Life of Webster Groves Baptist Church

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The New Baptist Covenant St. Louis will gather on November 17-19, 2011 at St. Luke Memorial Baptist Church in North St. Louis.

What began four years ago in Atlanta, with a small group of committed Baptist leaders, is accelerating into a thriving grassroots movement.

In 2011, this movement will bring NBC II closer to you through some of the latest technology as we continue to live into Jesus’ Luke 4 mandate to “bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Dr. Scott Stearman, Pastor of Kirkwood Baptist Church, will serve as the Coordinator for the St. Louis portion of the event which will be held at: St. Luke Memorial Baptist Church, 3623 Finney Avenue St. Louis, MO 63113, where Dr. Jimmy Brown serves as the Pastor.

Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA will serve as NBCII’s anchor site, hosting worship services and breakout sessions that will be broadcast via satellite to various host cities across the nation.  Join in celebrating this next phase of the New Baptist Covenant.

An educational building was erected and dedicated on June 17, 1923.  It was not until 1938, that the church moved forward to build the present sanctuary which was dedicated February 2, 1941.

The church raised the final $10,000 in 20 months to enable the building of the new sanctuary.  Early in the fall of 1938, Dr. Reader called the Board of Finance to what he called the unit plan: 100 units of $100: each payable $5 per month for twenty months.  The church adopted the giving plan and was very successful, receiving more than the requisite amount being subscribed.

Mr. Charles L. Thurston served as the architect.  At the dedication, the Amoma Class, under the direction of Mrs. Sam Smart, presented the church with the Mothers’ Memorial Pipe Organ.  Later, the Amoma Class gave the beautiful chimes and amplification system, so that the organ chimes and records could be broadcast through the church belfry.

Ground was broken for the present sanctuary in an impressive Masonic ceremony on July 21, 1940.  Pastor Dr. Reader turned the first dirt with a shovel presented by Mr. and Mrs. A. Z. Blakeley.  That shovel is now displayed in the church foyer.  The cornerstone was laid on September 7, 1940, with a Masonic ceremony led by Grand Master Dr. Harold Reader.   The cornerstone was a gift of Fremont Galbraith Elliott[1], whose father, John F. Elliott, donated the stone for the original 1923 cornerstone.  The 1923 cornerstone has been resealed and placed in the foyer of the present sanctuary.

The new edifice was patterned after the old parish churches of England in general style and arrangement.  Gothic architecture predominates and the roof is the oak open truss beams with exposed rafters.  Oak was also used for the doors, the chancel furnishings and the pews.  Leaded art glass for the windows is of imported material from England, Germany and Belgium.  Windows of this type and fineness of workmanship were impossible to obtain in this country following World War I.  The leaded tracery Gothic window facing Summit is the largest of the group and depicts the Resurrection.

The sanctuary lighting is hexagonal lantern type lights designed by the architect Charles L. Thurston and built to his order.

Halloween night our parking lot will be full of cars with trunks full of candy for neighborhood “Trunk or Treaters.  It is a time to meet and interact with our neighborhood children and parents.  Some of our faithful people even dress-up for the evening.  Do you know this every-Sunday couple?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We celebrate birthdays on the first Sunday morning of the month at 9:15 a.m. Coffee, milk and pastries are available for a donation. October birthdays include: 1 Jim Brown, 2 Becky Reams, 8 Harold Blunt, 9 Brian Clevlen, 9 Josh Edwards, 14 Kim Davidson, 15 Walter Trump, 16 Carolyn Kuykendall, 21 Roger Chinnici, 25 Heather Taylor, 30 Ruth Ellsworth

FARM FUN!  Ken and Pat Clark have a fun-filled afternoon planned at their farm on Saturday afternoon, October 8.  The fun begins around 2:00 p.m. and continues through a carry-in meal around a wiener/marshmallow roast campfire.

WHY BAPTIZE?  We will seek to answer that question during a 9:30 a.m., Sunday morning Bible class on October 9.  We meet in the youth corner of the gym.

WORK DAY!  The trustees have their “to-do” list, but they need our help.  On Saturday, October 22, we begin working around 9:00 a.m.  Help us if you can.

PICTURE DAY AT WGBC!  We will gather around the Table and the Pulpit for a group picture on Sunday morning, October 23.  It is the fourth Sunday of the month; we would love to have you in the picture.  Twenty-five years from now, this photo will be a treasure.  Your presence will make it great.  Bring your friends.  Encourage those who can’t make it every Sunday to try to make it on October 23.

TRUNK OR TREAT!  Of course, it is on October 31, Halloween, a Monday evening this year.  We load up our car trunks with candy and treats and entertain the neighborhood trick-or-treaters with treats and fun.  We begin at 6:00 p.m.

SCRAPING WINDOWS!  We have a window project that includes scraping peeling paint from some windows, re-caulking, and re-glazing as needed, then painting.  The summer heat slowed the work but we want to get more of this done during the fall season.  Contact Jean Knue if you can help on this project (even if only one window).