Go & Make Issue #22 (Aug. 2015)

AUG UST GO&MAKE 1

IN THIS ISSUE 18 COVER STORY: SERVICE & SACRIFICE Aaron and Leann Weaver share how God led them to expand their family by bringing three teenage nieces out of a troubled situation and into their home. (The Weaver children are pictured on this page).

2 GO&MAKE AUGUST

24 ESCAPE TO SOUTH SUDAN Unwilling to participate in the massacre of his own people, Theil risked everything to escape civil war-torn Sudan, ultimately finding refuge, God and His calling for his life in America.

7 HOW COULD WE KEEP HURTING GOD? Teaching Pastor Pat Linnell explores the quality of our confessions and its importance in putting sin to death.

14 SENT NETWORK UPDATE: BAR HOPPING IN BALTIMORE Virginia-born church planter Tim Mull is following God’s lead to pastor a church in Charm City, where he currently holds Bible studies in the Fells Point neighborhood’s bars and eateries.

11 THE UNLIKELY MISSIONARY: THE BALL PIT Jerry Shirlen relays how God used the ball pit on stage at Easter to remind one young woman just how great His love for her is in a very personal way.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 3

4 GO&MAKE AUGUST

LETTER FROM THE LEAD July 8 was a 38-hour day. Literally. Flying from Australia to D.C. added an extra 14 hours to my day, giving me lots of time to reflect on what I had just experienced.

Mary Kaye and I were returning from the Hillsong conference in Sydney.

Five incredible days of worship and learning from a church that God is using around the world. No one would argue that the uniqueness of Hillsong Church is their worship music. On the flight back I continued to ponder BACC’s uniqueness. What is it about Bay Area that God has uniquely woven into our DNA? Squeezed on the packed, 15-hour flight to Dallas where we would connect on to Reagan National Airport, I felt the Lord re-confirming again this statement: Everyone a Missionary.

At Bay Area, we have a unique sense of seeing ourselves as God’s missionary people. The tendency is to think that missionaries are limited to those who raise support, learn a language, and move to a foreign land. Or, we see ourselves as missionaries when we take part in a short-term mission trip. The truth is that we are no more missionaries in El Salvador or Poland than in Edgewater or

Pasadena. All of us are missionaries, passion for God is weak, zeal for missions right here, right now! will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty To be a missionary means embracing and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a Christ’s charge in John 20:21, where fervent desire to ‘declare his glory among He said, “As the Father has sent me, the nations’ (Psalm 96:3).” even so I am sending you.” We are sent out to live in dependence on On the flight to Hillsong, Josh Shirlen was and obedience to Jesus so that He reading “Let The Nations Be Glad.” Being can use us to change the world. As one of my all-time favorites, I grabbed missionaries, we see our brief time the book and re-read the above words. on earth through different eyes. Little did I realize that this would be one With our true home in heaven, our of my takeaways from Hillsong. One of priorities, schedules, and finances the reasons God is blessing the ministry are realigned as fully committed of Hillsong is because of the culture of missionaries. worship they have created. Flowing forth from exalting the greatness of God There is nothing more grand or and the grace of the Gospel, the people of magnanimous than being involved Hillsong church have a passion to reach in the greatest cause of all time: the others with the Good News of Jesus. mission of God! Jesus is challenging us to look at life through eternal Flying back from Australia, I realized glasses. He is lifting the curtain that our calling to see ourselves as God’s of opportunity and saying that missionary people, that everyone is a advancing the kingdom of God is missionary, is right on. Yet God used the single-most significant vision to Hillsong to convict me again of the truth which you could give your one and that “You can’t commend what you don’t only life. cherish.” Do you cherish the greatness of God who has lavished His grace on us in However, in our own strength Jesus? The more we abide in Jesus, the our missionary efforts will falter. greater our worship of the Lord God, the For everyone to be a missionary, more zealous we will be in fulfilling our everyone must be empowered. What call as missionaries. I’m all in for this, is the fuel of missions? and I hope you are too.

In “Let The Nations Be Glad,” John From here to the nations, Piper illustrates, “Worship is the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend Greg St. Cyr what you don’t cherish … Where Lead Pastor

We appreciate your comments and questions. Please email us at feedback@bayareacc.org and a staff member or elder will respond within 48 hours.

Gathering Times: 8am 9:30am 11:15am

MAGAZINE CREDITS EDITOR IN CHIEF Josh Shirlen MANAGING EDITOR Meredith Thompson ART Jake Williams Josh Burgin Josh Shirlen CONTRIBUTORS Marc Anderson Vickie Chambers Jennifer Ginn Jerry Shirlen Gail Wiles

On the cover: Aaron and Leann Weaver Photograph by Josh Shirlen

ELDERS Bill Smith Brian Mallare David McPeak Dennis Brady Greg St. Cyr J Upton John Battan Keith Riniker Peter Godfrey Rich Heath Roger Ishii Tim Dotson Tom Dalpini Tom Hogan Warwick Fairfax

884 Chesterfield Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401

410.544.2222

BAY AREA LEADERSHIP Brent Squires, Student Ministry Pastor – brent.squires@bayareacc.org Brian Hopper, Missional Community Pastor – brian.hopper@bayareacc.org Casely Essamuah, Global Missions Pastor – casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org Ed Kelley, Executive Pastor – ed.kelley@bayareacc.org Gail Wiles, Children’s Ministry Director – gail.wiles@bayareacc.org Greg St. Cyr, Lead Pastor – greg.stcyr@bayareacc.org Janet Graves, Women’s Ministry Director – janet.graves@bayareacc.org Jerry Shirlen, Financial Administrator – jerry.shirlen@bayareacc.org Jocelyn Rimbey Sacks, Connecting Director – jocelyn.rimbey@bayareacc.org Josh Shirlen, Gathering Team Leader – josh.shirlen@bayareacc.org Leanne Lane, Care Network Director – leanne.lane@bayareacc.org Lynn Dutton, H.R. Administrator – lynn.dutton@bayareacc.org Micah Pringle, Worship Leader – micah.pringle@bayareacc.org Pat Linnell, Teaching Pastor – pat.linnell@bayareacc.org Ron Dutton, Operations Director – ron.dutton@bayareacc.org Tres Cozad, Technical Director – tres.cozad@bayareacc.org

For a comprehensive list of all BACC staff, elders and deacons, please visit bayareacc.org/leadership AUG UST GO&MAKE 5

6 GO&MAKE AUG UST

How Could We Keep Hurting God?

By Pat Linnell

D epending on how you grew up, the

word “confession” can mean a bunch of different things. It might remind you of a wooden box where you go and tell a priest all the bad things you did that past week, or since your last confession. At that point you may be given instructions on how to move on from those bad things. Or perhaps when you hear “confession” you think in legal terms, of an interrogation where investigators are trying to get someone to fess up to a crime. Maybe confession to you is that time when you shared a secret with a friend – when that person got to see the private side of you.

The reality for most of us is that confession is hard, no matter what form it takes, because it means that we have to let something out that we’d rather keep in. For followers of Jesus, confession is very important.

When we can humbly admit our failures and mistakes, we are able to bring them into the light. Pride keeps our sin hidden, undercover, in the dark. God forgives us when we bring our sin out of the dark and into the light. John tells us in the New Testament that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is able to do

this because these are sins that Jesus One person in the Bible who died for and we simply need to confess understood this was King David. If them and turn from them. there ever was a person who left a wake of destruction, it was David after he For a lot of people there is a weird committed adultery with Bathsheba, dilemma surrounding confession of sin: committed murder to cover up his We confess it, perhaps to the appropriate unwanted pregnancy, and eventually person, or perhaps just to the Lord, but lost his illegitimate son to sickness and end up doing the same thing again, and death. Surely David could have made then needing to confess it again – repeat a long list of people to apologize to, to cycle. Why is it that if we are forgiven confess to, but in surveying Psalm 51 for the sin, after recognizing it as sin he says in a prayer, “Against you, you and bringing it to light, we still go back only, have I sinned and done what is to walk in the dark? I think part of the evil in your sight.” David grasped that answer is actually in the quality of our his sin broke God’s heart, and offended confession – that is, we are actually God’s holiness, above all else. short-cutting our confession.

The brighter the light of Jesus becomes I believe that true confession of sin takes in our lives, the more we see sin for into account not only the proclamation what it is: a gross, moldy soul cancer of the offense to appropriate others, but that thrives in the dark and won’t stop also the hard acknowledgement that we growing until you are dead. The more have broken God’s heart in our choice to you reflect on God’s great love for you, sin. Sometimes our desire to confess is sin’s grip on your life will loosen. Reflect so that we would feel better, or so that on the intimacy you now have with God another person would not be hurt, but because of Jesus. Think about His costly at the end of the day the ultimate offense sacrifice to ransom you back from death. of our sin is that it is hurting Jesus.

Consider His great patience toward you, that while you were not even seeking If our desire in confession is to own Him, He was pursuing you. In light of that we have sinned against Jesus, and all these things, how could we continue to realign our walks with His will, then hurting Him? Confess those things in that motivation will likely lead us to put your life that are hurting Jesus, and for the sin that would otherwise end up on His sake never return to them. Keep the repeat cycle to death. walking in the light.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 7

“No Name Lake” Glacier National Park Photo: Micah Pringle 8 GO&MAKE AUG UST

HIT THE TRAIL

By Micah Pringle

I ’ve seen a lot. I’ve been to a lot of

places. But I had never seen anything like it. They called it “No Name Lake,” and I’m convinced they couldn’t name it because anything they tried to ascribe as a name fell drastically short.

Daunting granite faces that plunged into turquois clear glacial water with fallen trees submerged deep below the surface like sleeping giants that could rise at any moment. A haunting quiet that would only be broken by the rustling of tree branches when the wind would roll down off the mountain wall. Air so clean it felt like your lungs might burst from trying to take it all in with each breath. No Name Lake, in the Two Medicine Region of Glacier National Park. It left a mark. A deep one. An experience that I’ll never forget and long to relive.

If we all take a moment to stop and think, I’m sure we each have a story like that. A moment in time that left an impression. A place, time, or event that moved us in such a way that we’ll never be the same. I’d also be willing to wager that in every one of our stories, that beauty we experienced came at a price. For my wife and I, the price of that moment at No Name Lake was a 12-mile hike with considerable elevation gain over rough terrain, creeks, and snow fields. The trek also cost me dearly in terms of blisters and joint pain. (I have the world’s most sensitive feet and it’s actually rather annoying.)

The thing about beauty that none of us really likes to acknowledge is—it always comes at a price. Want six pack abs? Gym pain. Want glacial lakes? Joint pain. Pain, sacrifice, and

willingness to abandon comfort. There is no beauty realized outside of sacrifice.

And the reality about this little axiom is, it also applies to church! Each Sunday we go through considerable effort to get our families out of the house, into the car, and through the doors of the church. And we probably do it because we hope to catch a moment of beauty.

While this form of “pain” is a real one – the logistics of simply getting to church – I would submit that there’s another level of sacrifice that’s required for us to truly experience the beauty that’s just a little further down the trail. Imagine if my wife and I went through the logistics that it took just to get to Glacier National Park. Bought the camping gear, the airline tickets, the rental car… got all the way to the park, then said, “Ok, this is good enough” and never actually hit the trail with our backpacks. Would we experience some degree of beauty? Sure.

We could stay in a campground and look out at the mountains and be quite comfortable admiring the peaks from afar. But to see a mountain peak from far away and to experience it up close and personal are drastically different things. One leaves you thinking, “Well that sure is pretty,” and the other leaves you speechless and humbled.

So okay – we’ve made it to church.

We’ve “set up camp.” Now what does it mean for us to metaphorically hit the trail at church? What does it mean to draw close and be left humbled and speechless by the up-close and intimate beauty we could experience through an encounter with God? You guessed it – pain and sacrifice. It manifests itself in the little details. Like, “I could raise a hand during this song, but that’s

not comfortable.” Or, “I could give a little more during the offering, but I really want that new toy...” Or even, “I totally get what they’re saying with this sermon, but I’d rather keep doing what I’m doing.”

No Name Lake was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. But it could have never happened. We could have been content to stay at camp, sip a cold beverage, look at the distant peaks, and think, “Well those are pretty.” We would have seen the peaks, but not experienced their power. We would have glimpsed their vastness, but not been silenced by the lakes that hid against them. Had we not been willing to endure a little extra sacrifice, there would be no story to tell.

Every Sunday, there is an incredible opportunity for us to encounter God and not just see Him from a distance.

But it requires us stepping beyond comfort and being vulnerable. I don’t know what that place of comfort is for you. I only know what it is for me. The best thing each of us can do is pause and ask God what things are preventing us from experiencing Him in more up-close and meaningful ways, and responding appropriately when He reveals those things to us. I pray that we would be willing to sacrifice that extra bit – that we would not consider just showing up and setting up camp to be enough, but that we’d recognize that’s just the beginning. Because things lie further down the trail that will change us forever if we’ll only be willing to endure a little sacrifice.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 9

10 GO&MAKE AUGUST

The Unlikely Missionary

By Jerry Shirlen

R

ecently, a member of our Missional Community shared a moving story with us. The event actually took place this past Easter Sunday, but she was hesitant to share it since it involved her daughter who had been privately dealing with something in her life.

But, after some time, her daughter gave her permission to relate the events of that morning. Here is the story as it was told to me.

she was puzzled by the sight of a pit full of white plastic balls. Just then, a dancer appeared on stage, moving creatively to the music. As the dance routine neared its conclusion, the music reached a crescendo, bright lights flashed, and the dancer jumped into the pit and began to joyously splash about among them.

Alina had learned about Jesus and His love for her, but she had not accepted Him as Lord of her life. Then, one night at a party, after misbehaving and knowing she had disappointed her dad, she ran from him and hid… in a ball pit! As she was hiding from her earthly father under the balls, her thoughts strangely focused on God, and she felt her sin guilt. She decided Although the congregation was moved, right then and there to give her heart Alina was still confused and the uneasy and life to God. feeling of frustration just wouldn’t leave her. Pastor Greg St. Cyr then rose Her father looking for her while she was to speak. He described what the ball pit in a ball pit was a metaphor to her being represented on that day: peace through lost in sin and finding salvation through the boundless love and freedom that Christ. And now on this Easter Sunday come from Christ’s forgiveness. Alina’s morning, when she needed assurance countenance suddenly changed. that her Heavenly Father was still there, Anguish and frustration had been He used another ball pit to remind her replaced by peace and joy. of the day when He first found her. Alina was amazed at how God would use such At the end of the service, Alina quickly a unique way to answer her prayer and made her way to tell Greg and his wife, express His neverending love for her, Mary Kaye, what had happened to her. and she now has a remarkable story to They prayed with her and shared a share with others about a God who is scripture from Mark’s gospel. It wasn’t real and personal.

Over the past few months, I have spoken to a number of people who expressed a feeling of being disconnected from God. Is God still alive in your heart and life? Do you feel His presence? Ask Him today to strengthen your faith and to reveal Himself once again in such a way that leaves no doubt of His eternal love for you. “That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”

Acts 17:27

Easter had long since been a very special day in the Cooper household. The observance of Christ’s resurrection meant a joyous occasion at church with up-tempo songs, dressing in their finest and enjoying a meal afterward with family and friends. Ileana Cooper was looking forward to this day as always.

But, there was something different this year. She noticed that her daughter, Alina, seemed unlike her normal self, acting a bit troubled. When Ileana offered a suggestion about Alina’s attire, her daughter was visibly frustrated, especially upset that a change of clothes would make the family late for church that day. Regardless, the family tried to look past it and continue to rejoice in the spirit of Easter.

until later that she confessed to her mother that her faith and spiritual commitment had been wavering and she was feeling lost and detached from God. Sadness had entered her life as she grew farther away from Him. It just seemed as if her prayers were not being heard.

Sadly, nothing seemed to have changed by the time the Coopers arrived at Bay Area. Their large group of family and friends filled an entire row in the auditorium, and Alina ended up seated at one end. The service began and the Spirit of God was moving throughout the congregation.

However, Alina’s demeanor was still one of frustration, and admittedly, she reached a point where she just wanted to leave.

So, early that Easter morning, in the midst of her frustrations, Alina had prayed to God to reveal Himself to her again as He had when she first asked Him to be the Lord of her life. She prayed diligently for a sign from Him that He still loved her and that He was still there. God reached out to her in a way that was personal and real!

As she looked at the front of the auditorium, What was the sign? As a young girl,

A few years ago Jerry Shirlen said he would NEVER go on a mission trip.

It was unlikely he would ever see himself as a “missionary.” But in 2014 Jerry heard the call of the Holy Spirit to participate on a short-term mission trip to El Salvador. Since then, Jerry’s faith has been radically altered. He and his wife Janice have started a Missional Community, he returned to El Salvador a second time, and he now sees himself as a missionary.

Relating to Jerry’s expereince, people often share with him their stories of faith. We’ve invited him to share those accounts here in this recurring article, The Unlikely Missionary.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 11

12 GO&MAKE AUGUST

t n e K d n a l s I

On Mission On The Island:

Chris & Sheila David’s MC Impacts Kent Island AT BAY AREA COMMUNITY CHURCH, it’s our desire that everyone in our church would live out their walks with Jesus in community. One of the primary ways we experience this is through Missional Communities, in which people come together regularly to love God (UP), love one another (IN), and love their neighbors (OUT). Currently, hundreds from within our church are living in community in nearly 50 MCs. This month, we had the opportunity to chat with Chris and Sheila David, who co-lead an MC on the Eastern Shore, to learn about their group’s collective heart for reaching their neighbors and neighborhoods.

Who comprises your MC? Our Missional Community comprises mostly young married couples with young children at home. On a regular basis, we have six married couples and 14 kids with us. We all live on the Eastern Shore (mostly Kent Island), and our desire is to create community where we live.

What does a typical gathering look like for your MC? Every Thursday our MC meets, rotating between three or four different homes.

Each meeting starts with dinner at 6:15 p.m., and we rotate who brings an entrée, dessert, and sides each week. This is our time to catch up and fellowship as we eat. After dinner, there really is no “normal” format. At 7, we may divide up by gender and go through a book together, spend time praying for each other or worshipping together, or spend time planning outreach events. Sometimes one of our MC members has something that’s really been pressing on them that they are learning and would like to share, and we talk about it. Around 7:45 p.m., we wrap up, pray, and eat dessert with all the kids.

We often talk about MCs in the context of UP, IN and OUT. How do you all love God back? Love each other?

UP. We try to spend time every week seeking God’s will. This is done through praying, learning about His plan for our lives, discussing the message from Sunday, and going through books or a video series together. Recently we’ve been reading the book “the Cure” and we’ve broken into males/females for the discussion. The book is about vulnerability and knowing who God truly is and the freedom and peace that brings. The males’ discussion was a time of openness and desire to be more vulnerable with each other. We really reached an extra level of trust.

IN. We love each other by serving each other, which takes on a lot of different roles. We’ve helped each other career hunt, with projects in our yards and homes, and even watched each other’s kids for getaway weekends or in times of need.

Your MC is particularly OUT-focused, placing emphasis on loving your neighbors. Can you explain how that became of high importance to you all?

We try our best to not lose sight of the “missional” part of Missional Community. Having the common living area of Kent Island and the Eastern Shore makes it a little bit easier to really think, “If we let God, He could really use our group to change this small community.” It’s really humbling and a blessing to be in fellowship and community with such a Godly group of missional-minded believers.

In what ways do you all individually and collectively practice being missional?

We’ve been missional in bringing our coworkers to church, hosting parties where we co-mingle our circles of believing and non-believing friends, exchanging fruits and vegetables with our neighbors, and inviting people over to get to know them better.

Our MC has been together for about a year now, so we’re still building community ourselves with each other.

But each of us feels a real focus on reaching out to those around us who don’t know Christ. We know we’ve been put where we are for a purpose.

As a group, we cheer each other on as we interact and connect with nonChristians in our communities. We’ve been praying as a community for particular folks by name, whether neighbors, co-workers, or other folks we meet. Each of us has people we are intentional in praying for and reaching out to.

It’s amazing to watch God work as some of our “people of peace” we’ve been praying for have come to church with us, even recently. As we continue to connect with them, they’re asking some deep spiritual questions that we are thrilled to have the opportunity to answer.

Together, we try to always be thinking outward.

Can you share a recent story of your MC putting this into practice?

We served dinner at the Light House shelter in May and it was really a time of bonding. We all brought our older kids as well so they could experience it, and it was the kids who led the prayer.

It was a true collaborative team effort.

Everybody contributed, whether by watching kids at home or bringing an item or two and serving at the shelter.

Another specific way we’ve reached out to our community is through a Christmas party that Charity Heater hosted. It was a cookie exchange where she invited her neighbors as well as all of our Missional Community ladies.

We prayed ahead of time together and just enjoyed time getting to know the neighbors.

This fall, Katie McGrath is planning a bonfire to invite families in her community to. We’ll have games for the kids, and the adults will be able to connect over food and conversation.

In what ways has it brought you all closer as a family of Christ-followers?

As a group we’ve learned to trust each other more from our commitment to serving as a team and knowing we can and will be there for each other. We’ve also become good friends in other areas of hobbies/interest. Our kids really also enjoy each other and look forward to spending time with each other. It’s truly been a blessing.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 13

Downstairs, raucous crowds cheer on the O’s and boo whatever team i s p l ay i n g t h e Ravens, glued to flat screen TVs mounted between neon signs on woodpaneled walls. Upstairs, locals gather to throw darts and shoot pool, sipping draft beers and devouring plate after plate of what the corner joint in Fells Point boasts are “Baltimore’s best wings” – which come in 15 different sauces.

On that second floor, nearly a dozen folks gather for dinner – some of the best pub fare Baltimore has to offer – and catch up on how life’s been treating them lately. Then, they crack open their Bibles and study Scripture together, discussing how the gospel fits into each passage and how they can apply it to their lives. They close their evening gatherings by asking each other, “Who now can we go and reach with this message of hope that comes from Jesus?”

This is Tribe, a fledgling church plant led

by SENT Network-trained Pastor Tim Mull that’s so young in the church-planting process that it really isn’t a church, yet. For the past year, Tim has spent his days pounding the pavement in the Fells Point neighborhood of Charm City, hopping from bar to diner to restaurant to build relationships with the people he encounters in each. He befriends bartenders, restaurant owners, and regulars who dine like clockwork at the same place, same time each week, laying the groundwork for what will soon be Fells’ newest church.

Born and raised in Newport News, Virginia, as the only son of a shipyard worker and Christian schoolteacher, Tim accepted Jesus into his heart at the young age of 5. He was baptized at 7, and at just 13, God began to stir in his heart a desire to reach the lost in his city. He spent his next four summers leading backyard Bible studies in some of Newport News’ most notorious neighborhoods through Child Evangelism Fellowship.

“I felt God’s presence and power, and I wasn’t afraid to go places where my parents were nervous about me going,” he said, illustrating he was unfazed by the east end of his city’s reputation for drugs and crime. “Seeing God change children’s hearts and seeing them come to Christ – that was something that was amazing to me.”

At 18 years old, he had set his sights on studying architecture at Hampton University, but God had other plans. Riding home on I-895 from a trip, Tim recalled he was admiring the unique style of Baltimore’s buildings and row homes from up on the interstate when God spoke to his heart, saying, “That’s where I want you to serve me.”

“And I said, ‘OK,’” Tim said, explaining he took the message to mean God wanted him to go into ministry in an urban area – not necessarily Baltimore. He enrolled 14 GO&MAKE AUG UST

in Maryland’s Washington Bible College, graduating in 2002, and later went to Capital Bible Seminary.

At the height of the recession, Tim took a job as a correctional officer in Prince George’s County, and after four years, he again felt God stirring in his heart, saying, “Now I want you to go and start a church.”

Through prayer, and despite – admittedly – Tim’s own resistance, God revealed that He wanted Tim to plant in Baltimore. So he drove into the city and said, “Well, where now?” God led Tim to Fells Point, a neighborhood of eateries and historic row homes nestled between Harbor East and Canton, where he was overwhelmed by a lostness and silence in terms of the gospel being proclaimed.

Initially, Tim expected hostility.

Entering a community he knew nothing about, he anticipated the people would be unreceptive to him and to the gospel. But God brought to memory John 4, where Jesus tells His disciples, “Look at the fields – they are white for the harvest.”

Encouraged, he realized, “God led me there because He has been working in those people, and many of them are now ready for the hope of the gospel.”

Months into his ministry downtown, Tim’s confidence wavered again, albeit briefly. “Just after the riots I remember thinking, ‘Man, this city may never be the same.’ I felt very discouraged. Driving to Baltimore [one] evening I got to the point on 295 where you can kind of see the whole city, and there was a rainbow over the city. I took that as God saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got this. Follow me.’

So Tim pressed on, nurturing his newborn relationships with the people of Fells Point. At the bar that boasts the best wings, Tim and his fellow ministers of the gospel have gotten to know every person on staff, through which two have come to know Jesus. He illustrated that when one bartender heard about the Bible studies happening upstairs, her interest was piqued and she came to check it out on her night off.

“That night she gave her life to Christ,” Tim revealed excitedly. “From that point on, she’s been growing in the Word … and now she as a bartender is sharing the gospel with her coworkers and with people who are regulars who she’s known for years. She herself has become a disciple-maker, all the while still being restored in Jesus.”

To Naomi, Noah and Noelle, Tim isn’t a pastor or church planter; he’s simply dad, and he credits their

mother, Leslie, as being the pillar of his support system. Friends since college, the two have been married for almost nine years. Fellow pastors both in and outside of the SENT Network have come alongside him, and continue to be invaluable sources of support for Tim as well.

Coached and commissioned by the leaders of the SENT Network (Bay Area’s church planting arm), Tim hopes Tribe will officially launch before the calendar rolls over to 2016.

He explained the name originates from Genesis 12, in which God promised Abraham that he would be made a great nation, and that his seed would be a blessing to all the tribes of the earth.

“We represent the tribes of the earth: We’re diverse, we have a number of cultures represented within the people we have now as a small group,” he illustrated. “We’re the tribe of Christ, but we’re also reaching out to the tribes of the earth. Our mission is to make disciples of people in diverse areas, to bridge the gaps between cultures.

“In Baltimore, there’s a big gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘havenots.’ Racially, there are big gaps. There are communities that are completely disenfranchised, and there are communities just a few blocks away that are rich. One vision we have as Tribe is we want to bridge those two communities together to where people are getting to know one another, and the mystery and fear and anger begin to melt away as they interact with one another, and as they do it in Christ.

“That’s going to be a picture to the city that this is real; this is not a gimmick, this is not mere religion.

This is the power of God working in our city for the salvation of people.”

By Meredith Thompson

AUG UST GO&MAKE 15

L E A D E R S H I P

P R O F I L E

steve johnson

BY MEREDITH THOMPSON

16 GO&MAKE AUGUST

“He brought me to a place of recovery, and that’s where I met God. That’s where I found that there was something greater than me that had plans for my life.”

“Did you ever have any dreams when you were a kid?”

also loves to build, and is currently constructing a garage.

Steve Johnson was 45 when his mentor inquired about his In the late ‘90s, the Johnsons were loving their church, but childhood aspirations. they were not loving the long drive required to get there.

The quest for a closer church ultimately brought them to “Yeah, I had two,” Steve replied. “One, I wanted to build a Annapolis High School one Sunday morning, where Mark motorcycle and be like ‘Easy Rider’ and ride across the McGeever was preaching to the members of Bay Area country and just make a living as I go.”

Community Church. Impressed with his teaching, Steve and His mentor swiftly nixed that one. “Ehh, that’s not so good. Rejane returned to hear Mark again, and were surprised to learn from a friend after the service that Mark was not the Did you have any others?” he asked. lead pastor.

Steve answered, “Yeah, my other one was I wanted to build “I said, ‘Really? Well, we’d like to hear him,’” Steve said. “So a castle.” then we heard Greg, and he carried a great message, so we Surprisingly, his mentor encouraged, “Well, what’s stopping just kept coming back.” you from doing that?”

They soon began to serve in the Bay Café making coffee, Steve prayed about it, and got out the picture of his dream and Steve got involved with the Care Network to share his home that he’d carried with him since he drew it when he gift of mercy with the church. Two years after Bay Area’s was 17. Three decades later, he moved into his castle. Built permanent facility opened at 884 Chesterfield Road, Steve to his drawing, the medieval abode stands in the southern began volunteering with the parking team, greeting arriving Anne Arundel County town of Churchton, where Steve lives churchgoers with a smile and a wave, and served as the with his wife Rejane and their 14-year-old son Cyrus. ministry’s leader until recently.

As a young kid, his dreams conflicted with the reality in which Steve lived: a tough family, a hard time growing up, an absence of faith. As a young adult, his dreams got lost in all of the things Steve turned to in search of who he was – drugs, alcohol, women – when he couldn’t find God. A dead-end search for identity brought him to his knees, Steve admitted, where he realized he had two options: die or change his life.

“Fortunately for me, God intervened,” Steve reflected. “He brought me to a place of recovery, and that’s where I met God. That’s where I found that there was something greater than me that had plans for my life.”

On September 12, 1993, Steve committed himself to the loves of his life: He accepted Christ the same day he married Rejane.

“We told the pastor not to mention Christ or Jesus in the ceremony, but for some reason, he didn’t pay any attention to what I requested,” Steve recalled, laughing. “Now I know why – because that’s where I finally surrendered to Christ and said, ‘Jesus, You are Savior.’”

He has served as an usher, and joyfully stepped up to help wherever he’s been asked – that is, until he was asked to consider being a deacon.

“I thought, ‘Why me? No. Are you sure?’” Steve confessed. “So I said, ‘Let me pray about this. I’m not going to give you an answer right now.’ I had no clue what a deacon was. I talked to deacons from other churches, and they said, ‘Yeah, we cut the grass and do this and that.’ Now that I’ve found out what the Bible says our responsibility is, that’s what I try to fulfill.”

That responsibility, he explained three years after being installed as a deacon, is to serve the needs of others, and in doing so, enable the pastors and elders to direct their energy to ministering to others, teaching, and prayer. At Bay Area, the deacons help those within the church family who are in need primarily through administering the benevolence fund.

“What blesses me the most is just having the privilege to be able to come alongside people who are hurting, struggling,” A native of Alleghany County, where his graduating high Steve highlighted. “I come away feeling that … God is working school class numbered just 54, Steve began studying art at through me, the Holy Spirit is alive in me and He is using me West Virginia University before deciding that working in a to touch other people. trade might furnish a better living. He pursued welding at a vocational-technical school, and has built his career in the “It’s just an overwhelming feeling – God moves people into your life, and you don’t [always] understand why, but you sheet metal industry. know that God made these connections for a purpose, and Art – particularly working with his hands – remains one of His purpose is good. I just ask that God will use me as a Steve’s passions. He enjoys sculpting, and hopes to devote much conduit, and that I can serve them in whatever way He wants of his retirement to the craft (if he ever retires, he added). He me to serve.”

AUG UST GO&MAKE 17

SERVICE AND SACRIFICE The Weavers

18 GO&MAKE AUGUST

By Jennifer Ginn

Y

ears ago when Leann Weaver started serving as a youth leader and later helped establish an Annapolis-based Campus Life group for unchurched kids, little did she know that God was preparing her and her husband Aaron to expand their family in an unexpected way.

A lifelong Crownsville resident, Leann grew up in the home in which her parents and grandmother had lived. She and Aaron purchased the home from her parents just before they got married. The two met in middle school at Old Mill South but didn’t know each other very well. They reconnected when Aaron returned from a tour in the Army. “We went on a couple of dates but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a relationship,” Leann recollected. “I had a child, had been in a bad relationship and was scared to date anyone else. I called him a year later and he was readying to get married.”

A year after that, Aaron found himself reaching out to the only other single parent he knew who was his age. “He didn’t know where to go and God led him to my doorstep,” Leann explained.

A friendship followed. When Aaron’s son Joshua had to have surgery at Johns Hopkins, the two would come together in the hospital’s chapel to pray.

Their friendship grew into a healthy marriage, and Aaron and Leann will celebrate their 15th anniversary this fall. Five years after the two exchanged vows, Leann’s son Michael, 19, and Joshua, 16, became big brothers when the Weavers had their Kadance, who is now 10 years old.

daughter,

Raised in a conservative Lutheran church, Leann said she has always been firmly committed to her faith. “Church was never a Sunday thing for me. I was there at least four or five times a week growing up. My dad was head usher and an elder and my mom was involved too.”

Following suit, Leann said she and her husband have always been active members of their church. At her previous church she served as secretary and was involved in youth ministry.

She also helped start an Annapolis-based Youth for Christ Campus Life ministry, which strives to help middle- and high-schoolers make good choices and become lifelong followers of Jesus.

The club meets on Wednesday evenings at Bridge Church in Annapolis.

Four years ago, the Weavers came to Bay Area Community Church, and Leann asserts that she truly believes God brought her to BACC and Campus Life in preparation for the expansion of their family to include their three nieces – 17-year-old Cyndal, 15-year-old Gina and 13-yearold Fiona – who joined their family in 2013.

“Prior to their coming to us, we didn’t have too much time with the girls,” Leann said, explaining that was due to the negative familial circumstances in which the girls were living.

“We were blocked from their family so we prayed and cared for the girls from afar.” Leann learned that there was upheaval in the home and social services was involved. She contacted the authorities, simply stating that she wasn’t sure if they could tell her anything but she was the girls’ aunt. “They were immediately interested in who I was,” shared Leann. “They asked if we would be willing to take the girls in for a while and I said ‘No question, absolutely.’”

“We have them and will continue to have them until they are grown up,” Leann stated. “They were in a very abusive situation, and I am so very proud of the girls. Now it’s all about ensuring they are OK, and I am so blessed to see how awesome they are doing.

“When they came to us, they were questioning if God is real. One of them had sworn off God completely. I looked at them and said, ‘I will not ask you to do much, but on Wednesdays I go to Campus Life and on Sundays we go to church. I am just asking you to attend.’”

Less than a year later, the one who had sworn off God accepted Christ as her savior.

“She is floor leader in the nursery and sings praises with me in the car. And we all just attended the threeday KingsFest concert at Kings Dominion,” Leann said elatedly.

“In that first year they were with us, the turnaround was more than I could have ever dreamt or expected,” said Leann. “We were concerned for their safety and kept asking God for His protection, and that one day, they would accept the Lord. But the Lord has wowed me so much. He’s been amazing.”

In addition to raising their family and working, Leann and Aaron serve as marriage mentors at Bay Area and Leann avows that the Weavers’ own marriage is doubly blessed for it. Aaron, Leann, Cyndal, Gina, and Kadance all help out in Children’s Ministry. Additionally, Aaron serves up smiles and the requisite hand waving as a partner in the parking ministry. Leann also lent a helping hand behind the scenes in the tech room throughout Summer Jam in June. Aaron emphasized, “Each one of our volunteer opportunities at BACC is truly a rewarding experience.”

“Where we put our time and money signifies what is important to us,” said Leann. “And there is no better way to teach the girls how to walk the walk. I don’t have a lot of time and I don’t have a lot of money but God asks of our time and talents so I make it a priority. We are just doing what we are called to do.”

AUG UST GO&MAKE 19

SWINGING TO FEED THE HUNGRY

By Marc Anderson

I

t’s easy for us to take our lives for granted; with all the gifts that we’ve been given, very few of us ever go hungry. Yet, there are those in our community who do go hungry on a regular basis – children who go to bed without dinner, and are expected to go to school and learn the next day.

could make 800 lunches each week, and it still wouldn’t be enough to feed the hungry in Annapolis. In 2014, the golf committee dedicated its efforts to raising money for the local Happy Helpers chapter to help children in our community. Little did we know that the funds raised last year actually helped save the chapter.

Jeremy later explained, “After losing our biggest donor last year, the golf tournament proceeds were a reminder that where God leads, He provides and protects.” Shortly after losing their largest donor, the Annapolis chapter of Happy Helpers was provided with enough funds from the golf tournament to continue their ministry for an additional eight months. This donation, along with another unexpected gift, allowed Happy Helpers to continue their ministry for a whole year.

In Matthew 25, Jesus commands us to feed the hungry. By helping those who are in need, we treat our Lord in the same way.

As the committee that organizes Bay Area Community Church’s golf tournament struggled to find the best ways to help those in need in our community, they were introduced to Happy Helpers of the Homeless and our local chapter’s leader, Jeremy DiCandilo. Founded in 1993 by a 13-year-old girl in Baltimore with a heart for those hurting in her community, Happy Helpers has prepared over 540,000 lunches to help meet the needs of the hungry in her community over those years.

The Annapolis chapter is run out of Bay Area, and currently supplies 300 lunches each week to the hungry in Annapolis, many of whom are school-aged children, yet the need is considerably higher. Our chapter

SEPTEMBER 17

QUEENSTOWN HARBOR GOLF COURSE 20 GO&MAKE AUGUST

The goal for this year’s golf tournament – which will be held on Thursday, September 17, at the Lakes Course at Queenstown Harbor Golf Course – is not to provide a status-quo donation, but to help expand the ministry of Happy Helpers in feeding more of the needy in our community. Tripling our donation would allow Jeremy and his team to make 600 lunches every week. Fortunately, there are many opportunities for members of the Bay Area family help meet this goal.

First and foremost, what would a golf tournament be without golfers? The more golfers at the outing, the more exposure Happy Helpers Annapolis has to a wider group of people. It’s important to note that this is a fun tournament, and players of all abilities are encouraged to come and play.

Registration is $100 per golfer.

Sponsorships will also be invaluable in helping meet this goal, and range from $500 for a hole sponsorship to $10,000 for a presenting sponsorship.

Additionally, breakfast and lunch sponsors are needed. In years past, our sponsors have been individuals, families and businesses. Donations are also welcome, and 100 percent of the donations will go to Happy Helpers.

Finally, volunteers are needed the day of the event. Whether they participate as golfers or volunteers, Missional Communities have a great opportunity to rally together and have a fun time at the annual golf tournament.

For more information about registration or sponsorships, please email mgacka@ mac.com.

MANUEL BAERGA

MISSIONARY TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY

By Meredith Thompson

T

hree years ago, Manuel Baerga joined the staff of Bay Area Community Church with a vision: to reach the Hispanic community of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County with the hope and love of Jesus Christ. Since 2012, he highlighted, hundreds of Hispanics have been impacted: Street meetings have been held, Missional Communities have formed, children have been reached, and thousands of pounds of food have been provided.

Yet, with Hispanics composing nearly 17 percent of the city’s population – twice the statewide demographic – there’s still a great harvest to reap in Annapolis’ Hispanic communities.

Through prayer and reflection on all God has done through Bay Area over the last three years, a need arose to identify the most culturally effective method of making disciples within the Hispanic community. That’s why, Manuel and Missional Communities Pastor Brian Hopper explained, Bay Area is sending Manuel out as a missionary to the Annapolis area.

“Manuel’s gifts are way evangelistic and pastoral,” Brian emphasized. “We want to put Manuel in a position that best utilizes his gifts … and we believe that position is to have him be a missionary at large to the greater Annapolis community.

“He will still be strongly connected to Bay Area, but will be free to work with other churches.”

Manuel added, “As a missionary, I will have freedom to have access to all Hispanic churches and congregations, and help with the needs in the Hispanic community.”

The two explained his ministry in Naptown’s Hispanic neighborhoods – where he and his wife, Laura, plan to relocate – will focus on five areas of outreach. First and foremost, Manuel will build relationships with Hispanic churches in the region in order to reach families, the second area of need, and help unite teens and parents divided by language and cultural barriers. “[We’ll] be helping those families understand our country – instead of living with a dream of one day going back home that never takes place, they need to embrace America and learn the language and culture,” Manuel noted, adding he hopes to educate them on their rights and duties as citizens, as well as what the law provides for opportunity here.

Additionally, the Puerto Rican native will engage civic organizations in order to help advocate for rights, and within the Hispanic neighborhoods he plans to host events and outreaches. Finally, with Laura – an interpreter for Anne Arundel County Public Schools – at his side, Manuel will also focus on schools.

“Many Hispanic churches are legalistic and present a God that is not involved in music, sports, or social life. This view is limiting young people from embracing God and their parents’ faith, and helps enlarge the distance between families again,” Manuel said, illustrating how critical it is for him to reach both churches and families. “Being a missionary gives me the freedom to see and meet the needs [of local Hispanics], and help them get to know a God of freedom, love, and acceptance, instead of a God of requirements.”

For those who wish to stay up-to-date on Manuel and Laura’s ministry, or to come alongside them in prayer or financial support, an information session regarding their transition beyond 884 into Annapolis will be held on Sunday, August 9, at Bay Area after the third gathering.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 21

RECOUNTING A MISSION TO SOUTHEAST ASIA

by Vickie Chambers “Just how much God loves these people – that was my takeaway from the trip.”

Melissa recently returned from a twoweek trip to Malaysia, and it’s easy to see how God moved in her heart while she was there. A short-term missions veteran with over nine international trips under her belt, Melissa was set on not making the trade this year – even though she volunteered during the sermon series in January. That changed when she learned there was a trip planned for Southeast Asia, a place she had always wanted 22 GO&MAKE AUGUST

to go. She was interested in a trip that would be spiritually challenging in ways her previous trips hadn’t been, and the plan for the team headed to Malaysia fit the bill perfectly.

While they were there, Melissa and the four other members of the team sent by Bay Area from June 22 – July 6 helped in the English teaching center run by a local missionary. They held English camps for kids and hosted parties in hopes of building personal relationships with the people who used the center to further

their language skills. Since it is illegal to share Jesus with the many Muslims in the country, the main priority of Bay Area’s local partner is to build relationships that will hopefully open the door to conversations about religious beliefs.

One thing Melissa was not expecting was the significant Arabic influence on Malaysian culture. There is an abundance of refugees in Malaysia, both from war-torn Middle Eastern countries and nearby Burma. For most of the people the team interacted with, this was only a temporary home, with plenty of loved ones left behind.

In her mind, heading to Asia didn’t directly translate to talking with women in full Burka dress, but that’s exactly what Melissa experienced. Still, she was surprised at the warm welcome she and her teammates received from the locals.

They were quick to share pictures of their families and discuss recipes, and before long, one of them even invited the team to the beach for authentic kabobs from her homeland. The team was quickly building the relationships they were hoping for.

It was while interacting with these refugees that Melissa felt the spiritual growth she was longing for when she signed up to travel to Malaysia. She began to see these uprooted families through God’s eyes – as lost souls looking for a place to belong and feel loved. Recently, Malaysia began to accept the Muslim Rohingyan people as refugees from nearby Burma, where the government has refused to give them citizenship since the mid-1980s. Many of these people live in atrocious camps where they are required to spend a certain number of days working for the government and are often the victims of human trafficking. Escaping to Malaysia provides them with a little dignity and more security. One morning, the team visited a school full of Rohingyan children and Melissa found herself overwhelmed in the midst of the chaos.

“There were so many age groups and so many little kids and I looked around the room and thought, ‘Nobody wants these people.’” she recalled. “The kids are so beautiful and to think that their parents don’t have any hope for what’s going to happen, since Malaysia is just a

temporary solution – they’re just trying to survive and they’re going to have to start all over again. Knowing that they don’t have any eternal hope – it just broke my heart … If Jesus came back right now, these people would still be here. It just hurts my heart that people are unwanted and it hurts my heart that people don’t have true hope.”

She felt a similar tug on her heartstrings the more she interacted with the Arabic women.

While she attempted to understand the religious and cultural implications of the Burka, Melissa longed for her fellow women to feel beautiful and appreciated, instead of hidden and ignored.

“God made them. They are fearfully and wonderfully made and we can’t see that. They cover it up and I understand it’s a security issue and a cultural thing, but they’re beautiful because of who they are and that’s hidden,” Melissa shared. “They don’t realize how valuable they are because they were created in God’s image.

They’re trapped in their circumstances, believing something that is not going to give them eternal security.”

While her friends and neighbors don’t wear their religious beliefs on their sleeve, Melissa hopes that her experiences in Malaysia will help her feel the urgency and need to ensure the people around her know the love of Jesus. “One thing I’ve taken for granted is having an appreciation for God’s love for people. It’s something that I’ve always known, so it’s something that I take for granted,” she confessed. “But looking at the Rohingya, seeing that nobody wants them and that they don’t know what that love feels like, or to look at these women who are fully covered and don’t know that they were made by someone who loves them so much, hurts my heart.

“There, those people identified themselves by the way that they dressed, but here we don’t have anything that we proudly display that says we’re loved by God, so I just need to change my perspective – I can’t assume that everyone knows that they’re loved, everyone knows that they’re wanted and everyone knows that there’s an eternal purpose for them.”

“ It just hurts my heart that people are unwanted and it hurts my heart that people don’t have true hope.”

AUG UST GO&MAKE 23

Theil T. Theil At Bay Area 2014

24 GO&MAKE AUG UST

ESCAPE to SOUTH SUDAN FROM A WAR TORN NATION TO BAY AREA, AND BACK

by Josh Shirlen

In 1983 a civil war broke out in Sudan, East Africa, of the most heinous nature. A rebel militia would mount an attack on the government to initiate a multi-decade civil war that would take millions of lives in its wake.

Hardened militants entered tribal areas throughout the southern region of the country, demolishing all life. Women were beaten, raped, and murdered, men and children effortlessly executed with the squeeze of an AK-47 trigger.

Survivors found themselves in one of two groups: those who fled to the relative safety of the north, or those who would flee the country on foot. Most survivors of these massacres were young boys who were away from their villages during the attacks. Tending to the cattle, they were able to hide in the dense African bush. Alone, they listened as their families were slaughtered, unable to help. Masses of orphaned boys found themselves in the group that would begin a foot journey lasting over 1,000 miles just to stay alive.

In total, there were about 20,000 young boys walking barefoot across the barren landscape in search of refuge.

Tragically, over half of them died on the journey due to starvation, dehydration, disease, attack by wild animals and enemy soldiers. Many also drowned crossing rivers or by crocodile attack. Those who survived the displacement became known as the Lost Boys of Sudan.

The Lost Boys first made their way to camps in Ethiopia, but in 1991 were forced to flee yet again when war broke out. This time, they journeyed back through their war-torn homeland to Kenya where they found refuge. For nearly a decade, the boys would survive in the most dire circumstances, thankful for every day as refugees, having avoided the fate of their

family members and enlistment in the rebel army.

War survivors who fled to the northern region avoided the dangers of the Lost Boys’ walk, but were subject to a different variety of sufferings. The government would manipulate and force men into serving in combat efforts in the south. Men and women who did not comply were punished with slavery, torture, or death.

In 2001 a glimmer of hope shined on the Lost Boys. The Unites States, in a humanitarian gesture, would grant refugee status to the orphaned boys, and for the first time in their lives they would be offered peace, freedom, and an education. By the thousands, these brave young men began boarding commercial flights with only the clothes on their back, for their assigned U.S. city.

But what of those who had fled to the north? That is where we meet a young Sudanese boy named Theil. When the war broke out, he and his family avoided the slaughter by escaping to the refuge of the northern territory. But the refuge was anything but. In his early life, Theil witnessed the atrocities of slavery, unlawful imprisonment, and the burning of churches (he recalls seeing nine burned in a single day), all of which left him and many of his countrymen with severe psychological trauma.

Theil was given an ultimatum by his government: join the resistance and fight your brothers in the south, or suffer the consequences.

Theil felt strongly that he could not join the massacre and fight his own Sudanese people. So he risked everything to escape the country. If caught, he would most certainly be killed. Though he had no Christian faith at the time, a priest helped him escape.

Crossing the border of Sudan, he made his way north to Syria AUG UST GO&MAKE 25

where he was given international protection by the United Nations. Months later, 10 Sudanese refugees in Syria would be granted the same immigration privileges as the Lost Boys.

By the grace of God, Theil was one of them.

He arrived in New Jersey on a Saturday with only enough money to pay for one night’s stay in a motel. The next morning he attended a nearby Catholic church. After the mass, he told the priest about his situation and was pleased when the man offered to host him for a few days.

Theil attended Rutgers University and graduated with a biology degree. By part three of his plan, he was right on schedule with everything he set out to accomplish, including bringing his mother and wife Rose to the U.S. Post graduation he connected with a doctor working with Anne Arundel Community College who was supplying aid to Bor, South Sudan. He decided to move to Maryland to take part in the effort.

“I see myself as a BACC seed; I grew here and Jim pruned me. I was sent from here and I want to be a frontrunner for the mission of Bay Area.”

The defining moment of Theil’s entire journey would take place on his second day in the States. Liz, the program coordinator for his transition, picked him up and took him to downtown Newark, NJ. She showed him the homeless and the drug- and alcoholaddicted people. Liz explained, “I know you believe America is the land of opportunity, and that you can have anything. The truth is that you have to work very hard for it; nothing is free.

And if you don’t work very hard you can end up here.” Then she took him to Rutgers University and told him, “If you really want the American Dream, education is the way.” This was the day that he committed to the hard work necessary to succeed. He decided to have a goal; he would write a 15-year plan for his life.

The doctor was a follower of Jesus and introduced him to Jim and Loraine Hiskey and Bay Area Community Church. Jim, having committed his life to making disciples of Jesus, began to walk with Theil. The first Bible verse Theil ever memorized was Joshua 1:8-9, at Jim’s urging. “Do not let the book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on it day and night.” Jim would invite Theil to his home to spend hours at a time learning and receiving council. Theil would also find his church home at Bay Area. Jim would spend the next several years discipling him and ultimately help Theil clarify the call God was placing on his life: to return to and care for the people of South Sudan.

Theil became impassioned with the idea of helping rebuild the nation of his childhood.

Today, Theil reflects with fondness on his Bay Area family, saying, “I see myself as a BACC seed; I grew here and Jim pruned me. I was sent from here and I want to be a frontrunner for the mission of Bay Area.”

And so, he is just that. Theil has recently returned to rebuild the nation of his childhood through disciple-making. He is part of a discipleship movement that he began by leading four men.

The multiplication of those men has now lead to over 700 followers of Jesus. He also uses his education to teach preventative health education and youth leadership development. To date, the health education initiative has touched 29,000 people and the leadership development program has 85 strong leaders. In addition to that, Theil has contributed to the construction of 320 clean water wells for the tribal people of South Sudan.

Strictly adhering to his second 15-year-plan, Theil spends his days discipling the men and women of South Sudan and caring for their practical needs.

Bay Area Community Church is blessed to be a part of his amazing story and to be called his home church.

26 GO&MAKE AUG UST

AUG UST GO&MAKE 27

No Longer Nursery: Bay Area’s Youngest Learn And Grow In Preschool

By Gail Wiles

B

eginning in September, Bay Area Community Church will not have nursery. Don’t fret - Children’s Ministry will have the same offerings for this age group; we’re simply changing what we call it to better reflect what goes on within those classrooms. It will be called preschool, and will encompass ages birth through 5 years old (not yet in kindergarten).

Our preschool environments now consist of the first floor, the Tidal Pool, for ages birth to 3 – a new location for our 3-year-olds – and the second floor, the Coral Reef, for children ages 4 and 5 (not yet in kindergarten). This will help with the growth of our youngest here at Bay Area and reflect our passion to help disciple the kiddos here.

Why the name change? When you think of nursery, you think of a safe environment to leave your children while you, the parent, grow and learn in the gathering. Although we strive to provide a safe place for every child within this ministry, so much more happens for even our youngest children. The term preschool signifies that they are learning and growing, and that’s what we are all about.

Our goal within Children’s Ministry is to come alongside parents to provide another spiritual influence in the life of a child. Intentionality in discipleship needs to start very young. The stages of infancy may seem simplistic to adults; however, they’re a vital first step in spiritual growth.

child. Infants and toddlers bond with parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers who look after their physical and emotional needs. Because adults care for their needs, infants develop a sense of trust. According to psychologist Erik Erikson, infants who successfully learn to trust develop hope.

And Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In the first two years of life, the foundational concepts of spiritual formation – trust and hope – grow.

While caring for the physical and emotional needs of infants and toddlers, adults teach them the language of faith. When soothing a crying infant, for instance, a volunteer sings a song about Jesus. In the 1-yearold rooms, they focus on activities that teach them that God loves them and made them. Parents talk about God and Jesus in their daily conversations with preschoolers, and that’s where growth comes from.

The Deep Blue is here to help encourage, equip, and inspire parents as they raise their children for Jesus.

We are excited about changing the title of nursery to preschool in order to continue to demonstrate that the Deep Blue is a discipling environment for all children at Bay Area. If you have any questions, or would like further information, please contact Preschool Coordinator Courtney Gregory at courtney.gregory@bayareacc.org.

Relationships are central to healthy spiritual growth in the lives of every

AUG UST GO&MAKE 29

30 GO&MAKE AUG UST

CARE NETWORK

HAPPENINGS

BAPTISM

There are times when every one of us experiences difficulties such as the loss of a loved one, a serious illness, divorce, job loss, addiction, discouragement, spiritual crisis, loneliness, parenting difficulties and many other challenges. God’s intention is that we engage with others and not walk alone through these circumstances! And Jesus wants to see us through the challenges instead of us avoiding or going around them. The Care Network is a free, confidential, Christ-centered ministry that assists those seeking help by serving as a bridge to hope and healing through a variety of resources. We offer appropriate referrals and resources such as Care Coaches, Missional Communities, financial assistance, Celebrate Recovery, Christian counselors, or an appropriate agency or program in the community. If you need help or have questions, email leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.

Wo u l d y o u l i ke t o b e b a p t i z e d ?

For more information...

• K-5th: contact gail.wiles@bayareacc.org • 6-12th: contact brent.squires@bayareacc.org • Adults: contact arianne.teeple@bayareacc.org CELEBRATE RECOVERY Celebrate Recovery is for anyone seeking a richer life through worshipping God and being in community with others. Don’t let your hurts, habits and hangups keep you isolated. Let Celebrate Recovery be a place of healing, hope and community for you! We meet every Monday night, even on holidays, at 7 p.m. for worship, a lesson/testimony, open share groups and fellowship. We share a meal together every first and third Monday of the month from 6-7 p.m. Third Mondays are potluck dinners. Stop by our kiosk in the lobby every first Sunday of the month to talk with Celebrate Recovery representatives and learn more. Contact Tom at tmuth57@gmail.com or leanne.lane@bayareacc.org for more information.

CONNECT WITH BAY AREA If you’re new or just have a question, we’d love to meet you and help you get plugged in. Look for a member of our connect team in a blue shirt in the lobby after each Sunday gathering or visit us online at www.bayareacc.org/new.

CELEBRATION PLACE This is a free, 52-week resource for children, ages 1-12, of parents attending Celebrate Recovery on Monday nights. While adults explore topics that bring healing and wholeness, children discover the same truths in ageappropriate ways. Space is limited, so please be sure to secure a spot for your child/children. Contact Jen Marshall at celebration.place.group@gmail.com for more information.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 31

MENTAL ILLNESS WORKSHOP Interested in learning more about mental illness? The Care Network is hosting a free workshop with members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on Sunday, August 9, at 1 p.m. in the Fireside Room. A light lunch will be provided. This workshop is for all who want to learn more about mental illness and the resources available for families, friends and those who are affected. Learn more at bayareacc.org/carenetwork or contact Leanne at leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.

to make it in marriage. The premarital mentor program pairs couples with marriage mentors, couples who have been married for 10+ years, to help prepare them for marriage. It doesn’t matter whether a Bay Area pastor is officiating your wedding, being prepared is the key! This is the best gift you can give each other as you start your life together as man and wife. Email premarital.ministry@bayareacc.org for more information.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

PRODIGAL CHILDREN SUPPORT Luke 15:11-32 tells us the parable of the lost son. He leaves home, lives his life the way he wants to and thankfully, he WAVE RIDERS eventually returns to his father. This child has become Our leaders have planned two fun get known as the “Prodigal Child.” While this parable is part of togethers this month: Monday, August Jesus’ messages describing God’s love for all of us, for some 10 at 10 a.m. playdate at Bay Area in the families it is reality. The journey/trial of having a prodigal is Splash Zone and incredibly challenging. If you are a parent that has a prodigal, Thursday, August you are not alone. For more information contact Leanne at 27 a fire station leanne.lane@bayareacc.org about how BACC can lend support visit - for more details visit our Facebook and encouragement to you. page: facebook.com/waveriderplaygroup HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND VISITATION DIVE 45 If you or a loved one is in the hospital or homebound we All rising fourth- and fifthwould love to serve you. Contact us so that we can learn grade students are invited to more about how to be of assistance. Contact Leanne at this year’s Dive 45 Summer leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or call 443-837-3718.

Splash themed event on Friday, August 21 from 7-9 p.m.

Kids will participate in water obstacles, so come ready to get THE ART OF MARRIAGE soaked. Don’t forget a towel and a few bucks for the snack cart.

The Art of Marriage Conference RSVP is required at bayareacc.org/dive45. Contact: Aimee at is back Friday, August 14 aimee.coyle@bayareacc.org.

(7-9:30 p.m.) and Saturday, August 15 (9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) at BACC. The event weaves together expert teaching, reallife stories, humorous vignettes, and more to portray both the challenges and the beauty of God’s design for marriage.

This event is for all couples: married, engaged, thinking CHILDREN & STUDENT BAPTISM CELEBRATION about getting engaged, singles, or those just wanting to learn If you have a child or student who is expressing interest and more about God’s design for marriage. Cost is $60 per couple, wants to be baptized we would love to celebrate this mile and includes the event, snacks and workbooks. KidCare is marker with you. Visit the children’s or student resource available for nursery through fifth grade and is $10 per child webpage at bayareacc.org to read more on how your family for both days. Saturday’s Chik-fil-A lunch option must be pre- can be a part of the Baptism Celebration on August 30. ordered at the kiosk only on Sundays. For more information or to register go online to bayareacc.org/theartofmarriage or MOVING UP IN THE contact Leanne at leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.

DEEP BLUE We know your soonMARRIAGE MINISTRY TEAM to-be sixth-grade Have you been married 10+ years and have a deep desire children are ready to see couples start and stay strong in their marriages? This to MOVE UP! Their ministry team seeks to encourage existing marriages through last day in children’s the development and scheduling of enrichment opportunities ministry was last month on Sunday, July 26; however their throughout the ministry year. Some of these opportunities first day in Student Ministry is August 9 due to BASM being are learning communities, marriage workshops, special away for a student conference. For all other children moving events and small group Bible studies. If you have a heart into kindergarten through fifth grade for the upcoming for marriages and want to serve on this team or learn school year the official MOVE UP day will be September 6 at more about the Marriage Ministry at BACC please visit all gatherings. bayareacc.org/marriageministry or contact leanne.lane@ bayareacc.org for more information.

PREMARITAL MENTORING Did you get engaged or are you thinking about getting engaged? Premarital mentoring is just what you need!

Strong marriages are the cornerstone of a healthy, Jesus-centered family. Our marriage ministry equips future and existing marriages with the tools they need 32 GO&MAKE AUGUST

ISRAEL TRIP

Have you ever been interested in taking a Biblical tour of the Holy Land? In March 2016, Pastor Ed Kelley will lead an 11-day trip to Israel that will trace the footsteps of Jesus.

If you would like to learn more or sign up, email Ed at ed.kelley@bayareacc.org.

CONNECTING MINISTRY

Department and we will debit your checking account directly each month.

Personal Check: Write “Beyond884” on the memo line and drop it in the offering basket on Sunday or mail the check to BACC (884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, MD 21401).

Bank Check: Process through your bank’s Bill Pay service online for a bank check to be sent to BACC. Be sure to note “Beyond884” on the memo line.

DISCOVER BAY AREA New to Bay Area? Welcome! Join us at 12:45 p.m. in the Bay Cafe for Discover Bay Area on the first Sunday of the month.

Grab a free lunch and hear from our pastors and staff about GLOBAL MISSIONS who we are, what we are passionate about, and how you can get plugged in. No RSVP necessary and kids are welcome. Join 2015 SHORT TERM MISSIONS us on any of the following dates: August 2 and October 4.

Short term mission teams are travelling to seven countries this summer. Contact Global Missions Pastor Casely Essamuah at casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org for more information.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

KIDCARE TEAM MEMBERS Our team consists of individuals who have a heart for kids. Our workers are paid and we are consistently looking to add to our team. We provide KidCare to all ministries of Bay Area including The Well, Celebrate Recovery, Missional Communities, and various events throughout the year. If you or someone you know is interested in joining, contact Jen at jen.marshall@bayareacc.org or visit the Children’s Welcome Desk on Sundays for more info.

EVENTS TEAM Do you enjoy event planning? Weddings? We would love to talk to you about joining the event team. This is a paid position per event. Please contact ann.house@bayareacc.org if interested.

FINANCIALS Operating Budget Financial Update June 30, 2015 New Fiscal Year Began September 1, 2014 Fiscal Year Giving Goal YTD Giving Goal YTD Received YTD Actual vs. Goal JUNE Giving Goal JUNE Received

$3,832,000 $3,263,310 $3,196,777 (66,533) -2.0% Behind

$316,056 $323,237

For weekly financial updates, please visit us online at www.bayareacc.org/financials.

Please be sure to designate all Building Fund donations on the memo line of your check: “One & Only Life” for original building debt or “Beyond884” for the new building expansion. Please note all undesignated checks will go toward the general operating fund.

How Do I Support The Cause of Beyond884: Room For People?

Preferred Methods (no fees charged) Direct Debit: Go to www.beyond884.com/give to download the form. Mail completed form to the BACC Finance

EL SALVADOR • November 7-15

POLAND • July 22 - Aug 3 • October 12-21

INDONESIA • August 14-24 PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT What is Perspectives? Perspectives helps believers from all walks of life see how they can get threaded into God’s story of redeeming people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to Himself. From Genesis to the prophets, Jesus Christ to the early church, and Constantine to today, you will see how God has been moving, how the global Church has responded, and what the greatest needs in world evangelization remain today. It isn’t a class about missions, but a course on how every believer can be intimately woven into the story of God using His people to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth. Course Schedule: August 24 - December 15 at BACC. Contact John Battan at john_battan@tsco.org for more information.

TASTE OF PERSPECTIVES Want to learn more about Perspectives? Join us for Taste of Perspectives on August 9 in The Docks at BACC from 12:30-6 p.m. Lunch will be provided so please RSVP to John Battan at john_battan@tsco.org by August 2.

GATHERINGS SATURDAY NIGHT SINGALONG Join us for Saturday Night Singalong on August 8 at 6 p.m. This is a great opportunity to rest in worship, prayer, and testimony as a church body. KidCare is provided on a firstcome, first-served basis for children ages 1 through pre-k. For more information, contact Micah at micah.pringle@bayareacc.org.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 33

LOCAL OUTREACH

MEN’S BIBLE STUDIES

LOCAL OUTREACH SERVING OPPORTUNITIES Missional Communities often don’t know how to get involved with serving locally. We’re here to help. Email outreach@ bayareacc.org to start the conversation. There are many organizations in the Annapolis area that will be blessed by your involvement; we’d love to connect you with them.

MEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays from 6-7:30 a.m. in room 236 at BACC. Contact Dennis at dbradylaw@aol.com for more information.

WALK AND RUN FOR LIFE The Pregnancy Clinic’s Walk and Run for Life on September 19 is a fun, family-friendly event with a 5K timed trail run, a one-mile fun walk, great activities for kids (including a moon bounce!) and lots of prizes and giveaways. Proceeds will benefit the Pregnancy Clinic and provide hope, help and healing to women facing unplanned pregnancy.

Contact Angela Murray at angela@pregnancyclinic.org or 410-431-5000 if you would like more information about how your business can support the 2015 Walk and 5k Run for Life.

For more information visit walkandrun.org.

BACC GOLF TOURNAMENT Mark your calendars! September 17 you can golf with us for the homeless and hungry in Annapolis. For more information, email Marc at mgacka@mac.com.

LEARNING COMMUNITIES Learning Communities are smaller groups that meet in The Docks with the focus of learning, applying, and living out the Bible. We offer many different courses not only to help develop theologically, but also in our character development and practical lives following Jesus and making Him known. You can learn more and sign up online at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities for any of the fall Learning Communities that start in September.

MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES

PRAYER MINISTRY Did you know BACC has an entire ministry devoted to prayer?

The BACC Prayer Ministry is made up of teams of individuals devoted to gathering in prayer for the church worship gatherings, the pastors, our missional efforts and missionaries, the ministries of the church, those who are sick or saddened by grief, and those who are wrestling with life’s struggles.

The Prayer Ministry provides an opportunity for us to gather together and share our hearts with our Father who loves us.

Let’s pray together. The prayer room is located on the second floor of BACC. ALSO! Every Sunday immediately following the Gatherings members of our prayer team will be up front and to the right of the stage if you would like someone to pray with.

For more information about prayer or the teams, go online to bayareacc.org/prayer or contact pat.linnell@bayareacc.org.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AMBASSADOR TEAM: Passionate about making sure no one falls through the cracks? Consider yourself a people person? Join our ambassador team and help connect new visitors into the Bay Area family. If this sounds like you, join us! Contact jocelyn.rimbey@bayareacc.org.

AUDIO/VIDEO TEAM: We’re looking for a few more passionate, committed people to partner with our Sunday production team. Contact micah.pringle@bayareacc.org.

BAY CAFÉ & ESPRESSO BAR: Do you love coffee and lattés? Enjoy hospitality? We would love for you to serve in the Bay Cafe and/or Espresso Bar. Contact sherri.raimondo@bayareacc.org.

CHAIR MINISTRY: Serve on the chair set-up/tear-down team. Contact chairs@bayareacc.org.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Do you have a heart to serve families with special needs children? Consider partnering with a family on Sunday mornings. Want more info on how you can serve in this unique way? Contact Chyloe Cheetham at chyloe.cheetham@bayareacc.org.

Do you have theater experience and appreciate energetic environments? Our elementary large group time may be your perfect fit. Contact aimee.coyle@bayareacc.org.

COMMUNION TEAM: Contact arianne.teeple@bayareacc.org.

MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Get a taste of what a Missional Community is through our MC Taster event. Join us on August 9 after the third gathering for a light lunch and some info from Missional Community Pastor Brian Hopper. We’ll spend about an hour in community with each other, in loving God, and thinking about how to engage those around us. RSVP online at bayareacc.org/mctasterrsvp or email mc@bayareacc.org for questions.

34 GO&MAKE AUG UST

PARKING MINISTRY: Serve by directing traffic and greeting those arriving at church. Contact Steve at parking@bayareacc.org.

SAFETY TEAM: If you are passionate about safety or have experience in security, law enforcement, EMS, or First Responders, come help our church stay safe. Contact Ed at safety@bayareacc.org.

WOMEN’S MINISTRY From HERE to THERE. “A disciple who is fully trained will be like his teacher” Luke 6:40. At The Well, our women’s Bible studies, we grow from HERE to THERE in our relationship with God. No matter your starting point, God desires a closer relationship with you.

THE WELL At Bay Area, we invite women to join us on a spiritual journey in community with others. Like the woman at the well in John 4, Jesus meets us where we are and leads us to the next step.

The Well at Bay Area is a place where women can come for spiritual growth. It doesn’t matter if you are new to faith or a longtime follower of Jesus, The Well can provide an opportunity for you to grow. Join us for the following studies this fall.

“Discerning the Voice of God: How to recognize when God speaks” by Priscilla Shirer. This study discusses how God communicates with those willing to obey what He says even in the chaos of our lives. We hear Him by staying in tune with His voice through the Word of God. Join us Wednesdays, September 2 – December 9 from 9:30–11:30 a.m. Cost $15.

“Bridges on the Journey.” This study will cover the basics of the gospel, the Bible, prayer, and other essentials to growing in Christ. We recommend this group for those who are not yet believers or are new to Bible study and faith. Led by Mary Kaye St. Cyr and Jody Yearwood on Wednesdays, September 2 – November 18 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. or on Tuesday nights,

September 1 – November 17 from 7-9 p.m. led by Janet Graves and Deb Shipley. Cost $15.

“Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby. This modern classic study is based on seven Scriptural realities that teach us how to develop a true relationship with the Creator. By understanding how God is working through us even as we try to fathom His ways, we can begin to clearly know and do His will and discover our lives greatly and gracefully changed.

Tuesdays, September 1 – December 8 from 7-9 p.m. Cost $15.

KidCare available for ages birth – preschool with pre-registration for The Well on Wednesday mornings only. September 1 – December 9 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Cost $55/one child, $75 for 2+ more children. Space is limited. Your registration is not final until enrollment is confirmed by Jen Marshall at jen.marshall@bayareacc.org. Registration for fall Well studies will be available at the Women’s Ministry kiosk August 16, 23, and 30 in the lobby at church or online at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth.

Women of Legacy There will be no Women of Legacy events until September.

Contact: Cedulie Sanchez at luisandcedulie@gmail.com Quilts for Kids We use donated fabric to make quilts for kids in shelters and hospitals. Our next sewing workshop is Saturday, August 15 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at BACC in room 235. Come and learn to sew or learn a new pattern. Kits will be available.

Please bring your sewing machine, sewing supplies, and your lunch. If you would like a quilt kit, have a quilt you would like to donate, or have questions, contact Janet Hogan at annapolisQFK@quiltsforkids.org.

More information on page 32.

AUG UST GO&MAKE 35

36 GO&MAKE AUGUST