Page 1 - CBFK SUMMER Newsletter 2020 flip

What I’m Lear
ning A
bout
Challenges in Morocco
SUMMER w 2020
During Our Pandemic
There is an elephant in the room.
And it is sitting right on top of everything.
by Bob Fox,
CBF Kentucky Coordinator
The time has come for our summer newsletter. The newsletter where we try to highlight all of the good work that CBFKY is doing in our state, nation
and world. An issue that would highlight missions personnel, social service efforts and recap our Spring Gathering.
But there is an elephant in the room.
And it is sitting right on top of everything. The trunk has grabbed the front doors of our homes and held them tight. One tree trunk leg is planted directly in front of the church sanctuary and refuses to move.
It sits on our chests bringing physical malady and sadly even death in our midst.
So what do you do when an elephant is in the room? Ignore it? Talk about it? Wish it would go away?
Here’s what CBFKY is doing with the el- ephant in the room.
We are learning from it.
We are learning to pray more. We are learning to trust in God more. We are learning that church is not just a Sunday morning activity. We are learning to listen to those on the margins to whom the ele- phant is not an inconvenient interruption but an existential threat. We are learning the importance of pastoral care and how to be flexible in providing it.
A number of our leaders have been asked to reflect on what they are learning in spe- cific areas of ministry, worship and missions during this elephantine pandemic. Their powerful and
insightful musings follow.
We have been careful to say “learning” as this moment is not over and the lessons we take now may need to be revised and re- visited in the future. But for now, here is what we are learn- ing about God and each other in the
time of Covid-19.
IN THIS ISSUE
• An Elephant in the Room
• What I Am Learning About _________________________________________________
During Our Pandemic
– Youth Ministry
– Lay Ministry
– Children’s Ministry
– Worship
– Pastoral Care
– Church Ministry
– Resiliency
– Seminary Education
– Rural Poverty
– Immigrant Ministry
– Community
– CBFKY
– Unique Challenges In
Morocco
– Music Ministry
– Working With Partners
• Welcome New Pastor
A matter of timing...
This publication has a fairly substantial amount of time between con- ception and production. I mention the elephant in the room in my article. The elephant of Covid is now being overshadowed by the ele- phant of America’s original sin racism. The failure to talk about the vi- olence done to black Americans by authorities in this issue is a matter of timing, not a matter of timidity. Baptists stand with those who have been degraded, damaged, dehumanized and sadly even killed due to prejudice and bigotry. We will be talking a lot about this elephant in weeks to come. For the time being, please be in prayer for the safety of both those who protest and those who are wielded as the blunt in- struments of power. Pray that we will all work together to help God’s kingdom to come on earth with peace and justice for all people.