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LETTER FROM THE LEAD
that Jesus came to reconcile us with Colossians 3:12 instructs, “As those who God, one another, and ultimately, all have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion.” of creation.
When people struggle with identity issues including relational insecurities, finding significance through performance or work, sexual confusion, and a host of other things, it shows us that every area of Dear Bay Area family, life (spiritual, emotional, physical, We live in a world that is marked by much relational) has been impacted by sin. pain and confusion these days. In April, our When disasters such as earthquakes area was shocked by the death of Freddie strike, they demonstrate Paul’s words Gray and riots that broke out in Baltimore that “the whole creation groans following his funeral. Two days earlier, an and suffers the pains of childbirth” earthquake in Nepal took the lives of over (Romans 8:22) because of the 8,000 people. Prior to that, 21 Egyptian entrance of sin. Coptic Christians were beheaded by ISIS in Libya. The evidence of fallenness is And on top of all that, we have a spiritual enemy, the devil and his everywhere. demons, that Paul describes in How are we to think about these things? Ephesians 6:12, stating, “For we do How are we to respond? not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the First, we need to think biblically. With the authorities, against the cosmic entrance of sin in Genesis 3, harmony with powers over this present darkness, God, each other, and creation was deeply against the spiritual forces of evil in marred. Because of the fall, our nature is the heavenly places.” characterized by a disposition to sin. We put ourselves on the thrones of our lives I write all this to say that, biblically instead of God, and we consider ourselves speaking, we should not be surprised more important than others. That’s why that a fallen world acts out its immediately following Adam’s sin, we saw fallenness. So how are we to respond? Cain murder his brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). I’d like to suggest three simple ways: Similarly, the events in Baltimore point to compassion, prayer, and faith. the root of our problem: sin. As Jesus wept over Jerusalem, as When we think about ISIS executing He had compassion on the sheep followers of Jesus, raping women, and without a shepherd, as the father had beheading children, these actions – as compassion on His prodigal son, as horrific as they are – point again to the the Good Samaritan had compassion deeper issue. We live in a world that does on the man lying on the roadside, so not understand or accept the good news we should be people of compassion.
Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We live life awaiting the return of Jesus to make all things right. Until then, we are to pray that His kingdom would advance and His will be done. Prayer is the means through which God has ordained to see great things happen. And so, we are to “devote ourselves to prayer” (Colossians 4:2), believing God to supernaturally work and asking the Lord how He might use us. And finally, faith. When God opens our eyes with compassion, He calls us to join with Him in faith. What faith step is Jesus asking you to take in light of the world in which we live? Though the needs are overwhelming, we can all respond in some way. As we prayerfully bring our world before the throne, what is the Spirit leading you to do in order to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? The hope of the world is the gospel of Jesus. This good news has been entrusted to the church. We are the church. God has called us to embody the gospel in our prayers, words, and deeds. My prayer is that God would powerfully use each of us, in the midst of a fallen world, for the sake of His kingdom and glory. From here to the nations,
Greg St. Cyr 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 Ashleigh Bicevskis Donnie Hatcher Trevin Hoekzema
On the cover - Isaiah Hall & Casey Gish 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 UNE GO&MAKE 3
CONTENTS 7 9 13 14 16 18 20 22 26 SERVE LIKE JESUS
Opportunities to serve as a barista or volunteer in the Bay Café
I DON’T WORSHIP THROUGH MUSIC
A theological perspective on music by Micah Pringle
THE MARRIAGE IDOL
Learning to die to our expectations by Pat Linnell
SENT NETWORK UPDATE
Getting plugged into a serving role has never been easier
COVER STORY: SUMMER JAM
What to think about the summer’s biggest event
LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Bryan Grube: Husband, Father, Bay Pilot, Deacon
MINISTRY TO THOSE GETTING MARRIED
Introducing three new couples leading the effort to love those preparing to wed
SHORT TERM MISSIONS UPDATE
Ashleigh Bicevskis profiles Tom and Janet Hogan’s experience in Poland
HAPPENINGS
Find out what is happening at Bay Area Community Church and how you can get involved.
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BOOK: AUTHOR:
This is a companion volume to the wildly popular book, “The Book of Virtues,” by the same author. Selling millions of copies in the 1990s, the book gathered virtues under 10 disciplines including self-discipline, compassion, and honesty. Approximately two years after the printing of “The Book of Virtues,” Mr. Bennett wrote “The Moral
The Moral Compass William J. Bennett
Compass,” which is subtitled, husbands and wives, the world, “Stories For A Life’s Journey.” standing fast, citizenship and leadership, and what we live Stories have been a part by. Most of the stories are one of lore dating back to time to three pages long and have a immemorial. The Greeks (on moral to them. At some points whom we’ve based our society) Mr. Bennett gives additional loved using story to explain commentary and detail about and illustrate life, morals, and the background of the story or living standards. Aesop was the writer. world-famous for some of his invigorating tales that inspired When my own kids were little, his readers to live better and every night I would read one or stronger in morality. Confucius two of these stories from “The was the same, and the Jews had Book of Virtues” or “The Moral their own oral traditions that Compass,” and we’d discuss the backed up what the Bible itself moral of the story, determining told as story and prose. if a Kelley would act according to one of the main protagonists “ T h e M o r a l C o m p a s s ” in the stories. It’s great moral a m a l g a m a t e s s t o r i e s o f building for children and for yesteryear from all sorts of the family, and fully backs the sources and time periods. Biblical narrative of morality. They’re categorized into main topics including home and At this time in history, where the hearth, mothers and fathers, love of most “have gone cold”
and logic (right and wrong in living) has taken a backseat to unbridled shrill emotion, base thought like the stories in these two books is needed more than ever. This plays out on our TV sets as we see immoral behavior everywhere, which is unraveling the core tenets of civilization - and quite quickly. Life without morals devolves into anarchy, and I for one am willing to engage a good moralbuilding story wherever I can find it for the good of people and for the good of our society. Enjoy, - Ed Kelley IV Executive Pastor
More information on page 29.
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bay café
M
By Meredith Thompson
ass Appeal. Increasingly, it’s what specialty coffees have in our society, and it’s also the roast of Ceremony Coffee used to craft those beverages at the espresso bar in Bay Area Community Church’s café every Sunday. Before the 8 a.m. gathering ends, a fresh bag of beans is cut open by one of the dozen or so baristas who serve at the bar in rotation and is emptied into a grinder. A bucket is filled with ice, milk and smoothie mixes are retrieved from the fridge, a couple of test shots are pulled (and if I am serving that Sunday, consumed for “quality assurance” purposes), the neon “espresso” light is flicked on, and the espresso bar is ready to go. Early for the 9:30 gathering, a weekly regular steps up to the counter to order her usual: a hazelnut latte, extra shot, extra hot. Teens crowd behind her eager to fork over their parents’ cash for strawberry and mango smoothies – don’t worry mom and dad, the proceeds benefit global missions – and members of the worship team come seeking caffeine to keep them playing through the next gathering. As their whirlwind shift between gatherings comes to an end, the baristas clean up the bar, stow their perishable ingredients, and take their dishes into the kitchen. There, while scrubbing blender pitchers and shot glasses, they chat with the faithful crew of Bay Café volunteers who show up each week to cut dozens of loaves of bread, mix countless gallons of lemonade, and, most importantly, keep the free coffee flowing. Whoever first looked at a coffee cherry and thought, “Hey, I should remove the pit, wash it, dry it, roast it, smash it, run hot water over it, and drink it” was surely a genius whose IQ would rival Einstein’s, but I digress… Ensuring that cream and sugar never run out and pastries and butter appear between the gatherings, the team of
Photo by Arianne Teeple
volunteers who serve in the Bay Café, like the baristas, serve in a scheduled rotation according to their availability. Each Sunday they are on the roster, they report for duty sporting their blue-and-white baseball shirts, ready to facilitate the ministry of the Bay Café – which goes beyond keeping stomach rumblings at bay during the gatherings. The four words printed in block letters on the navy-blue aprons the volunteers and baristas wear succinctly capture the essence and mission of the Bay Café: Community Happens Over Coffee. It is in this central corridor of the church that people pause between the gatherings, between the bustle of workweeks and sports leagues and meetings, to answer “How are you?” in more than a word. Among the café’s tables and sofas, new friendships form and longstanding relationships flourish. Even in simple exchanges about the weather, community happens in the Bay Café. Likewise, the espresso bar meets a greater need than simply preventing yawns and energizing volunteers; the proceeds made from the $3 beverages sold support global missions. In 2014, nearly $4,000 helped fund short-term trips, furthering Bay Area’s mission of making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations one latte at a time. Though the Bay Café runs like a well-oiled machine each Sunday, the team is always in need of more people who have a passion for coffee and a heart to Serve Like Jesus. They accept tea drinkers, too. To learn more about current needs and opportunities, contact Hospitality Coordinator Sherri Raimondo at sherri.raimondo@bayareacc.org, or stop by the Bay Café on a Sunday. J UNE GO&MAKE 7
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I don’t worship through music Music is inescapable. You can’t even
move from the first to the second floor of a building without likely hearing what we have coined “elevator music.” For as much as we are surrounded by the stuff, a comment I occasionally hear from well-meaning individuals is, “I don’t really worship through music,” or something along those lines. While I do agree that different people engage in worship in different ways, it makes me nervous that we might inadvertently miss a great opportunity to grow in our understanding of both worship and of God through such limiting statements. So with that in mind, I’d like to address this idea head on, looking at scripture, as well as science, to determine if any of us can honestly say that we don’t worship through music! Let’s start with a definition of worship. Why? Because if we don’t understand what worship really is, then we’ll never be able to determine whether or not it’s something we can do through music. Author Harold Best describes worship in very distinct terms. Genesis 1:27 says that God created man in His own image. Best describes this concept in these terms – that God is a continuous outpourer. He poured Himself out in creation, He poured Himself out on the cross, and He continues to pour Himself out through keeping our hearts beating, keeping all of the universe in it’s place, and so forth. He says that the “image” of God referred to in the moment when man was created is that, as God is an outpourer, so we too are made as little outpourers. We can’t help it. It’s part of who we are! Harold also says that this idea of outpouring is directly connected to another word that we use: worship. The implication is that worship is simply outpouring. And anytime we’re pouring ourselves out over something – whether it’s a task as simple as making dinner, or as complex as writing a sonnet – we are, in fact, worshipping because we
are outpouring. Simply put, worship = outpouring. So what does it mean to “outpour” through music? Psalm 100 tells the whole earth to make a joyful noise to God, to serve Him with gladness, and to enter His presence with singing. It’s safe to say that for many of us, serving Jesus and singing to Jesus are often compartmentalized into separate categories. But this passage is all about worshiping through music. The implication is clear: One of the ways we actually serve Him is through making a joyful noise… through singing… through music! We outpour through music in the same ways we outpour through what we would consider more typical means of service. When you serve, you give of yourself and often go beyond what you are comfortable doing. In this context, that might mean closing your eyes during a song and meditating on the simple phrases being sung. It might mean lifting a hand in worship and being okay with whatever the person next to you might be thinking. For some, it might simply mean singing out loud for the first time rather than standing in silence. We outpour through music in the same ways we outpour in any other part of our lives: We give of ourselves. The music is not just a time to receive, although that will naturally happen; it’s a time to give. Some of us totally get the biblical perspective on worship through music, but are still not sure if it’s for “us” because of how we think we’re wired (i.e. a right-brained person versus a leftbrained person). And for that, we turn to science. Why? Because it’s 2015 and we have things like neuroscience and brain mapping, and science is just plain cool. Music stimulates up to eight times as many sections of the human brain as listening to an orator, no matter who you are or what your personal preferences may be. Daniel Abrams of
Stanford University said, “Despite our idiosyncrasies … the brain experiences music in a very consistent fashion across subjects.” So no matter how you’re “wired,” when you’re sitting and listening to someone talk, that’s all good – but it doesn’t stimulate you as much as a single measure of music! And because we like repetition, our brains are constantly predicting what will happen next based on patterns like the beat of a song. This is how we end up tapping our toes or dancing to music. This is also how we end up getting those “patterns” stuck in our heads and find ourselves humming tunes long after we’ve listened to them. What this science reveals is that music affects us all, and even does it in ways we may not realize. It moves us. And if we’ll allow it, it can move us to a place of outpouring. We’ve been hard-wired this way ever since that moment in Genesis 1:27 when we were made in His image! We are all unique people, with different gifts, abilities, tastes, and wiring. This diversity is one of the most beautiful things about the church. But even with all this diversity, one thing is true: We’ve all been created in the image of a loving God, who is worthy of our worship. Which means, if we’re being honest, there is no such thing as not worshipping through music. So when we gather together each weekend, let’s collectively outpour in all the ways we’ve been created to do it – including our tunes!
by: Micah Pringle (BACC Worship Leader) J UNE GO&MAKE 9
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2 YEAR RECAP
LOOKING AHEAD By Greg St. Cyr
It’s hard to believe that two years ago we started the journey of Beyond884. God has been so faithful. He’s matured us, stretched us, and used us to advance His kingdom in great ways. The catalyst that sparked it all was the fact that people were unable to find room at BACC. With Sunday mornings at capacity in both the auditorium and children’s ministry, paired with the fact that tens of thousands of people in our county don’t know Jesus, we knew God was calling us to make room for people. Inspired by the story of four friends who lowered a paralytic through the roof to meet Jesus (Mark 2:112), we committed to making similar sacrifices for the sake of others. In seeking the Lord, God gave us a faith-stretching vision to make room for people at 884 Chesterfield Road and beyond. And thus Beyond884 was born.
72 pastors and plant 242 churches in seven different regions of India. God supernaturally moved, prompting our Bay Area family to give over $194,000 to advance the work in India! Many other life-changing things have happened along the journey, and it’s not over yet. We are excited about all that God will continue to do through Beyond884. So where do we go from here? Beyond884 was launched as a two-year cause that would run through the end of June 2015. Many of you who made a commitment over the last two years have completed or are close to finishing your pledges, and we are incredibly grateful for your extravagant generosity. If you haven’t done so yet, please make every effort to finish your pledge by the end of June, or, if that’s not possible, by the end of October.
In October, as we did for India, we will focus on the needs of South Sudan. We will share about the incredible ministry The cause was launched in June of 2013, and to date, 683 in Sudan and ask God to provide the $125,000 desperately households have financially and prayerfully given over needed to rebuild the Mission Gardens of Christ. The focus on $3.3 million of the $4.8 million that has been committed Sudan will bring the current phase of Beyond884 to a close. toward our $7.1 million goal! In March of 2014, we wrote the names of friends and loved ones in need of Jesus on stones However, we are convinced that we are not through yet. We that would become become part of the foundation of our are confident that the Lord is saying to continue to trust Him new space. A year later we moved in to our new chapel and to fulfill the full vision of Beyond884. children’s wing. Today we have more room for men, women, and children to meet Jesus! Based on current giving trends, there is the possibility that we will fall short of the $4.6 million needed to pay off our But, as you know, Beyond884 doesn’t stop at 884 Chesterfield new chapel and children’s wing. Additionally, we still have Road. Burdened over the sanctity of life, we took up the a way to go in fulfilling our commitments to the Annapolis cause to help the Annapolis Pregnancy Clinic purchase their Pregnancy Clinic and D.C. church plant. The vision of being building, which is strategically located at 934 West Street, debt-free still remains in front of us, too. As a result, the directly across from an abortion clinic. Over $75,000 has elders made the decision that in early 2016 we will ask the been given toward our $350,000 commitment to them. church family to prayerfully join with us in pledging and giving to fulfill the rest of God’s vision of Beyond884 over a Our priority of church planting also has its place in this 12-month period. journey of faith. What better place for a church plant than in one of the most influential cities in the world, Washington, You will hear much more about this in the months to come. D.C.? With Bay Area’s help and support, Pastor Steven Lee But for now, we should pause and acknowledge how much launched Redeemer City Church in D.C. last summer. Today we have to be thankful for. We are thankful for the hundreds about 60 people come together each week in missional of people and children growing closer to Jesus each week communities and on Sunday mornings. So far we’ve been because of the chapel and children’s wing. We’re thankful for able to give $10,000 to support this dynamic church plant. the lives being saved through the Annapolis Pregnancy Clinic. We’re thankful for the Gospel going forth in D.C., India, and Three months ago we flew Pastor Samuel Devraj and his wife, Sudan. We’re thankful that we as a church family get to be a Grace, from India to Annapolis. We shared about the nearly part of all this. But more than anything, we are thankful for 1.3 billion souls in need of Jesus in India and how God has our Lord and Savior, Jesus. used the International Cultural Bible Ministries to raise up J UNE GO&MAKE 11
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The Marriage Idol By: Pat Linnell
I have not been single for over 11 years.
I’m happily married to my high school sweetheart, and we are now raising our four kids. It seems like part of the “American Dream” has come true, and I often share about my family life, since much of the reality of raising children makes for good preaching. Understand that I do love my family life, and consider it a gift, blessing, and great stewardship – but I often elevate married life with kids as the gold standard of Christian living. In fact, because the Scriptures hold marriage in such a high regard, many people see being married as the best option for everyone. And then I remember that the perfect human being in every way, Jesus, lived and died a single man. Even more than that Jesus died a virgin. In our culture, this makes Jesus look like a fool. And this makes me think that perhaps I have put the marriage relationship on a pedestal at the expense of Godhonoring singleness, which according to the Scriptures is a viable and normal option for the Christian life. Despite the single lives of Jesus and Paul, and even Paul’s writings about desiring to remain single, it is hard not to put the honorable institution of marriage, which is even a picture of the covenantal, self-giving love between the Creator and His redeemed people, as a superior kind of life. Indeed, many single people’s hopes and dreams involve this kind of companionship
and intimacy. I have friends and loved ones who long to be married, who long to “arrive,” or at least want to feel less guilty about living together. This kind of desire for intimate connection rumbles up from our core as creatures who were made for relationships.
Among other places, this hope is seen in John 12 when Jesus says, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” Jesus is saying that if we cling to our dreams more than we cling to Him and his dreams, we will end up losing Jesus. But in dying to what the world says is normal in order to serve Jesus, we will receive an honor higher than any other, honor from God the Father. In receiving this honor we find what we were meant for, namely being rightly related to our Creator and sharing in all the joys of that relationship. This is the true source of fulfillment and abundance in this life.
As noble as the pursuit of a spouse can be, there is a more noble pursuit that may expose the dream of marriage, or spouses, as functional idols in our lives. This is the pursuit of the Kingdom of God. For the person who genuinely prays, “YOUR Kingdom come, YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” they must hold in an open hand whether God provides or does not provide a spouse, or any other dream for that matter. The pursuit of the Kingdom may show us that we are looking to a husband or wife, or even children, for our ultimate fulfillment. So the big question if you are currently single is: Will being married position The principle here is that being a child of you best to serve Jesus’ Kingdom? Will God, a follower of Jesus, a disciple, requires marriage help you make disciples and that we die to the dreams that most of the point people to Jesus? If so, then trust people around us find quite normal, like that God will provide for you. If you getting rich, being famous, or even getting are married, the big question is: Are married and having 2.5 kids. The reality you putting too much pressure on your is that in this life we may have unfulfilled marriage to fulfill you? Do you see desires, but because of our convictions and your spouse as the person who is there faith, we do not seek to meet our desires ultimately to help you remain faithful outside of what God allows for or provides. to Jesus? Whether you are married or Admittedly, this doesn’t sound like the single today, may the Kingdom of God “abundant” life that Jesus came to give us. break into your life and may you be But in dying to ourselves, in surrendering satisfied in Him. what our flesh so craves, we are met with a promise of hope that we will truly discover God’s abundance. J UNE GO&MAKE 13
SENT NETWORK UPDATE: RENOVATE LIFE CHURCH by Donnie Hatcher
14 GO&MAKE JUN E
“ I would meet with y’all under a tree”
I
n so many ways, Renovate Life Church is a picture of grace. As a church family, we are living out our mission to be a people who are being changed by God to change the world through sharing the lifegiving message of Jesus Christ. We’re excited that we’ve become part of our community in the Crofton and Gambrills area since we first began meeting Sundays at 9:30 AM at Regal Cinemas Waugh Chapel Stadium 12 & IMAX on September 15, 2013. Meeting at a movie theater has so many benefits. We continue to have people attend out of curiosity, and many who would never step foot inside a traditional church building are surprisingly open to checking out what many call the “movie church.” I love being part of a mobile church in this environment because it has allowed us to build gospel-centered, missional DNA into the Renovate Life culture. Guests will often ask when we’re getting a building. Our response is always to tell them that being a mobile church has given us the opportunity to be “all about people,” and if we ever get a building then we’ll still be all about people because it’s who we are. Because people really matter to Jesus, people really matter to us. It’s something we live out and express through our church values, which are simply Love God, Live Connected, and Influence Change. As Renovate Life gathers weekly, we’re able to love God by celebrating life change and pointing people to Jesus through a service that includes exciting music, personal testimonies, and biblical messages that are understandable and inspire those who attend to trust God with every area of their life. Regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status, appearance, or amount of sinful baggage, everyone is welcome at Renovate Life. I often
remind the church that every Sunday is somebody’s first Sunday at Renovate Life. Just this year, we’ve had more than 60 new guests attend a Sunday gathering, and 14 of those indicated they were making a decision for Christ. Not only are people enjoying a new church experience, but also many are discovering new life in Jesus. Life Groups are small communities of people who live connected by pursuing authentic relationships and serving others. Personal growth, discipleship, and accountability are all results of doing life together. Over the past year, our Life Groups have ministered through renovating the inside of a local home, partnering with Light House Shelter to provide 150 meals and 100 survival packs for the homeless in the Annapolis area, and participating in several RLC Serve Days, where instead of gathering at a service to worship, we gather to worship through acts of service in our local community. RLC also hosts various community outreach events including Egg-apalooza, an outdoor family event at Crofton Park where more than 300 people heard the gospel shared creatively through the testimony of a local believer who is a professional mountain bike stunt show rider. In addition to these larger outreach events, our Life Groups host neighborhood cookouts, men’s poker nights, UFC watch parties, and other activities in an effort to build relationships and foster spiritual conversation. One family has hosted four of these spontaneous outreaches this year, and have met over 25 people in their neighborhood who are not connected to any church. As a result of this one family’s influence, three families living near them have begun attending Renovate Life. All of these intentional events and mission projects are aimed
at “taking the gospel as it is to people where they are.” One of the most exciting things to celebrate is how Renovate Life is influencing change by developing people and launching churches to impact the world. Regular financial support is given to a missionary in New York who is sharing the message of Jesus with those in the online gaming community, to a Renovate Life young adult who is currently serving long-term in Australia at a missionary discipleship training school, and to a couple of church planting organizations including SENT Network. Over the last 19 months, solely through the vision and obedience of one 8-yearold girl, our RL Kids have raised over $2,500 toward ending world hunger and over $2,800 for clean water wells in Zambia, Africa. Currently, RL Kids are raising funds to provide Bibles for people in India. Renovate Life is finalizing the development of a Global Mission Strategy that will serve as the framework for how we will continue to influence change around the world. A highlight of doing our part to fulfill the Great Commission through this strategy is our recent adoption of two unengaged, unreached people groups in India and Croatia. Renovate Life is excited to join other churches in the greater Baltimore/D.C. area in reaching people contextually, cultivating faithful disciples, and multiplying leaders and church planters. After hearing the vision of Renovate Life at a recent service, a guest recently said, “With such a genuine message and attitude poised from the Father’s heart, I would meet with y’all under a tree, so meeting in a movie theater isn’t even an issue.”
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by Josh Shirlen
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I want you to be excited. I want you to be filled with a sincere anticipation of a truly momentous event. It’s greater than the Super Bowl, the release of a summer blockbuster, or the next surprise party. I want you to be excited for the eternal significance of something we lightheartedly call Summer Jam. It’s a moment in time in the lives of our children that shapes their future – in this life and the one to come. For many children, the narrative of their lives with Jesus will title chapter 1 as “Summer Jam.” It happens each summer at Bay Area, and with each year comes stories of life change. And so, I want you to be excited. This year, Summer Jam has uniquely been named “Journey Off The Map,” intended to teach our children that obedience to God will lead to places beyond our expectations, and that God’s plans for their lives are wrought with great adventure. Gail Wiles, Bay Area’s Children’s Ministry Director and leader of Summer Jam, said of the event, “My hope is that children would find this [Summer Jam] to be an amazing place to bring their friends where they can know and grow with Jesus.” Gail’s hope is certainly a conceivable one. We’ve seen such success in each of the past years, and not just among children that call Bay Area home. In fact, Gail estimates that around 40 percent of those who attend Summer Jam don’t go to the church and have been invited by someone. The event is highly outreach-oriented, and one of the strongest outreach initiatives the church offers. The Newcomer family is a terrific example of how God is using Summer Jam to change lives. Two years ago, their children were invited by a Bay Area attender to attend Summer Jam. Through the event, both the children and parents, Alan and Tara, decided to make Bay Area their church home. At last year’s Summer Jam, Alan and Tara volunteered to serve, and in doing so led three children to faith in Christ.
The Newcomers’ story is a beautiful picture of what can happen through Summer Jam, and it happens more often than you might think. This year, there will be even more opportunity for parental involvement. In previous years, parents simply dropped children off and returned two and a half hours later to pick them up. They relied solely on their children to inform them of what they had learned. Summer Jam 2015 will feature a parents’ area where moms and dads can go deeper in the themes the children are learning each evening so that they can be better equipped to talk about them with their children. Executive Pastor Ed Kelley will lead this time of instruction. The spiritual and relational aspects of Summer Jam are well worth your excitement, but it doesn’t stop there. Summer Jam is a logistical masterpiece. The five-night event requires 230 volunteers and full stage production, and uses every area at 884 inside and out. An offering is taken each night to teach the children about worship through giving, and all donations support the Children’s Center in El Salvador. Diane Smith and Tony Faaborg will lead the theatrical production this year. And so, be excited! Summer Jam is much more than a camp or a Sunday school lesson. It’s a potentially life-altering event for both parents and children that God has given Bay Area the privilege of orchestrating. My excitement is found in that reality, that one day I’ll hear the testimony of a young man or woman that starts with “I first accepted Jesus at an event called Summer Jam.” SUMMER JAM 2015 - STARTS JUNE 28TH - 6-8:30PM REGISTER ONLINE AT BAYAREACC.ORG/SUMMERJAM Summer Jam (formally known as Vacation Bible School) is a one week camp style gathering at Bay Area Community Church for children. It features a slew of games, crafts and activities intended to help children have fun and grow in their understanding of God. There is also a large scale production where skits, songs and special talks present truths about God and the Gospel each evening.
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LEADERSHIP
PROFILE
bryan grube By Meredith Thompson
B
ryan Grube’s grandmothers faithfully prayed for their grandson throughout his youth, but he was obstinate and determined to do life on his own. A graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy, life was shaping up nicely for the 20-something Seattle native during the late ‘90s: Bryan was engaged and working hard aboard ships, but below the surface he knew there had to be more to life. “In the fall of 1999 I was on a ship that found an aircraft that crashed in the North Atlantic, and seeing that 217 people had died and reconciling that was really tough. But [with] no answers, we did the typical
service that he had on cassette, and there on a tugboat, prayed, “Lord Jesus, if you are real, I need you in my life.” Bryan returned to Maryland to work on ships, and instead of seeking out bars every time he docked, he began finding churches in every port. He met his wife, Lawrie, while trying to find a church in Baltimore. She told him she went to one in Annapolis called Bay Area Community Church, and Bryan asked how far away that was – could he ride his bike there? Bemused that his seafaring lifestyle left him without a car, Lawrie picked Bryan up and brought him to her church, which met in a high school at
Commissioned in November 2014 following the nomination process and a year of training, Bryan is grateful for the opportunities his post as deacon provides to love on, encourage, and develop relationships with people in need. He noted the deacons take the charge in Scripture to care for widows and orphans to heart, serving as Christ’s hands and feet within Bay Area. Through his role as deacon, Bryan expressed he desires to show mercy and grace, but his greatest hopes are that God would be glorified, that people would come to know Him more and trust Him, and that the name of Jesus would be praised. “My prayer is that the Lord will do the heavy lifting in their hearts, and in their experience they will see the Lord Jesus moving in their lives, not just men,” he said of the people whom the deacons serve.
“I was on a ship that found an aircraft that crashed in the North Atlantic, and seeing that 217 people had died and reconciling that was really tough.” sailor thing: We got to port and drank our sorrows,” Bryan recalled of the lack of peace he experienced early in his career. His girlfriend called off their engagement, and an angry and dissatisfied Bryan began to ask himself, “Why does my grandmother have this hope? Why does she keep telling me to read this book of John?” He had made it through a couple verses before and thought, “This is what old people read. I don’t need to read this.” But grandma’s faithful nudges persisted, and at 26 years of age, sitting on his bunk on a tugboat, Bryan’s eyes were opened to the condition of his life for the first time as he started reading the gospel of John. “At the words, ‘The light came into the world, but man did not like the light because his deeds were evil,’ I realized that while I didn’t kill, I was living in darkness … and needed hope,” he remembered, explaining how God broke through. “I wanted to know more about this Jesus, the one my grandmother had hope in, so I continued reading.” He took out his Walkman and listened to a message about Jesus from a Christmas Eve 18 GO&MAKE JUN E
the time. They married in 2003. Today, Bryan, Lawrie, and their sons, 9-yearold Michael and 8-year-old Matthew, live in Annapolis. Bryan now works as a Bay Pilot in the Chesapeake, bringing ships from all over the world into the port of Baltimore. Together, the Grubes host a Missional Community at their home on Wednesdays, serve in Children’s Ministry, and volunteer at the Stanton Center and Light House Shelter. Despite a decade of service to his church, however, Bryan didn’t have a clue what a deacon was when Jarvis Bellamy first approached him about becoming one. “Well,” he responded to Jarvis, “what do they do?” “The job of deacon is not what I thought it was, which was the guy who helps stack chairs and take the garbage out,” Bryan admitted, explaining he has a heart to serve in those capacities. “The elders have charged the deacons with managing the benevolence fund at Bay Area Community Church … to help people in the congregation who are in need of help.”
Not surprising considering Bryan’s career path, many of the Grubes’ hobbies follow an aquatic theme: They enjoy fishing, kneeboarding, and swimming, as well as hiking and biking. Michael and Matthew play sports with the South River Youth Athletics Seahawks – a nod to Bryan’s Seattle roots – where their proud father noted they have opportunities to grow as leaders in demonstrating grace and wisdom on the field. Bryan credits the successes he experiences in life foremost to God, and to Lawrie’s grace secondarily. In addition to having a genuine heart for the Lord, he noted, she is the gifted partner in the family, always ready to flex to his unorthodox schedule and take the lead on things when he’s not around. “I’ve always liked Greg’s preaching, and years ago he was talking about marriage and did a quote from ‘Rocky Balboa’ with this Sylvester Stallone accent – ‘I’ve got gaps and you fill in my gaps,’” Bryan recalled, imitating the accent. “When you find that partner in life to go through it with—As a Christian, the journey is hard, but being together makes it possible.”
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bay area’s
Premarital Ministry welcomes new leadership By Meredith Thompson
N
jim & tish
oa Halalilo had had a long day at work. Sitting at a Young Life banquet two years ago at the invitation of a friend, he was tired, but something across the table caught his eye: a girl’s smile. He knew he had to talk to Alyson, who also had attended the event with a friend, so he approached her after dinner. “I introduced myself and one of the first questions she asked me was, ‘Tell me about your relationship with the Lord,’” Noa recalled of the evening he met his future bride. “That really al-
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larry & jeanette lowed me to see that she had a lot of substance. I got her info, I asked her out three times, and the third time she finally said yes.” Noa and Alyson exchanged vows on June 8, 2014, after participating in Bay Area Community Church’s premarital counseling ministry. The six-session mentorship program, designed to prepare engaged couples for marriage through unpacking topics including roles and responsibilities, finances, and God’s design for marriage, has had a huge impact on the Halalilos’ communication throughout their first year of matrimony. “During that time it really allowed us to communicate effectively in ways that she felt
tom & francie heard and I felt heard and respected,” Noa said, reflecting on their sessions. “I learned to listen to her heart and seek after her heart.” “For me, our premarital [counseling] was one of if not my most favorite part of our engagement,” Alyson noted. “I was so thankful for Jim and Tish opening their home and opening their hearts to us and sharing their testimony … We’re almost done with our first year of marriage, and in the first three months I saw God do a huge work in helping us hear each other’s hearts – Jim and Tish really helped us do that.”
Jim and Tish MacPherson, who have been married for 35 years, are one of three mentor couples who are stepping up as leaders of the premarital ministry. Todd and Kim Christner have faithfully coordinated the ministry for years, but are relocating to South Carolina, leaving the MacPhersons, Tom and Francie McCollum, and Larry and Jeanette McGowen at the helm. All three couples have served as premarital mentors for the last several years. “Bay Area was blessed the day that Todd and Kim Christner agreed to lead the premarital ministry over four years ago,” said Care Network Director Leanne Lane, who oversees the marriage ministry. She expressed her appreciation for their leadership, adding, “Their passion for helping new marriages start well was evident from the start, and they have been able to instill and encourage this same passion in all of the mentor couples they have trained and led. Todd and Kim really have helped better define the vision and scope of the ministry, and now pass it on to new leaders.”
Married for over 36 years, the McGowens have four adult children and five grandchildren, with another grandchild on the way. Jeanette tutors kindergarten for Unitas, a Christian homeschooling coop, where she loves teaching youngsters to read, and Larry, a retired Air Force officer, has spent the past decade working for OSHA.
Jeanette added, “We’re not counselors, but we come alongside couples and always leave them with, ‘We’re only a text, phone call, or knock on the door away if you need help.’”
“I still have relationships with people we mentored three, four years ago,” Jim added. “It’s been a joy and a blessing.”
todd & kim
After she’s said “Yes!” newly engaged couples who wish to get married through Bay Area will start their premarital counseling with Larry and Jeanette McGowen, who oversee the administrative components of the ministry. In addition to maintaining the website and materials and coordinating registration and communication with couples interested in counseling, they continue to serve as a mentor couple.
“We love the two-on-two ministry [of mentoring] where we’re on the frontlines of being able to pray with couples as they’re going through their marriage preparations and teaching them what God says about marriage from His word,” Larry said, highlighting his and Jeanette’s passion for working with engaged couples. “We’ve seen God answer prayers, we’ve seen God break through past hurts, and it’s just been beautiful to see that.”
“It’s an honor for us that two other people would invite us into their lives so intimately and trust us, and of course, in order to gain that trust, we are very transparent with our own lives,” she added. “There’s a lot of intimate sharing, but in doing so you build a real friendship.”
Like the McGowens, the MacPhersons have four adult children, as well as four grandchildren. Jim works in construction management, and Tish, a C.S. Lewis Fellow, is an accounting manager. Once the MacPhersons have met with an engaged couple, they determine with which of the mentor couples they should be paired. Jim noted the ministry is in need of more mentor couples, who are now recruited and trained primarily by Tom and Francie McCollum.
When Tom nudged Francie in church three years ago and pointed to the blurb about serving in the premarital ministry that was printed in the bulletin, her response was, “Really?” “Our argument that morning was perfect,” Tom recalled, laughing. “I just felt so inadequate – I had this idea in my head that we had to somehow be the perfect married couple, which meant you never had an argument,” Francie confessed. “But Tom said, ‘That’s the whole point – we struggle and we keep growing together, and we pray – we’re the perfect couple for a couple that’s starting out in marriage!’ It has been an amazing journey.” The McCollums, too, will continue to mentor couples, and are now responsible for recruiting and training additional mentor couples in order to make them feel adequately equipped to help prepare couples for marriage.
“
For me, our premarital [counseling] was one of if not my most favorite part of our engagement. - Alyson Halalilo
”
When a couple’s paperwork is complete, the McGowens direct them to Jim and Tish, who are now responsible for connecting soon-to-be newlyweds with mentors who will be the best fit for their premarital counseling.
The MacPhersons, who were not believers when they married three-and-a-half decades ago, emphasized they are able to mentor couples not because they’ve had a perfect marriage, but because God has helped them overcome obstacles along their journey. “We’re not perfect, and we didn’t have good models [for marriage]. We didn’t have a good start, and everybody said we’d never make it,” Tish explained. “We had the cards stacked against us, but by God’s grace we made it.”
Married for 18 years, Francie and Tom have two teenage children, and have fostered a midshipman for the last four years whom they consider an adopted son. Plagued by the entrepreneurial bug, he noted, Tom has started a couple of companies, the most prominent of which is focused on medical device research. Francie has devoted 25 years to working for a pharmaceutical company, and currently sells diabetes products. Together, their greatest focus lies in enjoying family dinners and get-togethers.
“The one thing we [consistently] see is when people are engaged, they are all 100 percent focused on wanting this marriage to be successful,” Tom observed. He stressed the value of the premarital ministry, highlighting, “This is the perfect time to work on really difficult things before you get married … It’s a whole lot easier to work on them before you’re married than after. God has a very specific plan for marriages, and unless someone’s helping you learn what that is, you’re kind of discovering it on your own. This is a great way to help people set themselves up for success in their marriage.” To learn more about what Bay Area’s premarital ministry has to offer, or to register for the program, go to www.bayareacc. org/premarital or email premarital.ministry@bayareacc.org.
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POLAND by Ashleigh Bicevskis
“In Acts 1:8 Jesus promises that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us to be His witnesses throughout the world. In Poland we saw His Spirit’s power in action constantly!” - Tom Hogan Tom and Janet Hogan are two extraordinary individuals, living life and serving Jesus in the city of Annapolis. Yet, they also have a deep passion and love for a small country in Eastern Europe: Poland. They have gone three times, and are once again joining the Bay Area team that will travel to Poland in July. Their relationship with Poland and its people started a little over three years ago. Tom and Janet set off for Poland, both going on their first mission trip. It was a place with a different history and culture than the ones they were used to, yet a place where they found people far more similar to themselves than they expected. It was in Poland that they were able to share their faith like never before, meet people with a true desire to figure out who Jesus is, and work with a team of unified believers from Bay Area - all while sharing the love and hope of the gospel. While in Poland, the Hogans, their BACC team, and a ministry called International Messengers led a Family English Camp. These English camps provide Polish individuals a week away with their families and the opportunity to develop their English skills. However, this is also where the gospel comes in. As a means of teaching English, the Bible is used, giving team members the ability to share the hope and truth of Jesus with Polish nonbelievers. It is a unique and amazing opportunity to read through portions of scripture, giving these Polish campers the chance to discover hope and Jesus, often for the first time. Tom and Janet shared that the schedule and nature of the camp provide many different opportunities to share Jesus and build relationships. Tom illustrated, “The campers get the opportunity to really study the gospel for themselves, and they get to see the evidence of God’s love demonstrated in the lives of the Polish and American teams.” A typical day at the English camp begins with breakfast enjoyed with the campers followed by English reading time, which gives campers a chance to read the Bible with someone on the BACC team. 22 GO&MAKE JUN E
“Many campers have never studied the Bible, or even owned a Bible, despite attending Catholic churches most of their lives,” Tom noted. Afternoons are filled with English grammar classes, coffee breaks, relationship building, and conversation time, which gives the Poles and Americans the chance to talk about what they’ve been reading and learning in the Bible. BACC team and camp members share dinner with one another and have the chance let loose and play games like Minute to Win it, watch Talent Shows, and participate in Scavenger Hunts during the evenings. Janet explained these activities function beyond having fun together; they help establish true bonds. “By the end of the week, everyone has worked together and drawn closer to each other, and sharing in Bible classes is much more relaxed and meaningful,” she highlighted. After the games have ended for the night, the groups come together to hear two testimonies, one from an American and another from a Pole. These times of hearing about the many ways the Lord brings people to Himself are Janet’s favorite part of the trip. She said, “It is the time of the day that I feel the Holy Spirit’s presence the most as He works on the hearts of those who are hearing the stories of heartache, redemption and God’s love.” “The long-term relationships you’re able to establish are one of the greatest benefits of the Poland STM,” Tom emphasized. “You spend an entire week pouring into people’s lives, and they are pouring into you, and you just come away completely blessed and in awe of how faithful God is.” He added, “God has made it absolutely clear to me that He can accomplish anything through anyone if we only trust Him. He has taken me so far beyond my comfort zone, and shown up in ways that I never could have imagined. The trips have given me a boldness to say yes to things that I would have previously turned down because I thought I wasn’t qualified. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t think I’m qualified, but I now fully trust that God equips the called.” Many Christians share these feelings when going on a mission trip, doubting God can use them in their frailty. But the Hogans’ story demonstrates just the opposite: God can use us to build His Kingdom regardless of how qualified we feel. Janet echoed, “If you feel the Lord is calling you on a mission’s trip, then He is preparing the way for you. Don’t be afraid, just trust in Him. You will see Him working in ways you have never seen Him working before. You will come back knowing that you are in His hands and He has a good work for you to do.” J UNE GO&MAKE 23
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LOCAL OUTREACH
Fellowship of Christian Athletes by Trevin Hoekzema
After committing my life to Christ at the end of
my junior year of high school, I realized I had just one year left to make up for lost time. My high school didn’t have any Christian groups that met there, so I decided to start one. I asked around, sent some emails, and before I knew it there was Mike McMahon in an FCA polo talking to me and 15 of my peers. The next time I saw Mike, he was standing in the middle of Bay Area’s lobby on a Sunday morning. Mike, the Central Maryland Director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, has been developing leaders to reach students in high schools and colleges through sports for over 17 years. Additionally, he and his family have been a part of Bay Area since 1991. Fellowship of Christian Athletes strives to “present to coaches and athletes, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.” They do so from the ground up, through student-initiated small groups, called huddles, that meet during the week. These huddles benefit greatly when coaches from the schools get involved. The huddle I initiated in high school eight years ago is still there, but only because of the few coaches who caught hold of it and have maintained the vision and mission. Huddles are often an entry point for what FCA calls character coaches. These character coaches are parents, former coaches, former players, or young adults who have a heart to see high school teams develop in character. They come alongside the head coaches of teams and provide much-needed personal support. Head coaches can have a tough time keeping track of all the players on a team; character coaches help them do that. In the process, the character coach typically has open opportunities a couple times a week to share about Biblically-based character traits that players should embody. What happens when school is out for summer? FCA transitions its energy into camps, which are “a time of inspiration and perspiration.” FCA camps are for both coaches and athletes of all ages. They provide a great opportunity
for Christian athletes to invite their friends to receive top-tier training in the sport of their choice and hear the gospel simultaneously. Huddles and camps are just the surface of what FCA does to share the message of Jesus with young athletes. The best way to understand the scope of their ministry is to actually get involved, and there are many opportunities to do so for athletes and volunteers alike. In addition to providing summertime fun for students of all ages, FCA’s summer camps offer the opportunity for college-age and youngadult athletes to help facilitate programming. Additionally, adults can help further the mission of sharing the message of Jesus through sports by providing scholarships for students who cannot afford to attend camps. High schoolers can get involved in a campus huddle at their school, or if there isn’t yet one, consider starting one. Huddles also provide an opportunity for current and former athletes and coaches to serve as leaders and character coaches in the area. There are also opportunities for parents to get involved with huddles and support local FCA staff. FCA is also hoping to hire an Anne Arundel County-specific staff person who possesses a maturing relationship with Jesus, athletic/ coaching experience, and a desire to impact the lives of coaches. Interested applicants can submit their resumes to centralmd@fca.org. When I saw Mike walking through the lobby at Bay Area, I was standing with my then-fiance, Clancy. I called out to Mike and his first words were, “Clancy! It’s so good to see you again!” It took him a minute to recognize me (facial hair had grown in since high school), but he knew Clancy well from the volleyball camps she attended and later helped coach. From FCA campus huddles to camps, my wife and I have nothing but admiration and respect for the ministry, and a heart to see FCA continue to flourish. For more information about all of the opportunities to both participate and serve with FCA, contact Mike at mmcmahon@fca.org or go to www.fca.org. J UNE GO&MAKE 25
CARE NETWORK
HAPPENINGS
BAPTISM Wo u l d y o u l i ke t o b e b a p t i z e d ?
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, Christ-centered ministry that assists those seeking help by serving as a bridge to hope and healing through a variety of resources. We offer appropriate referrals and resources such as 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 help or have questions, email Leanne at leanne.lane@bayareacc.org for more information.
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 PM 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 PM. 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 O NN E C T 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
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CELEBRATION PLACE This is a free, 52-week complimentary resource for children, ages 1-12, whose parents attend 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.
MARRIAGE MINISTRY For news about upcoming marriage events and enrichment opportunities visit bayaeacc.org/ marriageministry. 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 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, 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 child is incredibly challenging. If you are a parent that has a prodigal, you are not alone. To learn about how BACC can lend support and encouragement to you contact Leanne at leanne.lane@bayareacc.org 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 at leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or 443-837-3718.
CONNECTING MINISTRY
DISCOVER BAY AREA New to Bay Area? Welcome! Join us in the Bay Cafe at 12:45 PM 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: June 7, July 5, or August 2.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Karen & Emily Kivi partner with the Jones family every week as a special buddy for their preschool-aged son Sean. They assist him in all capacities so he can be engaged and participate in all the Sunday morning activities in his age-appropriate environment. Both of you ladies are a blessing to BACC and the Jones family. Thank you for your hearts to serve in this special way.
WAVE RIDERS Join the Wave Riders play group on June 8 for fun in the sun and ice cream at BACC. We encourage you to invite a friend. Our June 25 playdate will take place at Kinder Farm Park. Like us on facebook to stay up to date on all our happenings and activities: www.facebook.com/waveriderplaygroup. Save the date for the Dive 45 event on Friday, June 5 from 7-9 PM. The kids will compete in multiple challenges, working together as teams and individually throughout the church. It will be a night of obstacles and adventure! All fourth- and fifth-grade students are invited and encouraged to bring a friend. More info: aimee.coyle@bayareacc.org. PICK 3 SUMMER SERVE Looking for an opportunity to Serve Like Jesus this summer? Partner with us in the Deep Blue on Sunday mornings as we disciple our next generation. Visit the children’s welcome counter any Sunday or go to bayareacc.org/summerserve for opportunities. SUMMER JAM Don’t miss out on the action-packed week happening June 28July 2 from 6-8:30 PM. Kids will discover how following God’s word can lead them to the unexpected. If you haven’t already registered your child be sure to do so before registration closes on June 10. Once registration closes all families who inquire will be placed on a waitlist and accepted based on leader and space availability. Visit bayareacc.org/deepbluevents for info. RISING 6TH GRADERS Sunday, June 15, is the “move-up” day for students entering middle school in the fall. Bay Area Student Ministry is excited to welcome new faces and invite all rising sixth graders to their Fusion gathering at 9:30 AM. Parents are invited to “Surviving Middle School,” an event hosted by our Student Ministry Pastor Brent Squires at 11:15 AM upstairs in the Deep End. Here Brent will welcome students and parents to Student Ministry, introducing them to the community group leaders and BASM’s vision. We highly encourage parents to attend this informative session. J UNE GO&MAKE 27
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 at jen.marshall@bayareacc.org or visit the Children’s Welcome Desk on Sundays for more info. EVENTS TEAM Do you enjoy event planning? Weddings? We would love to talk to you about joining the event team. This will be a paid position per event. Please contact ann.house@bayareacc.org if interested.
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 to help participants develop not only theologically, but also in character and practical living 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:
FINANCIALS Operating Budget Financial Update April 30, 2015 New Fiscal Year Began September 1, 2014 Fiscal Year Giving Goal YTD Giving Goal YTD Received YTD Actual vs. Goal APRIL Giving Goal APRIL Received
$3,832,000 $2,610,136 $2,550,543 (59,593) 2.3% Behind $335,344 $307,189
Original Building Debt Status as of April 30, 2015 Balance Due Fiscal YTD Donations
$ 1,788,160 $ 36,942
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)
MAN UP Learning Community – 9:30 AM (Starts June 7) Connect with other guys, build relationships, and encourage one another in following Jesus in a world that wants you to Direct Debit: Go to www.beyond884.com/give to download sell out, call out, and cut out God in your life. the form. Mail completed form to the BACC Finance Department and we will debit your checking account SUMMER BREAK! College-age Learning Community directly each month. 9:30 AM (Starts June 7) Summer is here and so are distractions, temptations, and opportunities both good and not Personal Check: Write “Beyond884” on the memo line and so good. Join us as we learn about the most important biblical drop it in the offering basket on Sunday or mail the check to principles to live by while living the college life. BACC (884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, MD 21401). ASK ANYTHING: Musings of theology and life with Pastor Bank Check: Process through your bank’s Bill Pay service Ed Kelley – 11:15 AM (Starts June 7) online for a bank check to be sent to BACC. Be sure to note Join in the lively interaction, discussion, and musings on a “Beyond884” on the memo line. 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 pre-registration needed - come and go as you GATHERINGS please! THE OLD TESTAMENT PUZZLE – 11:15 AM (Starts July 5) 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.
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SATURDAY NIGHT SINGALONG Join us for Saturday Night Singalong on June 6 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 children to worship right alongside the adults in the main space. Our next Saturday Night Singalong is July 11. Contact Micah at micah.pringle@bayareacc.org.
MAN UP LEARNING COMMUNITY Connect with other guys, build relationships, and encourage one another in following Jesus in a world that wants you 2015 SHORT TERM MISSIONS to sell out, call out, and cut out God in your life. Sundays, Short term mission teams will travel to 7 different countries starting June 7 at 9:30 AM in The Docks at BACC. this summer. Have you been considering how you can be part Sign up online at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities. of Make The Trade? The February 28 registration deadline has passed but if you are still interested in Making the Trade, email casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org to see how you can get MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES involved.
GLOBAL MISSIONS
MALAYSIA • June 22 - July 6
POLAND • July 22 - Aug 3 • October 12-21
EL SALVADOR • May 30-June 7 • June 13-21 • July 4-12 • July 11-19 • July 18-26 • November 7-15
BRAZIL • July 10-18
INDIA • May 9-19 GHANA • June 4-14 • July 16-26
MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER INDONESIA Get a taste of what a Missional Community is through our • August 14-24 MC Taster event. Join us on June 14 after the 3rd gathering for a light lunch and some info from 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 with questions.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE ISRAEL TRIP Informational Meeting on Israel Trip Pastor Ed Kelley is leading a trip to Israel in March 2016. If you would like to learn more about this trip, join us for a Q&A at 9:30 AM on June 7 in The Loft above the Chapel. Info: ed.kelley@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. Email outreach@ bayareacc.org to start the conversation. There are many organizations in the Annapolis area that will be blessed by your involvement; we’d love to connect you with them.
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY MEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays from 6-7:30 AM in room 236 at BACC. Contact Dennis at dbradylaw@aol.com for more information.
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/teardown team. Contact chairs@bayareacc.org
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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 largegroup time may be your perfect fit. Contact Aimee at aimee.coyle@bayareacc.org 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: KidCare volunteer opportunity to watch the children of those attending the Single Moms Bible Study on June 6 and June 20 from 9:30 - 11 AM. Contact: janet.graves@bayareacc.org
PRAYER MINISTRY Did you know BACC has an entire ministry devoted to prayer? The BACC Prayer Ministry is made up of teams of individuals devoted to gathering in prayer for the church worship gatherings, the pastors, our missional efforts and missionaries, the ministries of the church, those who are sick or saddened by grief, and those who are wrestling with life’s struggles. The Prayer Ministry provides an opportunity for us to gather together and share our hearts with our Father who loves us. Let’s pray together. The prayer room is located on the second floor of BACC. ALSO! Every Sunday immediately following the gatherings, members of our prayer team will be up front and to the right of the stage if you would like someone with whom to pray. For more information about prayer or the teams, go to bayareacc.org/prayer or contact Pat at pat.linnell@bayareacc.org
THE WELL MORNING STUDIES “A MODERN GIRL’S GUIDE TO BIBLE STUDY” by Jen Hatmaker Learn user-friendly ways to get the most from our personal Bible study on Wednesdays, June 3 - July 8 from 9:30 - 11:30 AM at BACC. Cost: $15. No KidCare available for this study. Register at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth Contact: Laurie Gregory at thewell@bayareacc.org “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 PM at BACC. Bring your Bible and a notebook. Register at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth “ENGAGING TODAY’S PRODIGAL” by Carol Barnier Find hope in community with other moms and gain some practical thoughts from the author who was once a prodigal. Join us Wednesdays, June 3 - July 15 from 9:30 - 11:30 AM at BACC. Order your book online at www.amazon.com. Register online at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth. Contact leader Kim Mitchell at surface@gmail.com OTHER EVENTS WOMEN OF LEGACY (55+) This group of women meets to encourage each other in their walks with Jesus and to leave a lasting legacy for others. Join us for our next meeting on June 8 from 10:30 - 11:30 AM at BACC. We will discuss the chapter “Going and Not Knowing” from the book “Teach Us to Number Our Days.” On June 22 we will have a special lunch together. This will be our last gathering until September 14. Contact Cedulie Sanchez at luisandcedulie@gmail.com for more information. QUILTS FOR KIDS We use donated fabric to make quilts for kids in shelters and hospitals. Our next sewing workshop is Saturday, June 20 from 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM at BACC in room 235. Come learn how to sew or learn a new pattern. Janet Hogan will demonstrate how to make the “Plus Sign Quilt.” 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@gmail.com. SUMMER BOOK CLUB
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. 30 GO&MAKE JUN E
“MARK OF THE LION” Trilogy by Francine Rivers Join other women to discuss “A Voice in the Wind” on June 5, “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 PM. Please read the book before you come. Contact her at jodidoney@hotmail.com for directions.
STUDENT MINISTRY
LEADER SPOTLIGHT Tina Knight was born and raised in a small Wyoming town with a population of 150 people. She has a passion for running, which has led her to run in over 13 marathons/half marathons. Her time in the military led her to meet her husband in Afghanistan and allowed her daughter, Kloe, to be born in Schweinfurt, Germany. These passions and her love for Christ are translated every Wednesday night when she mentors some of our senior girls. She tries to live by the words in Proverbs 3:5-6, and it shows in her dedication and love for our students. David Hartley is a dedicated high school assistant who works hard to mentor and guide the middle school students. A native of Knoxville, TN, David was baptized in the Smokey Mountains at the age of six. He bleeds orange and white for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, enjoys listening to hard rock Christian bands, and learning new guitar riffs. We are grateful to have David on our team and for everything he does for our middle school students.
MIDDLE SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL This event is for all incoming 6th graders and their parents. You will learn about Bay Area Student Ministry (BASM), including gatherings, events, leadership opportunities, etc. BONUS: Meet our new Middle School Coordinator!! The event takes place on Sunday, June 14 at 11:15 AM in the Deep End on the second floor. Please RSVP by June 7 to brent.squires@ bayareacc.org.
High school students, join us every Wednesday from 6:30 - 8:30 PM for our mid-week gathering where students grow deeper in their walks with God through group-based discipleship. Each Amplify gathering features free food, games, and gender/grade-specific community groups led by trained and caring adult leaders. Students will experience true community and discipleship in the context of their peers, all in a fun environment. Contact brent.squires@bayareacc. org for more info.
BIG BEACH WEEKEND Join hundreds of area high school students for three nights and four action-packed days at one of the region’s finest high school retreats. Big Beach Weekend is produced by the Chesapeake Youth Network, and held at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference in Harvey Cedars, NJ. This retreat features excellent speakers, break-out seminars providing practical take-aways for students, fantastic worship, bay-view accommodations, an indoor pool, hot tub, the beach, Color War, dodgeball and volleyball tournaments, a coffeehouse, free-time options, surf lessons, paddleboarding, and more. Cost includes registration, transportation, lodging, meals, event T-shirt, and most activities. Register at the Student Ministry kiosk or online today! Limited space: Priority registration given to current BASM students whose families attend BACC. For more info, contact brent.squires@ bayareacc.org.
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