Window Newsletter 8.16.23

We are working to create a church and world where all people are welcome and belong in the beloved community of God. Through the ministries of worship, education, compassion and advocacy, Broadway provides a place of grace, beauty, sanctuary, inclusivity, and brave faith.

Broadway T-Shirt Orders Arrive this Sunday!
If you ordered a “Be Love” t-shirt they will be ready for pick up this Sunday, August 20 in the Centrum before worship and in Fellowship Hall after worship. Please contact Jenn Nelson with questions. Thank you for all who placed an order, we look forward to seeing you wearing your shirts and sharing Broadway’s message of inclusive love!
 

Coffee Fellowship Returns to Room 302
Sundays at  9:00 a.m. 
Join us in room 302 starting at 9:00 a.m. for fellowship. Enjoy fresh locally made pastries from Three Danes Bakery as well as hot tea and coffee from Cherry Coffee Shop of Fort Worth.  

Worship Sunday, August 20 at 10:50 a.m.
We welcome our Senior Pastor Ryon Price home from his sabbatical! Sunday, Ryon will preach from Matthew 15:21-28. In addition, Carol Hafer will speak about her deacon testimony, and the Chancel Choir will sing “Prayer of Being” by Mark Hayes.
 

Special Called Church Business Meeting
Sunday, August 20, Following Worship in Fellowship Hall
The purpose of this special called church business meeting is for a congregational vote on the Real Estate Management Committee’s recommendation to sell Broadway’s southern parcels of land. If you were not able to attend the informational presentations offered this past week, you may watch the recording from Tuesday evening here. The Real Estate Management Committee invites any questions that you might have. Please submit questions to info@broadwaybc.org.

A quorum of 100 members is required to conduct the business of the church. All members are encouraged to attend, and lunch will be served. 

Young Adult Ministry to Launch at Broadway
De’Evin Johnson, Adult Ministry Intern shares with us in an interview the vision and plans for the launch of a new Young Adult ministry at Broadway. 

Q: Tell us about this new YA ministry at Broadway, the description is
“ A generation seeking God’s love and discovering our faith together.” How does that translate for young adults today?
 
De’Evin: Young Adults are stepping into the newness of many things and discovery is the immediate word that comes to mind. God’s love shall never cease and there is power in embracing that same outlook in our lives. Our world is filled with thoughts, opinions, and things. As a community of faith, the first word of that phrase is community. It’s an amazing opportunity to discover who we are in our faith and our world through community. Young Adults of today are yearning for a place to discuss and exist where judgment subsides, and as a result, we create space to exemplify God’s love, seek God’s love, and share that love with others and one another.
 
Q: How would you describe young adults at Broadway?
De’Evin: The Young Adults of Broadway consists of individuals in the age range of 18-29. We welcome every person, whether solid in their faith, or simply needing to be surrounded by those with similar interests and curiosities. We are advocates, we are aware, we are receptive to change, and we come together in and outside of the church to build a bond through Christ and communal events.
 
Q: What will this group formation look like? For example, will you meet on Sunday morning?
De’Evin: What’s unique about the Young Adult ministry of Broadway is welcoming what is best for the individual by flipping what has been the traditional model of a church ministry. This could be meetings on Sunday mornings, a brunch debrief after worship service, or a social get together during the week- we are flexible and responsive to what is best for the group. Currently, there are two events that rotate every month beginning in September. This allows for expectancy and “just enough” so that work-life balance stays intact. Those events include:

• Serving at the AGAPE meal on the 4^th Thursday of every other month
• Social gatherings like Pickleball or a Summer Moon Study Session in the Fort Worth area
• Gatherings at the home of Broadway members for fellowship and a meal

Regardless of the event or location, this ministry provides space for us to respond to what we are currently experiencing in our lives by merging community with devotional time and reflection.
 
Q: How can Broadway members support this new ministry?
De’Evin: Though this ministry is tailored to the 18-29 age group, there will be times when we welcome Broadway members to collaborate and join our events. In the meantime, if you have family members or know of any Young Adult that could benefit from ministry and community, or that need a place to belong when they return to Fort Worth, please share their contact information with me at djohnson@broadwaybc.org.  In addition, we are looking for groups/businesses who would love to serve as sponsors for events, or to provide professional development sessions.
 
Q: What do you envision and hope for as you begin?
De’Evin: As I begin this ministry it is my ultimate goal to simply provide space. As a former educator, I began to experience how social media and the world around us took a toll on the thoughts and opinions of my students. This also translates to Young Adults of today. The world can be so loud, so much so that it causes us to be mute about things we care about or feel the need to voice. Two years from now, it’s my hope that this ministry grows in number, but more importantly outreach. I’m aware that a ministry like this takes time, creativity, patience, and bold persistence for it to evolve, but, the greater mission is to provide a space for current and future visitors/members to come as you are to learn, share and be. It goes back to community, and as a result, members of this ministry will return to their colleges or venture into starting a family/career with an idea of who they want to become in an ever-changing world, all while knowing that Christ is there to order our steps in his word.
 

Reading Partner Volunteer Opportunity
 Broadway is excited to announce that we are restarting our reading partnership with students at Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary School. Prior to the pandemic, Broadway provided reading partners for second graders at the school through the Kids Hope USA program. This program is restarting in September.
 
The goals of the program are to help second-grade students form healthy reading habits and help students develop reading skills at grade-level by year’s end. Broadway is proud to be a partner with Van Zandt-Guinn and the Fort Worth ISD.
 
Volunteers are needed to be reading partners with students for one hour per week during the school year starting the second week of September. There is a special need for Spanish-speaking readers. Days and times for reading partners are flexible.
 
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, must complete an application and consent to a background check, must have a government-issued photo ID, and must complete an online orientation session prior to volunteering.
 
To volunteer or for more information on the program, please contact Tura Cason (817-614-1561) or Donna Harris (817-688-6816).
 

Helping Professionals Support Community 
Interest Meeting: Sunday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m.

Broadway is excited to launch a new support community for helping professionals! The purpose is to provide time for fellowship and mutual support as well as peer guidance/counsel and educational resources. This is ideal for professionals in the following fields: Education, Chaplaincy, Social Work, Nursing, Mental Health Public Health.  

Whether you’d like to join the community as an advisor, advisee, or just to learn more, we’d love to have you! The first meet-and-greet event is Sunday, August 27^th at 6:00 p.m. If interested in attending, please submit your RSVP using the registration link below. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with location and event details. 

Registration 

If you know of someone who would be interested in this group, please share this flyer.  Contact Brittany Washington, Congregational Care and Justice Ministry Intern at bwashington@broadwaybc.org with questions.

Financial Update
Contributions YTD for the operating budget are running about $45,000 behind what we had budgeted. Additionally, our rental income is about $20,000 behind budget, which leaves us overall with a significant income shortfall.
 
As a result, through July we have advanced all of the 2023-24 prepaid pledges and have used just over $40,000 from our Operating Reserve designated fund in order to stay positive in our cashflow and avoid drawing on our Line of Credit loan.
 
As we enter August, we have about $11,000 remaining in designated funds to use towards the operating budget before needing to draw on the Line of Credit. This is something we have been fortunate enough to avoid over the last two years; however, it may be necessary to do so in order to cover all August expenses. A full financial report will be shared with the congregation at our annual business meeting on Wednesday, September 13.
 
Last week, all Broadway members and congregants were sent a contributions statement via email with an update on your giving. If you don’t have an email on file, you will receive your contribution statement in the mail.
 
Please review the statement and consider catching up on your giving if you’ve fallen behind or consider giving an additional amount towards the operating budget if you’re in a position to do so. We appreciate your faithful and generous support of the mission and ministries of Broadway.
 
If you did not receive your statement, contact Rachael Moffett, our Accounting Associate.  

Family Ministries Parent Meeting
Sunday, August 27, Following Worship in Fellowship Hall
All parents and guardians of infants through Youth are encouraged to attend an informational meeting and lunch following worship on Sunday. August 27. This is an opportunity to learn about fall scheduling, programs, events, as well as ask questions. Contact Jennifer Davis with questions. 

Fellowship Southwest Compassion & Justice Conference
September 8-9 in Dallas, TX 

Fellowship Southwest is hosting its inaugural Compassion and Justice Conference in Dallas, September 8-9, 2023. The focus will be on four priorities of work: Immigration, Indigenous Topics, Hunger, and Racial Justice. 

The conference will feature four keynote speakers and four workshops, one of each on the four priorities. The four keynote plenaries will give special attention to justice through advocacy. Conference attendees will choose two of the four workshops, led by practitioners with special attention to compassion through mission. There will also be worship experiences, networking opportunities, fellowship meals, and more. Registration  is now open. 

Fellowship Southwest is an ecumenical and denominational partner of Broadway. 

Annual Church Business Meeting
Wednesday, September 13 at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
Broadway’s annual church business meeting is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13. This meeting will be conducted in person and a quorum of 100 members is required. Please mark your calendar to attend. Contact info@broadwaybc.org with questions. 

July by the Numbers
Here’s a brief report of services provided in July:

• Sack Lunches: 1,407 lunches distributed
• Groceries: 252 households served (832 persons)
• Agape Meal: 470 meals served  
• Adult Clothing Ministry: 91 people served
• School Uniforms: 101 families (233 children)
• Rental and Utilities Assistance: $962 in financial assistance provided
• Diaper Bank: 41 families served
• Room in the Inn: 47 guests over five nights
• Volunteer Hours: 83 hours from 39 volunteers

Community Center Volunteers Needed 
With the increase in guests at our Community Center and our expanded hours on Tuesday evenings, additional volunteers are needed to provide extravagant hospitality to our neighbors.  
 
Volunteers can choose from a wide variety of tasks including sorting and organizing clothing donations, checking in guests at the registration desk, stocking shelves, and assisting guests who are shopping in our clothing room or food pantry.
 
To volunteer or for more information, contact Holly Alexander.

Cloud Covered Street
Broadway will again welcome Cloud Covered Streets to the Community Center on Friday, August 18. This faith-based ministry provides showers, laundry facilities, and haircuts to those in need. We are so thankful to offer these services to our guests and neighbors. Cloud Covered Streets will be at Broadway’s Community Center on the first, third, and fifth Fridays every month from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help, especially those who are qualified to cut hair. Click here to volunteer.
 
Here is a list of upcoming dates for Cloud Covered Streets at Broadway: 

• August 18
• September 1
• September 15
• September 29