4) On the fourth Sunday, prospective members are encouraged to “Jump into the Pool” by listening to an overview of FBC’s myriad Sunday Bible study offerings. Due to the size of the church, these groups are typically arranged around age, giving people a sense of belonging in a large congregation.

Finally, the luncheon. Baptists love a good luncheon, and I can confirm the food was excellent. More importantly, the speakers were quite impactful. Surrounded by portraits of First Baptist pastors from the church’s rich history, we were welcomed by Sharon Brittle, learned about the history and mission of the church from Steve Booth and Lynn Turner, and heard a bit about the membership process from Louis and Linda Watts, and Hanna Zhu. These speakers did not use note cards – they spoke from their hearts. They believe in FBC, and they made us feel welcomed again into a warm and loving community.

The decision to join a church seems monumental to me. There are so many churches to choose from in Richmond, so many programs and offerings, so much doctrine. Therefore, the process of becoming a member of any church must be informative; more importantly, though, it must connect the visitor to the spirit of the church. When the spirit is engaged, the visitor can transition into a committed congregant, a caring volunteer, and a loving member of a community. “First Connection” touches on both – the objective aspects of our church, and the spiritual ties that bind us together and welcome others in.

The spirit of First Baptist Church is clear. FBC is essentially a diverse group of individuals who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for our sins, and rose again, giving us the hope of eternal life. In First Connection, visitors come to understand this essential truth through the experience of community, conversation, hospitality, and teaching.

See related story: A grand tour returns to Monument and Boulevard.

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Water the Roots

Story by Nancy Mairs.

You most likely have received your blue and green “Water the Roots” brochure in the mail encouraging you to spend some time praying about what you can do to “water the roots” of Richmond’s First Baptist Church (FBC) through your participation, giving of your time and financial resources so that our church can continue to bear abundant fruit. May sound a little heady, and you may decide, like almost 60% of the congregation, to just ignore the challenge and turn your attention to the demands of everyday life. But before you do, take a minute to think about the rich history of our church, and how we enjoy today the work that has occurred through the firm commitment of others who have gone before us over the past 234 years, who have taken seriously the challenge to invest themselves in “watering the roots” of First Baptist.

And, to bring it closer to home, think about Ollie Wells. As Steve Booth, Associate Pastor, Ministry of Formation, explained, “In 2013, Ollie found himself in the unique position of participating on both the Generosity Team and being the chairman of the Budget Team. He had the dream of seeing a higher level of participation during FBC’s 2014 Generosity Team Emphasis. Of course, it would be great to see each card come back with a commitment to give a certain amount of money to the church in the coming year, but Ollie’s real dream was to see more people make any sort of commitment.”

With that vision in mind, Steve began to think about making the annual Generosity Team Emphasis more significant to our congregation. It all began to come together during a church staff meeting when the idea for “watering the roots” was mentioned as a way to think about the budget process and the metaphor was connected to 1 Corinthians 3:6. In the NIV translation of the Bible, the verse reflects Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” When he heard this verse, Steve saw the progression as a reflection of how our church has grown over the years. “When you think about it,” Steve explained, “God planted the seed of what has become our beloved church in the hearts of a small group of believers meeting in downtown Richmond in 1780, and the members have watered that seed through acts of service, faithful giving, and a commitment to outreach over the subsequent 234 years! What could be a better way to ‘water the tree’ that God has given us … the First Baptist ‘tree’ … than to ask for the congregation’s help in continuing the work that God began.”

Steve went on to explain why November 16th is such an important date in the life of our church. This is the day that has been designated as “Consecration Sunday.” “Just look at Webster’s dictionary and you’ll see the significance of the word ‘consecration’ and why it is so appropriate to use for this year’s Generosity Team Emphasis. Consecration means to set apart as holy, to devote to a sacred or serious purpose,” Steve explained. And what could be more set apart as holy and devoted to a sacred purpose than the work being done at FBC. “This rich word explains what the Generosity Team Emphasis is all about,” continued Steve. “There’s an interdependency of many people with many gifts, which become more powerful when done in concert with others.”

Don’t you want to be a part of the action? Take your “Water the Roots” commitment card, put it in a place where you will see it every day, and start praying now about what you can do to be a part of the action here at First Baptist. And, don’t forget to fill out the card and turn it in on Consecration Sunday, November 16th. Invest your time, energy, and financial resources here to help “water the roots” of First Baptist and who knows how we will be remembered 234 years from now!

First Baptist Ministry & Missions Budget for 2015

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