COVER
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IN THIS ISSUE
18 COVER STORY: TRUNK OR TREAT Bay Area’s biggest annual community outreach is back! Kids and adults alike will have a totally rad time at Trunk or Treat, this year themed after the ‘80s, where costumed youngsters can stockpile sweet treats as families get a taste of what community at Bay Area is like.
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20 THE DESCENDANTS PROJECT Lead Pastor Greg St. Cyr unpacks the heart and vision behind The Descendants Project, Bay Area’s faith-stretching plan to disciple current and future generations of children and students.
24 KARA HAMILTON’S PERSPECTIVE Five years after being diagnosed with cancer, Kara Hamilton shares how God inspired her through her journey battling the disease to launch an organization that gives hope to other women facing similar diagnoses.
We appreciate your comments and questions. Please email us at feedback@bayareacc.org and a staff member or elder will respond within 48 hours.
MAGAZINE CREDITS EDITOR Meredith Thompson ART DIRECTOR Josh Shirlen ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Arianne Teeple ASSISTANT EDITOR Jocelyn Sacks LEAD DESIGNER Josh Burgin GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jake Williams CONTRIBUTORS Andy Smith Keith Riniker Michele Rollins Sam Logan
On the cover: Gail Wiles, Children’s Ministry Director Photo by Josh Shirlen
Gathering Times: 8, 9:30, 11:15am
ELDERS Bill Smith Chris Heacock David McPeak Don Wiley Greg St. Cyr J. Upton John Taylor Keith Riniker Ken Gilmore Roger Ishii Tim Grossman 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 Craig Fadel, Easton Campus Pastor – craig.fadel@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 Sacks, Missional Community Director – jocelyn.sacks@bayareacc.org Josh Shirlen, arts – josh.shirlen@bayareacc.org Leanne Lane, Care Network Director – leanne.lane@bayareacc.org Lynn Dutton, H.R. Administrator – lynn.dutton@bayareacc.org Meredith Thompson, Communications Director – meredith.thompson@bayareacc.org Pat Linnell, Teaching Pastor – pat.linnell@bayareacc.org Rachel Perry, Connecting Director – rachel.perry@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 OC TO B E R GO&MAKE 3
ALL THE BELIEVERS WERE TOGETHER AND HAD EVERYTHING IN COMMON. THEY SOLD PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS TO GIVE TO ANYONE WHO HAD NEED. EVERY DAY THEY CONTINUED TO MEET TOGETHER IN THE TEMPLE COURTS. THEY BROKE BREAD IN THEIR HOMES AND ATE TOGETHER WITH GLAD AND SINCERE HEARTS, PRAISING GOD AND ENJOYING THE FAVOR OF ALL THE PEOPLE. AND THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAI LY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED. ACTS 2:44-47
TOGETHER IS IMPORTANT
BAYAREACC.ORG/MISSIONALCOMMUNITIES
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COMMITTED TO OUR DESCENDANTS Last month Mary Kaye and I Facetimed with our daughter Kathy and her husband Chance, a Marine Corps helicopter pilot. They wanted to know if I was preaching in late March. That seemed odd. Then they sprung the news on us that they are pregnant! Not long after, we Facetimed with grandson Billy and our oldest daughter, Susan. Billy was holding a darkened picture that turned out to be a sonogram. Surprise: Susan is pregnant as well! And wouldn’t you know it, both Susan and Kathy are due on exactly the same day: March 31. There is great joy in the birth and nurturing of children. At Bay Area, we are definitely being fruitful and multiplying. Our Children’s Ministry continues to grow, now approaching almost 500 children on a Sunday. Our middle and high school ministries are reaching more and more students, numbering over 200 on Sundays. For all that is happening, we give thanks to God. Likewise, I want to acknowledge our gratefulness for the leadership of our Student Ministry Pastor Brent Squires, Children’s Ministry Director Gail Wiles and their teams. The older I get, the more committed I find myself to our Children’s and Student Ministries. Earlier in life, I was busy raising my own children, and was not in touch with the challenges other parents were facing with their children and adolescents. The more I have read the Bible over the years, the more I have seen God’s emphasis on reaching the next generations. Consider for example: “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” Psalm 79:13
Here is what I know to be true: Every parent needs support and encouragement in discipling their children. The greatest ministry anyone has in the life of a parent is when they minister to their children. So I’m grateful to be part of a church that is committed to the next generations. And I pray that all of us will have God’s heart for children and students. If you are part of this church family, you have a role to play in helping disciple the hundreds of children and students the Lord is bringing through our doors. You can do that through praying for families, serving in our Children’s and Student Ministries, and graciously supporting the Descendants Project. There is great joy in the birth and nurturing of children. In closing, I’m excited about the opportunity that Mary Kaye and I have to help nurture more grandchildren! I’m also excited about our church family nurturing hundreds and thousands of children and students today and in the generations to come! From here to the nations,
Greg St. Cyr Lead Pastor
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” Psalm 78:4 “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14
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WOW. So, last May, we offered a theology class on Angels, Demons and Satan. The folks monitoring registration for this Learning Community forgot to put a limit on the class until it reached 75 (normal is 40-45). So we rearranged the room, took out tables, etc. and squeezed in during the 11:15 a.m. gatherings. It was only three weeks, and we had a great time. Then, in early summer I was getting word that several other folks really wanted to attend the class but couldn’t in May. So after my sabbatical, we offered the class again, at 8 a.m. It was soon maxed out at the 40+ number, and those early risers were great to engage with. My observations in both these classes, seeing well over 100+ adults engage the topics of angels, demons and Satan, are as follows: 1. People are thirsty for knowledge here at Bay Area. We have some lifelong learners here. That is a great quality, lifelong learning. Shouldn’t we always be interested in knowing and understanding more about our faith? Be thirsty my friends. 2. We have a wide variety of folks here at Bay Area. Some have a great foundational understanding of the Bible; others are not yet as conversant with basic theological texts and concepts. This speaks to 2 Timothy 2:15, which states, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” That’s our goal – to correctly handle the Scriptures. One needs a routine of study to do that well.
3. People can ask questions and discuss issues without being defensive. This was really evident in our classes together. We discussed all sorts of tangents (which happens in all my classes, really) and sometimes they hit “hot buttons” in people. 4. There is a lot of myth surrounding spiritual things. You know, things we just pick up over time from some source or another. Sometimes I wish the printing press never would have been invented! Good, godly, helpful books have been printed over the years, but thousands of bad, ungodly, unhelpful books have also joined the Christian literature shelves. I would guess in the typical “Christian bookstore” that over one-quarter of the books are tripe and should not have been printed due to heresy or lousy theology. What is great here at Bay Area is that when the light of Scripture is shone on various topics, a light-bulb effect happens. It clears up the myth. It’s great to see. At any rate, I have appreciated my classes and their intelligence to attack the topics at hand with gusto. When I take groups to Israel, they have that same gusto as they hear teaching at the very spot where it happened. It changes people’s perspective (plug: yes, I am going again in May – watch for more information soon) and they become people who are thirsty to know Him better as a result. May Truth be your focus. God Bless you all in striving to be approved workers for the Kingdom.
Ed Kelley is the executive pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.
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GRIDIRON GOD by Pat Linnell
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ell, football season is in full swing. Time for fall festivals, a welcome break from the summer heat, grilling out in cool weather, and the trees donning their best red, orange and yellow – while we cheer on our favorite teams, or just settle in for an easy Sunday afternoon nap. It is difficult to match the exciting buzz in the air when people gather to tailgate, feverishly excited about the game to come – anticipating big defensive stops and highlight-reel offensive plays. You’ve got to admit that a football game that you really want to see makes for a fun time with family or friends. I have never played anything more than neighborhood football. The rules were simple back then: knock the others guys down, catch a ball that is thrown to you, and avoid getting knocked out. Now that I am a little older and wiser, I have come to enjoy the strategies and coaching behind much of what takes place on the field. Most coaches develop game plans based on the strengths and weaknesses of their teams, with the obvious objective of scoring more points than the other guys. One effective strategy for teams is to establish their running game. A fast and powerful running back is important. But what often gets missed, and is just as important, is the offensive line. These are the big guys who line up and push their opponents back, even in particular directions, in order to create space for the running back to travel through. An excellent offensive line can make life for a running back very easy. That is often how I want my life to be, and how I see my relationship to God. Most of the time, thinking like a running back, I want my opponents in life to be pushed back – opponents like financial instability, difficult people or hard relationships, to name a few, that can lead to anxiety, stress or even depression. I would rather not have to face these things, but instead I want God to remove these obstacles – to make life easy, like running downhill. I sometimes treat God like a big offensive lineman in the sky who will just plow through anything difficult in life so that I don’t have to. And while sometimes He may graciously choose to do this, I don’t think this is the norm for the follower of Jesus.
I SOMETIMES TREAT GOD LIKE A BIG OFFENSIVE LINEMAN... While God will never leave us to battle our way through life’s toughest challenges alone, he often allows these opponents into our lives – and for a purpose. This would be like a running back getting the ball with an inept offensive line. But with every painful push and hard-fought struggle on the field, something happens – the player’s lungs expand to take in more oxygen, their muscles stretch, tear and fatigue, and then having been put through the grinder – there is growth, resolve, even wisdom. In other words, by not removing our obstacles, God is causing us to get stronger. God may chose not to remove a high hurdle in your path, because He knows you need it. Maybe He is allowing that difficult person to teach you about His grace. Or maybe your financial insecurity has been there all along so that you’d find your true security in Jesus. Perhaps a bad relationship that you have remains, because God is teaching you to own your sin first. Maybe He has allowed your identity struggles so that you find your ultimate identity in Him. There are myriad reasons that God may allow difficulties to befall you – but before asking that He obliterate the competition so you can run in for the easy touchdown, why not ask Him to help you rejoice in the pain and through the struggle, because you are running a play that He called to make you stronger?
Pat Linnell is the teaching pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.
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by Brian Hopper
CONNECTING IN COMMUNITY
JESUS INTENTIONALLY CREATED A COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM, BE CHANGED BY HIM, AND BE ON MISSION WITH HIM SO THAT WHEN HE LEFT, THEY WOULD CARRY IT ON.
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September when Greg St. Cyr shared Bay Area’s vision, Every One a Missionary, he talked about the five elements of that vision: Connect, Serve, Gather, Share and Go. Though each part is vitally important, it should not be surprising that Connect is the first one. Why? Because it is in the context of community that discipleship and mission happen best. When we are connected with Jesus and others in community, we are set to experience life-changing growth and transformation. We are all connected in some way. Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. we are almost overconnected. We understand what it means to be connected. Yet when it comes to our spiritual lives, many of us are underconnected. Or at least, connected to the wrong things. And this is why being connected in community is so important to us as a church. Being connected to a community that is focused on growing together in Christ is probably one of the most important connections we can make. This emphasis flows directly from the heart of God. Community between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit existed before any of us did. They experienced perfect community together. Mankind, created in the image of God, was imprinted with the need to be connected both with God and with others. Unfortunately, sin obliterated both connections. Since Genesis 3, God has been on mission to reconnect us with Himself and each other. Thankfully, it is the power of the gospel through Jesus’ death and resurrection that reconnects us. What I find interesting is that when Jesus invited the disciples to join Him, He was essentially inviting them to connect with Him in what would be a new community. This community would be the means by which Jesus changed the disciples and revealed His mission to them. In fact, when you study the way in which Jesus connected His disciples in community, what you see is that there were three progressive steps of discipleship and mission. First, Jesus initially invited the disciples to “come and see.” In John 1:35ff, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. Two of John’s disciples (Andrew being one of them, v. 40), asks where Jesus is staying (their awkward way of asking if they could follow Him). Jesus replies, “Come and see.” In other words, if you really want to know, come and observe, witness my ways, my life, my love for people. This simple invitation laid the foundation for a new community. This come-and-see stage for the first disciples gave them a glimpse not only into who Jesus was, but also into their own lives. Most scholars believe this first stage lasted about four months before they returned to their normal lives. Can you imagine the impact those four months
had on the disciples? It must have been huge, because by the time Jesus showed up again in Mark 1 there was no hesitation about responding to His second invitation. In Mark 1:16, we see Jesus walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and He encounters Peter and Andrew a second time. Jesus calls out, “Come and follow me,” and they immediately respond, dropping their nets and following Jesus. This deeper commitment was more than being a spectator, because it involved leaving their former way of life in pursuit of the life Jesus wanted for them. Jesus said He would make them fishers of men. This implies that He was going to make them into something new, something that would require a change. By following Jesus, the disciples accepted Jesus’ invitation and were in essence willing to grow. Ten months later, Jesus goes up the mountain to pray before returning and inviting 12 from the larger group of disciples to “come and be with me” (Mark 3:14). This new stage of community carries with it the expectation that the 12 will not only “be with Jesus” but also begin joining Him in His kingdom work (preaching and casting out demons, v. 14). In other words, this new level of connecting with Jesus and each other involved being on mission together. This community was defined by those who were willing to do what Jesus did. Come and see, come and follow me, come and be with me – three steps into a deeper life with Jesus and others. He called individuals, but called them into a new community centered around Him. This is the picture of the Christian life. This is how we all grow to be more like Jesus. Three invitations each met with a challenge to grow. At Bay Area, Missional Communities are the primary places where we experience this. Whether you are in the come-andsee stage, come and follow, or come and be with me, we all are called to be connected in community. To find out more about being in a Missional Community, check out bayareacc. org/missionalcommunities to learn about how to connect in community at Bay Area. Or, feel free to email me (brian. hopper@bayareacc.org) or Missional Community Director Jocelyn Sacks (jocelyn.sacks@bayareacc.org) for more information.
Brian Hopper is the missional community pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a regular contributer to GO&MAKE.
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OCTOBER
BOOK: The Wedge of Truth AUTHOR: Phillip E. Johnson
OK, I know many of you aren’t familiar with the West Coast, but there is a bastion of academic liberalism in the West called “Berkeley.” Well, technically it’s the University of California “AT” Berkeley, but either way it’s renowned for its progressive thinking and philosophical liberalism. For some reason, God saw fit to put a conservative, logical, solid Christian man there as a professor of, get this, LAW. What a sense of humor God has. Philip E. Johnson graduated from Harvard and the University of Chicago Law School, and was a law clerk for the most liberal Supreme Court justice ever, Earl Warren. He has taught at Berkeley College of Law for over 30 years. Yet, he has chosen to write many treatises on a topic he doesn’t teach: Creationism versus Darwinism. He has written stunning books on how evolution isn’t fully logical (from a legal, rational perspective), some of which may be familiar: “Darwin on Trial,” “Reason in the Balance,” “Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds” and the classic “Objections Sustained,” which uses a courtroom procedure to argue to intelligent design of the universe. “The Wedge of Truth” is a book about that same fundamental question: “Why 12 GO&MAKE O C TO B E R
do people believe in evolution when it doesn’t really answer the questions of origins?” The answer is because people, through academia, have been brainwashed into naturalism. Naturalism is a philosophy that rejects anything that is supernatural. Johnson will argue that even science bends its knee to naturalism, even when the data doesn’t support it. Science then is prejudiced, in its current university form, against supernatural explanations (about anything) including God or intelligent design of the Universe. The book is only 176 pages, and an easy read (it is heavily back-noted, however, for diving deeper). Mr. Johnson is one of the most intelligent people in the country, and he believes in God and disbelieves the rhetoric regarding biological evolution that is formulated from a naturalistic worldview. Johnson argues in this book the following main points: 1. Science is elevated in our society far too much as an arbitrator of truth. 2. Science is limited and cannot speak to the ultimate purposes and meaning in life. 3. Science has deficiencies in worldview development, thinking habits and methodologies due to its conversion to naturalism. Common sense and rational reason need to be brought back to the sciences.
Johnson argues that reason supersedes science, and though foundational rational thought (including science) is important, it tends to rule out philosophical issues and hypotheses out of hand using philosophical assumptions that are patently false to draw, and many times, cloud its conclusions. He argues that one’s presuppositional bias can affect one’s conclusions, on either side, ergo reason must trump feelings, bias, existentialism, etc. This book is for anyone who thinks foundational questions are important (like, Why are we here?) and who would like to be an informed participant in the ensuing, often vitriolic public debate on worldviews and the meaning of life. Dallas Willard says in the foreword, “As you read this book, look to the evidence and breathe the fresh intellectual air that nourishes genuinely opened minds.” This book isn’t anywhere near as deep or technical as Geisler and Turek’s “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist,” but it’s a very important, profound read to understand how naturalism has taken over the scientific trains of thought and by extension, education. You’ll have a devil of a time finding it in print, but if you do, I think it’ll be a great read to stir the mind. Enjoy. Ed Kelley Executive Pastor
holy land
INTERESTED IN TAKING A BIBLICAL TOUR OF THE HOLY LAND? Join us October 30 at 9:30 a.m. in the Loft for an informational meeting about our upcoming April 2017 trip to Israel. The meeting will be hosted by Executive Pastor Ed Kelley and Dan Lloyd, Pastor of Westhill Church near Seattle and lead tour guide on the trip, who will discuss the itinerary and answer questions about the trip. No RSVP needed.
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F RO M H E R E
TO
T H E N AT I O N S P OL A N D BY
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K E I T H
R I N I K E R
O VER THE SUMMER, ELDER KEITH
RINIKER, HIS WIFE SHEA AND THEIR
THREE BOYS WENT ON A SHORT-TERM MISSION TRIP
TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A W H O L E FA M I LY. WHILE SERVING AT A N E N G L I S H FA M I LY L A N G U A G E CAMP IN POLAND, KEITH KEPT A JOURNAL OF HOW G O D WA S WO R K I N G IN AND THROUGH H I S FA M I LY A N D MISSIONS TEAM. THE ENTRIES T H AT F O L L OW A R E EXCERPTS FROM HIS JOURNAL T H AT C E L E B R AT E THE GROWTH HE WITNESSED IN HIS FA M I LY A N D T H E G R E AT T H I N G S GOD IS DOING IN POZNAŃ, POLAND.
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together and individually – and we have not even gone anywhere yet!
Typically, a short term mission trip is like a petri dish for discipleship. A petri dish – that thing in high school science class you used to grow cells or bacteria. During the trip, you grow a lot in following Jesus. But, what has been so wonderful to see is the spiritual growth before we left!
D E PA RT U R E
Our son Peter, 7, started a journal a few weeks ago. Here was his first entry: “Chapter 1. Going to Poland. In Poland we are going to teach them about God.” At the bottom, he drew a big stick-figure person holding the Bible teaching little kids. Brings tears to my eyes! He gets it. He is on mission for Jesus! Jack, 11, lost a tooth a month ago, and Shea put some money under his pillow. The next morning, he comes downstairs all excited and says that he wants to give his money to the Poland mission trip! He gets it. He is giving sacrificially. Luke, 14, has sometimes been doing the mission team Bible studies by himself. What’s been so fulfilling to see is that when Luke does the studies independently of the family, his observations and applications of Scripture teach me! He gets it. He is a learner and self-feeder. Through this short-term mission trip, God is growing the faith of our family
DAY
My biggest fear was making the decision to go from a financial perspective. I have been waiting for a few years to go on a missions trip as a family – waiting for all the kids to be old enough. God put this desire and calling on me. In my mind, it was a huge risk to commit to raising over $12,000 for a family of five! I mean, sure, I know that God owns it all and I am just a steward of His resources. I reasoned that people would support us for a portion of the total. But, what if God was trying to teach me not to rely on that little bit of money we saved for Luke to go to college? Yikes. So, how do I practice risky faith in an omnipotent God? How do I yield to Him? If I trust Him with my life, it is only logical that I trust Him with small things. Jesus led with the capabilities of the Kingdom rather than resources. So, how did I decide to trust Jesus? It was placing my faith in Jesus that He would take care of us, no matter what. And so, God showed up! Through the church family, God provided over $12,000! All glory to God! What a blessing to us to see the generosity and sacrifice of the family of God! OC TO B E R GO&MAKE 15
“
THE UNITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST IS NOT CONSTRAINED BY GEOGRAPHY OR LANGUAGE.
Jesus. So, after the testimonies and in the normal context of natural relationship, the Polish church goes to work. Sharing the Gospel is a way of life.
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We made it to Poznań! Two members from Genesis church met us at the airport, holding homemade snacks and one of those signs people use at airports to identify travelers they have not met. It read, “Those who trust in the Lord.” What a warm and powerful greeting! The unity of the body of Christ is not constrained by geography or language.
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Today, Luke told me he wanted to come back next year. Yeah! Of course, I'm glad he's enjoying himself, but I told him we are here with a purpose. I quizzed him, and he answered correctly: to teach people about God. However, I'm not sure I know exactly what purpose we are here for. But, I'm getting a little clearer picture, the longer we are here. I'll tell you what I know. Eastern Europeans (and many others around the globe) are in need of English classes taught by native speakers. That's where we come in. We are native speakers. So, the local church uses us as tools to start the job, so to speak. We are the attraction to get people here. There's another role we also play, which is to lend credibility to the Christian movement. But, much of the real work is done by the local church. We heard testimonies tonight from American and Polish believers. The American testimony helps take them out of the Polish-Catholic cultural context through which the Bible and Jesus are viewed, and adds some credibility just because we are American. But, there's way more credibility of a Polish life lived out day-by-day for 16 GO&MAKE O C TO B E R
So, that's why I say it's like being used as tools. But, in a good-God way. A 1 Corinthians 12:12 kind of way: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Pleased to be used as a tool in the hand of a good and loving God, who is for me, is gracious and merciful, kind and longsuffering toward me.
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Tomek Otremba is the church planter who started Genesis church in Poznań, the church we are coming alongside to host the English family language camp. Tomek's dad was a Baptist pastor in Cold War-era Poland, when 0.02 percent of people were evangelical Christians. I asked Tomek, "How did your father pass the faith down to you?" He said that since he was young, he was involved with his father in the mission of the church. But, he said, it would not have been enough just to be on mission. His parents also trained him in the Bible. The missional aspect of the Christian life is one of the reasons we are here. That is, to involve our kids in the work of the Great Commission here in Poland so they may learn and experience it in an intense way, and then begin to live more missionally back at home. This is one part of our journey in making spiritual descendants of our physical descendants.
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"To see God at work" was one of our prayer requests prior to going, and of course while we are here. Specifically, we’re praying to see Poles place their faith in and commit their lives to Jesus as Lord.
The first day, I was not sure what God was doing. Things were going well. But, I was not seeing any movement. The next day, I found out that it was my eyes that were the problem. God is always at work! Genesis church has been working on some relationships for some time with the expectation of seeing God work mightily here at camp. We have had many spiritual conversations and many are seriously considering Jesus. The difficulty comes in leaving the Polish Catholic Church. To accept Jesus is somewhat like not being Polish, because the Polish and Catholic identities are so closely tied together. Tonight, we got to see God accomplish His purpose! Nine people came forward during an altar call and were saved! It was so exciting, and we were full of happiness and joy! We as a team are overwhelmed with gratitude for the goodness of God, not only in bringing many to salvation, but also for letting us take part and witness it! Praising our Lord for my salvation, my family's, and the newest Polish members of the Kingdom.
H E A D I N G
H O M E
The kids got temporary tattoos at camp – superheroes mostly. They were really cool, but
they already wore off. Last night, as our team gathered to process and debrief our trip, Bill Smith – who has been to Poland 15 times – was talking about the impact of kids participating in mission trips. He said, "A mission trip writes on the kids’ souls like a Sharpie, in indelible ink." Yes, this trip did that. Luke and Jack did not want to leave. They said this was the best week of their life, and that this trip topped our family vacation to Disney World a few years ago! That got me thinking about vacations and how we “traded” our family vacation to go on a mission trip. On vacation, it seems we are always consuming: buying stuff for ourselves, eating good food, choosing the best tour or activity to do. Here, instead of consuming together as a family, we served together. We got to experience God in a new way, formed new friendships with Poles, experienced a different culture, and deepened friendships with those on our team. It was way better than a vacation. We can't wait to go back.
An annual effort to bless local children with Christmas presents
coming We are building our volunteer teams now and we’ll start training in October.
NOVEMBER 2016 Email Trevin if you’d like to serve this year: giftsforchildren@bayareacc.org OC TO B E R GO&MAKE 17
By Sam Logan
W
hen was the last time you could make a night of running with the bulls, hanging with the Ninja Turtles and Duck Dynasty, and boarding Noah’s Ark? Last October, Bay Area Community Church hosted its largest annual community outreach event, Trunk or Treat, where over 3,500 children and parents interacted with fun and creatively decorated car and truck trunks. There were some 50 trunks last year. Children’s Ministry Director Gail Wiles is hoping to double that amount this year.
October 28, 2016 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
“This event is a humongous onramp to get to know Bay Area better,” Josh Shirlen, Bay Area’s Art Director, shared on a September Sunday afternoon in an undisclosed location, where church staff creative minds had gathered to cook up an elaborate theme for this year’s festivities. He unpacked some thoughts over the buzz in the background: “We really value creativity at Bay Area. [Trunk or Treat] is part of everyone contributing to a community-created experience. It depends on the whole church coming together [as] a mosaic of creativity.” All the hallmarks of a late-October festival will be in place: a live band, carnival rides, cotton candy, inflatables for preschoolers, a familyfriendly atmosphere, shuttles to and from parking, and candy. Lots of candy. This year’s theme is the ‘80s, and for the first time, Bay Area is offering to supply candy. Those who want to get involved but cannot attend are encouraged to donate candy. Yet Trunk or Treat is not just about candy. It’s about our church family showing others in the broader Anne Arundel community what that family looks like. That’s where the 100 trunks come in. Families,
Missional Communities, serving teams, women from The Well and other groups have a great opportunity to help give the Annapolis community a taste of Bay Area community by hosting a trunk. Registration is $20; half of proceeds will be donated to We Care and Friends, one of our Local Outreach partners, to help local children in need. The other half will be divvied up between the winners with the most creative trunks. Businesses can also host trunks for a registration fee of $100. “It’s not about us, not about Bay Area, just like Sunday morning. We have the privilege of participating in it. Trunk or Treat is like a front door of disciple making because this is [an event] to invite neighbors [or] friends on sports teams. It is a light invitation for church and a faith environment,” Josh said. For those who are unable to host a trunk, but would like to get involved, serving opportunities abound. Candy donations will be accepted in the Bay Area lobby throughout October, and set-up, tear-down and parking volunteers will be needed the day of the event.
To To learn learn more more about about Trunk Trunk or or Treat, Treat, to to register register aa trunk, trunk, or or to to volunteer, volunteer, go go to to bayareacc.org/ bayareacc.org/ trunkortreat trunkortreat
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the I
’ll never forget my first night in South Sudan several years ago. Looking up to the heavens I was overwhelmed by what I beheld. Stars, brilliant and radiant. Seemingly countless. I spent most of that night lying in a wheelbarrow absolutely mesmerized.
On a clear night the naked eye can see about 3,000 stars. Yet the total number of stars in the observable universe is more than any human could count, estimated to be 10(25) (that’s 1 followed by 25 zeros!). But there is One who can count the stars. Psalm 147:4 says of our God: He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Our great and awesome Creator has a sovereign plan. It’s a story of grace, love and redemption. At Bay Area, we are entreating our mighty God to use us for His glory in accomplishing His plan! Today, God is placing part of His plan before us as a church. It’s a grand challenge – a challenge rooted in His heart for the next generation and generations to come. It’s a challenge that involves faith and sacrifice, a challenge that will impact our children and students, and thousands in the years ahead. This challenge is what we are calling The Descendants Project. First, a little theology (Don’t skip this part!). In Genesis 15:5, God reinforces His promise that Abraham will be blessed to be a blessing to the nations. Taking Abraham outside, the Lord says these remarkable words: “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” What an incredible moment in history! God promises to bless Abraham with offspring too numerous to count. The physical descendants of Abraham will go on to become a mighty nation. But Abraham’s descendants are not limited to the Jewish people. From the beginning, the blessing of Abraham was to extend to all nations! “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore … and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 22:17-18) God’s blessing to the nations through Abraham finds its focal point in a Person. The ultimate descendant of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to be a blessing by giving His life as a ransom for many. Through faith in Jesus, both Jew and Gentile are placed into the body of Christ and become the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Paul explains it this way: And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:29) So what does all this mean? It means that in Christ you and I are descendants of Abraham who have been blessed to bless the nations and future generations.
project Count the Stars | Greg St. Cyr
The Descendants Project is about each of us embracing God’s promise to be a blessing to future descendants of Abraham in Christ. So how are we going to do this? By sacrificially investing our financial resources to make room for every child and student who enters our doors in order to disciple the next generation of followers of Jesus. The challenges children and students face in a world that has lost its moral compass are overwhelming. Though parents have the God-ordained calling to disciple their children, they often feel alone and lack a clear path forward. We as a church family are committed to partnering with parents to help disciple the present and future generations. That is why we pour so many resources into our Children’s and Student Ministries. In the last three years, the number of children on a Sunday morning has grown from 310 to almost 500. Students have increased from 125 to over 200. The result: we are at capacity and do not have room to enfold future descendants. I often get asked, “Why are we experiencing such growth with our children and students?” It’s because we are committed to highly relational environments for discipling the next generation. This means creating warm, welcoming, relational environments that enhance community and learning. To accomplish this, we use a large group/small group approach. Each ministry comes together for worship, singing, Bible teaching and fellowship, followed by time with a highly relational small group that helps personalize and apply what has been taught. Simply put: environment matters! Therefore, as a church, we are committed to sacrificing to make optimal environments for our children and students. After months of prayer, the elders feel God’s call to step out in faith to do something extraordinary for the sake of future generations. Through the Descendants Project, we are asking the Bay Area family to give generously to expand our children’s wing and to build a remarkable student center in Annapolis. This expansion will provide relational, disciple-making environments to help reach generations of children and students throughout the greater Annapolis area! In Easton, we are seeing a growing number of children and students as well, and are committed to discipling the younger generations of Talbot County. On the Eastern Shore, we have a vision to hire a Student Ministry leader and better resource both our Student and Children’s Ministries. We want kids of all ages in the greater Easton area to come to know Jesus and experience a safe, fun place for them to grow together in their faith. Throughout October, you’ll hear about the needs of children and adolescents, and how we as a church are seeking to disciple the next generation. We’ll be asking all of us – parents, singles, empty nesters, grandparents – to make a faith-stretching commitment to the One “who counts the stars and gives names to all of them.” As we embrace this challenge and give generously, it’s our hope and prayer that God will use The Descendants Project to reach countless descendants for Christ. You might not ever get to South Sudan, but the next time you are out at night look upward into the starlit heavens. Be mesmerized by the awesome greatness of our God. Think about God’s promise as Abraham lifted his eyes heavenward: “So shall your descendants be.” Remember that you are part of that promise. And never, ever forget that you have been blessed to be a blessing to future descendants.
DISCIPLESHIP IN THE DEEP BLUE
I
n a world of dominating anti-Christian worldviews, our kids are faced with many challenges. As parents, it our desire to raise them with Christian values and morals. With so many voices and choices surrounding our kids, it becomes necessary for parents to look for help in raising them to know and grow in Christ.
At Bay Area, it’s our desire that our Children’s Ministry would be that source of help, providing a person and place for kids to connect relationally, and serving as another spiritual voice in the life of every kid in our ministry. Our leaders volunteer every week so they can connect with their group of kids to help them connect with our Savior. In some cases, our leader is the only other voice sharing Jesus. It’s through this relationship in their small groups that children find a place to belong and are challenged to live out what they have learned. We do not aim to replace what parents are doing at home, but come alongside to reinforce their discipling. This is crucial in a world where kids are faced with many opposing views. Discipleship in Children’s Ministry happens at a critical age. Statistics from the International Bible Society indicate that 83 percent of Christians commit to following Jesus between the ages of 4 and 14. Our mission of teaching children to know and love Jesus holds significant eternal importance. In the Deep Blue, we are growing rapidly! This year alone, we had to rearrange rooms within preschool and elementary areas to accommodate growth in certain age groups. The Descendants Project will provide needed space for small-group environments to flourish, and new large-group space for preschool – we had to take away their space this ministry year because of the incredible growth we’re experiencing. Through the generosity of our church family, it’s our prayer that The Descendants Project will provide space for our Children’s and Student Ministries to continue discipling our younger generations. With the addition of 10,500 square feet of children’s rooms on the west end of our facility, we will have enough space for all of preschool on the first floor and all of elementary on the second level. We spend a lot of time planning to make what our kids experience and learn about Jesus in Children’s Ministry memorable. It’s God who makes relationships happen between our leaders and children; we can only create environments that make it easier for those relationships to happen.
Gail Wiles Children’s Ministry Director
A PERSON, PLACE AND PLAN FOR STUDENTS
A
t Bay Area, we have a pretty simple, yet dynamic vision for pointing students toward Jesus. That vision flows out of our mission of making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations. However, it’s been said that it’s one’s strategy, not one’s mission, that determines success. Bay Area Student Ministry has a carefully crafted strategy that centers on providing every student with a person, a place and a plan for his or her life. When it comes to providing a person, we want every student to have multiple Godly adults speaking truth into their life, and we work hard to develop a team of adult leaders who will do just that. Good Student Ministry is all about relationships. Our leaders seek to build relational bridges that are strong enough to bear the weight of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. Weak relationships, weak bridges, weak Gospel presentation. Strong relationships, strong bridges, strong Gospel presentation. When it comes to providing a place, we feel strongly that environment matters – it’s not everything, but it certainly matters. While we can’t make relationships happen, we can create environments that make it easier for relationships to happen. Students feel like they belong when they know they are welcome, they can be known, and there is an environment created with them in mind. Finally, when it comes to providing a plan, we want every student to know that God’s wonderful plan of salvation is available to them. In addition, God doesn’t just care about our lives with Him in Heaven some day, but He cares about our lives today here on Earth. His desire is to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, and He has a specific plan that He wants to see us accomplish. We want every student to know God’s salvation plan, and to begin the discovery process of what God’s specific life plan is for them. Our strategy is making an impact. We are reaching students in big and small ways through the power of God’s Spirit. God has been faithful to send us students in a growing supply. Each Sunday, we find ourselves coming up short with enough room for them. Some spill over into our chair storage room during Community Group time so that they’re able to hear one another. We are so grateful for the growth! We want to disciple the students God will continue to bring through our doors, and are excited to have the opportunity to provide needed space in the form of a student center for them through The Descendants Project.
Bay Area Student Ministry wants to do for a few hundred students what we wish we could do for every student in Anne Arundel County: provide a person, place and plan – reaching students and pointing them toward Jesus. Brent Squires Student Ministry Pastor
The Pinked Perspective
of Kara Hamilton by Michele Rollins
K
ara Hamilton had what you might call a storybook life. Raised to love Jesus right here in the Annapolis area, the now-39 year old met her husband in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida, while both were studying to become physical therapists. By 2009, they were “Mom and Dad” to Koa and Kalea, ministry partners at Bay Area, and thriving.
Then, in July 2011, Kara was diagnosed with breast cancer. An aggressive course of treatment followed – a double mastectomy followed by 18 weeks of chemotherapy, couched in all the uncertainties of cancer. Through it all, God, ever faithful, was there. “It took me to a deeper place than ever before with the Lord,” Kara recalled, “seeking the Lord and knowing that He was with me through the entire thing, every step.” Her community surrounded her too: Neighbors arranged meals for months on end; the church, friends and family rallied. Others who shared her journey of breast cancer reached out with information, useful items or support. Once the immediacy of her own battle began to subside, Kara decided to give back. “I know that God took me here for a reason, and I want to do something with this,” she said. Three years ago, she created Pinked Perspective, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that offers hope to those facing a breast cancer diagnosis. In addition to mentorship and encouragement, Pinked Perspective creates and sends care packages to women facing surgery or breast cancer diagnoses filled with items and information that Kara found useful in her own journey with breast cancer. The goal isn’t just to send soap and soft pajamas, though. Through it all, Kara’s desire is to point women back to Jesus during such a trying season. “There’s someone that loves you and knows you and wants to walk with you through it,” Kara shared. To love these women well, Kara needs a team. “I would appreciate anyone who wants to come alongside us, who has a heart for women going through this,” she said. There are many ways to support Kara’s ministry. To learn about opportunities to give or to participate in the upcoming annual walk/run fundraiser on October 22, go to pinkedperspective. com or read more in the Happenings section of GO&MAKE. Every one of us has a story; every one of us has a calling to point people to Jesus. Here at Bay Area we call it Every One A Missionary. Kara Hamilton is a missionary to women battling breast cancer – cancer centers are one of her mission fields. Kara explained, “It’s just taking whatever it is that God lets you go through and turning it into something for His glory, to point people to Him. That’s really what I’m trying to do.” 24 GO&MAKE O C TO B ER
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L E AD E R S HIP PROFILE
MICHELE ROLLINS BY MEREDITH THOMPSON
T
hough she grew up heavily involved in a local Catholic church, Bay Area Global Missions Assistant Michele Rollins had to travel 2,300 miles from home to encounter Jesus. Both of her grandfathers, her grandmother and an uncle served in the Navy, so her family wasn’t surprised when Michele came home from a high school summer visit to the Naval Academy set on becoming a Midshipman.
She became more involved in her MC, too, was trained to lead an MC, and came alongside a group of young women in need of just that – an MC leader. They’ve met faithfully on Sundays for a year, and Michele adores her community. Her love of people spills over each week into serving as a therapeutic horseback riding instructor, too, where she spends many hours atop her equine colleagues working with people who have disabilities.
It was during her first year on the Yard that Michele, an Arizona native, was formally introduced to Jesus. A fellow Mid shared the gospel with her, and she began to understand that following Jesus was a relationship, not just a set of rules or a checklist to be completed. “I thought Jesus being my Savior was a great idea, but I didn’t quite get the concept of Him being Lord over my life yet,” she recalled.
During Make The Trade 2015, Michele again had no choice but to rely on God as Bay Area encouraged people to trade a week of vacation to serve on a short term mission trip. During two deployments to East Africa, she had surveyed the continent from aboard a ship, but never set foot on African soil. She wanted to interact with the people there, so in 2015 she obeyed God’s nudging to go with a team to Ghana.
She plugged into campus ministries and church, and began reading the Bible, but that’s as far as her walk with Jesus progressed before she was commissioned in 2008 as a Surface Warfare Officer. Stationed on a ship near Jacksonville, Florida, Michele admits she basically forgot she was a Christian and started living the Navy life: church on Sundays, drinking and working long hours the rest of the week.
The experience was life-changing for her, igniting a passion for global missions and an interest in returning to the global mission field long-term. Without knowing where God was leading her, Michele began taking steps in the direction of a life on mission. One of them was accepting a job as Global Missions Assistant at Bay Area.
A 3.5-year downward spiral culminated in an alcoholrelated incident that resulted in Michele being involuntarily separated from Naval service. “At that point, I figured out I didn’t actually have my life under control like I thought I had,” she confessed. “Because I had heard the gospel at the Naval Academy and had those years of reading the Bible and being in community, I knew that I had to go back to the church – that that was where my answer was.” Realizing that Jesus needed to not only be her Savior but also be her Lord, she fully committed her life to Him in 2011. A job offer from her sponsor family at the Academy brought Michele back to Annapolis, where she worked as a defense contractor prior to joining staff at Bay Area in April 2016. Her sponsors were part of the Bay Area family, and soon, Michele was too. She quickly joined a Missional Community, and responded to a Sunday invitation for people to Serve Like Jesus. “I thought, ‘What was the place [to serve where] I would feel most out of my comfort zone, where I would have no choice but to rely on God to get me through?’ And I decided that was middle school,” Michele said with a laugh. “So I started to serve in middle school ministry.”
In that role, Michele oversees much of the behind-the-scenes work of the Global Missions department – particularly in facilitating short term trips. She helps equip team leaders and participants before they’re sent out to one of Bay Area’s partner countries, arranges travel logistics, ensures people have their passport data and paperwork ducks in a row – all the little pieces that enable over 100 members of the Bay Area family to go on short term trips each year. She also helps support Bay Area’s global partners who live overseas, aiding their effectiveness in proclaiming the gospel around the world. When teams arrive back in Annapolis, Michele finds great joy in seeing what she calls the light bulb moment: when people return understanding that the global church can be different and yet all glorify God together, or when they come back and are able to reach out to that person who was different from them in their school or workplace. “How does [global missions] change you to follow Jesus better? That’s the win,” she said with a smile. “Maybe someday I’ll get to go overseas, but in the meantime I … get to help mobilize people to see the benefits of them and others going overseas. Every one has a piece of the [global] puzzle to play, and I want to help people find what that is. I don’t know what it is for me, so we can walk together and figure out what we’re supposed to be doing now for God’s heart for the church.” OC TO B E R GO&MAKE 27
COMING THIS FALL... LEARNING COMMUNITIES THE HOLY SPIRIT
10/2 - 10/16
MARRIAGE
10/23 - 11/27
THEOLOGY OF WORK
10/23 - 12/11
NEW TESTAMENT PUZZLE
10/23 - 12/11
RESPONDING TO ISLAM:
11/6 - 12/11
BUILDING BRIDGES WITH MUSLIMS MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THE HAPPENINGS SECTION
BAYAREACC.ORG/LEARNINGCOMMUNITIES 28 GO&MAKE O C TO B ER
CARE NETWORK
HAPPENINGS
Sometimes life hands us struggles: loss of a loved one, serious illness, parenting difficulties, divorce, addiction and many other challenges. These struggles can feel isolating, yet God never intended that we walk through them alone. He is in the business of comforting, restoring and renewing all things for His glory. Your circumstances are not beyond that; He longs to reach you with His redemption and grace. We want to walk with you through this season of life. The Care Network is a free, confidential, Jesus-centered ministry that assists those seeking help. We provide hope and healing through a variety of resources both inside and outside the walls of Bay Area. Let’s partner through these struggles together. Get started by emailing leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.
BAPTISM 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 debbie.klimczyk@bayareacc.org CELEBRATE RECOVERY Celebrate Recovery (CR) is for anyone seeking a richer life through worshipping God and being in community with others. Don’t let your hurts, habits or hangups keep you isolated. Join us on Monday nights at 7 p.m. for community, worship and teaching. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND INVITATION If you or a loved one is in the hospital or homebound we would love to serve you. Contact us so that we can learn how to be of assistance. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or 443-837-3718 NEW GRIEFSHARE PROGRAM AT BAY AREA Have you benefited by attending a GriefShare program after the loss of a loved one? Perhaps you have a heart for those who are in the grief process. We are in the process of starting a GriefShare ministry at Bay Area in 2017 and are looking for those interested in being a part of this ministry. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org
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 bayareacc.org/new.
30 GO&MAKE O C TO B ER
CAREER ASSISTANCE Are you unemployed, just starting a career, or trying to discover what God has uniquely wired you for? Partner with expert Jacques Fox and identify a career path that’s right for you. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org. MARRIAGE MINISTRY UPDATE The Bay Area Marriage Ministry recently partnered with MarriedPeople.org, an organization that has developed a marriage strategy for churches. We are implementing this
marriage strategy by inspiring EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES large group experiences, empowering small groups, and equipping individual couples. KIDCARE TEAM MEMBERS Our Marriage Ministry will host Our KidCare team has an immediate three to four large-group events need for individuals who have a per year, such as the Great Date heart for kids. We provide KidCare Night in February; three to four small-group events such as for all ministries and various events marriage-focused Learning Communities or weekend retreats; throughout the year. If you are and three to four events for individual couples, such as date interested in joining our team of paid nights that include KidCare. We will also provide a monthly workers, contact KidCare Coordinator email to help married couples stay focused on the marriage Dax at dax.clinkscale@bayareacc.org or strategy all year long. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org visit the Children’s Welcome counter on Sundays for more info. PREMARITAL MENTORING Are you newly engaged? We want to partner with you as you establish a strong, Jesus-centered life with your future spouse. Through Premarital Mentoring you’ll be paired with marriage mentors (couples who have been married for 10 or more years) who will equip you with tools and resources you’ll need to succeed in marriage. Info: premarital.ministry@bayareacc.org.
PRESCHOOL ASSISTANT 29 hours per week. For a detailed job description or to apply with a resume email gail.wiles@bayareacc.org
MARRIAGE MINISTRY TEAM - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Our marriage ministry team seeks to encourage and equip couples to start and stay strong in their marriages. If you have a passion to help strengthen marriages and have been married for 10 or more years, come be a part of this ministry. Read more at bayareacc.org/marriageministry or email leanne. lane@bayareacc.org to get involved.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
DIGITAL & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT Part-time position. For a detailed job description or to submit a resume and cover letter, email Communications Director Meredith at meredith.thompson@bayareacc.org.
TRUNK OR TREAT This event is one of Bay Area’s most attended community outreach events, and a great opportunity for people in our local neighborhoods to see what community looks like at Bay Area. In addition to the many decorated trunks where volunteers dress up in an array of costumes and hand out TEMPORARY HOUSING NEEDED FOR PREMARITAL candy, attendees can enjoy carnival rides, inflatables, a live COUPLES band and food. We hope your family joins us for this free Occasionally, couples who are living together enter our fall event on Friday, October 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. We Premarital Ministry. We believe strongly that the best way encourage you to join in the fun and wear a costume. For info to honor God before marriage is to remain pure and live on volunteer opportunities or hosting a trunk, go to bayareacc. separately. We’re looking for folks who have space in their org/trunkortreat. homes that could be used on a temporary basis in order to fulfill this desire. Connect with us: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org FALL DEDICATION
MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES
Is it your desire to dedicate your child? Our Parent Dedication is more than an event, it’s celebrating your decision as parents to raise your child to follow Jesus. Registration for our Fall dedication opens online on October 2. To participate, parents are required to attend an orientation prior to the event. For more information go to bayareacc.org/parentdedication.
CHILDREN & STUDENT BAPTISM EVENT If you have a child or student who wants to be baptized, we would love to celebrate this milestone with you. Visit the children’s or student webpage to read more on how your family can be a part of the November 12 Baptism Celebration. MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER WAVE RIDERS Are you new to Bay Area and/or looking to get connected in Lots of fall fun is happening with Wave community? Join us for our Missional Community Taster on Riders this month! Join us for a special October 9 at 12:45 p.m. We will introduce you to our version Saturday get-together on October 8 at of mid-sized groups that will help you continually grow Quiet Waters Park. Then we’ll meet again spiritually, relationally and missionally. Lunch and KidCare at Homestead Gardens on October 24. For more information are provided. RSVP at bayareacc.org/mctasterrsvp. Info: mc@ visit our Facebook page, facebook.com/waveriderplaygroup, or bayareacc.org contact Stacey Burkhardt at stacey.burkhardt@bayareacc.org. OC TO B E R GO&MAKE 31
CONNECTING MINISTRY
FINANCIALS Annapolis Campus Operating Budget Financial Update As of September 20, 2016 New Fiscal Year Began September 1, 2016
DISCOVER BAY AREA - NEWCOMER LUNCH New to Bay Area? We’re glad you’re here. You may have questions about who we are or what we believe so join us on October 2 at 12:45 p.m. in the Bay Cafe for Discover Bay Area. Enjoy a free lunch and hear from a few of our pastors and staff about our mission, values and how you can get plugged in. No RSVP necessary, and kids are welcome. Hope to see you there. Our next date is October 31. Info: rachel.perry@bayareacc.org
GLOBAL MISSIONS PERSPECTIVES COURSE There is an upcoming opportunity to learn about God’s heart for the nations by taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course. This class 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. 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. The course will run Jan. 10 - May 2. Info: michele.rollins@bayareacc.org SHORT TERM MISSIONS Are you interested in global missions or thinking about making the trade in 2017? Learn more: bayareacc.org/ globalmissionsemail. To support any of Bay Area’s short term global mission trips, go to bayareacc.org/stmgive. El Salvador • children’s ministry & home visits • November 12-20
ISRAEL TRIP Join Executive Pastor Ed Kelley and his wife Susan as they host an 11-day Biblical tour of the Holy Land in Israel April 24 - May 4, 2017. With an Israeli Defense Forces tour guide, the group will walk in the footsteps of Jesus and re-live Old and New Testament events. The cost for the trip is $4,200 all inclusive, and includes a first-century boat ride over the Sea of Galilee and a snorkeling adventure in the Red Sea. Email ed.kelley@ bayareacc.org or attend an info session on Sunday, October 30 at 9:30 a.m. in the Loft for more information.
PRAYER MINISTRY Jesus lived a life of unceasing prayer that connected Him to the Father. We too long to be devoted to prayer. Our Prayer Ministry is comprised of individuals dedicated to gathering in prayer for all aspects of Bay Area life: our gatherings, communities, pastors, missions and so much more. Some of these individuals are also available to pray with you on Sunday mornings after each gathering (front and right of the auditorium stage). Read more at bayareacc.org/prayer. Info: pat.linnell@bayareacc.org 32 GO&MAKE O C TO B E R
Fiscal Year Giving Goal
$ 4,792,000
YTD Received YTD Goal YTD Actual vs. Goal SEPT To Date Received SEPT To Date Giving Goal
$ $ $ $ $
Outstanding Building Debt (as of 8-31-16)
$ 3,606,919
261,053 259,863 1,169 0.5% Ahead 261,053 259,863
For weekly financial updates, go to bayareacc.org/ financials. Please indicate any designated gifts on the memo line of your check or use the drop-down box online to select your desired giving fund. Note: You will need to donate via check if the fund to which you wish to give is not listed online. All undesignated checks will go toward the general operating fund.
How Can I Continue To Support BAY AREA’s Building Funds? Giving Methods eCheck: Go to bayareacc.org/give to give online through your checking account through a one-time or recurring donation on My Bay Area. Direct Debit: Go to bayareacc.com/give to download the form. Mail completed form to the Bay Area Finance Department and we will debit your checking account directly each month. Personal Check: Write “Building Fund” on the memo line and drop it in the offering basket on Sunday or mail the check to Bay Area (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 Bay Area. Be sure to note “Building Fund” on the memo line.
MEN’S BIBLE STUDIES MEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays from 6-7:30 a.m. in room 236 at Bay Area. Info: Dennis at dbradylaw@aol.com MEN’S EVENING BIBLE STUDY Sundays from 6-7:30 p.m. in room 235 at Bay Area. This study is geared toward helping men draw closer to Jesus while discussing and discovering God’s answers for the challenges men face at home, work and in society. Info: bob.gregory@bayareacc.org
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AMBASSADOR TEAM: Serve as an ambassador by helping newcomers get connected. If you have a passion for people and Jesus, and have been attending Bay Area for at least six months, the ambassador role is for you. Info: rachel.perry@bayareacc.org
bayareacc.org/localoutreach to fill out an involvement form. BUILD YOUR NATIVITY WORKSHOPS Learn how to build a yard nativity scene for Christmas this year at a workshop hosted at Bay Area on October 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up at bayareacc.org/nativity. Info: outreach@ bayareacc.org
AUDIO/VIDEO TEAM: We’re looking for a few more passionate, committed people to partner with our Sunday production team. Info: tres.cozad@bayareacc.org
GIFTS FOR CHILDREN Want to join us for Gifts for Children, our annual effort to bless local children with Christmas presents, this year? Fill out our short form at bayareacc.org/giftsforchildren.
CHAIR MINISTRY: Serve on the chair set-up/tear-down team. Info: chairs@bayareacc.org
WOMEN’S MINISTRY 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 invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. For more information visit bayareacc.org/womensministry.
BAY CAFÉ & ESPRESSO BAR: Do you love coffee? Enjoy hospitality? Join our team in the Bay Cafe and/or espresso bar. Info: sherri.raimondo@bayareacc.org CHILDREN’S MINISTRY WELCOME TEAM: First impressions are important, join our team of volunteers who welcome and assist first time guests with children. Info: chyloe.cheetham@bayareacc.org COMMUNION TEAM: Opportunities to serve our church family include baking allergen-free communion bread once a month or assisting with preparation or cleanup during one of the three gatherings on communion Sunday. Info: sherri.raimondo@bayareacc.org GOLF CART DRIVERS: Looking for friendly folks to pick people up in the back of the West parking lot before gatherings to ease their walk into the building. Those interested must be 21 or older and have a clean driving record. Info: rachel.perry@bayareacc.org HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND VISITATION: Interested in being part of a team reaching those hospitalized or homebound? Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org PARKING MINISTRY: Serve by directing traffic and greeting people as they arrive at church. Info: parking@ bayareacc.org SAFETY TEAM: Are you passionate about safety or have experience in security, law enforcement, EMS or First Responders and want to serve in this area? Info: safety@Bayareacc.org USHERS: Be a part of creating a welcoming environment by serving during Sunday morning gatherings. Info: Michael at mtabramo1@comcast.net WOMEN’S MINISTRY: Serve on one of our event planning teams or in discipling other women. We would love to get to know you and see how your gifts can be used. Info: janet.graves@bayareacc.org
LOCAL OUTREACH LOCAL OUTREACH SERVING OPPORTUNITIES Missional Communities often don’t know how to get involved with serving locally. We’re here to help. There are many organizations in the Annapolis area that will be blessed by your involvement; we’d love to connect you with them. Go to
BRIDGES ON THE JOURNEY WEDNESDAYS, SEPT. 7 - NOV. 16 FROM 9:30-11:30 A.M. TUESDAYS, SEPT. 13 - NOV. 15 FROM 7-9 P.M. This study is recommended for women who are new to faith or beginners to Bible study. In this class, we will cover the gospel, the Bible, prayer, the role of the Holy Spirit and other essentials to get you started in your growing relationship with Christ. Cost: $15. Wednesday info: jodyyearwood@gmail.com or Tuesday info: janet.graves@bayareacc.org UPCOMING EVENTS QUILTS FOR KIDS Join us to make quilts using donated fabrics for kids in shelters and hospitals. We usually meet the third Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in room 235. This month we will meet on October 15. Come and learn to sew or learn to sew 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 that you would like to donate, or have questions, contact Janet at annapolisQFK@ quiltsforkids.org. WOMEN OF LEGACY (55+) This group of women meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month for a time of encouragement, prayer and serving. On October 10 our Women’s Ministry Director, Janet Graves, will talk about what it means to be “Unveiled” and work toward an emotionally healthy relationship with God and others. Then on October 24, we will talk about “Forgiveness or Bitterness: Which one will you choose?” For more information, contact Cedulie Sanchez at luisandcedulie@gmail.com. THINK PINK WALK/RUN Join the Pinked Perspective ministry for a walk/run on October 22 at 8:30 a.m. at Bay Area to help those facing a breast cancer diagnosis. Registration is free but you can make donations of items to supply kits for breast cancer patients. The Women’s Ministry will also collect items during the month of October at the church office and at the Walk/Run. Some items include pink-button down pajamas in varying sizes, the Jesus Calling devotional, small lined journals, pink socks and OC TO B E R GO&MAKE 33
bars of Dial soap. For a complete list of needed items and to Area on Sunday mornings in an environment of learning and register go to www.pinkperspective.org. Info: Kara Hamilton at interaction. Sign up at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities. pinkperspective@gmail.com. Be sure to read the article about Kara in this issue of GO&MAKE. MARRIAGE OCT. 23 - NOV 27. AT 11:15 A.M. IN THE DOCKS, ROOM A CHRISTMAS WOMEN’S OUTREACH Every married couple is unique. They are an “US.” Whether On December 11, we will donate and serve a dinner with a they are loving their US, wondering if their US is going to make Christmas program for over 100 women at the Curtis Bay it, or somewhere in between, every couple at some level wants Community Center. We will partner with the Drink at the to become their best US. Over the course of this series, couples Well, a nonprofit that serves women through mentoring, job will discover what habits they currently have, and what habits skills, Bible Studies and more. Info: Missi Smith walshm01@ they can start to develop to become their best US. gmail.com. THEOLOGY OF WORK WOMEN’S QUIET RETREAT OCT. 23 - DEC. 11 AT 9:30 A.M. IN THE DOCKS, ROOM A Mark your calendars for a quiet retreat at Bay Area on January Does your work matter to God? Explore this topic using 21, 2017, from 8 a.m. to noon. Info: Jocelyn Mathews at jocelyn_ Timothy Keller’s book, “Every Good Endeavor: Connecting mathews@yahoo.com. Your Work to God’s Work.” Often, we find the workplace competitive and frustrating. Come and learn how the Biblical view of work can provide a basis for a thriving professional STUDENT MINISTRY life, and a balanced personal life. CLUB 678 Club 678 is our once-a-month hangout for middle schoolers. Middle school students are welcome to join us Friday, October 14 from 7-9 p.m. for Pirate Night! The night will include games and fun, and students are encouraged to dress like a pirate. Students are free to invite their friends and can bring money for snacks. Info: lydia.macbride@bayareacc.org Costume Party All middle and high school students are invited to our annual Costume Party on October 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for a night of games, dinner and lots of candy. Students are encouraged to dress in costume and there will be prizes awarded to BASM’s best. All are welcome and we hope you can make it out. Info: brent.squires@bayareacc.org
NEW TESTAMENT PUZZLE OCT. 23 - DEc. 11 AT 11:15 A.M. IN THE DOCKS, ROOM B Do you want to have a better grasp of Jesus’ life? Do you know how the church got its start and began to expand? This class will give you a deeper understanding of how the New Testament fits together in a way that makes you fall more in love with Jesus. RESPONDING TO ISLAM: BUILDING BRIDGES WITH MUSLIMS NOV. 6 - DEC. 11 at 9:30 A.M. IN THE DOCKS, ROOM B This 6-week Learning Community provides biblical teaching about Islam and what Muslims believe, opening the door for better relationships with Muslims in our own backyard.
COLLEGE MINISTRY YOUNG ADULT MISSIONAL COMMUNITY Our desire is to see our young adults connect in community where they are loving God, serving others and growing spiritually together. Missional Communities are a great opportunity for young adults ages 18-25 to do this on a weekly basis. If you would like to get plugged into community, contact bryan.mcfarland@bayareacc.org LEARNING COMMUNITIES Learning Communities are opportunities to grow in your Biblical knowledge, character and/or practical ministry skills. There will be Learning Communities exclusively for young adults ages 1825 this fall. Info: bryan.mcfarland@bayareacc.org
LEARNING COMMUNITIES Learning Communities are intended to strengthen your Biblical knowledge, character and/or practical ministry skills. They are also an opportunity to get to know others at Bay 34 GO&MAKE O C TO B ER
EASTON CAMPUS HAPPENINGS DISCOVER BAY AREA New to Bay Area Easton? We’re glad you’re here. You may have questions about who we are or what we believe so join us on the first Sunday of the month following the 10 a.m gathering for Discover Bay Area. Hear Campus Pastor Craig Fadel share about who we are as a church, our story, our vision for making disciples, and how you can get plugged in. No RSVP necessary, and kids are welcome. MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Get a taste of Missional Community through our MC Taster event. Join us on October 20 at 6:30 p.m. for information and a taste of community. Dessert will be served. KidCare is available in most cases upon request. Please RSVP to easton@bayareacc.org.
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