Shelby Baptist Association
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Leadership, Service, Missions
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July 18, 2011
Volunteers Needed for New Disaster Relief Childcare Unit
LEXINGTON –Christian County Baptist Association is taking the lead in providing survivors of natural and man-made disasters a safe place to care for their children during the worst of times.
Christian County Baptists have outfitted a temporary childcare unit where volunteers can provide children fun, gospel-centered activities, allowing parents and guardians time to take those first steps toward recovery from a disaster.
Volunteers are needed for the new unit, and information and instruction are available at Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief training July 23 at Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington.
The child care unit is just one more way that Kentucky Baptists can share the gospel message and the love of Christ to people in need, said Coy Webb, disaster relief associate for the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
“Imagine you are a child who has lost everything in a disaster—your home, your toys, your clothes, your room,” he said. “This trailer is equipped with everything a team would need to respond to those needs and to share the love of Christ with hurting children.”
Brightly colored storage modules on wheels are organized with toys, games and other materials appropriate for children of different ages.
The modules themselves are useful, creating the “walls” of a portable classroom so volunteers can more easily keep watch over the children.
There is also a water heater, clothes washer/dryer unit, small refrigerator, microwave, double sink and a portable changing table.
Tom Westerfield of Crofton is a “blue cap” supervisor for Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief. He is in charge of the emergency communications unit and now coordinates the childcare unit.
A member of First Baptist Church of Hopkinsville, Westerfield said he saw first-hand the need for a childcare unit several years ago in Virginia.
Survivors of a hurricane were coming to the disaster relief feeding unit for a meal.
“My duty one day was to stand at the front of the feeding line, greeting individuals and families as they came through, listening to their stories and offering understanding,” he recalled.
“A young lady with three little children came to the line. They were all grungy dirty, hungry and thirsty,” Westerfield said. “The mother told me that all they had to drink was water collected in cans in her back yard.”
The woman talked about the many things she needed to be doing to try to secure temporary housing, clothing and the other necessities of life for herself and her children, “but she had lost her childcare situation,” which made those tasks even more difficult to accomplish.
Westerfield said when he heard that Southern Baptist Disaster Relief ministries in other states were providing emergency, short-term childcare in disaster areas, he wanted to help equip Kentucky Baptists to meet that need too.
A disaster relief trailer that had yet to be outfitted was available. Westerfield shared his idea among his fellow Christian County Baptists. A financial contribution from a couple, also members of First Baptist Church of Hopkinsville, enabled the association to purchase the equipment and materials to make the unit a reality.
Now, what is needed most, are volunteers, Westerfield said.
For details about the new unit, or the July 23 training event in Lexington, contact Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief by e-mail at dr@kybaptist.org or call (502) 489-3401 or (866) 489-3527 (toll-free in Kentucky).
In addition to the introductory course in Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and Childcare Basic Training, recertification is offered at the July 23 event in safe food preparation, chain saw safety, how to “mud-out” flooded homes, and assessing disaster scenes.
The registration fee for current volunteers is $20 per person. New workers pay $40 per person. Online registration is available at www.kybaptist.org/dr. Click on the link under “training.”
Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief is supported by Kentucky Baptists’ gifts through the Cooperative Program and direct support from individuals and churches.
Legacy giving opportunities are available to ensure that Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief can provide Christ-centered help to coming generations. For details, contact the Kentucky Baptist Foundation at (502) 489-3533 or (866) 489-3533 (toll-free in Kentucky).
Through Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief, more than 7,000 individuals have been trained to respond to natural and man-made crises with an array of services. Feeding units can provide thousands of meals on short notice. Volunteers in other units can move in with chainsaws to remove debris, remove mud from flooded homes and provide other assistance.
Kentucky Baptists are part of a larger network of Southern Baptist volunteers that comprise the third largest relief organization in the United States.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2.400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more.
For more information, visit the KBC website at www.kybaptist.org, become a fan of “Kentucky Baptist Convention” on Facebook or follow “kentuckybaptist” on Twitter.
Release prepared by Dannah Prather Marketing & Media Relations Associate Kentucky Baptist Convention 13420 Eastpoint Centre Dr Louisville KY 40223 April 25, 2011
Developing Technology Brings New Copyright Concerns
LOUISVILLE - Modern technology makes copying music, printed scores, audio, or TV shows and film clips so convenient that many Christians think it must be all right.
Not true. And, with more churches podcasting or streaming video of worship services, copyright infringement issues could re-emerge 25 years after a $3 million lawsuit alerted Christians to the problem.
“I do think this is the next frontier,” Paul Herman, marketing manager for Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI), said of Internet-driven violations. “From what I understand, there are a number of lawsuits pending for things posted on You Tube.”
This frontier particularly impacts music, since digitization has challenged every part of the music industry, said Mike Harland, director of LifeWay Worship.
He said that churches must understand that music isn’t free and never has been.
Illegal copying of CDs and photocopied music diminishes the ability of its creators to develop more, the LifeWay executive added. “The technology has developed faster than the laws governing copyright have developed, creating a harsh reality for owners of songs,” Harland said. “Studies demonstrate that a majority of music acquired today is done so illegally.”
He encouraged all Southern Baptists to evaluate the ways their ministries deliver copyrighted material and to comply with the law. For instance, even though CCLI recently began offering a podcast license that enables churches to post worship music online, there are certain limitations, Harland said.
“CCLI gives full explanations through its website that can help churches know what rights the license grants,” Harland said. “Any publisher would welcome a phone call or e-mail regarding use of one of their songs if there are questions.”
Copyright infringement by churches burst onto the national scene in the mid-1980s when a music publisher sued the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for photocopying sheet music without authorization.
Despite that landmark case and tens of thousands of licenses that OneLicense.net has issued since then, an official with the Chicago-based firm said confusion still exists in many churches.
“The main thing that people don’t get is because a church owns 800 copies of a hymnal they think it’s okay to make copies of any song in the book,” said Administrator Tim Redmon. “It’s not. You always have to ask.”
It isn’t only music that can catch Christians in a legal snarl. For example, CCLI offers licenses for week-long special events, a video license that allows churches to use film clips or sponsor family movie nights, and a mobile license for traveling evangelists and musicians.
What about making copies of a DVD or CD to distribute to homebound members or others? That also requires permission from the copyright owner, said Larry Brannin, a media production associate for the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
“When we use a song in one of our KBC videos, we have to pay a fee,” Brannin said.
“I get a lot of calls from folks who want to do it right but give up because they feel that complying with the law is too much trouble—or they just don’t get permission.”
However, some church concerns are addressed through the podcast license, which OneLicense.net has offered for three years and CCLI instituted in March. Alabama-based Christian Copyright Solutions has a streaming license for churches that covers numerous secular and Christian songs.
These licenses allow congregations that have restricted webcasts to their pastor’s sermons now to legally stream or podcast their entire worship service.
Fees are reasonable; a CCLI license for churches with fewer than 200 average attendees is $50 a year. That compares to a traditional music license that runs $109 for congregations of less than 100 and $185 for average attendance of 100-199.
The podcast license is required even when a church has a traditional license that allows it to store lyrics in a computer or project them on a wall or video screen if the church is also planning to post its services on the Internet.
With the Internet’s increasing prominence, staff members that have purchased a podcast license, or plan to investigate the situation, are delighted it is available.
Central Baptist Church in Corbin is in the process of upgrading its website. When launched, the site will include live broadcasts and podcasts of Sunday services, complete with hymns and praise songs.
Before he learned about CCLI’s new license, associate pastor of music Ron Green spent six months investigating how to legally post Central Baptist’s entire service online.
“We had a time getting that worked out,” Green said. “Now we’re ready to go. It’s a big answer to prayer. Before, it was cost prohibitive to broadcast your music online. This is something I would encourage more churches to get into.”
Although he fields many calls from churches in his KBC position, Brannin is also aware of copyright concerns as a volunteer tech minister at Crestwood Baptist Church in Oldham County. His church is planning to acquire a podcast license so it will be able to post more than sermons.
“Most churches that have done podcasts only did the sermon because there’s no copyright involved,” Brannin said. “This is going to allow churches to put the service online from the first song to the last and the pastor’s message.”
No matter what they post at their websites or do during services, though, Harland cautioned congregations to be as concerned with ethics as financial issues.
“We want to do everything ‘decently and in order,’” said LifeWay’s Harland, referencing 1 Corinthians 14:40. “That includes how we steward our use of the songs that today’s writers and creators are producing.”
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2,400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more.
For more information, visit the KBC website at www.kybaptist.org, find “Kentucky Baptist Convention” on Facebook or follow “kentuckybaptist” on Twitter.
Story by Ken Walker, KBC Communications |
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