Dear Fellow Servant,

This week, I am spending time with some of our teens and Youth Pastors (Sharkey, Weston, and Watson) at the 13^th National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality in Washington, D.C.  Now, some of you may turn away from this message because it doesn’t directly affect you or because of its assumed content based on the summit’s title.  However, it is my prayer that you will not turn away.  For too long, turning away has been the norm for our community and in the process, we are losing our children.  We are losing our children to more than gang violence; to more than cancer and drugs.  We are losing our children to teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS at an alarming rate.  Please allow me to share with you a few facts that brought us to this summit:

·        African Americans account for nearly half of all newly diagnosed cases of HIV although we are less than 15% of the population of this country.

·        African American teens become pregnant and give birth at higher rates than White or Hispanic teens.  6 in 10 African American teens either become pregnant or cause pregnancy by age 20. 

·         50% of African American girls between the ages of 13 and 15 have had a sexually transmitted disease. 

·        Nearly 200 people die of AIDS each year in Shelby County leaving children motherless and fatherless.  Husbands and wives are forced to be re-categorized as single parents raising children they thought would have a mother and a father.  Parents who plan to leave legacies for their children are burying them and in some cases are forced to become parents of grandchildren who have been left motherless and fatherless.

This year’s summit theme is Breaking the Silence: The Church in a Changing World. Martin Luther King, Jr. was once quoted as saying “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  Teen pregnancy, promiscuity, HIV/AIDS running rampant in our community, and arming our youth with information that will change their lives for the better, are all subjects that matter.  We, the Church, cannot be silent any longer.      

The summit began July 8 and goes for three days ending July 10.  However, for the 36 youth from THE BLVD in attendance, the summit is a culmination of an 8-week “Keeping It Real” sexuality curriculum they completed in June.  I am not only enjoying time with the teen team, I am also speaking this morning (Thursday) at the summit.  Other speakers include such noted names as Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Pernessa C. Seele, founder and CEO of The Balm in Gilead, a non-profit organization that connects faith-based organizations to causes, and Reverend Dr. Kenneth Samuel, renowned pastor of Victory for the World Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Change occurs with or without our participation and energy.  How we respond to this particular change can make the difference in losing a generation or finding our way together.  This week, THE BLVD joined forces with 800+ churches across the country at this summit to say to our teens “We hear you, and we support you with information, involvement and intercession.”

See you Sunday!

Pastor Frank

STEPHEN MINISTRY: A NEW MINISTRY AT THE BLVD

THE BLVD has recently begun Stephen Ministry, a new and exciting ministry that will allow us to reach out to more people with one-to-one Christian care. Through Stephen Ministry, a team of BLVD servants, known as Stephen Ministers, has been equipped to provide quality Christian care to people facing a variety of personal crises. Some of the situations in which Stephen Ministers provide care include loss of a loved one, divorce, terminal illness, unemployment, hospitalization, loneliness and spiritual crises. On Sunday, July 12^th THE BLVD will commission over 20 Stephen Ministers. These caregivers will serve under the leadership of Pastor Virzola Law , Minister Sheilah Easterling Smith (Stephen Minister Training Coordinator), and Rev. Vivian Henry (Stephen Minister Supervisor Coordinator). If you are interested or have questions about Stephen Ministry at THE BLVD, please contact Pastor Virzola Law at 901.272.5603.

SERVANTS MINISTRIES VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Have you connected your passion to influence others with your responsibility to serve? Urgent volunteer opportunities are available in Christian Education and New Servants ministries. Pastor Janae Pitts invites you to participate in transformational ministry as an Instructor or an Ambassador. For more information, contact Pastor Janae Pitts at 901.272.5630.

2009 DISCIPLE GRADUATES

Congratulations to the 2009 Disciple Bible Study graduates!  The Disciple Bible Study series is a program of disciplined Bible study aimed at developing strong Christian leaders through the in-depth study of Scripture. Through this program, persons are strengthened in their faith and guided into service and ministry. To participate in this life-changing Bible Study Series in the fall, contact Pastor Janae Pitts at 901.272.5630. The list of 2009 Disciple Graduates is listed below:

DISCIPLE I

DISCIPLE BIBLE STUDY TEACHERS

DISCIPLE IV

Larry Bell

Disciple I – Mary Toney

Elfreda Bledsoe

Delores Goins

Disciple II – Lois Dixon & Linda Augusta

Kim Collins

Margaret Matthew

Disciple III – Alvin Clark & Jackie Sharif

Donna Fitchpatric

Georgia Elaine Parks

Disciple IV – Jessie Miller & Inez Turner

Sharron Hallie

Susie Rhodes

Virginia Ingram

Jacquelyn Kimball

Sonya Smith

Angela Jones

Vanessa Wakefield

Mary Wakefield

Callie Kearney

DISCIPLE II

Mary Slack

Emma J. Livingston

Ernestine Small

Carolyn Walker

Ruby Lee Oliver

Tammy Young

DISCIPLE III

Mary Blunt

Gloria Thaxton

Gloria Williams

Sharon Walker

KROGER/SCHNUCKS CARD: BEGIN LOADING AGAIN

It is still critical that you load your Kroger/Schnucks’ card in order to benefit our children’s/youth renovation project. If you have not loaded your card lately, please do so as soon as possible. Don’t have a card? Please come by the Security Desk on Sunday to pick-up a card or contact Bettye Boone at 901.272.5650 during the week at the church to get a card. Your support is greatly appreciated.

CALLING ALL MBCC BUSINESSES

Are you interested in being a part of the MBCC Member Business Directory that will be available to members in October 2009? If so, please register your business by completing a registration form at the Members Business sign-up table located in the Montgomery lobby each Sunday or go online to complete a registration form. Return completed forms to Bettye L. Boone at the church. The deadline for registering your business is August 30^th. ONLY registered member businesses will be included in the church’s directory. Don’t miss this opportunity for your business products and services to be shared with the congregation through the use of this directory.

VISITATION AND BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY

If your loved one is hospitalized, confined at home, or in a nursing home, you may request visitation by calling 901.729.6222. Please report all emergency hospitalizations and bereavements to the “On-Call” phone number at 901.569.7729. Visit our website by click here to view our current sick and bereaved list. Continue to keep our sick and bereaved in your thoughts and prayers.

SHARE YOUR STORY

If you or someone you know has recent news on achievements, community involvement, or overcoming odds, go here and complete the online form. Although, we cannot promise that your story will be featured in eNews, we encourage you to keep submitting NEW stories of interest.

RADIO BROADCASTS

Every Sunday morning, you can listen to us on WLOK (1340 AM) at 8AM and WDIA (1070 AM) at 10:30AM.

NEW CD/DVD PRICES

You can purchase CD’s and DVD’s from the media sales stations and Chalice bookstore for $5 (CD) and $10(DVD). These products include the Sunday sermon in an unedited form and do not always include music. Help us spread a word of hope and encouragement by giving someone a copy of a CD or DVD today!

OWN A PIECE OF CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY

A packaged set of sermons preached by Dr. Joseph Lowery at THE BLVD will be available in the Bellevue lobby and Bookstore lobby following Sunday worship service. CD’s are $20 each and DVD’s are $40 each.

WEEKLY WORSHIP SURVEY

We need you! Share your comments and feedback with our Worship Design team each week concerning your weekly worship experience. You can go online after each worship service and complete a short survey. The survey is open for you until 11:00AM each Monday. We would love to hear from you. Click here to share your comments.

BOOKSTORE HOURS

Sundays: (8:00AM – 10:00AM and 12:00PM – 1:00PM); Wednesdays: (3:00PM – 7:00PM)

UPDATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP PROFILE

If you’ve recently moved, changed your address, phone number, or e-mail address…we want to hear from you!  Click here and complete the short form  to receive the latest and the greatest information from THE BLVD!