Whether rich or poor, the holidays are a time to come together and support each other. This year, Commonwealth Baptist Church wanted to
reach out to a local neighbor to ensure their family had an opportunity to celebrate Christmas. In partnership with NOVAM, Commonwealth Baptist Church provided tree ornaments, a Christmas meal and presents for a single working mother and her five children. Church families purchased a gift from the NOVAM family’s wishlist, which included toys for the children and basic necessities like socks and t-shirts. The church youth helped to wrap the gifts and the three large garbage bags full of presents were delivered to the family living just down the street from the church. The partnership between NOVAM and Commonwealth Baptist Church ensured that one hard working single mother living with HIV /AIDS didn’t have to worry about gifts under the tree or dinner for her five children. It also reminded us that even a small church can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors. (This article was published in NOVAM News, Winter 2011)

Nearly 12, 000 people in the DC metro area do not have homes. More than 40% of homeless people are families and about 1 in 4 are children. Fannie Mae has partnered with community shelters to raise funds to assist these families. Commonwealth Baptist Church raised over $500 for ALIVE! House, which serves women and families in need of adequate shelter in Alexandria, VA. Fannie Mae offered an additional $10,000 to ALIVE! House if they were able to register 550 walkers for the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walk. To support that goal, Commonwealth Baptist Church had over 25 people registered to walk or as “virtual walkers” on behalf of ALIVE!. Saturday was a beautiful warm day and 7 church members and their 2 babies joined us for a 2.5 mile walk around the National Mall. Current ALIVE! House residents and their children joined us and several thousand other people dedicated to making a difference in the community.

The Commonwealth Baptist Church "Help The Homeless" Walkers!

Even the youngest among us joined in the walk!

CBC Walkers Are Greeter By "Help the Homeless" Cheerleaders!

Congregation Family,

Each year ALIVE! House, a local shelter for homeless families, earns 1/3 of its budget from the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walk. If ALIVE! House has 550 people sign up to walk for them they earn an additional $10,000! Last year, they were short of their 550 walkers goal by just 9 people! Let’s show ALIVE! House how much Commonwealth Baptist Church cares about their work to provide a safe place for homeless families by signing up to walk.

There are just 5 easy steps to sign up!

1. Go to this website: www.helpthehomelessdc.org

2. Click the “Register to Walk” button.

3. YOU MUST Select ALIVE! from the drop down menu for it to count towards the ALIVE! walker count. After selecting ALIVE! click “GO”

4. Select how you want to register: individual, family or as a virtual walker.

5. Follow the directions – provide your credit card information- and you are done!

Please invite your friends, neighbors and others! If you have any questions, please reach out to me via phone (202-997-5861) or email (amberLherman@gmail.com).

Sincerely,
Amber Herman, Chair of the Social Justice and Service Team
Chris and Scott, Commonwealth Baptist Church Representatives for the ALIVE! Congregation Board

Church community,

We will be giving a presentation and leading a discussion with the congregation this Sunday morning from 9:45-10:45 in the fellowship hall regarding the different prospects we have for domestic and international mission trips this coming summer 2011.  This meeting is open to everyone and we are strongly encouraging all the Sunday school classes to take a week off and join us for this discussion.

The following five summer mission options have garnered interest from people in our church community and will be presented on Sunday:

• International
• Congo
• Haiti
• Honduras

• Domestic
• Appalachian Service Project
• Native American Reservation in South Dakota
• Baltimore/Washington, D.C.
  

The purpose of the presentation will be to learn more about each of the mission opportunities, and since we obviously can’t support all five of these projects this year the purpose of our discussion will be to try and discern which one of these mission projects makes the most sense for us to collectively sponsor as the summer mission opportunity for the whole church.

I’m sure that it will be an exciting conversation!

All are welcome – No exceptions.

We look forward to seeing you all there,

Rev. Ben Boswell and Amber Herman, Social Justice and Service Chair

It is fall again and we are getting ready to kick off a full year for the Social Justice and Service Team!

This year the team will be planning more service activities, integrating justice themes into worship services, and reaching out to the broader community to join their voices in speaking out against injustice. We  are also working to improve our communication with the church and community through frequent website updates and newsletter information.

The Fall 2010 Kick Off Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 12:15 PM in the Dorkus Classroom at Commonwealth Baptist Church. All are welcome.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Social Justice and Service team, please contact the Social Justice and Service Chair, Amber Herman at amberLherman@gmail.com.

Come join us at 7pm Wednesday night for a FREE screening of the critically acclaimed movie “Fish Out of Water”, a documentary that explores the impassioned relationship between homosexuality and the Bible. The film follows the journey of director Ky Dickens who came out to her sorority sisters at Vanderbilt University and was “clobbered” with passages from the Bible and rejected by her closest friends. In order to try and understand her friends Ky went on a nationwide journey to ask some of the nations greatest scholars and religious leaders about the 7 passages from the Bible that are traditionally used to condemn homosexuality. What she finds is that it’s all about interpretation. For more information check out the movie’s website: www.fishoutofwaterfilm.com

Come and join us for this important screening event. Popcorn will be provided!

All Are Welcome – No Exceptions

Join us this Saturday as we march with other churches of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists is the Capital Pride Parade. We will be meeting at the church around 5 to head into the city. Please contact our Justice Team chair Amber Herman for more information: amberlherman@gmail.com. It’s always one of the most exciting and meaningful events of the year. Hope to see you there!

From Glen Evans of Art for Humanity:

Thought you may like to know that since the installation of the new president, there is a lot of progress. With these developments, most people have a renewed sense of optimism and our mission work progresses more smoothly.

A request: we are expanding our network of people who want to help the poor to help themselves.  If you know of any individuals or businesses that would enjoy knowing more about our efforts please email them and cc me. Because I am in Honduras so much, email is always the best way to contact me.  I greatly appreciate your help in that way.

Because of your prayers there are many more people here with smiles on their faces. This shows children who received shoes and clothing.

This is of the guys who are working everyday building the new college and begin the organic farm that will eventually support the college.

One of the dormitories is in the background. We need many more volunteers to come and help them. If you are interested or know someone who may be interested in coming to volunteer – and get to know these great guys and their families – please send me an email and I’ll provide you with more information.

As a way to expand our network, please forward this message to those who may be interested and cc me.

Blessings,

Glen Evans
Art For Humanity… helping the poor to help themselves.
635 S. 25th St. Arlington, Va. 22202
703-684-4635
www.artforhumanity.org
CFC 11701

Volunteers are needed to help the Social Justice team deliver furniture with our community partner ALIVE! (Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically) on Saturday January 30th from 8am-Noon. If you want to be a part of this rewarding mission opportunity please meet us in the parking lot of First Christian Church Alexandria on King St. or contact ben@commonwealthbaptistchurch.org.