Facing Life with a Smile
Life is serious. Life is hard. Life has many disappointing transitions. But life provides opportunities for us to laugh. It is no joke that we were made with the need to laugh. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a season to laugh and in Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength." Do you have enough strength for the journey? Take the opportunity to laugh. Crying is healthy, and laughing is healing. All the emotions have their season.
In a visit with Liz Durig, I was prompted to write this article on laughter. We had a great visit and many laughs. If we had recorded a podcast we might have been able to improve the health of would be listeners. She shared perspectives from the Bible, her belief in Jesus, and from her need to laugh. We could have been endorsed by the Mayo Clinic. They outlined short term and long-term benefits of laughter, MayoClinic.org. Here is what they wrote:
Short-term benefits A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally; it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:
● Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
● Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
● Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Long-term effects Laughter isn't just a quick pick-me-up, though. It's also good for you over the long term. Laughter may:
● Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
● Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
● Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.
● Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also improve your self-esteem.
Remember that the one who created us has made us with the need to lighten up and to trust in Him.
Praying that you are blessed with “life to the full.”
Pastor Tom
American Baptist Women’s Ministry FOR YOUR INFORMATION In Green and Montgomery County, 24,708 shoeboxes were donated for Operation Christmas Child. Our church prepared ten boxes. American Baptist Women News We received our requests for Dayton Christian Center. The list is on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall, please mark your name for what you wish to donate. You can also give a contribution to Treasurer, Judy Teeters as we can send gift cards.
For Christmas (needed by 12/1) we are asked for: 4 toy cars, 2 dolls, 2 games, 1 toy, 2 Bibles, 2 packages of gift wrapping.
1 packages first class postage stamps
Disposables: 4 pkg. cups, 4 pkg. plates, 1 pkg. napkins, 3 pkg. of plastic forks, spoons and knives, ziploc sandwich bags and 2 pkg. gallon bags.
Recreation needs: one basketball, football, soccer and jump rope.
Clothing for boys – 2 each: jeans, shirts, socks, underpants, sweatpants, sweatshirts
Clothing for girls – 1 each: jeans, shirts, socks underpants, sweatpants, sweatshirts
School supplies: Crayons (16 count), 4 pgk 9x12 construction paper, watercolor paint set, erasers, dry erase marker and eraser, highlighter, permanent markers, fine-tip marking pen, marking pen, blue or black pens (12), Thick pencil, pencil case, set of colored pencils, 12” rulers, 1 8 oz glue, glue sticks, 1 fiskars scissors, 1 3⁄4 cellophane tape, 2 notebook paper, 2 spiral notebook
Toiletries: 3 pkg. diapers, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hairbrush, deodorant, wash cloth, towel, 5 band-aids
Handmade: 3 drawstring bags, 2 mittens, 2 scarves, 1 quilt or comforter
Our ABWM of Ohio State Project to help with remodeling the kitchen at Koinonia Camp was fully funded! We received $37,963.80 in donations.
Rev. Vince Harris is still the Ohio Racetrack Chaplain and in his 27 th year. He stayed in northern Ohio serving the Mahoning Valley Racecourse (172 miles from his home) at Austintown until April 15. Then he began serving Thistledown Racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio (344 Miles from his Columbus home). His diesel truck needed repairs ($5000) and Rev. Jill Smith’s congregation paid for 90% of repairs. He is thankful for all of our prayers, support and love he has been shown.
Flo Smith-Heizer serves as Ohio Scholarship Chairperson and also our Dayton Association President.
2023 Events: Women and Girls’ Day will be held virtually from First Baptist Church of Caguas, Puerto Rico. For registration information visit www.abwomensministries.org/events. There will be a Shalom Retreat October 6- 8, 2023 in Cleveland. It will focus on attending to our wellness: spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Missionary Kit Riply, graduated in May from Lesley University with a masters degree. She writes that she learned a great deal and is implementing daily her work at New Life Center in Thailand.
Pick up information in our Church lobby about the Spiritual Retreat to be held in Mount Vernon Sept. 22-23. We hope we have women attending. Our Ladies Group has scholarships available for first or second timers.
DLABC Men’s Fellowship The fellowship meeting will be Friday, August 11, 2023 at Jimmie’s Ladder #11 Restaurant, 11 a.m. Jimmie’s Ladder #11 is located at 936 Brown Street, Dayton, OH. If you would like to bring a friend, please do so.
Board of Christian Education The Blessing of the Backpacks will be Sunday August 6th. Please join us in supporting the students in our church as they bring their backpacks and prepare both physically and spiritually for the upcoming school year. Our Kindergarten Program “Kids Connection” kicks off in September with lessons over Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patients, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, and Self-Control. We need volunteers to teach. The teacher sign up sheet is in the narthex.
Diaconate Worship Board
We hope you have enjoyed having a variety of pastors in the pulpit this summer. We will continue to have pulpit supply 2-3 times a month for the rest of the summer and into the fall as the search committee continues its search for our next pastor. We have been blessed by hearing different voices and different preaching styles from the pulpit. We look forward to having Jeff Perkins back on August 6th, Rev. Stan Gockel on August 13th, and Rev. Ryan Bradley on August 20 and September 3.
Pastor Tom’s work hours and responsibilities have increased over the last several months to the point that he often works seven days a week at the prison. He has reduced his Sundays in the pulpit to ease his schedule and to allow us openings to bring in different pastors to preach. This gives us the opportunity to broaden our view and audition possible candidates for the position of part-time pastor for our congregation. We greatly appreciate Pastor Tom’s willingness to stay beyond the end of his contract and support us through this transition.
We have great faith that God has a plan for the future of Dorothy Lane American Baptist Church. Please continue to pray that God will bring the right person to us.
Caring & Missions Board
Aid for Ukraine
Since February 2022, American Baptist churches and others have given $1.3 million through One Great Hour of Sharing for Ukraine relief.
Search Committee Update The DLABC Search Committee has been meeting for several months. We have had meetings with Rev. Kent Berghuis of First Baptist Church Dayton, Rev. Mark Click (ABC Ohio), and Rev. Kevin Hairston (ABC Ohio Area Minister), and Pastor Drew Hindbaugh from Shroyer Road Church.
Through our meetings and discussions we have found great support from our sister churches who have offered help in many ways. They have researched and recommended pulpit supply, and offered guidance in other ways. We also received positive feedback from Rev. Hairston that we were on the right path. He has offered support if we need to reach out further through online listings.
We are reviewing and updating our church profile, we have created a job description, and are researching ways to search for prospective candidates.
Ideally, our goal is to find a permanent part-time (bi-vocational) pastor to lead our congregation. If Pastor Tom leaves before we can secure a pastor, we will partner with one of our sister churches to fill the pulpit and supply pastoral care.
We appreciate that Pastor Tom has been willing to stay beyond the end of his contract especially since his workload and hours at the prison have increased significantly.
Members of the Search Committee are: Amy Thompson, Brian Thompson, Linda Emmons, Joyce Kelley, Susan Sinks, and Connie Sinks.
DLABC Scholarship Application Do you have a family member or friend who is or will be attending college or graduate school this fall? Please pass along our scholarship application form to them. Turn around time is a little tight this year. The completed application will need to be submitted to the church office by Sunday August 27th to be considered. If additional applications are needed, please see Amy Thompson.
Dorothy Lane American Baptist Church
2023-2024 School Year Scholarship Application
Name (first, middle, last) _________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________________________
Street & Number
_________________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip
Phone _________________________________________________________________________________
Birth date ___________________________________________
Social Security Number (last four digits only) XXX-XX _ _ _ _
Current Student Status (Freshman, Soph, etc) ____________________________________________
Name of College/School and Location ____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Major, Minor____________________________________________________
Expected graduation date ___________________________
Brief description of college plans _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________________ Date________________________
Deadline for application to be returned to church office
(960 W Dorothy Lane Kettering, OH 45409)
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Anyone attending college or graduate school is eligible
George T. Allen, Jr. Scholarship
George T. Allen, Jr. was born in Indiana. He was the youngest of seven children. His family moved to Dayton when he was only a few months old. He grew up in the East end of Dayton and later attended Wilbur Wright High School. While attending High School, he worked at Liberal Market as a stock boy and helped support his parents.
After graduating from High School, he got a job at Moraine Products (which later became Delco-Moraine) as a time keeper. He married Lillie Mae Daniels on June 20, 1953 at First Baptist Church. They started attending Dorothy Lane American Baptist Church when it met in Southdale School and became Charter Members. He took evening classes at Sinclair Community College in management, then General Motors sent him to Flint, Michigan for foreman’s training in 1959. He remained a foreman at Delco-Moraine until his retirement.
George had two children, Douglas and Amy. He stressed the importance of a college education to his children because he didn’t have the opportunity to get a college degree. The George T. Allen, Jr. Scholarship was set up to honor the importance he placed on higher education within his own family. Doug Allen
August Events
6 Communion Sunday, Blessing of the Backpacks
11 Men's Fellowship, 11:00 am at Jimmy's Ladder #11
13 Board Meetings 18 Firepit Fellowship, 6:00 pm 27 Scholarship applications due
August Birthdays
1 Bill Emmons 10 Barbara Baker
12 Pastor Tom Kehr
14 Roland Gard 18 Brian Thompson
21 Paul Osborne 21 Rev. Bill Salyers 27 Megan Farnham
28 Faustine Simmons
28 Debbie Good
August Anniversaries
16 Joel & Susan Sinks 26 Michael & Barbara Baker
Thank you to all our Volunteers!
August Preschool Schedule 6 Kelly Medina
13 Hyacinth Palmer
20 Megan Farnham
27 Connie Sinks
August Worship Assistant - Linda Emmons
August Greeter - Judy Teeters
Ushers 6 Brian Thompson
13 Gayle Jordan 20 Brian Thompon
27 Susan Sinks
August Refreshments 6 Kelati Mebrahtu & Meseret Wodaj
13 Board Meetings - Mission & Caring
20 Brad & Gayle Jordan 27 Brian & Amy Thompson
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.