Go & Make Issue #21 (July 2015)

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CONTENTS 7 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 27 SO WHO DIED?

Teaching Pastor Pat Linnell urges us to consider whether the way we live our lives reflects a dead or living Jesus.

ED’S EDITORIAL

Executive Pastor Ed Kelley examines Christianity in Ghana and Oxford following a recent trip overseas.

DON’T TAKE A SUMMER VACATION… FROM CHURCH Lead Pastor Greg St. Cyr encourages the Bay Area family to stay engaged in community and serving this summer.

WALK THE WALK BACKPACK DRIVE

The WTW Foundation partners with Bay Area to provide school supplies for local students in need.

LEADERSHIP PROFILE: JERRY SHIRLEN

Introductions are made to Bay Area’s new financial administrator and the ongoing series of articles he will author, titled “The Unlikely Missionary.”

COVER STORY: BIGGER THAN THE BIG LEAGUES Professional pitcher Bruce Pugh Jr. and his mission team share Jesus and baseball in El Salvador.

SENT NETWORK UPDATE: Q&A WITH PASTOR MATT KLINGLER From local outreach to church planting efforts, Klingler provides an update on what God is doing at The Well church plant in Silver Spring.

FROM HERE TO THE NATIONS: GHANA

Michele Rollins provides a day-by-day chronicle of her team’s short term mission trip to Ghana.

HAPPENINGS

Find out what’s happening at Bay Area Community Church and how you can get involved.

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LETTER FROM THE LEAD God’s mission for Bay Area is making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations. Maturing. I like this emphasis. To mature means to fully develop, to be complete or perfect. This side of heaven, none of us will become fully mature in our walks with Jesus.

But our goal is to become as mature as possible between now and the time we see Jesus face to face.

In these verses the author contrasts milk and solid food in order to point out the importance of feeding on the Scriptures to mature: “For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

In Algebra 1, I was taught a simple What our lives often lack is Godly formula: distance = rate X time. discernment. We aren’t able to Imagine a certain distance to spiritual distinguish between good and evil. maturity (though there is always more We are at loss for the mind of God in maturity to be gained). If we want to particular situations. Hebrews 5:11traverse that distance as quickly as 14 instructs us that maturity comes possible in the shortest amount of time, through “constant practice,” which what do we need to do? Answer: Increase trains and imparts to us the skills of discerning God’s mind. the rate!

One of the most powerful ways we increase the rate of our spiritual growth is by being people of the Bible. That’s why we emphasize spending daily time with the Lord, reflecting on and applying His Word.

A life passage of mine is Hebrews 5:13-14.

Timothy called The Pillar. Paul leaves his disciple, Timothy, in Ephesus to correct false doctrine, to provide instruction on how to worship, and to raise up mature leadership for the church. He writes the purpose of the book in 1 Timothy 3:15: “If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

1 Timothy will help deepen our faith, unite us as a church family, and mature us into passionate, maturing followers of Jesus! In order to study the entire book in July, we’ll be gathering on three Wednesday nights for in-depth teaching (July 15, 22, and 29). It’s going to be a great study for us all!

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever This summer we believe God is and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 placing a challenge before us: to accelerate the rate of our maturity From here to the nations, by diving deeply into His Word. In light of this, we are embarking on something different. Throughout the month of July we’ll mine the Greg St. Cyr truths of God’s Word in a series on 1 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.

884 Chesterfield Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401

MAGAZINE CREDITS EDITOR IN CHIEF Josh Shirlen MANAGING EDITOR Meredith Thompson ART Jake Williams Josh Burgin Josh Shirlen Meredith Thompson CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer Ginn Trevin Hoekzema Michele Rollins

On the cover - Bruce Pugh Jr. 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

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

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 J ULY GO&MAKE 5

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So who died?

By: Pat Linnell

L et me describe a scene for you, and

see if you can guess what this scene is before I reveal it. A family arrives quietly in respectable attire and filters into the room with some other familiar faces. The candles have just been lit surrounding the image of a person who died. There are some pictures of this person displayed prominently throughout, but especially in the front of the room to serve as a focal point. Fresh flowers have been arranged to honor the deceased. A few people stand up to talk at certain points, the family is led in a few gentle songs, and some prayers are offered. Before too long the family will exit as somberly as they entered.

Have you guessed already that I am describing a memorial service? The funny thing is that I’m not describing a memorial service; I just told you what every Sunday morning of my childhood was like. I am describing the church experience for many people.

Perhaps you grew up in a traditional church setting and you know exactly what I am talking about. No wonder so many people only attend a church at Christmas or Easter - who wants to go to a funeral every week? Sometimes I think that if Jesus were to walk into a church meeting, He would ask, “So who died?”

Don’t get me wrong, a key element to any church gathering should be remembering the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, which is the reason

we can be forgiven from our sins as we place our faith in Him. It’s likely that church services over history congealed into the shape they are now, because of the centrality of Jesus’ atoning death. But it seems like many then leave church with a Savior still hanging dead on the cross, or buried in a tomb. People just don’t seem that excited that Jesus is not dead, and I think many church experiences play right into that mentality. In fact, I think many believers live as if Jesus is still dead – and this is a problem.

Does your life reflect a dead Jesus, or a living Jesus? Do the choices you make, the goals you set for yourself, and how you spend your time and money point to a faith in a dead God or a living God? Do you take risks that require Jesus to show up? Do you expect Him to speak to you through His Word, brought to life by the Holy Spirit?

Are you spending your evenings as if Jesus were right there with you? One indication that your God is not dead is if your life is lived for Him. If your life revolves around you, and you can easily slot Jesus into your life when it’s convenient, you are living as if He is still hanging on the cross. Don’t bury Jesus in your life; He did not stay dead and has the biggest say in how you are currently living.

and John, who raced to see, and upon seeing the grave clothes believed Jesus was risen. But Mary was broken. None of this made sense; she thought someone had moved the body of her Lord. Just then, Jesus came and stood behind Mary, and called her by name. She recognized Jesus, and probably gave Him a huge hug. Jesus then went on to appear to many others over a month’s time, even to upward of 500 people at once.

What are we to make of this resurrection?

This means the reality for the believer is that the Jesus we worship, the one who loved us to the end, is alive, and we should be expecting Him to show up in our lives. No one expects a dead person to show up, but a living person can show up at any time. And this is good news.

There is no better person to break into our lives than Jesus.

It’s the middle of summer and life is hectic, but I want to challenge you with one simple task: Do one thing today that you normally would not, because of the reality that Jesus is with you, alive, and helping you. Step out in one simple act of faith; perhaps it will be a demonstration of love, or a proclamation about Jesus, whatever – but move, do it, play. Don’t settle for a mediocre faith that points to I’m not speaking in metaphor - we have a dead God. Don’t live a life of faith that a living God. In John 20, on the third begs the question, “So who died?” day after Jesus died on the cross, Mary Magdalene approached the tomb of Jesus to find it empty. So she ran and got Peter J ULY GO&MAKE 7

Tired. That’s a good description of me

right now. I have so much on my mind.

Sometimes I think being emotionally or mentally tired is ten times worse than being physically tired. Here’s the deal: I recently returned from Ghana, West Africa. In 2013, leaders from several Christian organizations asked if I would come to their country and teach a seminar on management and leadership. The lead group was Scripture Union, which is a fabulous evangelistic para-church organization that Bay Area supports regularly.

Susan and I went to Accra in January 2014 and had a fabulous eight days of teaching, engaging, and getting to know the Ghanaian ministry, culture, issues, and challenges. Later that year, the leaders asked if I would return and expand the seminar even further.

I agreed, only this time I flew in on a Monday night in May and left that Thursday night, engaging the leaders each of the three days and wrapping up with a private Q & A session with 16 of the top leaders of the ministries.

The seminar was terrific. It was conducted at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and people came from all over the country (which isn’t easy to do in some places!). They had great questions and great interactions.

Again, I was reminded of how diligent, trustworthy, and faithful these men and women are to the gospel. They are right in the middle of the radical Muslim wave (ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram), sweeping Africa. Scripture Union, along with InterVarsity (GEFFES), are on 95 percent of the public schools’ campuses, where thousands hear the gospel every week and intense discipleship efforts transpire every day. I just have so much respect for these guys, and for how hard and long they work with daunting odds against 8 GO&MAKE JULY

them. They have so few resources and the radicalized Muslims are so rich (the size of the Mosque in downtown Accra that was built this year with Turkish Muslim money dwarfs our White House… it’s unbelievably big), but they have real hearts for the Lord and the Ghanaian people.

On the way back from Ghana I stopped in London and took a train to Oxford, England. I had arranged a tour of The Kilns, C.S. Lewis’ home. What a great tour that was! I met a couple from Texas who love “The Great Divorce” (arguably C.S. Lewis’ greatest book) as much as I do and we went to visit The Eagle and Child pub where J.R.R. Tolkien, Hugo Dyson, and others met with C.S. Lewis regularly, critiquing each other’s written work. I then walked over to Magdalen College, where C.S. Lewis taught and went on Addison’s Walk, where he dedicated his life to Christ. It was all surreal for a C.S. Lewis fan like me.

Heading back to London, I spent one day touring Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms. Both were stunning. I’d been to the Abbey before but this time I took my time and read and listened to the self-guided tour in its entirety. The Winston Churchill Museum is stunning. That alone takes a half-day to properly go through.

So what do Scripture Union in Ghana, Oxford and C.S. Lewis, and London and Winston Churchill have in common?

Well, one thing is the concept of “never, never, never, never, give up.” Scripture Union is bound and determined to do a good work for the Lord (they need

four used trucks, though, to reach the Muslim world properly!). They are tireless! C.S. Lewis had tenacity as well, taking on all comers in debates throughout England and on the BBC. He too was tireless, only in his case it was his writings. Winston Churchill was the greatest leader of the 20th century. He was rarely wrong, and he summoned the courage of an entire nation to “never quit” against the Nazi hordes. All three face(d) hordes: Hordes of radical Muslims, hordes of atheists, and hordes of Nazis. None of them ever gave up.

How about you? Give up fighting any sin in your life? Give up praying for any particular person/people? Give up on your spouse, child, church? Give up on God? There’s one thing that was consistent…

1 Corinthians 16:13 marks Scripture Union in Ghana, C.S. Lewis’ life, and Winston Churchill’s contribution to the Western Civilized world: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” I was convicted in Accra, and on Addison’s Walk, and under the bustling streets of London…

I think I’m strong, but in reality I don’t know what strength really is.

Yours… the older I get, the more I realize how little I really know, Ed Kelley IV Executive Pastor

With The Willhites: Extended Family When young Abbey began

her field hockey season, she and her family knew it would be a tough season. Not because of the sport, but because her games were scheduled for Sunday evenings, at same time her family’s Missional Community met. After they missed Missional Community for several weeks, the group in turn began to miss them.

So, rather than wait until the season ended to be reunited, the MC collectively agreed to go support Abbey and her family. In place of their regular gathering one week, the entire group showed up to surprise Abbey at one of her games. All of the kids in the MC made signs and banners to cheer her on. This is a portrait of Barry and Jen Willhite’s MC, and this is just one of many ways in which they live as an extended family together.

At the heart of a Missional Community is the way in which Jesus intended His body to live together in fellowship.

One of the ways MCs are

By Brian Hopper

defined is by the Greek word oikos (not the yogurt!). Oikos translated means household or family. And in the body of Christ, it describes the relational nature of our spiritual family. We get glimpses of this in the book of Acts (chapters 2, 10, and 16) where the new household comprises family members who love and support one another in ways that mirror our natural family.

all of them hold the group as true extended family. For example, when a need arises, they call each other first for help. And because they are family, the group feels free to do so without being a burden. The ways in which they serve one another range from driving one another to pick up their cars from the garage to helping each other move, babysitting and even providing meals.

Given the pace of our lives and the number of commitments many of us try to keep, living in the type of community Jesus intends is often difficult.

It is perceived as aspirational, rather than realistic. But that’s not what Jesus had in mind when He called the church to come into existence. Missional Communities like Barry and Jen’s exemplify this type of extended family, or oikos.

The members of this extended family not only help each other out when someone has a need, but also spend time together outside of their regular meetings. Folks meet for breakfast, come together for daughter/mother movie nights, and drop in impromptu for prayer. Barry emphasized, “We really try to do life together.”

One of the things that has helped this MC live out its calling of community is that

And this isn’t only for the adults, either. Barry noted, “If you have an MC of families, it’s not just about being

interested in the adults’ lives but also the kids’ lives as well.

When someone else in your MC takes an interest in your kids, that is what it’s all about.

That’s what family does, but that’s what Jesus also does and He uses our community to help raise, disciple, and lead our families.” So when a child is dedicated or a student gets baptized, the entire MC shows up to support them and be family. When one of the kids was in acting in a local play, the entire MC went to support them.

It’s in these ways and more that Barry and Jen Willhite’s MC lives as an extended family. Whether they know it or not, they are modeling the type of family that Jesus invites all of us to experience.

And it is our hope that everyone in our church would find themselves in community that lives as a true extended family.

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CHALLENGE

By Greg St. Cyr

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Summer is in full swing! Our kids have finished the school year, that big project at work is on the books, little league sports are in recess until fall, and now it’s time for relaxation and vacation.

It’s time to pack up the minivan and take a road trip. And for some, unfortunately that means a vacation from the community at Bay Area.

We embrace a mentality that says, “I deserve a break.” It can be tempting to want to take a few weeks off from church during the summer, but as we rest and recharge during these lazy, hazy days, I have a challenge for you:

Don’t take a vacation from growing spiritually, connecting in community, and serving like Jesus.

Unlike school, church isn’t in session for just nine months. We’re called to be disciple makers 365 days a year. As part of the Bay Area family, it’s critical for us to serve and live connected in community year-round.

Now, don’t hear me wrong; we want you to take that family vacation. We encourage our volunteers who serve year-round to rest periodically throughout the year. In fact, in Children’s Ministry, we hope the 200+ men and women who disciple our kids each Sunday throughout the school year take time off during summer, as we urge others in the church to “Pick 3” – choose three Sundays during the summer to serve our kids during one of the gatherings.

Unfortunately, summer consistently is the most challenging time to keep

Children’s Ministry adequately staffed with volunteers. Likewise, the summertime flux in attendance puts a strain on all of our ministries including the tech and worship teams. It seems that every year, as the mercury rises attendance and participation drop on Sundays and our ministries struggle to fill critical volunteer roles that forge environments of discipleship. As our church continues to grow, so too does our need for volunteers who are willing to serve like Jesus year-round.

apply what God is teaching us in these six chapters.

As dedicated servants of Jesus, it’s of equal importance that we not allow our personal walks with Him to take a vacation this summer. Staying connected in community is a vital component of having a thriving walk with Jesus. As Pat Linnell would say, Jesus in = Jesus out.

You say, “Well that sounds great. I’d love to be in the Word more, but I just don’t have the time. Summer is busy for me.” Did you know it takes the average person just 3 minutes and 45 seconds to read a chapter of the Bible?

That’s hardly longer than the time it takes me to brush and floss my teeth!

As I’ve said before, I have a mantra – a chapter a day, for the rest of my life!

Summer provides great opportunities for our Missional Communities to flourish in loving God back (UP), loving each other (IN), and loving our neighbors (OUT). You could engage in all three simply by inviting friends and coworkers for worship and a cookout in a park. If you’re not already in a Missional Community, don’t wait for your fall routine to pick up to get plugged in.

Our teaching series this month on 1 Timothy provides another opportunity to stay connected and grow this summer. On Wednesday nights (July 12, 19, and 26) we’ll take a deeper look at the messages Paul communicates in this series we’re calling The Pillar. I encourage you to attend those gatherings and read along at home as we dig into and

Let’s be a church family that stays in the Word this summer. Regularly reading the Bible is a critical component of being passionate, maturing followers of Jesus, and often, accountability is the key to being a faithful student of the Scriptures. Take the opportunity this summer to meet with a small group of believers from within your Missional Community or church family to read through a book of the Bible together, pray, and hold each other accountable.

When we put our personal walks with Jesus on the backburner – when we don’t consistently make living in community a top priority – it cripples our ability to be disciple makers. When we decide that our commitments to serve at church can take a backseat, it impacts our church family as a whole, and ultimately the Kingdom. That’s why Paul encourages the Ephesians to walk as children of light and says, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).

Instead of vacationing from church, let’s next-level our walks with Jesus.

God has an incredible summer in store for all of us!

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INVITES BAY AREA TO FILL BACKPACKS FOR KIDS

By Jennifer Ginn

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hile most of us are focused on summer vacation, Bay Area members David and Kim Mitchell are already preparing for back-to-school season. Through the Walk the Walk Foundation, which they founded 10 years ago, the Mitchells have created a faith-centered cycle of giving to help children in need. Their Back to School Backpack Program, now entering its eighth year, provides Anne Arundel County students in need with brand new backpacks and school supplies so they can start off the school year strong.

church from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fully stocked with backpacks and school supplies, the trailer will be open in between and after the Sunday gatherings for backpack stuffing. A $30 donation is requested for each backpack.

This is a family-friendly giving opportunity, and people of all ages can participate.

Walk the Walk partners with the county’s Department of Social Services to identify schools with students in need. According to Chelsea, since the program’s inception about 10,000 backpacks have been provided.

After school is in session and each backpack has a proud owner, the trailer keeps right “Last year, we were able to provide on rolling as the foundation sets its sights more than 600 backpacks to area on December. Christmas was the initial students, and this year our big catalyst that propelled the Mitchells to start goal would be 1,000,” said Chelsea their giving ministry, and it still stands as the MacCubbin, who serves as the foundation’s biggest annual endeavor. foundation’s executive director. Kim and Dave have four children who are Since the backpack drive was now in their teens and 20s, but they also started, Chelsea and the Mitchells lost a child halfway through one of Kim’s have finessed and fine-tuned the pregnancies. “It was Christmastime and I program to make it most effective. wanted to buy for a child his age,” said Kim. “In the beginning, we just asked From there the giving grew. Kim contacted for donations. Then we found an aunt who lived and taught in West that people really liked the hands- Virginia and offered to provide gifts for a

on experience of purchasing and stuffing them with supplies,” said Chelsea. “But we found that people were spending close to $80 to fill one backpack. We wanted to make the program more affordable and fulfill the greater need in the county.”

“Now we purchase all the supplies up front for a fraction of the cost, travel from site to site in our trailer, and provide people with the opportunity to fill a backpack right on our trailer,” Chelsea explained.

The big trailer will make its way to BACC on Sunday, July 26, and will be parked out in front of the

garage, she said she realized that God wanted her to really do this.

And so it began. Kim and her husband established their foundation. She continued deliveries to West Virginia and then local friends urged her to extend the efforts in the Anne Arundel County area. They hired Chelsea to help spearhead their efforts. This past year, Walk the Walk Foundation brought Christmas to more than 1,000 children.

The foundation also operates a year-round diaper drive. Through a partnership with Huggies National Diaper Bank and local diaper drives, Walk the Walk provides diapers, baby supplies and clothing to area baby pantries and nonprofit organizations such as the Annapolis Pregnancy Clinic and Sarah’s House.

Basing their foundation on Joshua 22:5, “Love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways,” David and Kim strongly feel that they have been blessed and they want to share that with others. “Helping others is what God has commanded us to do, and this is our way of demonstrating it,” said Kim. “We want to teach our children that they have a responsibility to give back, and we hope that we are creating cycles of giving.”

Kim has seen the fulfillment of her hope firsthand and treasures those moments. She cited one memory of a father from West Virginia whose family had been gifted previously. He showed up at the local church and started unloading presents the following year. Kim thought he was just helping out family from her school. “In our area, we have lots of organizations and churches helping,” while waiting to get his family’s said the Severna Park resident. “[But] in West gifts once again. She later learned Virginia, they don’t have those resources that the father felt so blessed that he started attending church, going pouring back in.” on hospital visits and serving at As Kim shared information about the child every opportunity. “Every time the they were gifting, those she knew asked if church doors opened, he was there. they could help as well. “We started off with He turned his life over and started 50 kids’ names and that year we helped over serving the Lord,” said Kim. “That’s 60. The response was so overwhelming and I our goal—bringing people to church knew God made it happen.” through one glimmer of hope or act of kindness.”

“Christmas passed and I was still receiving donations,” said Kim. “I would come home To learn more about the Walk the from the grocery store and find bags of Walk Foundation and its programs, clothes at my house.” As Kim sorted through go to wtwf.org or email Chelsea@ donations that had taken over their two-car wtwf.org.

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L E A D E R S H I P

P R O F I L E

Jerry shirlen

By Meredith Thompson

“I’ve found that I am where He wants me to be, not where Jerry wants to be, and it’s the most joyful thing I could ever imagine.”

At 16 years old, Bay Area Community Church’s financial administrator, Jerry Shirlen, was faced with a serious dilemma at summer camp.

Janice was gorgeous, with long black hair, and Jan – unlike Janice – was tall and blonde, and pretty too. And Jerry kinda liked them both. And they both kinda liked Jerry. Toward the end of the camp, his sister came, and he confessed his predicament to her.

“Who are they?” she asked. “Show me.”

Jerry pointed Janice and Jan out, and she advised, “Oh, you want Janice. Pick Janice.”

“I said, ‘OK,’” Jerry recalled four-and-a-half decades later.

“So I picked Janice and we fell in love, and we carved a heart in a big oak tree at the camp, and we put ‘JS + JB’ in it.”

Four years before meeting his future bride, at the same youth camp, Jerry began a relationship with the first love of his life. He had grown up Pentecostal, attending church three times a week, but Jesus got ahold of his heart miles away from home that summer. With bats flying around above him in an old, wooden tabernacle, preteen Jerry sat riveted by an “old-timey preacher preaching hellfire and brimstone.” Emotionally stirred, he went forward when they gave an altar call.

“I cried and I asked God to forgive me, and He did, and at 12 years old my life dramatically changed,” Jerry shared.

Baseball and youth group kept him out of trouble during the ‘60s and early ‘70s, and after graduating from high school, he pursued accounting in college. He married Janice in 1974, and five years later, their son Josh was born. For over 40 years, Jerry climbed the corporate ladder as a numbers guy for defense firms and General Electric, and he did quite well.

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“I was being more successful than I deserved to be; I was continually being put in leadership roles, and I was being paid far more than I should have been paid,” he admitted, explaining that as his career advanced, his relationship with God grew increasingly stagnant. “I thought, ‘Man, aren’t you something? You’re doing this! You’re smart and funny – you’ve just got it made.’”

“I didn’t realize it at the time … [but] this was a period when I became disillusioned with the church,” Jerry said. Disappointed by the actions of the church leadership where they attended at the time, he and Janice began “wandering in the desert,” hopping from church to church. “My faith just started draining right out of the bucket. All of a sudden, I was thinking, ‘I don’t have faith – I don’t even know what faith is – and God is not listening to me.’”

“That all changed when we started coming here,” he said, sitting in Bay Area. Jerry and Janice began attending their son’s church in February 2013, and Janice shocked him two months later when she decided to go on a mission trip to El Salvador. He stayed behind in the states, but only got away with that once.

In 2014, when Bay Area again began encouraging people to Make the Trade, Jerry thought, “Eh, that’s not for me, but isn’t that cool what they did in the lobby?” as he walked into a Sunday morning gathering. “But in the service, God was talking to me, saying, ‘You need to go. You need to do this. I want you to do this. Say “Yes” to me.’ So I walked out and said, ‘Sign me up,’” Jerry said, illustrating his about-face a year-and-a-half ago.

In El Salvador, he was God. Tall and whitehaired, he played the role of God in the skits his team put on for the youngsters at the children’s center where they served, and on the last day of the trip, it was undeniably clear that he had been sent there for a specific purpose by the deity he portrayed. On his way to a house visit with a few of his mission teammates, Jerry met a young man, 23-yearold Luis, who upon hearing their testimony gave his life to Christ.

“I came home energized like never before,” Jerry shared, smiling. “I’m close to God. I’m feeling the Holy Spirit. And the most amazing thing was not the trip … it was that God talked to me. He reached out to me, and I heard Him! It all changed for me, listening to Him one time: He just keeps talking to me. … So this year, it was not a question: I was going back to El Salvador.”

When the opportunity to join Bay Area’s staff as financial administrator opened up last winter, Josh urged, “Dad, you should do it.” Jerry prayed about it throughout his interviews, weighing the pros of working in ministry against leaving the “American Dream” of making it big in the corporate world. The decision was pretty clear, and he began the job in February 2015, two years after coming to the church.

“If you are really good at something but Jesus isn’t there with you, then you’re never going to be truly content and happy. And now I’ve found it! I’ve found that I am where He wants

me to be, not where Jerry wants to be, and it’s the most joyful thing I could ever imagine. …

And all the stress? Poof! Gone,” he said.

Today, Jerry pours himself wholeheartedly into pouring out his whole heart for others.

Everywhere he goes, he tells people about Jesus – including the security guard in El Salvador who he encouraged to read the Bible, the people in a Salvadoran market with whom he prayed after they sold him a machete (“It has my name on it!” he noted excitedly), and the couple with whom he and Janice shared their table at the opening of Mission BBQ. “That’s now my life, and I can’t tell you how happy I am. I can’t even begin to give what’s in my heart out,” Jerry shared joyfully.

When he’s not head-down in spreadsheets, ensuring the integrity of Bay Area’s financial statements, or sharing the hope that he has in knowing Jesus, Jerry enjoys watching crime shows and collecting bobbleheads.

He and Janice spend much of their free time with Josh, his wife Lauren, and their grandsons, Judah and Asher, out on the baseball diamond, and with each other.

“When we got to our 25th wedding anniversary – it might have been our 30th – I bought her a diamond ring and said, ‘We’re going on a little weekend trip, just pack,’” Jerry recalled. He drove Janice back to the youth camp in Western Maryland, where they found the main building converted into a restaurant and the old tabernacle full of junked cars.

“My intention was to go to the old oak tree and give her the ring. So we pull up, and there’s a parking lot there. There’s no oak tree. So, I got out of the car, walked around, opened her door, knelt down and said, ‘Here, this is for you.’ She said, ‘Oh, thanks!’ and we got back in the car and drove away. It was very romantic,” Jerry laughed.

“We’ve been married 41 years this August, and she is swell.”

After telling the Bay Area family about his incredible 2014 experience in El Salvador and how doors began to fling wide open for him to share Jesus after his return, Jerry began to be approached by numerous people in the church who were inspired by his story and wanted to share theirs. We’ve asked Jerry to author a series of articles titled “The Unlikely Missionary,” in which he will chronicle inspiring stories of how God is working in and through the people of Bay Area Community Church. Spirit on my heart, enco

THE UNLIKELY MISSIONARY

By Jerry Shirlen In the summer of 2014, I felt the tugging of the Holy Spirit on my heart, encouraging me to Make the Trade and go on a short-term mission trip to El Salvador. I had outright rejected any possibility of being a missionary, considering a decision like that to be far outside my comfort zone. What?

El Salvador? It had a very hot climate, I didn’t speak Spanish, it was a dangerous country and I wasn’t particularly popular with small children. Nevertheless, I responded, “Yes Lord, I will go” and that decision changed my life dramatically for the better ever since that day.

While the trip was amazing, especially since I helped lead a young man to Christ, it was after I returned that things began to really change. Through the continued leading of the Holy Spirit, my wife, Janice, and I began a Missional Community.

Then, I made the decision to quit my job in the corporate world and accept a position working at BACC. God began to speak to me in many ways, such as through a sermon preached at BACC or the Word given by a radio minister. Once I had a dream where I spoke to the disciples in Heaven, and there were other times when the lyrics to Christian songs powerfully reached my heart. I was so amazed that this door of communication was open between God and me.

As Make the Trade was being rolled out in 2015, I was asked to speak during the Sunday gatherings on my personal experiences from my trip to El Salvador. After doing so, many people began to tell me they were inspired to go on a short-term mission trip based on what I had said.

Perhaps more importantly, many people began to share personal stories with me.

These were stories of tragedy and sadness, but also of faith and miracles. I heard from one man who had a friend who, in spite of being an atheist, asked this Christian to pray for his dying child. A member of our Missional Community related an incredible story about how the modern dance into the ball pit on Easter Sunday directly impacted her daughter’s life. Another man had a wayward son who was doing drugs, and I could sense his love and frustration.

These real-life stories of God’s goodness touched me deeply, and while I’ve shared them with those who are closest to me, I want to share some of them with the readers of GO&MAKE. So, over the coming months, I hope to write about things that have been told to me with the hope that they will inspire and encourage you as they have me.

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COVER STORY

“Thirteen of them ended up being saved and coming to Christ. It was better than being drafted, better than any pitch … the feeling that day and the way God was using me – I couldn’t hold my tears in, tears of joy, praying for these kids.”

BRUCE PUGH JR. HAS FOUND SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THE BIG LEAGUES

By Meredith Thompson Photos By Arianne Teeple

“It was better than being drafted, better than any pitch in front of 50,000 people I’ve ever had in my life,” former Minnesota Twins pitcher Bruce Pugh said. Better than fame, fortune, or athletic stardom, seeing over a dozen young, aspiring baseball players in El Salvador make the best decision of their lives – to accept Jesus as their savior – is a moment the 26-year-old will treasure above almost all others for the rest of his life.

Just a couple years earlier, Bruce had been angry with God. Drafted to play for the Twins in 2008 at 19 years old, Bruce was well on his way to living the American Dream.

Money and fame began to build as his life took on an accelerated pace.

Yet the further he advanced in baseball, the further he grew away from Jesus.

He enjoyed the best year of his career in 2012, but a shoulder injury removed him from the pitcher’s mound soon after.

Depressed and feeling sorry for himself after seven unsuccessful months of rehab, Bruce was left wondering how a God that was supposed to be good could allow such a bad thing to happen to him.

He moved back home to Baltimore, and found himself one Sunday morning sitting in church with his parents listening to Pat Linnell preach that God does his best work in dark caves. “That broke me down. I realized that all these years I knew who

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Upon hearing about the incredible movement that was underway, one of the men who facilitates the academy invited Jorge to return every Tuesday to disciple and read the Bible with the young baseball players. “We went in there not even knowing [what we’d find], and we came out with 13 guys saved, and now Jorge gets to go every Tuesday,” Bruce beamed, adding excitedly that he received a group selfie from Jorge of the players the first Tuesday he returned.

God was, but I was never willing to walk with Him,” Bruce confessed.

As he began attending Bay Area regularly and growing to be close friends with Pat and Josh Shirlen, Bruce wondered, “Can I be more to this world than just a baseball player?”

In 2014, he went on his first short term missions trip to El Salvador, where he was baptized. There, he and Josh began praying for an opportunity to bring baseball to the local kids (the esteemed sports in El Salvador are soccer and basketball). They asked God for a year to open a way for them to use the sport they love as a means of sharing the love of Jesus.

Then, the day before they were to again leave for El Salvador with a team of 16 other missionaries from Bay Area in May 2015, God threw them a curveball: Jorge Solorzano, BACC’s missionary in San Salvador, called to share that he had discovered a little-known baseball academy in the city. The academy had no religious affiliation, but would welcome the missions team to speak to it’s players.

“We ended up going in blind, not knowing what was going on there,” Bruce recalled, adding that he and his team arrived to find about 25 players between the ages of 14 and 18 attending the academy to learn baseball and continue their studies, in the hopes of playing at the college level. Located outside of San Salvador, the rugged stadium sported an impressive field with a spectacular view of a volcano from home plate.

The team talked with the students, helping them learn English as they played games. “Then I shared my

testimony with them on the baseball field,” Bruce said. “I was nervous – it was the first time I’ve been nervous telling it – and I didn’t know why, but I was starting to get the sweats.”

Line by line, he communicated what Christ had done in his life as Jorge translated.

He showed them the tattoo on his right arm that reads “rubbish,” explaining that the Philippians 3:8 inscription reminds him there’s nothing greater in life than knowing Jesus – comparitavely, everything else is rubbish. Then he shared the gospel with the kids.

“Toward the end, I started getting choked up, and I asked them ‘do you want to have this man named Jesus in your life and have Him walk with you every day. Then I asked them to stand up and come forward to pray and accept Jesus.’” Bruce paused. “I gave them a minute. One kid in the front was looking around, seeing if anyone would do it, then a kid in the back popped up and … it was crazy, then nearly everyone got up!”

“Thirteen of them ended up being saved and coming to Christ. It was better than being drafted, better than any pitch … the feeling that day and the way God was using me – I couldn’t hold my tears in, tears of joy, praying for these kids.”

And it didn’t end there. The mission team was invited to return to the academy the next day to run a baseball practice and give the kids pointers. Bruce, Josh and Jorge played ball with the boys, then Bruce asked the new believers, “Well, how did you feel going to bed, anyone feel different?” A couple of them began to cry, and Bruce pressed, “Anybody wake up this morning feeling different?” They all raised their hands. Two expressed interest in going to church, and another two wanted to get baptized. “That was icing on the cake,” Bruce shared with a smile.

While he would love to one day return to the sport he loves, and he is currently rehabilitating his shoulder in hopes of doing so, Bruce expressed that his second trip to El Salvador confirmed his belief that he has a higher calling in life than baseball. “I just feel like God’s trying to say, ‘Hey man, if there’s something you really want to do, it’s in My house – it’s in the church,’” he said. “God put the big leagues on hold for me because He’s calling me to His big leagues.”

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We start with two songs, then cast vision for what the church is about and how to plug in. Then we go into a time called “God Revealed” where we share stories. We have a couple more songs, have the scripture read for what the sermon is on, then I or Eric or another full-time staff guy will preach. After that, we take communion weekly, respond with a couple songs, have a charge to go out and live your faith in the world, and we leave.

Q: Outside of Sunday gatherings, how do people at The Well engage in community throughout the week?

Q&A with Lead Pastor Matt Klingler Q: How has the Well grown and matured since it was launched nearly four years ago?

A: There’s people! There’s an actual family that exists – folks consider this their church. People are just loving each other well. One of our initial families that came years ago – the husband got cancer. He’d gone through bone marrow transplants, all that stuff, and God has really used that to mature us as a church and help us love one another well and sacrifice for each other – bring meals for many months, clean houses, drive kids to soccer games – stuff like that was really helpful in maturing the body.

And wonderfully, God has healed him as well.

Q: What does a typical Sunday gathering look like at The Well, and how have you seen God moving in those?

A: We have an average of 140 adults and 30 kids, and we launched February three years ago in my basement when there were 15 people.

It’s been a joy! It looks like a typical service – it’s Bay Area without bells and whistles. We’ve got a volunteer worship leader who’s a great guitar player and has a great heart for Jesus.

A: We do community groups – Bay Area calls them Missional Communities – and the point of the group is to shape their lives around reaching a certain people group with the gospel. They’ve got three rhythms: They gather monthly for what we call family time – they share a meal, stories of how God is working in their lives and working through them to reach the lost, then pray and plan for that month. The next rhythm is frequent scatter times, where we celebrate and serve with lost people … and we figure out tangible needs and try to meet them in that group. The last is our 3D groups within the community, and they meet weekly to study Scripture, open their lives transparently, and pray for one another.

Q: How has God used the people of The Well to reach the Silver Spring community?

A: Well, we’re seeing people come to Christ! It’s primarily through building individual relationships and inviting those people into our community.

When we first came, we did a service project – at that point it was just a small group of us – and we asked a local school how we could serve them.

They gave us a courtyard project, and in doing that, we invited everyone in the neighborhood that we had met to serve with us. This gal came and brought her son to serve, then about a year later she contacted us saying her husband had been thinking about spiritual things. He and I met for coffee a few times, and started reading the book of Mark and “Encounters with Jesus” together, and over time he came to know Christ. His wife doesn’t know Jesus – she’s a scientist – but she’s seeing how her husband changed, and he’s now leading the kids to know Christ and caring for her well and talking about Jesus all the time.

Q: Does The Well engage in global outreach or church planting efforts?

A: I’m coaching Steven Lee as he plants in D.C., and he’s preached at The Well. I’m also coaching Bliss Spillar [in Frederick] – me, Steven and Bliss meet together. He’s also preached at The Well, sharing with our leaders and others. We’re financially giving monthly to those churches and helping them get off the ground.

We did our first short term mission trip last year to Guatemala, and that was a good taste for our body to understand that there’s a world outside of America.

Q: Can you share a recent story of how an individual’s life has been transformed by the people or ministries of The Well?

A: A gal who found us at the very beginning was not a believer and had been wrestling with faith for a while, and through college ministry had gotten great guidance in being in the Scriptures a lot with a friend of hers who had been bringing her to The Well. She came to know Christ during a Sunday sermon. Then, she lost her father, and in that God had to meet her in some very tangible ways and the body rallied around her … In that time, she also processed some stuff from her past. She moved from being a nonbeliever to being a believer and seeing Christ influence these very dark and broken areas of her life, and give her real hope where previously she didn’t have hope. Now, she shares the gospel with all of her friends, and she’s discipling women in the church.

Q: Has there been a recent challenge that The Well has faced, and if so, how have you seen God working through that?

A: We’ve had challenges, and other church planters wouldn’t want to hear this, but it’s been pretty smooth. The hardest stuff for me is the heart issue of not letting the church become my savior or my greatest joy and hope, and continuing just to savor Christ, and how to balance and care for the family well and lead the church effectively.

Q: Is there anything else about The Well that you’d like to share with the Bay Area family?

A: Just a huge thank-you to SENT Network and Bay Area together!

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GHANA In June, the editors of GO&MAKE asked Bay Area Community Church member Michele Rollins to keep a day-by-day account of her team’s short term missions trip to Ghana. Led by Worship Leader Micah Pringle, the group of seven from Bay Area spent over a week sharing the gospel through music and testimony at several schools in Ghana. Michele, a 2008 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, works as a contracts manager for Platform Systems, Inc. and serves as a community group leader in BACC’s Middle School Ministry.

Saturday, June 6 Wednesday, June 3

A

few years ago, I saw a quote from Louie Giglio that went something like this: “[If you are worried] that if you surrender to God, He will send you to Africa – SURRENDER quickly! Africa is amazing!” A short time before that, I had stared at the African shoreline from a U.S. Navy warship and wondered what life was like for the people just beyond my sight. When I prayed about Making the Trade this year, Africa flooded my mind. So here I am – here we are, seven followers of Jesus – bags packed, support raised, immunizations updated, malaria medications in hand, stepping out in response to the call to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Thursday, June 4 Expectant. That’s the best word I can choose to define the collective sentiment of our team right now. Led

by BACC’s own worship leader, Micah Pringle, our team has gone from strangers or acquaintances to a family who prays together, shares fears and encouragements, and has a unified purpose – a small expression of Jesus’ church. Together with Micah, Kyle, Jocelyn, Kim, Kassie, and Makaeli, I am on a plane bound for Ghana!

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Friday, June 5 I feel like I have been traveling for years, but it has only been about 24 hours. We are in Ghana! We landed in Accra this evening where we met our hosts from Scripture Union (SU) Ghana, Uncle Kwame, the general director, and Comfort, who orchestrates the administration and finance for the ministry. Our team, like the teams that have visited Ghana from BACC since 2006, is partnered with SU, an organization reaching children in schools throughout the nation with the good news of Jesus. During this week, we will lead worship and share testimonies and gospel messages with the students. We’ll also have the chance to meet with students in small groups to respond to questions, encourage them, and share the love of Christ. Right after we get some sleep…

The bulk of today is dedicated to orienting our team to Ghanaian culture. There are all sorts of cultural considerations as we interact with the Ghanaian people: everything from not using your left hand to not complimenting someone on their pants (that’s equivalent to telling someone you like their underwear). One of the highlights of our orientation was a parable about a monkey and a fish.

The monkey, seeing a fish swimming in a rushing river, climbs out on a precarious limb to “rescue” the fish and place him on dry land. He has the best of intentions but the fish is left worse off than he began.

Our team had a fantastic and challenging discussion about cultural understanding, compassion, following the Holy Spirit, and what it really looks like to seek the greatest good of the other person.

We then loaded onto the bus en route to Action Senior High School (SHS) for our first school visit. Amid slight chaos including a power outage, we entered a room full of students of all ages singing, dancing, and praising the Lord. I can’t quite capture the picture well enough in words – I mean, DANCING. The main instrument of music in Ghana seems to be a drum set – set a rhythm and the students will clap, spin, sing, and laugh. Worship in Ghana is wholly expressive, unlike the more contemplative atmosphere at BACC, and yet the same: an outpouring to God.

Tuesday, June 9

Sunday, June 7 Today I am reminded that God’s church is a global one. We joined the church here at Hephzibah Christian Centre, our home for the next week, where Rev. J.F.K. Mensah brought a great message about discipleship. In this unfamiliar culture, it can be easy for me to forget that we serve one God in many expressions of His church. The truth is, Jesus is the same in Ghana as He is in Annapolis – and He is at work.

We visited two schools today including Accra Academy, an all-boys school.

Several of us got a chance to speak – most notably, 15-year-old Makaeli stood in front of more than 500 high school boys to share her story of God’s redemption. I love the courage and servant posture of our team – willing to step out even in situations that stretch us. Tonight I had a boy stay behind from my small group and begin to ask questions that he had not felt comfortable asking in front of his friends. He doesn’t know me at all, but God has given us influence here, and for that I am so very thankful.

Monday, June 8 Rest is a beautiful thing. This morning we awoke very early, about 4:30 a.m.

Ghana time, to travel to St. Thomas Aquinas SHS to join in their morning assembly. Then we returned to Hephzibah for a chance to rest. Our team is tired – still adjusting to the time change, sleepy from malaria meds, and in need of refreshment – so this reprieve is a perfect one. Even in the little ways, God’s provision is just right.

In the afternoon, I shared my testimony with the SU group at Armed Forces SHS. To be honest, I felt nervous all day, and all the more when we arrived at the school. Then Micah handed me the microphone and by the grace of God, the nerves disappeared. I’m learning more and more of what it means to walk in the Spirit, trusting that He has the words even when I don’t.

“

A Ghanaian man named John who lives in Atlanta arrived at Hephzibah yesterday. John teaches at a seminary now, but as a child he met Jesus through a Scripture Union team in north Ghana, where he had been raised Muslim. His story heartens me – God has a way of finding the people He claims as His own; SU is one of the ways He is doing that, and we get to be a part of it.

This morning, Kassie brought a great message at Aburi Girls SHS about putting God first in our lives and remembering what He has done for us. I love seeing Kas and Makaeli in front of these crowds and interacting with their peers as they share the hope that they have. I also met Ernest Kofi, Solomon, and Felix today. These boys shared openly with me about facing temptation, wondering how to stop doing the old things and begin walking in obedience to Jesus. We got to talk about staying in God’s Word, and how they, as brothers in Christ, can join together in accountability and fellowship as they live out God’s plan for their lives. Sharing the truth with these receptive hearts invigorates me and reminds me that even in the quiet groups like the ones I’ve had the last few days, God is at work in our midst.

whether you have had the opportunity to travel overseas or not, that’s our challenge: to reflect the truth of heaven into the darkness of the world around us, and to share the hope of jesus christ everywhere we go, from annapolis to africa.

continued on page 22

”

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Wednesday, June 10 There is no other way to describe today except the word “anointed.” Each of our days here has been a learning and growing experience, and we have seen God’s hand at work, but today was special. Last night, God led me to 2 Corinthians 4:7 – “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Today, He worked out that verse in our interactions with students at all three schools.

Only He could have arranged the testimonies and gospel messages shared today and determined which students would hear them; only He could have arranged our smallgroup and one-on-one meetings with teenagers who opened up their lives to us. Only He led these students into the two most powerful worship moments I’ve ever been in – as the groundswell of singing rose out of the congregation of students, over and over again, and Micah just stepped back to let God work. I’m speechless in awe of the power of God.

Thursday, June 11 Today we ventured to the city of Cape Coast. By late morning, we arrived at Elmina Castle, a former Portuguese and Dutch slave castle. The entire place has a solemn feel about it, nowhere more so than the chapel, where churchgoers sang hymns while hundreds of women suffered literally beneath their feet in a dank dungeon. It was an unforgettable place. With Elmina on our minds, we headed to a school to share the freedom and hope of Jesus Christ – all the more grateful to God that we are no longer slaves to sin. I had the chance to speak with Emmanuella and encourage her as she struggles with what to do when God says “no” to a dream. I have learned that students here are no different than our students at BACC or any of us. They give in to temptation and wonder about God’s grace; they find themselves in friendships with people who are hard to love. They need the hope that can only be found through Jesus.

Friday, June 12 I can’t believe our trip is almost over.

This morning, at our second-to-last school visit, I got to spend time with three boys from Adisadel including Gabriel, who trusted in Jesus for the very first time. We’ve been here for a full week and I still can’t wrap my brain around all the stories – stories of hurt, stories of loss, stories of hope, stories of purpose. So many souls and so many stories.

Saturday, June 13 Is it really time to head back to Annapolis? While Ghana still seems foreign, the rhythm of life with this team and the daily opportunities to share the love of Jesus with students… well, it feels a little bit like home. We visited our last school this afternoon, a few hours’ drive outside Accra. Kassie and I got to share life change and God’s truth with the students one more time, and many came forward to dedicate or rededicate their lives to Christ. While part of me looks forward to returning to the familiar streets of Annapolis, the other part of me yearns for more time, more schools, more life change here in Ghana.

As we were walking around the University of Cape Coast campus on Thursday, a little girl came outside with her parents. When she saw us, she began to yell “oburoni, oburoni!” and sprint toward our team. The term colloquially means “white person,” and it has a positive connotation here – little Angela, just 2 years old, couldn’t contain her excitement to meet us. She smiled and laughed as I took her hand and our team interacted with her for a minute, and then she was gone. You see, in Ghana we stand out as oburoni simply because of the color of our skin. We are expected to be different than the culture here – while we want to understand it in order to reach the Ghanaian people, we are not Ghanaian: we are citizens of another place. That’s just one lesson I’ll take away from this beautiful experience. In Annapolis – in our workplaces and schools and grocery stores and parking lots – do we stand out as “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20) or blend into the crowd? Do I engage with the culture while maintaining a lifestyle that reflects my identity as a child of God and citizen of heaven? Whether you have had the opportunity to travel overseas or not, that’s our challenge: to reflect the truth of heaven into the darkness of the world around us, and to share the hope of Jesus Christ everywhere we go, from Annapolis to Africa.

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J ULY GO&MAKE 23

LOCAL OUTREACH

by Trevin Hoekzema

“I feel more comfortable going on a missions trip to a foreign country than I do visiting a jail,” my friend said as she picked up another piece of sushi with her chopsticks. I had just told my wife and friends that I was planning to visit the chaplain whom Bay Area supports at the Ordnance Road Correctional Facility in Glen Burnie. I was taken aback by her comment at first, and then I realized I felt the same way. I’ve been to foreign 24 GO&MAKE JULY

countries before - I know what to expect.

I’ve never been to jail before, so the only thing I have to go off is what shows up in TV shows or the latest YouTube video someone shared on Facebook. And those things portray jail as a place that I might not survive - even as a visitor.

But duty calls, and as the Local Outreach Coordinator, a visit with Brit Fletcher, chaplain at the facility and a missionary

through Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, was long overdue. Before I tell you about the facility and Good News, I’d like to transparently share my expectations prior to going: As I parked, I expected barbed wire and a couple guards at the front door. I figured the lobby would be dirty, smelly, and full of people waiting to visit their loved ones. I imagined the front desk

ladies would be disgruntled and harsh.

I definitely expected a full pat-down and for the guards to be less than excited about me being there. All of these things were reasonable, considering my exposure to prison has been limited to what the entertainment industry has thrown at me.

Boy, was I wrong!

As I parked, I walked up to a welcoming building, absent of barbed wire. I passed through the sliding doors and noticed a smiling Brit behind the counter next to two laughing ladies; he had just finished telling a story. He loudly introduced me to them as one of the ladies ushered me through a scanner. Nothing beeped and she handed me a pass in exchange for my driver’s license. We then proceeded to Brit’s office.

On the walk to his office, Brit introduced me to the officers as we wove through maze-like halls. The facility has a gym, library, learning center, and cafeteria.

And Brit knows everything about each section and person. We finally got to his office, and I took a seat. I looked around the small room, filled with Bibles, paperwork, and blank certificates. Brit smiled, then proceeded to tell me about his latest wins.

So what is Good News Jail & Prison Ministry? They’re a Christian nonprofit that exists to place Christian chaplains in jails and prisons to minister to the spiritual needs of inmates and staff.

They hope to reach those who have been forgotten. And they do it with the help of volunteers and churches.

One of those volunteers is Kevin Magnuson. I had the pleasure of joining Kevin for the Tuesday night Bible study that he leads. Kevin has gone every week to lead this study since 1999. That’s 16 years of weekly discipleship to men who voluntarily choose to be a part of a study. I know Kevin from Bay Area, but I saw a new side of him that night. He led me and the three inmates in a time of worship. Shortly after that, he asked us to answer a simple question: “Who do you think Jesus is?” The first two men said that Jesus is Lord and Savior. The third said, “Well… that’s kind of why I’m here. I’m not really sure who He is and I think it might be good for me to figure that out.” That statement set the stage for Kevin to share the gospel several times in different contexts before we had to leave. We both left totally excited about the possibility of a future new brother in Christ.

For me, that was new. For Kevin, Brit, and the other chaplain, Chase, who works at the Jennifer Road Detention Center, conversations like that happen all the time. And for another one of the dedicated volunteers, Lulu Hickey, the conversations are even more frequent.

Lulu is at both the correctional facility and detention center each week as she selflessly serves as the women’s volunteer coordinator for Good News.

She disciples women and does larger

group gatherings each week. She is a champion for the cause.

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry’s audience, though they don’t have the physical freedom like we do, is spiritually bound just like we are. They have been removed from society for myriad different reasons, but Jesus loves them just as much as He loves us. Good News exists to show that love, and we have an opportunity to join them.

I’d like to challenge you to consider two things. Would you consider 1) leading a one-hour Bible study at one of the jails and/or 2) providing large-print Bibles for the chaplains to hand out? The chaplains will help you develop the Bible study and will give you a tour or two to help you get the lay of the land. And they need large print Bibles because, well, they’re just easier to read.

Tell you what - if you do it, I’ll do it. We can lead a Bible study together. Just email me: outreach@bayareacc.org.

With that said, I’m limited to leading studies for men, so if you’re a lady and you’re interested, please reach out to Lulu: lulu.hickey@yahoo.com.

And if you’d like to help Good News keep doing what they do best but those two options don’t work for you, they are actually in constant need of additional funds. Email me and I’ll be more than happy to connect you with them so you can help them continue to change lives through the gospel.

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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 avoiding them or going around them. The Care Network is a free, confidential, Christcentered 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 a Care Coach, a missional community group, financial assistance, Celebrate Recovery, christian counselors, or an appropriate agency or program in the community. If you need some 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 1st and 3rd Monday of the month from 6-7 p.m. The 3rd Monday is a potluck dinner. Stop by our kiosk in the lobby every 1st 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.

C ON N E CT W ITH B AY 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 complimentary resource for children, ages 1-12, of parents attending Celebrate Recovery on Monday nights. So while adults explore topics that bring healing and wholeness, children discover the same truths in age appropriate ways. There is limited space, so please be sure to secure a spot for your child/children. Contact Jen Marshall at celebration.place.group@gmail.com for more information.

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MARRIAGE MINISTRY Go online to bayaeacc.org/ marriageministry for news about upcoming marriage events and enrichment opportunities.

MARRIAGE MINISTRY TEAM Have you been married 10+ years and have a deep desire to see couples start and stay strong in their marriages?

This ministry team seeks to encourage existing marriages through the development and scheduling of enrichment opportunities throughout the ministry year. Some of these opportunities are learning communities, marriage workshops, special events and small group Bible studies. If you have a heart for marriages and want to serve on this team or learn more about the Marriage Ministry at BACC please visit 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 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.

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 eventually returns to his father. This child has become known as the “Prodigal Child.” While this parable is part of Jesus’ messages describing God’s love for all of us, for some families it is reality. The journey/trial of having a prodigal is incredibly challenging. If you are a parent that has a prodigal, you are not alone. For more information contact leanne.lane@bayareacc.org about how BACC can lend support & encouragement to you.

HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND VISITATION 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 more about how to be of assistance. Contact leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or phone at 443-837-3718.

CONNECTING MINISTRY

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 1st Sunday of the month.

Grab a free lunch and hear from our pastors and staff about who we are, what we are passionate about, and how you can get plugged in. No RSVP necessary! Join us on any of the following dates: July 5 & August 2.

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

PICK 3 SUMMER SERVE We’re almost half way through the summer and for those of you who have partnered with us in the Deep Blue on Sunday mornings, thank you. If you’re still looking for a place to serve stop by the Childrens Welcome Counter on Sunday for opportunities available or go online to bayareacc.org/ summerserve.

WAVE RIDERS Our Wave Riders leaders have planned some fun activities to escape the heat this summer. All nursery and preschool families are invited to two fun play dates planned for July. On July 13 will be a craft day with the kids at Bay Area and July 30 is a beach playdate at Sandy Point State Park. (Remember to bring your towels, toys and sun lotion) Like us on facebook to stay up to date on all our happenings and activities at facebook.com/waveriderplaygroup.

DIVE 45 Mark your calendars for next month’s Dive 45 event happening Friday, August 21, from 7-9 p.m.

All rising fourth- and fifth-grade students are invited to this year’s Summer Splash. Kids will participate in water olympic style games, so come ready to get soaked. Don’t forget a towel and a few bucks for the snack cart. RSVP is required at bayareacc.org/dive45. For more information contact Aimee at aimee.coyle@bayareacc.org MOVING UP IN THE DEEP BLUE We know your soon-to-be sixth-grade children are ready to MOVE UP! Their last day in children’s ministry will be Sunday, July 26; however, their first day in Student Ministry will be August 9 due to BASM being away for a student conference.

For all other children moving into kindergarten through fifth grade for the upcoming school year, the official MOVE UP day will be September 6 at all gatherings.

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 different events throughout the year. If you or someone you know are interested in joining, contact 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

GLOBAL MISSIONS

Operating Budget Financial Update May 31, 2015

2015 SHORT TERM MISSIONS Short term mission teams will travel to seven different countries this summer. Contact Global Missions Pastor Casely Essamuah at casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org for more information.

New Fiscal Year Began September 1, 2014 Fiscal Year Giving Goal YTD Giving Goal YTD Received YTD Actual vs. Goal MAY Giving Goal MAY Received

$3,832,000 $2,947,254 $2,875,477 (71,177) -2.4% Behind

$322,630 $319,993

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 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.

GATHERINGS SATURDAY NIGHT SINGALONG Join us for Saturday Night Singalong on July 11 at 6 PM. This is a great opportunity to rest in worship, prayer, and testimony as a church body.

KidCare is provided on a first come first served basis for children ages 1 through pre-k, and there is also a special space for the children to worship right alongside the adults in the main space. Our next Saturday Night Singalong is August 1. Contact Micah at micah.pringle@bayareacc.org

EL SALVADOR • July 4-12 • July 11-19 • July 18-26 • November 7-15

BRAZIL • July 10-18

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

GHANA • July 16-26

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 is August 24 - December 15 at BACC. Contact John Battan at John_Battan@tsco.org for more information. Sign up on Sundays through July in lobby.

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.

LOCAL OUTREACH 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.

BACK TO SCHOOL PACK A BACKPACK Join us in between gatherings on July 26. The Walk the Walk ISRAEL TRIP Foundation will have their trailer at the front of the church from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. You can pack as many backpacks as you Informational Meeting on Israel Trip want! Each backpack costs $30 to fill and goes directly to Have you ever been interested in taking a Biblical tour of the children who do not have the means of acquiring the school Holy Land? In March 2016, Pastor Ed Kelley will lead an 11-day supplies they need. Contact Trevin at outreach@bayareacc. trip to Israel that will trace the footsteps of Jesus. If you would org for more info. like to learn more or sign up, email ed.kelley@bayareacc.org.

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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.

MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES

LEARNING COMMUNITIES Learning Communities are smaller groups that meet in The Docks (the building in the east parking lot at BACC) 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. So sign up online at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities and jump into community this summer in one of these upcoming Sunday morning Learning Communities: CURRENTLY IN SESSION: MAN UP Learning Community (9:30 a.m.) Connect with other guys, build relationships, and encourage one another in following Jesus in a world that wants you to sell out, call out, and cut out God in your life.

SUMMER BREAK: College-age Learning Community (9:30 a.m.) Summer is here and so are distractions, temptations, opportunities both good and not so good. Join us as we learn about the most important biblical principles to live by living the college life.

ASK ANYTHING: Musings of Theology and Life With Pastor Ed Kelley (11:15 a.m.) Join in the lively interaction, discussion, and musings on a wide rage of topics related to theology and worldviews. Pop in and out of this standing learning community with Pastor Ed Kelley to engage questions relevant to you. You will be able to ask anything on your mind, so come join the discussion and ask boldly! No registration needed - come and go as you please!

STARTING SOON: THE OLD TESTAMENT PUZZLE (Starts July 5) (11:15 a.m.) If someone asked you, “Hey, what is the Old Testament all about?” how would you respond? Sometimes the Bible can be very puzzling to us, but within its pages we find a cohesive story that can be understood and applied to our everyday lives. This Learning Community will help you put together the puzzle of the Old Testament.

MEN’S BIBLE STUDIES 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.

MAN UP LEARNING COMMUNITY Connect with other guys, build relationships, and encourage one another in following Jesus in a world that wants you to sell out, call out, and cut out God in your life. On Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in The Docks at BACC. Sign up online at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities.

MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Get a taste of what a Missional Community is through our MC Taster event. Join us on August 9 at 12:45 p.m. in The Warehouse for a light lunch and some info from our Missional Community Pastor, Brian Hopper. We’ll spend about an hour together 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.

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 with 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 Café 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. For more info on how you can serve in this unique way contact Chyloe at chyloe.cheetham@bayareacc.org Do you have theatre experience and appreciate energetic environments? Our elementary large-group time may be your perfect fit. Contact Aimee at aimee. coyle@bayareacc.org Continued on following page...

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PRAYER MINISTRY

COMMUNION TEAM: Contact arianne.teeple@bayareacc.org 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 be part of helping 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 STUDIES “Love Undone: Take Two” led by Kammi McGinty Join us to see how the love of God changes us on Tuesdays, July 7 - August 4 from 7-9 p.m. at BACC. Bring your Bible and a notebook. Register at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth.

QUILTS FOR KIDS We use donated fabric to make quilts for kids in shelters and hospitals. Our next sewing workshop is Saturday, July 18 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.

SUMMER BOOK CLUB FOR WOMEN “Mark of the Lion” Trilogy by Francine Rivers Join in the discussion of “An Echo in the Darkness” on July 10, and “As Sure as Dawn” on August 14. This group will meet at Jodi Doney’s house at 7 p.m. Please read the book before you come. Contact her at jodidoney@hotmail.com for directions.

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.

STUDENT MINISTRY

LEADER SPOTLIGHT We were eager to welcome Morgan Mahaffey to our BASM team in the fall! She comes to us after working 6 years at Camp Wabanna, where she currently serves as their Head Female Counselor. For the past year she has grown close to the 11th grade girls through many coffee dates. Morgan is obsessed with coffee. It is with a heavy heart we see Morgan off as she pursues a MAC at Covenant Theological Seminary. For this Maryland native it will be her first time living outside the state.

Good Luck Morgan! We will miss you!

David Schroeder is new to our BASM team this year. He has been serving our team by ministering to the 8th grade boys. His good humor and humble attitude make him a great fit as Community Group Leader. This recent graduate of the Naval Academy enjoys playing rugby and has recently been recruited to play for the All Marine Rugby Team.

When he is not with the Student Ministry, you can find David visiting his hometown in Louisville, Kentucky where his family still resides.

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO GO TO ISRAEL? Join Pastor Ed Kelley on a tour of the Holy land.

More information on page 29.

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