|
November-December
2003
BCA News
Dishin'
with Doug
2004
Workshop
Where
in the World?
Scholarship
Deadline is December 5
Attend
the Workshop for Free?!
Awards
Competition to be ZOOper-Duper!
Share
Your Communications Know-How
Grapevine
New
Members
Got
News to Share? Here's how...
Dishin’
with Doug
2003-2004
BCA President
Okay,
I confess. I’m as sentimental as they come. I’m the one in our family who
gets misty watching a Hallmark commercial. So it’s probably not surprising to
learn that I love Christmastime. The television specials, the cookies baking,
decorating our Christmas tree, the television specials, buying that last
present on Christmas Eve (okay, that’s not sentimental, that’s just being
last-minute), the church cantatas, the television specials, the music (I’m
listening to a Christmas CD right now!), seeing loved ones, the television
specials, playing in the snow (right – I live in south Alabama!), candlelight
services, the lights … and did I mention the television specials?
I
never get tired of Clarence earning his wings, Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree
springing to life, and Rudolph safely guiding Santa’s sleigh. In fact, if
I’m not careful, the Baby in the manger can get pretty obscured by all the
other holiday traditions, activities and celebrations. And if that’s true for
me, imagine what it’s like to those who don’t have a personal relationship
with Christ.
So
what does all this have to do with BCA? Simply
this – as Christmas approaches again, I’m reminded of the incredible
opportunity I have to tell others about the Christ of Christmas – all year
long – in the field of ministry where God has placed me.
Christmas is about the most incredible act of communication that’s
ever taken place: the Word became flesh, God came to earth in the form of a
man, not just to tell us He loves us, but to show us.
I
recently read a review of the 1965 movie dramatizing the life of Christ, “The
Greatest Story Ever Told.” Of this film, starring a cast as diverse as Max
Von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Angela Lansbury and even John Wayne, the reviewer
remarked, “This may be the greatest story ever told, but it's nowhere near
the greatest telling of this story.” What a challenge faces us as Baptist
Communicators, that such a comment would never be made about our work. We have
the privilege every day of telling the greatest story ever told to a lost
world. We might do it by writing stories about lives changed because of
Christ’s grace, producing videos which show Christ’s love in action,
preparing materials designed to communicate the ministries of a school,
children’s home or retirement center, managing a Web site which provides
people with resources that can help them, or any of a host of other
communications tasks. But whatever method we use, we’re all involved in the
same task – telling the story of God’s love for all people, demonstrated
through Jesus Christ.
May
this Christmas be a wonderful time for you and your family. May it be filled
with the creation of what will become sentimental memories. May its true
meaning not be obscured by the busyness of the season. But most of all, may it
be a reminder not only of how much God loves us, but of the responsibility we
have to tell our world the greatest story ever told. Doug
Rogers is Communications Coordinator for the Alabama Baptist State Board of
Missions and has been a member of BCA since 1987. Contact him at drogers@alsbom.org.
2004
Workshop
Join
us on April 14-17, 2004, in St. Louis as we revisit the history of our
organization and take advantage of all that St. Louis has to offer. The
workshop theme "Spirit of St. Louis," will celebrate the
association's 50th anniversary right where it all began in 1954. In addition to
seminars, the program committee is planning local trips to the fabulous Fox
Theatre and a possible St. Louis Cardinals baseball game for sports
enthusiasts. The Westin-St. Louis http://www.westin.com/stlouis
will serve as the conference hotel. More information about registration and
hotel costs will be mailed to you soon. The current workshop schedule is as
follows:
Wednesday
April 14
7
p.m.
Optional dinner at the Spaghetti Factory
Thursday
April 15
8
a.m.
Small Breakfast — BCA Officers & MBU Staff
Noon
Lunch for New Members
2
- 5 p.m. Workshops
7
p.m.
Awards Banquet at the Zoo
Friday
April 16
8:00
a.m. Breakfast with
keynote speaker
9
a.m. to Noon Workshops
Noon
Lunch
2
- 5 p.m. Workshops
7
p.m.
Fox Theatre Spectacular
Saturday
April 17
8:00
a.m.
Breakfast/Business Meeting
Late
Morning Free
Time
Noon
Lunch on the Town
Afternoon
Missions Opportunity or Baseball / Free Activity
WHERE
IN THE WORLD?
In
preparation for our upcoming 50th year anniversary, BCA is searching
for several prominent former members. If you have an email, address or
telephone number for any of the following individuals, please contact Keith
Beene in the BCA office at bca.office@comcast.net.
Thank you.
Marty
Blakenship
Jim
Burton
Alan
Compton
Pat
Cravens
Marty
Croll
Irma
Duke
Ray
Fetty
Rachel
Gill
Wayne
Grinstead
Norman
Jameson
Ron
Lawson
Jim
Lowry
Earl
Mercer
Dot
Milner
Jennifer
Byron Owen
Jesse
Palmer
Mark
Ritter
Bonita
Sparrow
Robert
Russell
Shari
Schubert
Phyllis
Thompson
Jim
Thorne
Thomas
Turner
James
Warren
SCHOLARSHIP
DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 5
This
year’s BCA Scholarship Committee is collecting applications for student
scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year. The completed applications must
be postmarked by Dec. 5. This year’s committee chairwoman, Polly House from
LifeWay Christian Resources, said the committee is “looking forward to giving
away some money to three deserving students.” Committee members serving with
House are Mark Kelly from the International Mission Board, Jacqueline Preston
from Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston, and Holly Smith from the California
Southern Baptist newsmagazine.
BCA
offers three scholarships: the Al Shackleford/Dan Martin Undergraduate
Scholarship ($1,000), Al Shackleford/Dan Martin Graduate Scholarship ($500),
and the Alan Compton/Bob Stanley Minority and International Scholarship
($1,000). Each of the scholarships will be awarded to a student pursuing a
career in religious communications. Applicants must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
Funds may be used for tuition, books, housing or food and will be forwarded to
the institution where the student is enrolled.
For
more information or to request an application, contact Keith Beene, BCA
administrative coordinator at (615) 904-0152 or bca.office@comcast.net.
FREE!
FREE! FREE!
BCA
members have the opportunity to attend this year’s workshop in St. Louis for
FREE. The BCA professional scholarship covers the cost of the conference
registration and lodging. The individual’s institution or agency is expected
to pay travel expenses and all other related expenses. The stipend is not meant
to exceed $1,000. Be sure to fill out an application when scholarship
applications are mailed to members in January.
Awards
Competition to be ZOOper-Duper!
Entry
deadline for BCA's Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition is just over two months
away on February 2, 2004. Start now reviewing your work from 2003 and pick out
several of your best to submit. The awards banquet will be held April 15, 2004,
at the St. Louis Zoo http://www.stlzoo.org.
Competition guidelines and entry criteria will be mailed to members in
December. Good luck!
Share
Your Communications Know How
Do
you have a how-to article? How about a why-it-works white paper? Have you ever written a critique on photography or Web sites?
If you have an article that would help your fellow communicators, submit it for
consideration to the Professional Development Officer, Mark Snowden, at msnowden@imb.org.
Check out the articles we have already received which are published at http://www.baptistcommunicators.org/prodev.htm.
Grapevine
BOB
ALLEN is now Managing Editor with the Baptist Center for Ethics in Nashville.
You may contact him at boballen@ethicsdaily.com
LOOIE
BIFFAR and DEBBIE MANNING SHEPPARD are event planners for the Manning Group in
Coppell, Texas. Contact them at (972) 304-7871.
STACEY
HAMBY is the Director of Communications at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in
Liberty, Missouri. Contact her at stacey@pleasantvalley.org
New
Members
RANDY
FIEDLER is an editor with Baylor University. Contact him at randy_fiedler@baylor.edu.
J.
GERALD HARRIS is the editor of The Christian Index in Georgia. Contact him at gharris@christianindex.org.
JERRY
HIGGINS is the Director of Public Relations at Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary. You can contact him at jhiggins@sebts.edu.
JACKIE
INOUYE is a staff writer at Baylor University. Contact her at jackie_inouye@baylor.edu.
JUDY
LONG is a science writer at Baylor University. You can contact her at judy_long@baylor.edu.
KRISTEN
OWENS serves as the assistant to the director of public relations at Georgia
Baptist Developmental Disabilities Ministries in Duluth. You may contact her at
kristen@gbddm.org.
LAURA
RICH is the graphics editor for the Biblical
Recorder in North Carolina. Contact her at laura@biblicalrecorder.org.
MICHAEL
A. SMITH II is a student working in the communications office at The Baptist
College of Florida in Graceville. You can contact him at masmith@baptistcollege.edu.
HALEY
WRIGHT works as the coordinator of news and information for Baylor University.
Contact her at haley_wright@baylor.edu.
GOT NEWS TO SHARE?
Send items for the BCA newsletter to Keith Beene at bca.office@comcast.net.
Back
to top
|
