During the upcoming month, Second Baptist Church is opening its doors in various ways.
On May 3 and 4, Second Baptist will be hosting the Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast (the regional body of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) Spring Retreat. The theme is advocacy and empowering congregations to do transformative work in their communities and the world. The theme verse is Micah 6:8 – “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Two community concerts are on our schedule:
- Saturday, May 18 – 3 p.m. – Brahms Requiem – conducted by Anthony Ferreira, Director of Music at Second Baptist and director of choral music at Suffield High School. Participants include approximately 70 vocalists and a professional chamber orchestra. A reception is to follow in the church Fellowship Hall. The concert is free to the public, but any donations received will be used to benefit the Second Baptist Church Music Ministry programs.
- Saturday, June 1 – 3 p.m. – Let It Shine – The Cetto Chamber Singers will present their spring concert in the Second Baptist Church sanctuary with a reception to follow. Please join us for this special event!
Other Activities at Second Baptist Church during May:
- Second Baptist Church is hosting American Red Cross Blood Drives on Wednesday, May 8 in our Fellowship Hall. For an appointment, please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Opportunities for strengthening and sharing our faith and Biblical knowledge occur through several small group opportunities:
- Sundays – 9 a.m. – Meditation, Reflection, and Prayer. This is a quiet time for individuals to come together to meditate, read, journal, and pray – an opportunity to try out individual spiritual practices, but surrounded by others providing communal support.
- Special Needs Fellowship – Monday, May 13, 6:30 p.m. This is an outreach program for our friends with cognitive limitations to give them a safe environment for crafts, singing, and fellowship.
- Soup Kitchen Ministry – Saturday, May 11. Serving a meal for anyone in need at the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen at South Congregational Church in Springfield, Mass. If you would like to participate, please call the church office at 860-668-1661.
- Pub Theology – May 29, 6 p.m. at Three Figs Restaurant. This is a space to dive deeply into topics involving faith, meaning, identity, culture, politics, and more! Come bring your questions and your curiosity and pull up a chair. Be ready to engage with people of varying religious traditions, philosophical perspectives, and life experiences.
SAVE THE DATE! Vacation Bible School (VBS) July 8-12 – 9 a.m.-noon
At VBS, kids will dive deep into an amazing undersea adventure where they’ll experience the ever-flowing, never-ending love of God. At Scuba VBS, kids will be immersed in the Word and discover what having God in your life is really all about!
But what exactly is VBS? It is a high-energy, fun, and immersive week where kids are exposed to God using an exciting theme (scuba!). Activities include hands-on science experiments in “Imagination Station.” In “Bible Adventures” kids become a part of the bible stories. There will also be themed snacks, outdoor games, and plenty of singing and dancing.
Parents can register their children aged preschool through fifth grade at secondbaptistsuffield.org. The cost of VBS is $15/child ($30 max per family for the week), but no one will be turned away for inability to pay. We are looking for adults and kids in grades 6-12 to be activity leaders and help with props, decorations, and set-up. VBS is a great way to use those community service hours. If you want to help, call Sue at 860-402-7813. See you there!
Additional information for these and other activities/opportunities at the church is available on secondbaptistsuffield.org, along with our Facebook and Instagram sites. On the website, there are links for the Sunday morning bulletin and “Weekly Wednesday Write-Ups” with upcoming events and updates on the various ministries in the congregation. There is also a link to the church’s YouTube channel for you to participate in past Sunday services.