On occasion through the years, I've led conferences for ministers of music on a variety of subjects. In recent years, one of their requests has been that I talk about tenure--staying put at the same steeple for a long time. The title of one of those sessions is Traditions That I Hold Dear and Want to Pass On. This is probably a good time for me to review those things to determine how I've done on our corner lo these many years. Here's the list and a bit of explanation--in case you missed it:

1. Hymnody--hymns are full of theology and they are faith-forming. Much of the popular congregational song today is good, but thin by comparison because of limited context. John 3:16 is a wonderful passage of scripture, but, for me, it takes on far greater meaning in the context of John 3:15 and 17 as well as John 2 and 4. Same with hymns.

2. Worship is the most important business of the church. Life, health, and work of a congregation are overflow of her worship. Worship should be planned with care, intention, and focus. Many of you have remarked that our services are coordinated well in terms of sermon, music, flow, pacing, and logistics. That's not an accident; it is a priority.

3. Music education and performance at church is a balance of head and heart, of musical competence and spiritual commitment.

4. The congregation is the most important choir in the church. You are a good choir--the best, if you ask me!

5. "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" has a counterpart: "worship the Lord in the holiness of beauty." Some ways we honor God are with right notes, carefully crafted musical phrases, modest and appropriate presentation, and trying to script "holy moments" where Mystery can be experienced.

6. It is better to build a music team than to rely on a few stars. I'd rather have average people that will work with me in the trenches, than have a few stars that show up on occasion to shoot the winning shot.

7. Teenagers are wonderful people--highly resilient and appreciative of tradition. They are capable of far more than we sometimes expect of them. Ours have not wanted me to be one of them but a decent one of me.

8. Nothing replaces longevity, but it does not trump everything. Tenure that remains productive is good for the individual, good for his/her family, good for the church, and probably good for the Kingdom.

I hope these traditions will be strong foundations on which you can build and solid stepping stones on which you can move forward into the next chapter of music ministry at First Baptist Nashville. Thanks for letting me offer some tradition among you; it will be important for my successor to be allowed that same privilege. It is also important to the church.

Onward!

Retirement Announcement

In October we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Pastor, Frank Lewis, at First Baptist Nashville. It was my privilege to chair the Search Committee that recommended his call. The Committee was charged by the Church to find a pastor who would "preach the Word and pastor the people." The Lord honored our charge in bringing us Frank Lewis.

Pastor Frank and Lori Lewis, circa 1997

I am thankful for our Pastor for many reasons. He without fail preaches the Gospel with clarity and integrity. He is creative and innovative (just visit the Servant Warriors class on Sunday nights and you will see what I mean). Building Bridges is further testament to these traits. He models an authentic personal and family life. Lori and Frank place family in the right priority and set a wonderful example. Ten years ago they, with Lauren and Gregory, were a young family with preschoolers. They have progressed with us to a family with teenagers. One limitation we did learn early on is that Pastor Frank should never be trusted with power tools in the pulpit.

Pastor Frank recently preached from Joshua's leading the children of Israel over the Jordan into the Land of Promise, a "crossover time." As Pastor Frank said, we are at a crossover time. The opportunities for service at First Baptist Nashville have never been brighter. I am thankful for Pastor Frank and look forward to his leadership in this crossover time to new challenges and opportunities to advance the Gospel at First Baptist Nashville.

On September 28-29, thirteen 5th and 6th graders will join in a weekend of making music with 300-400 Young Musicians from across the state of Tennessee. The gathering will happen at Pleasant Heights Baptist Church in Columbia and will include an overnight stay. This will be the third year that this choir has participated in the event, sponsored by the Worship & Music department, Tennessee Baptist Convention.

The boys and girls attending KCC are learning five anthems, chosen by this year's choral director, Terry Taylor, Minister of Music at FBC, Dothan, AL. These include "Abba Father," "Be Still and Know," "Sing Out with Joy," "Psalm of Thanks" and "Born, Born in Bethlehem." Our congregation can look forward to hearing these anthems performed throughout the year by our entire YM Choir. While at KCC, the children will enjoy a pizza supper, several rehearsals, worship experiences, and fun times.

You are invited to join First Baptist Nashville parents in the worship/concert time on Saturday, September 29, Pleasant Heights Baptist Church, Columbia, 2:00 P.M. At publishing time, those attending from FBC are: Will Boling, Caleb Bunn, Mackenzie Carris, Emily Hartzell, Damien Herrera-Sadler, Mary Alex Lanier, Jacob Mathis, Charlotte Payne, Katherine Scudder, Daniel Smith, Emily Stewart, Emily Anne Walker, and Mary Beth White. Leaders and sponsors include: Martha Kirkland, Linda Magill, Angela White, Bob Bunn, and Choir Coordinator Barbara Sanders.

WEDNESDAYS ... 6:00 – 7:15 P.M.

Becoming a Contagious Christian—Room 150
He Speaks to Me—Room 220 (WOMEN)

SUNDAYS ... 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.

Winter Grace—Fellowship Hall
Citizens in the Kingdom—Room 370
Servant Warriors—Rec Center
Financial Peace—Room 140
A Woman’s Heart—Room 360
ParentSmart—Room 300
SMART for Students—Choir Room
Preschool & Children’s Activities

For more information about any of these opportunities, please call 664-6001 or visit firstbaptistnashville.org.

What? Jingle Bells in September?

You think it's too soon to see snowflakes in the media center window and a Father Christmas holding a tray of pine and candles, but they're there to remind you it is once again time for Craft Your Christmas!

And we always provide these classes for you so you can be finished with your project by Thanksgiving. This year we hope you'll make a concentrated effort to invite an unchurched friend to come with you. We'll even help you out with your class fee if you do that!

Not a crafter? No good with your hands? No way you'd ever try "to do that"? These classes are designed for beginners like you who want to but have been afraid to try.

Is crafting in your DNA? Love learning something new? These classes will feed your need.

Looking for a way to get that unsaved friend inside our church walls? These classes provide a great opportunity for your friend to meet Christians having fun--yea, a blast--with each other.

Sometimes it takes a baseball game, a concert, or a craft class to lower the defenses of one who thinks they don't "do church" or Christianity is simply another religion and not for them. If you're willing to do whatever it takes to build a bridge to your unsaved friend, consider that your bridge may begin with an invitation to make a beveled glass wind chime together.

Register! Come! Invite!

Registration will take place on October 14 & 21 in the foyer after worship (fees paid at registration).

Look for brochures all around the church for a listing of classes, fees & times. Fees due at registration.

Your opinion counts! We are providing opportunities in the weeks ahead for church members to offer input and ask questions about the Minister of Music Search Process. Plan to attend one of the following sessions:

» Wednesday, October 10, at 6:10 P.M. in the Fellowship Hall

» Sunday, October 14, at 5:30 P.M. in the Chapel

Members of the Nominating and Personnel Committees will be present in each session. Meetings are also being planned with Chapel and Sanctuary Choirs. Additional listening sessions will be scheduled for early 2008 once the Minister of Music Search Committee has been elected.

Recently at dinner, our son James proclaimed that Pacman (Adam Jones) is his favorite Titans player. I'm certain his interest in Pacman only comes from constantly hearing his name in the news. After all, if he makes the news almost daily, he must be an important player...at least in the mind of a 5-year-old! So we decided to sit down with James and explain, as best we could without crushing his innocence, why Pacman is always in the news. After learning about his really bad choices and how he often breaks rules, James decided to set his sights on admiring another Titan.

In a world where sports icons break the law in night clubs or by operating illegal dog fighting rings and where baseball players use steroids to "bulk up" in order to hit harder or break records, it would seem like any emphasis on sports is too much! However, it's hard to keep our sports-loving sons (and their fathers) away from the game.

We've made the decision to aim at teaching our children the core values in sports: courage, teamwork, fairness, respect, and knowing the rules of a game and following them. Sports can be an important part of life--not because of keeping score or winning and losing, but because of learning how to work together with all types of people on all types of playing fields. Sports can bring people together. It's best to teach our children good sportsmanship early in life, so it's with them as they grow up. As parents, we have to instill our values and morals in their impressionable lives in the midst of what can be a morally deficient sporting world.

Each fall, many new college students come to First Baptist Nashville in search of a church home away from home. These students always provide a fresh energy and perspective, and they offer an amazing connection to the Nashville community. We invite you to get to know these spectacular individuals by participating in our “Adopt-a-Student” program. We will help you get acquainted with a student and support you through an ongoing relationship that will be a blessing to both you and the student. To sign up, please contact Bonnie Holmes at 664-6008 or bonnie.holmes@firstbaptistnashville.org.

Sunday, September 9, God gave our Japanese fellowship a special present as we celebrated our fourth anniversary of Japanese worship at First Baptist. Mr. Toshiyuki Kuboyama was baptized. Just as fresh rain finally returned the "green" to Nashville, Mr. Kuboyama's baptism ended a drought of more than a year since our last baptism. What makes his baptism even more significant is that he is the first Japanese man to be baptized in four years. After witnessing his changed life one Japanese lady said, "Now I have hope for Japan!" You see, Japanese businessmen typically do not return home from work until 10 P.M. on an "early" night. Men simply do not have time to consider spiritual things. Mr. Kuboyama was no different UNTIL he came to Nashville seven months ago. Since coming to church he realized how his self-centered lifestyle overlooked his family. He explained that Japanese men go out to drink with other businessmen at the end of the work day as part of work expectations. What little leisure time he had, he used for hobbies like playing golf. He thought he was just a "normal" guy meeting his primary family responsibility by bringing home the paycheck. Now he knows differently. Now he knows Jesus as his Lord and Savior! FBC family, you are giving us a "window of opportunity" that may be the only chance for many to consider the claims of Jesus. One life at a time we dream to change Japan from Nashville. Thank you!

Birthdays
7 - Tom Crow, executive pastor
7 - Lori Towns, executive pastor’s assistant
11 - Linda Pettus, music secretary
24 - Frank Lewis, senior pastor

Anniversaries
1 - Frank Lewis, senior pastor, 10 years
1 - Tom Crow, executive pastor, 1 year
11 - Nathan Green, custodian, 3 years
18 - Rus Roach, minister of pastoral care, 20 years
26 - Ruben Herrera, custodian, 3 years

Come join us for a Saturday morning stroll with your friends from First Baptist! What better way is there for fellowship than a nice relaxing walk.

This fall we’ll be walking one of Nashville’s best greenways, the Crockett Park/Concord Rd Greenway in Brentwood—it’s a mostly flat, “there and back” trail of 5.2 miles (walk as much of this as you choose)

Bring the kids. Bring the dogs. Walk. Run. Bike. Have fun! Good for your heart, good for your soul!

We will meet at the trailhead adjoining the Brentwood YMCA parking lot at 9 A.M. on October 6.

First Walk, with First Baptist friends, on the first Saturday of October, first thing in the morning...First Walk!

Peacemakers, encouragers, shepherds, unifiers, uplifters, servants, leaders, advisors, exemplifiers of speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity...

Seldom can the above words be used to describe one body of people, but those are the qualifications and descriptions of the Deacons of First Baptist Church.

Sixty church members are elected to four-year terms to share the duties of deacons as outlined in the Deacon Purpose Statement: "Deacons of FBC, individually and collectively, are to prayerfully and consistently undergird and support the mission and ministry of the church through moral, spiritual and servant leadership."

"It's the servant-leadership role that I think is so meaningful to me," said Mary Lea Roselle. She and her husband Richard have enjoyed seeing how being a leader so often means being a servant, as well as interacting with the other deacons because it gives them a chance to "hear about the passions and ministries" of others in the church.

The deacon terms are staggered, so 15 rotate off and 15 more begin new terms in January of each year. The purpose and qualifications of deacons are based on scripture, and areas of service are meant to impact all areas of need in the congregation. Each deacon serves on one of six committees: Baptism, Benevolence, Lord's Supper, Offering, Building Security, and Seminary Student Assistance. All deacons participate in Doorstep Visitation to Sunday visitors.

Deacon election is Sunday, October 21. You may pick up an absentee ballot in the Pastor's Office on Sundays, October 7 and 14, if you will not be present in the October 21 service.

First Baptist reaches out in Germantown/Oktoberfest

How can you help? We hope to meet and minister to ten thousand people at the nearby neighborhood GERMANTOWN OKTOBERFEST on Saturday, October 13. You can play an important role in impacting lives for Christ at the First Baptist outreach table at Oktoberfest in one of two ways:

Runners, start your engines: we encourage you to walk/run in the 5k race on October 13 in Germantown that begins at 8 A.M. The cost is $25 (registration after October 1). Wear an FBC t-shirt to show you are with First Baptist Nashville.

Volunteer to serve at the booth and give away FBC literature and to share with people looking for information and ways to improve their spiritual strength. We will have gifts for everyone who stops by and a drawing for Predator tickets/parking provision to everyone who will register their attendance.

It’s simple—you can sign up for an hour, two hours, or half a day! It will be a perfect opportunity to build bridges!

CONTACT: Tom Hearon, hearon@pobox.com or Lori Towns, 664-6001, lori.towns@firstbaptistnashville.org