NEW HOPE M. B. Church 3005 East Ellicott
NEWSLETTER
Tampa, Florida 33610
November 13, 2016
Issue #11
Greetings! Reverend Larry J. Mouton, Jr. Pastor-Elect New Hope M. B. Church
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Family! Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I am both humbled and honored about the offer that has been extended to me to serve in the office of Pastor. After much prayer and consideration, I believe this role is one that the Lord has ordained for me, and I am elated and ecstatic to be chosen to serve the congregation in this manner.
I believe shepherding to be a divine enablement to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and nurture them in spiritual growth, assuming responsibility for their welfare; in addition to counsel and assisting people in their quest for wholeness. I believe teaching provides explanation and application of the Bible that helps people learn God’s purpose for their lives. Upon arrival, I look forward to exploring the Word of God regarding the birth and life of Jesus. My hope is that we will rediscover both the promises and benefits of the abundant and eternal life in Him. I am overjoyed with great anticipation to meet each member of the family, and look forward to the new journey as we labor together in a harmonious fashion to continue the mission of our Lord and King, Christ Jesus!
Church Office: 813-236-3611
Comments to:
[email protected]
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Deacon Ron Peterson, Deacons Board Chairman
THE LORD HAS PROVIDED t h e
Shepherd NHMBC
f o r
To my New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (NHMBC) family, I am prayerful that you feel a sense of joy, excitement and great anticipation surrounding the coming of God’s chosen Shepherd for us, Pastor Larry J. Mouton, Jr.. He will preach his first official sermon as our Pastor on Sunday, December 18, 2016. I believe we have truly been blessed by having Pastor Mouton answer the Lord’s call to plant his roots here at NHMBC. I am praying that we all will be inspired by the Holy Spirit to enthusiastically support Pastor Mouton’s vision for NHMBC, as he shares it with us over time. God has blessed NHMBC with many talented members, now is the time that we need to dedicate and, in some cases, rededicate ourselves to giving of our time, talent and resources to the building of the Kingdom of God at NHMBC and the community where we are stationed. It’s all about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and winning souls for Him (The Great Commission; Matthew 28:19-20). We also need to reach out to that part of the congregation that don’t come as often as they use to; and encourage them to “Come Back Home to NHMBC!”. The Deacons Board wants to thank the NHMBC Family for its continued spirit of unity as a church family, working together for the cause of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are one body of believers, working together in Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 12:12-14, 25-27). The Board has sought to timely and effectively communicate to you as we moved forward with the various actions we have taken. Our goal was to make a sincere effort to communicate with our church family and for our church family to communicate with us. As in any family, we have had our differences, but as born-again Christians, we had the Bible, God’s Holy Word, to provide instructions on how to address issues or concerns that will arise from time to time. It is up to us who say we love the Lord to be obedient to His Word (John 14:15). We thank you for your support and understanding. We want to thank the Associate Ministers, their wives and family. They have stood in the gap and ensured the NHMBC family was fed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you Ministers Bruce Bryant, Ernest Collins, Marcus Jacobs, Charles Perry, James Richardson and Reginald Washington. Thanks to all who have stepped up to proactively help where they could without being asked to do the work of the church. It goes without saying, “Thank You!”, Pastor Search Committee (PSC) for your dedication to this calling over the many months. You are appreciated! Thank you PSC members Deacon Oscar Young, Chairman Deacon Art Akins, Deacon Anthony Cleveland, Deacon Ian Reed (Alternate), Sister Linda Padgett, Sister Barbara Ragin, Sister Lynne Stokes, Brother Andrew Smith and Brother Charles Washington (Alternate). We also thank the Pastors' Salary and Benefits Committee. The members were Deacon James Thompson, Chairman, Deacon James Coleman, Sister Cassandra Herds, Sister Tracy McPhail-Reed and Brother Jice Stokes. It feels like it has been a long and, at times, challenging process to get to this momentous point in the history of NHMBC. Quite frankly, it has been challenging, but through it all you have maintained your faith that the Lord will provide in His own way and time. We just needed to trust in Him. To God be the Glory!
Business Meeting – Voting for Pastoral Candidate On October 20, 2016 in the NHMBC Christian Life Center, church members attended a special called business meeting to vote ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ for the pastoral candidate recommended by the Pastor Search Committee (PSC). Deacon Ron Peterson, Chairman, NHMBC Deacons’ Board and Deacon Oscar Young, Jr., Chairman, PSC, coordinated the meeting. Reverend Dr. Bartholomew Banks, Sr., Pastor, St. John Progressive M. B. Church; President, Progressive M & E Baptist State Convention of Florida, Inc. and Vice President at Large for the National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc. served as the Moderator for the voting portion of the business meeting. Members sang praises and prayed while the votes were tallied. The members voted to offer the position of Pastor, New Hope M. B. Church to Reverend Larry J. Mouton, Jr. of Fort Worth, Texas.
Deacon Ron Peterson, Deacons’ Board Chairman
Devotion Leaders – Deacon Eddie B. Norman & Deacon Willie Hart
Pastor Search Committee – Bro. Charles Washington, Bro. Andrew Smith, Dea. Anthony Cleveland, Sis. Linda Padgett, Dea Oscar Young, Jr., Chairman, Sis. Barbara Ragin, Dea Art Akins, Dea. Ian Reed, Not Pictured: Sis. Lynne Stokes
Moderator for the Evening – Pastor Bartholomew Banks
Counters – Sisters Dorene Barber; Vanderlyn Davis, Administrative Assistant; Mattie Williams, Church Clerk
Praise leaders - Sis. Alice Brown, Dea. Willie Hart, Pastor Banks, Bro. Wilson Robinson Jr., Dea. Huey Mungin. Not pictured: Min. James Richardson, keyboardist
NHMBC Members
Church Office: 813-236-3611
Comments to:
[email protected]
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NHMBC Pastoral Search Committee November Update Deacon L. Oscar Young, Jr. Chairman
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I pray that things are well with you and that your spirits are lifted through the study and application of God’s Holy Word. The Pastoral Search Committee continues to meet weekly in planning mode, prayerfully intent on doing the will of God and for His people; petitioning for the man He has selected to lead New Hope onward and upward. In addition to the usual weekly prayer meeting and Bible Study, the church has held special prayer vigils and encouraged individual prayer warriors to join in getting the atmosphere ready for the arrival of our new Shepherd. Though there is a specially appointed search committee, we understand that God hears everyone’s prayers, and we thank all who are praying with us. The PSC would like to give recognition to Deacon Ron Peterson for his guidance and oversight. We also thank the Budget and Finance, Pastoral Transition, and Trustee Committees for their expertise in pulling together certain pertinent information relative to this process. Also, we thank you, the Body, for your attendance at the various activities during the four-day visit by pastoral candidate Reverend Larry J. and Mrs. (Reba) Mouton, Jr. We thank you for the warm reception given at sessions with Deacons, Trustees, PSC meet & greet, Youth forum, Bible Study, and the Town Hall Meeting. Special thanks for your presence at the spiritually electrifying October 9th Sunday Worship service where Reverend Mouton, Jr. preached “The Just Shall Live by Faith” (Habakkuk 2: 1-4). For those who were not able to witness this event, please contact Sister Dorene Barber, media ministry member for a CD of that service. You will be blessed! That Sunday was reminiscent of times past when we had to put chairs in the isles to accommodate worshippers. Some may have observed that the main sanctuary was filled to capacity requiring us to move additional individuals to the Willis Assembly wing, and then on into the Christian Life Center! We were also grateful to have Pastor Emeritus, Reverend Dr. T. W. Jenkins in our midst. When the Benediction was pronounced, I was reminded of a familiar passage of Scripture found in Luke 24:32 (KJV): “And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” I’m sure, just as I answered “Yes, Lord!”; so did others. By now, you are aware that the voice of the people on Thursday evening, October 20, 2016 resoundingly confirmed Reverend Larry James Mouton, Jr. to be the next pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church! There are still a few more loose ends to tie up, and we will update you as the process is finalized. Please be alert for new information and updates by our church clerk via One Call Now messages and weekly announcements. Questions may be directed to your Ward Deacon, or to any member of the PSC. Meanwhile, be blessed, and be a blessing to someone else every day! In His service, Yours in Christ, Deacon Oscar L. Young, Jr. Chairman, Pastoral Search Committee
Church Office: 813-236-3611 Comments to:
[email protected]
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2016 Annual Mission Day Supporting Local and Foreign Missions The Annual Mission Day was observed on October 16, 2016. NHMBC Missionaries who travel to Jamaica in July 2016 were the program participants at the 10:55 am worship service. Minister Bruce Bryant preached the Gospel. Reverend Dr. Bartholomew Banks, Sr., Choir #3 and members of St Johnson Progressive M. B. Church were the guests at the 6:00 p.m. worship service. Reverend Banks brought the Gospel message. Special thanks to Sister Mable Riley and her culinary committee for the delicious refreshments served after the worship service.
Minister Bruce Bryant, NHMBC Associate Minister; Reverend Bartholomew Banks, Pastor, St John Progressive M. B. Church, Minister Marcus Jacobs, NHMBC Associate Minister
Church Office: 813-236-3611 Comments to:
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Mistresses of Ceremonies: Sister Deborah Barnes @ 11 a.m. , Sister Marcia Agee @ 6 pm. Both women served on the 2016 mission team to Jamaica.
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Introducing… Sister Hazel Stephens NHMBC’s Interim Minister of Music
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path.”
I’ve made this verse personal, as it applies to me, because I do trust in the Lord with all my heart. I have learned that when we think our work is done, God says “I have something more for you to do.” The Interim Minister of Music position that God has placed me in is evidence of that. To have the opportunity to promote unity among our choirs, and to hear them sing and do greater things, is a yearning of mine. The Choirs of New Hope can do great things and I want to contribute to that greatness. I will coordinate with the directors and musicians of choirs and praise teams, to provide appropriate music for worship services, funerals, and revivals. I will also provide musical leadership for special church programs, engagements, workshops and events. My musical background could have led me on a different path, especially with my love for and study of classical piano. As children, we attended Church Services and BYPU (later changed to BTU) on Sundays, Bible study on Wednesday nights, and choir practices on Thursdays. My mother was the church musician in our hometown Baptist church and she sang in a 4-women Gospel Quartet Group. We did a lot of travelling in those days around Pennsylvania and West Virginia, singing with noted musicians like Shirley Caesar, Swan Silvertones, Inez Andrews just to name a few. During that time, my sister and I sang in a local gospel group called the Silverlettes, and traveled with our parents. However, God had a different plan for me. I worked as a secretary in the federal government in Washington, D.C., continued my Baptist training by singing in choirs and playing the piano at various churches before moving to Boston, Massachusetts. In Boston, I played for an African Methodist Episcopal church. My family moved to Florida and I continued to play the piano for churches in Plant City and Tampa. I came to New Hope Missionary Baptist Church over 45 years ago to play for a choir, and I’ve been a member of New Hope since then. I love my church family. I am married to Ulysses Stephens, who is a member of the Adult Choir, Male Chorus, and Praise Team. I have three lovely daughters, Raeena and Bobbie Hargrove, members of the Gospel Chorus and Praise Team, Elaina Gibson, member of the Gospel Chorus, and a wonderful son, Ricardo Hargrove. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.
Church Office: 813-236-3611 Comments to:
[email protected]
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Youth Ministry
Family Fall Festival Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
The Youth Ministry hosted a Family Fall Festival for the community and the NHMBC family on Saturday, November 5, 2016 on NHMBC’s campus. The focus of this event was ‘Family’- family photos, family prayer, family bakeoff, family basketball, family scrap-booking, family tug-of-war, family meal and the finale was a concert by the children and youth on the steps of Christian Life Center. The attendees were greeted with an opportunity to take a family photo which was immediately printed for scrapbooking by Sister Sophia Russ. The scrapbooking activity was phenomenal! Sister Lorraine Cleveland coordinated this activity. Members, young and old, created beautiful keepsakes. Adults and children spent time discussing the importance of ‘giving thanks’ in several mini round-table discussions. The exchange of testimonies and wisdom was powerful. The importance of prayer in the family cannot be over emphasized. The family prayer room/closet was coordinated by Sister Gloria Moore. The attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch from Gino’s Restaurant coordinated by Sister Wanda Russ.
Bake-off The judges for the Bake-off were Brothers Ronald Curry, R. C. Jenkins, Reggie Benton, and Deacon L. James Lamb (not pictured). Bake-off contestants were Sisters Betty Coleman, Belinda Lawson, Mary Teal, Elma Williams and Deacon Ron Peterson (winner) 8 Church Office: 813-236-3611
Comments to:
[email protected]
Youth Ministry Family Fall Festival
Thanks to Deacons’ Board, Deaconess & Ministers Wives, Women Intermediate Auxiliary and Greeters’ ministries for their gift basket donations that were used as door prizes.
The Community Youth Choir blessed the audience with five selections - Great God by Deitrick Haddon, Everybody Clap Your Hands by Joshua's Troop, He is Wonderful by Revelation 19:1, Worship Medley by Tye Tribbett , and The Anthem by William Murphy, Bro. Marcellus Jacobs sang lead on The Anthem. There were two guest musicians for the concert. Jamarian Carter, pianist and Timothy Gadsen, organist. Other musicians include Min. Charles Perry, drums, Bro. Tim Langston, bass guitar and Min. James Richardson, pianist.
Church Office: 813-236-3611
Comments to:
[email protected]
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Autopsy of a Deceased Church disagreements. The spiritual health and maturity of both the Pastor and church determines the severity of the conflicts and challenges.
Chapter 8 – Pastoral Tenure Decreases By Deacon Ron Peterson
It is self-evident that Pastors and their leadership are vital to churches. The problem is that many good leaders are leaving churches before they reach their prime leadership years at a church. In those churches that eventually closed their doors, Pastors came and went every two to three years. Declining churches would call a new Pastor with the hope that the Pastor could lead the church back to health. The Pastor comes and leads the church in a few changes. The members don't like the changes and resist. The Pastor becomes discouraged and leaves. One Pastor wrote, “He was aware that there had been a pattern of Pastors leaving this church every two to three years. He felt he could make a difference and change that pattern. He was wrong. The Pastor Search Committee told him they were ready for a leadership change; they were ready to move in another direction. The Pastor began suggesting small changes after he got there, and all hell broke loose! He asked one member of the search committee why they were so resistant to change, especially since they seem to say otherwise. He said they told him they didn't mean that kind of change, whatever that meant.
Year 4 and 5: Crossroads, part 1. The most critical period in the relationship. If the conflict was severe, the Pastor will likely leave or be forced out. On the other hand if the relationship during conflict was managed well, the church and Pastor could look forward to the best years ahead. Years 6 to 10: Fruit and Harvest. Some of the most fruitful years during this period of time. Both parties have worked through the tough times. They now trust each other. Years 11 and beyond: Crossroads, part 2. During this stage the Pastor will either seek to continue to reinvigorate as a leader or ready to tackle new challenges and cast new visions or he will become resistant to change and become complacent. The majority of Pastors usually left in the second stage, Conflicts and Challenges. When these Pastors initiated or suggested changes, there was fierce resistance. They did not see much hope based upon the patterns and history of the church so they left.
The author, refers to the general stages of years of tenure of a Pastor in a mature church. Year 1: Honeymoon. Both Pastor and Church have a blank slate and they enter the relationship hoping and believing the best about each other. Year 2 and 3: Conflicts and Challenges. No Pastor or church is perfect. There will be differences and
Prayer Commitment 8 God, please give our Pastor a heart and a vision to reach and minister to people beyond our own walls. Teach me to be the kind of church member who encourages and supports our Pastor, so discouragement and disillusionment does not lead to departure.
Church Office: 813-236-3611 Comments to:
[email protected]
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Dr. Lauren J. Barnes 2016 Mission Trip to Jamaica with Mission Revival Christian Ministries NHMBC sponsored nine missionaries to travel to Jamaica from July 16-23, 2016 on the annual foreign mission trip. This trip is in cooperation with Mission Rival Christian Ministries founded by Reverend Ken Sharpe and Sister Mervina Sharpe. NHMBC Missionaries supported Westgate Hills Baptist Church’s Vacation Bible School as teachers and helpers. They also spent a day sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in a local marketplace.
NHMBC 2016 Missionaries • Marcia Agee • Deborah Barnes, NHMBC Foreign Mission Coordinator • Nailah Barnes • Francis Curry • Vanderlyn Davis • Stella Ling • Danielle Long • Je’Maria Newsom • Xaykevia Stribling
July 16- 23
Activity
Day 1 - Saturday
Departed New Hope for Orlando Airport for travel to Jamaica
Day 2 - Sunday
Attended Sunday School and Worship Service at Westgate Hills Baptist Church, Rev Francis, Pastor. Mission Team met with Rev & Mrs. Sharpe to plan weekly activities –VBS Theme: “Eternal Life is a Gift”
Day 3 – Monday
VBS
Day 4 – Tuesday
VBS
Day 5 - Wednesday
VBS
Day 6 – Thursday
Street Evangelism – in the market
Day 7 – Friday
Tour Day
Day 8 – Saturday
Travel back home
NHMBC Youth on 1st Mission Trip
Vanderlyn
Church Office: 813-236-3611 Comments to:
[email protected]
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Erin D. Ravenel Congratulations to Erin Danielle Ravenel. She graduated from Florida A&M University with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management, Cum Laude, on August 5, 2016. Erin is the daughter of Eugene and Pamela Ravenel.
Ryan Anderson Congratulations to Ryan Anderson! He is a very promising right handed pitcher on Florida A&M University’s baseball team. He participated in a baseball camp at the Strasburg Express this summer. The Strasburg Express is part of the Valley Baseball League, an MLB supported collegiate summer baseball club, located in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Ryan is the son of Reggie & Toni Anderson
Join NHMBC for
Thanksgiving Day Worship Services
Communion Service 1st Sunday @ 6 pm
on November 24, 2016 @ 10:00 a.m. Mixed Usher Board and Choir
Community Mission Outreach THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR THE HOMELESS Monday, November 21, 2016 11 am in NHMBC Christian Life Center Contact Sis. Linda Padgett by 11/16 if you will donate a dessert for the meal
Church Office: 813-236-3611 Comments to:
[email protected]
Send your questions, comments or concerns to deacons@newhope tampa.org 12
