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IN THIS ISSUE
7 LETTER FROM THE LEAD: THE BIG THREE When was the last time you shared your faith in Jesus? Lead Pastor Greg St. Cyr unpacks three keys to evangelism to help us be better verbal witnesses for the greatest news anyone could ever hear.
26 MISSIONARIES TO EASTON Bay Area’s Eric and Nancy Feldmann answer the call to Serve Like Jesus on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
22 FROM HERE TO THE NATIONS Not signed up to go on a short term mission trip this year? No problem! There are many ways to participate in global missions from right here in Annapolis this summer.
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16 LEADERSHIP PROFILE: RACHEL PERRY Bay Area’s Connecting Director shares her story, from growing up in Pittsburgh to finding community and living missionally in Annapolis.
18 COVER STORY: SUMMER JAM Underwater explorers will enjoy five days of action-packed fun while learning about Jesus at this month’s deep-sea themed Summer Jam, Bay Area’s next-leveled version of Vacation Bible School.
We appreciate your comments and questions. Please email us at feedback@bayareacc.org and a staff member or elder will respond within 48 hours.
MAGAZINE CREDITS EDITOR Meredith Thompson ART DIRECTOR Josh Shirlen ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Arianne Teeple ASSISTANT EDITOR Jocelyn Sacks LEAD DESIGNER Josh Burgin GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jake Williams CONTRIBUTORS Andy Smith Chrissie Sugg Lia Dalpini Jennifer Ginn Michele Rollins Susan Marble PHOTOGRAPHERS Chrissie Sugg On the cover: Allison Coyle & Finn McGrath Photo by Josh Shirlen
Gathering Times: 8, 9:15, 11:15am
ELDERS David McPeak Don Wiley Greg St. Cyr J. Upton John Battan John Taylor Keith Riniker Peter Godfrey Rich Heath Roger Ishii Tim Dotson Tim Grossman Tom Dalpini Tom Hogan Warwick Fairfax
884 Chesterfield Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401
410.544.2222
BAY AREA LEADERSHIP Brent Squires, Student Ministry Pastor – brent.squires@bayareacc.org Brian Hopper, Missional Community Pastor – brian.hopper@bayareacc.org Casely Essamuah, Global Missions Pastor – casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org Craig Fadel, Easton Campus Pastor – craig.fadel@bayareacc.org Ed Kelley, Executive Pastor – ed.kelley@bayareacc.org Gail Wiles, Children’s Ministry Director – gail.wiles@bayareacc.org Greg St. Cyr, Lead Pastor – greg.stcyr@bayareacc.org Janet Graves, Women’s Ministry Director – janet.graves@bayareacc.org Jerry Shirlen, Financial Administrator – jerry.shirlen@bayareacc.org Jocelyn Sacks, Missional Community Coordinator – jocelyn.sacks@bayareacc.org Josh Shirlen, arts – josh.shirlen@bayareacc.org Leanne Lane, Care Network Director – leanne.lane@bayareacc.org Lynn Dutton, H.R. Administrator – lynn.dutton@bayareacc.org Meredith Thompson, Communications Director – meredith.thompson@bayareacc.org Pat Linnell, Teaching Pastor – pat.linnell@bayareacc.org Rachel Perry, Connecting Director – rachel.perry@bayareacc.org Ron Dutton, Operations Director – ron.dutton@bayareacc.org Tres Cozad, Technical Director – tres.cozad@bayareacc.org
For a comprehensive list of all BACC staff, elders and deacons, please visit bayareacc.org/leadership J UNE GO&MAK E 3
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Dear Bay Area family, When is the last time you shared your faith in Jesus? That’s a convicting question. Most of us lack the evangelistic boldness God wants us to have. We know the words of Jesus are clear when He says, “You shall be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8), “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15), and “Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations” (Luke 24:46). And yet we struggle with evangelism. Sometimes we get it right; often we fumble. Recently, I took the initiative to share with someone whose life was in dire straights that his brokenness is the result of rebellion against God (sin), and that Jesus came to restore him to the Father through His death and resurrection. In contrast, last month I had every opportunity to share the greatest news of all time with a man seated next to me on a plane, and yet chose to bury my nose in a book.
Paul commands us to be continually vigilant in prayer. Specifically, praying that God would open doors for the Gospel, and that Christ would be clearly communicated. As I pray for my lost friends and ask the Lord to open up doors to share, it’s amazing how God answers! Be trained in sharing the Gospel. But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 Here is where we’ve fallen short as a church: a lack of training in how to communicate the Gospel in a simple, personal and effective way. So ATTENTION: This is now a HUGE priority for us as a church! This month, we’ll embark on a three-week series designed to inspire and convict each of us to elevate our evangelistic prowess. And we’ll follow that with specific training opportunities June 12-21.
Be filled with the Spirit.
At Bay Area, we believe that every one is a missionary. One of the things that missionaries do is tell as many people as possible about the Good News of Jesus. You are surrounded by people who are lost without Him. According to the Association of Religious Data Archives, 62 percent of the population around us is not affiliated with any religion.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8
My prayer is that each of us who calls Bay Area home would grasp God’s heart. His heart is to use each one of us as verbal witnesses for the greatest news anyone could ever hear.
God’s Spirit fills us when we are fully surrendered to Him, have confessed our sin, and are willing to step out in faith and obey whatever Jesus tells us to do (Ephesians 5:18, Acts 4:31). The result is supernatural power; specifically, power to be Jesus’ witnesses. People who are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit have the courage to say the “J” word.
Can you imagine what the impact would be if all of us started taking the initiative to tell those around us about the love of God made manifest in the birth, death, resurrection and coming of the King of kings?
What are the keys to sharing our faith? Here are, in my opinion, the big three:
From here to the nations,
Be fervent in prayer. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison — that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Colossians 4:2-4
Greg St. Cyr Lead Pastor J UNE GO&MAK E 7
holy land WALK IN THE
FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS
11-DAY BIBLICAL TOUR OF ISRAEL Hosted by Pastor Ed Kelley APRIL 24 - MAY 4, 2017 | $4,200
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JUNE
BOOK: The Parables of Peanuts AUTHOR: Robert L. Short
May was a tough month for me. I actually feel what they used to call the “blues.” Can’t quite get out of it yet. Sometimes life deals us bad hands. Things occur that get us down, make us sad, give us the blues as many a song says. Sometimes, we’re really sad. In those times, one needs to take a pause and realize what is really important. During those pauses, good books are great additions to our lives that help reshape our focus. “The Parables of Peanuts” is one such book. The book was published in 1968 and is a contemporary look at a vigorous Christian faith illustrated by Charles
Schulz’s delightful Peanuts cartoon strips. This book sheds more light on the Christian faith and how it is to be lived than many other “serious” theological works, and believe me, I love the more serious, academic approaches a lot. But there is something about the truth of the Bible translated through the Peanuts lense. It makes me smile. As you may know, Charles Schulz was a loser in real life. He constantly failed in his life; in fact, all his drawings and strips sent to various places including his school’s creative department were rejected. Only through pure perseverance did he finally get the life story of the little boy who never did anything right into a comic strip — and the rest of history of course. Charlie Brown is world-famous and world-beloved. He and his semifaithful dog (note: not a cat!) go through life’s struggles learning lessons all along the way. Who was Charlie Brown really? The stories were the autobiography of
Charles Schulz. He wrote about his own life and adventures and troubles. The book and the book four years before, “The Gospel According to Peanuts,” are great reminders that everyone goes through trials in life, and the words of Jesus and by default the words of the Scripture are the only things that really help, guide and make a difference. Frankly, most self-help books are worthless; self-image improvement methods are temporary; self-success teachers are really quite insulting. Only the Bible and its application take on the blues and change one’s life deep down. See if you can find this book for your library — you won’t be sorry. It’ll make you laugh, cry and best of all, think. Yours truly, Ed Kelley Executive Pastor
Haven’t received an invitation to
As a gift to our church family, we're offering free access to RightNow Media, a huge, streaming, online, access-on-any-device library of over 10,000 video Bible studies, leadership videos, kids shows and more. To sum it up — it’s like the Netflix of Bible study videos. You will have FREE access to thousands of video resources to help you with parenting, marriage, discipleship and more. It includes content for all ages and stages of life, and all of your family members are invited to set up their own accounts as well.
RightNow Media? Submit your information to get started at bayareacc.org/rightnowmedia
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“...WE SAY ‘WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE,’ ‘WE STUDY THE BIBLE’ AND ‘WE LOVE THE BIBLE,’ YET WE DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT’S IN IT, LET ALONE APPLY ANYTHING TO OUR PERSONAL LIVES.”
Ed Kelley is the executive pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.
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The Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures. The Word. The Word of the Lord.
I’ve been reminded recently how important they are and how important it is to apply and obey the Word one reads. According to John Lennox, the preeminent Oxford mathematician and apologist, “Most of the Church at large gives lip service to ‘the Bread’ of life that God has given. I mean we say ‘we believe the Bible,’ ‘we study the Bible’ and ‘we love the Bible,’ yet we don’t really know what’s in it, let alone apply anything to our personal lives.” (He was in Annapolis recently and I saw him speak twice — really fascinating.) He means that we say we believe the Bible, but quite often the very first time that our personal life collides with a command that is costly in our life (normally about sin), we jettison our doctrine and wave away the Bible (and those who teach that particular truth) and its associated ethics while our minds get fuzzy on what is really true. We end up ignoring the applicable statements of the Bible, even hiding behind anger and false senses of fairness, or worse: eisegesis. We begin looking for words and phrases in the Bible to prove our personal experience point. Ew. That’s the worst. Eisegesis is where we have already come to a personal conclusion and we use the Bible (normally singularly) to prove our point. Exegesis is where we look at the whole and try to pull “out” the meaning of the author of the text as objectively as we can. Lennox’s true fear is that we’ve compromised our worldview. Instead of saying the Bible is our only authority for life and faith, we say, “Experience is more important, valuable and authoritative than doctrine” (doctrine being what you believe the Bible teaches we should think and do in life). Some of the experiential logic goes something like this: “Yeah, I know it’s wrong but God will forgive me, so it’s not a big deal,” or “God wants me happy and I just am not, so it’s okay that I ignore the Bible,” or “God knows my heart so those verses don’t really apply to my situation.” I’ve heard it all. There is no limit to people’s ability to rationalize away God’s Word and its application to their lives. I suppose we all do this in some small way from time to time, but it mainly appears in the big-ticket issues of our lives: forgiveness, what is or isn’t a sin, family relationships, etc. Let me play with the Socratic Method for a minute: I’ve had people tell me they “don’t care what that Bible says” when it comes to an unbiblical divorce because they flat out wanted one. They used buzz words to justify their decisions; they used the concept that they no longer were “in love with the person.” I’ve had people tell me they’ve changed their minds on homosexual marriage because of their kids, who later in life had come out as gay. I’ve had parents tell me they allow their kids to drink, have their boy’s girlfriend stay overnight, smoke pot etc. in their house — all because “they’re going to do it anyway and I want them to do it in a ‘safe way’ and in a ‘safe place.’” Oh my. Socrates would say, “What good is the Bible then? Where are the lines where it shows what one has to obey and what one can ignore? Why does a person, let’s say a psychologist,
have more ‘authority’ in your decisions than the plain-stated Scriptural command? What personal experience is ever then held to obedience by the text of the Sacred Word?” If our own desires trump what the Lord has said He desires, then who really is “God”? How do I avoid that kind of problematic thinking? Here are my suggestions: Study. First and foremost, and constantly. Not a “Daily Bread” inspirational reading (that’s fine but doesn’t do the same thing). Study topics to their nth. Get a concordance and a good study Bible, pick a few words of interest, and see what God has to say about them. Look each up, follow the cross-references. Read good commentators like MacArthur, Weirsbe, Carson, etc. Set boundaries. I am most concerned about the computer. It affects our thinking. We have access to smut, junk, idiocy and more, and I don’t know that it’s all that good for us or our thought processes. In fact, I don’t think it is safe to keep a laptop, notebook, iPad or smartphone in your possession without someone else having complete access and regular checks of the content, browsing history, text/facetime records, etc. The Internet is dangerous. Let me say this again — for kids, husbands and wives — having unfettered access to the the Internet is playing Russian Roulette and should be avoided at all costs. It can alter one’s worldview. Apply what you know. Folks, it’s not okay for a man and woman to live together unmarried. It’s not okay not to forgive others. It’s not okay to break holy covenants. The Bible doesn’t just put these issues in front of people for the fun of it. There are reasons why it’s important to find out God’s way and follow God’s way. The Bible instructs us to be kind to one another; It says to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to become angry. It says to be careful of Satan, be alert to his schemes. Apply what you already know. Then get on a quest — a quest to know the will of God in life. Bottom line: Study the Scripture, and before you make any decisions in life ask yourself (and perhaps someone older or at least wiser than you), what exactly does the Bible say about this? Obey God through the Scripture He wrote for us. The Scripture is useful for correcting, rebuking and teaching (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let it do its job in your life. You won’t regret it. If you don’t, you may have a lifetime full of regrets born from letting experience trump doctrine. If you’ve spent your life allowing your experience to define who you are, it’s never too late to make a clean break and allow the holy, sacred text of God to be your only authority for life from this point forward. Give that some thought and, par usual, if you have any questions you know how to find me and say, ”I’ve got a question.” We’ll discuss, dialogue, debate and learn together. You know what my favorite answer is to questions? “I don’t know.” Many times I don’t, but that’s what study is for, right? Talk to you soon.
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“THERE IS NO DOUBT IN THE BIBLE AND IN OUR LIVES THAT THE FAILURES OF OUR FATHERS HAVE A DEEP AND LASTING IMPACT.”
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THE POWER OF DAD by Pat Linnell n one sense, the Bible is a book about fathers. We are told the origin stories of the fathers of the human race, as well as the fathers of the faith, and even the founding fathers of the church. These stories don’t cover up, and in some cases even carefully point out, the failures of these fathers. And there is no doubt that many of the root sins and effects of those sins were passed down to the children, perpetuating a cycle of rebellion in some form or another. Such is the power of “Dad.” The first father on earth, Adam, sat passively by as his wife was tempted and ushered him into participation in humanity’s first act of rebellion. After this, all the children of Adam would follow in the pattern of rebellion against God. The Children of Cain (Adam’s son) would grow up with a Dad who committed the first murder on earth. The children of Ham (Noah’s son) would grow up to become the Canaanites, who were a cursed people, due in part to Ham’s incident of seeing his father naked. Many of the failures of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) are repeated down the family line. Moses was a great leader and spiritual father, but even he rebelled in a moment of frustration and was not allowed to enter the promised land. Later on, the sexual failures and coverup in King David’s life would come back to haunt him through his sons. David’s good friend Jonathan would be frustrated by his father’s hatred of David. And come on, the divided northern Kingdom of Israel was like one bad sequel after another of the biopic “And He walked in all the sins that his father did before him…” There is no doubt in the Bible and in our lives that the failures of our fathers have a deep and lasting impact. So much so that for many of us, we are carrying on those paternal patterns, or superimposed lives that have been laid on us. My bad if this has been a depressing article thus far, since there are many who have inherited a blessing, not a curse, from their fathers. Yet the majority of the world is reeling from the latter, from children who grew up without a voice or a secure identity because of a domineering father, to children who are trapped in a hamster wheel of performance-based love because they did not receive it from Dad. I personally know many adults who are living like children because they have been unable to comfortably forge their own identity, trapped in their father’s vision for their lives. Sadly, it is a vision that is suffocating, not life-giving. It is a life that only perpetuates the problem, since it is difficult for drowning parents to raise kids who can swim.
It is no wonder then that when Jesus reveals to us the full and final nature of God, and how we are to relate to this holy, omniscient, omnipresent Creator, He says, call Him “Dad.” In a sincere teaching moment, when His disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, He says to address God as “Father.” The beginning of this instruction is also important, as this Father resides in the spiritual realm known as heaven, and this father is Holy — His “name is hallowed.” In one short verse Jesus is explaining that God is not distant, but near, desiring a kind of relationship with us as a father has with his children. More than that, this Father is Holy, meaning that He is perfectly good, morally pure, always just, always right, always true. God then always operates out of His Holy character; He always does right. This means that our heavenly Father will always do what is right, and ultimately what is best. To the extent that we are able to understand and embrace the perfect love of a heavenly Father, we are able to unravel and even redeem the failures of our earthly ones. Embracing the love of God the Father begins by trusting in God the Son, and continues with the help of God the Holy Spirit. We become children of God, not by simply being born, but by being born spiritually by a surrendering faith in Jesus. At that point, we are able to be led on a daily basis by the Holy Spirit who reminds us of who our most important Father is. From this place, we are able to embrace these words of Paul: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Whether by his absence or his presence, we have all been deeply impacted by our earthly Dad; some are perpetuating a blessing to loved ones or children in our lives, while others are perpetuating a curse. We all have the ability, by the grace of God, to redefine the earthly script we were handed and exchange it for a heavenly one.
Pat Linnell is the teaching pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.
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D O N & S H A R O N W I L E Y By Susan Marble
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on and Sharon Wiley were missionaries in Ireland for five years before moving back to the Annapolis area, so it’s fitting that the Missional Community they help lead got started out of a St. Patrick’s Day outreach. The group has been together for a year and a half now, and gathers every other Saturday to share a meal. Everybody brings something and everybody pitches in. Before Bible study, they spend time catching up, getting to know one another better and laughing. Meals often follow a theme. They had a baseball-themed dinner last year during the playoffs featuring gourmet hotdogs and baseball garb. At Christmas, they caroled through the community. Several couples and a neighbor, Laura Merson, have been with them since the beginning. New couples have joined the group recently, too. What really sets them apart is the number of kids who come along. Around six teenagers and anywhere from 10 to 12 younger kids join the adults for dinner and fun. Later, when the adults get into their teaching, the teenagers help take care of the younger kids and do activities together.
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The Wileys noted their MC has enjoyed the “narrative” approach to studying the Bible. What they find interesting is hearing the different takes on a story from other people, even in stories that they think they know well! Different people focus on different viewpoints and details as important in the telling, and those highlighted details can sometimes make all the difference. The group is committed to sharing their lives with one another and helping and caring for one another as well – especially during times of hard changes. Recently, they lived out that commitment in a workday at the home of one of their group members – a young widow in the neighborhood who has struggled to keep up with her house, property and barn. Her husband passed away three years ago, leaving her overwhelmed with all the tasks that had to be done. Her Missional Community rallied ‘round and descended on the house on a Saturday in April. After breakfast (donuts!) and a planning session, they made dump runs, weeded and scraped wallpaper. They cleaned gutters, repaired fences and got the pool ready for summer. They spruced up the patio and readied a barbecue lunch to celebrate and enjoy the results of their efforts together! Adults, teenagers and
elementary school-aged children all worked together and had a blast. There may be a few upcoming pool parties in this MC’s future. The WIleys have been at Bay Area for over seven years now; they were introduced to the church through fellow missionary and seminary friends Rich and Judy Heath. They have four children – three are out of the house (in college or out already), and one is still home, in high school. Two students from China are staying with them for three years at a time while attending Annapolis Area Christian School, where Don is the Academic Dean. Don also serves as an elder at Bay Area. “[Our Missional Community] is a safe place where you can really be yourself,” Sharon emphasized of their group. “Sometimes you feel tired and you don’t know how well group is going to go, but by the end of the night you are so happy you went. ... It’s a great time to laugh, cry, pray together – while feeling welcomed and safe.” To learn more about Missional Communities at Bay Area, or to find out how to get plugged into one, go to bayareacc.org/missionalcommunities.
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LEAD E RSHIP PROFILE
RACHEL PERRY 16 GO&MAKE JUN E
Twenty years later, the memory is faded, but Rachel Perry recalls being on the swing set in her backyard when she accepted Jesus into her heart at 5 or 6 years old. She grew up in a Christian home in Pittsburgh (and admits to being a Steelers fan – remember to love her unconditionally) the youngest of three, with an older sister and brother. By Meredith Thompson Rachel was a good kid, absent a rebellious streak; after nine years in a Christian school environment, she found it easy to compare herself to others around her and think, “I’m doing pretty well” throughout her years in public high school. Content in her faith, she settled into a comfortable spot that didn’t require her to grow deeper in her relationship with Jesus. Her youth leaders at church quickly shook that up, asking her tough questions and challenging her through relationships and small group studies to pursue Christ wholeheartedly. Soon, she became a middle school leader herself, and continued serving in student ministry until just two years ago. Communications studies with a theatre minor was her track of choice at Grove City College – a school she dreamed of attending since she was a little girl. “I saw a musical there – ‘West Side Story,’ my favorite of all time – in fourth or fifth grade,” Rachel shared. “I remember seeing the big kids on stage and thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, these guys are celebrities!’” Rachel began participating in musical theatre when she was just 7 years old. She followed her parents to Naptown post-grad, and interned at a marketing agency before working as a communications associate for the Annapolis Yacht Club. Rachel and her family began attending Bay Area Community Church, which she credits as a huge part of her testimony, shortly after moving to Annapolis. “Something I learned within my first year is that [Bay Area] is obsessed with this word ‘missional.’ I hadn’t really heard it used that way before, and it was constant – ‘Missional Life Next Leveled,’ Missional Communities, all this stuff,” she said. Rachel noted the repetition caused her to look back on her life and identify the missional examples she had had growing up: her parents and grandparents. “With everyone he interacts with, it’s hard for my dad not to bring up Jesus or faith; my mom is the same with her neighbors and friends – she’s always finding ways to cultivate community that goes a little bit deeper. You cannot have a conversation with my grandmother without it getting back to Jesus,” she shared with a smile, explaining that Bay Area had given a name to what her family had emulated all along.
Today, Rachel serves on staff at Bay Area as the connecting director. She helps people who are new to the church understand what the church is about and how they can get connected in community. “We’re a really big church, but we want it to feel like home and like family. ‘Community’ is in our name, and we want people to find those smaller communities, whether that’s by serving, Missional Communities or another ministry they can get connected with,” she highlighted. Former Connecting Director Jocelyn Sacks, who now serves as Missional Communities Coordinator, noted that Rachel’s positive energy and approachable friendliness make her the perfect person for the connecting role. In addition to welcoming people, answering questions and helping people get plugged in, Rachel takes the lead on managing Bay Area’s website and database. Many of her nonworking hours are spent at church, too: She sings on the worship team regularly, is highly involved in a Missional Community, and led a short term mission trip to El Salvador last summer. When she does venture from 884 Chesterfield Road, Rachel enjoys going for walks and sitting by the water in Downtown Annapolis when the weather’s nice. With a heart for hospitality, she loves serving and cooking for her friends, too, whether for a birthday party or backyard bonfire. She loves boats and ducks – two things you can’t escape in Annapolis – but not geese, she noted of the more aggressive waterfowl. Rachel emphasized how in awe she is of the way God has orchestrated every detail of her life. From the community of friends she’s found at church, to the opportunity to use her gifts on stage and behind the scenes at Bay Area, she’s grateful for the path along which He’s directed her. “It’s so humbling to sit around the table with our pastors and leaders and do this thing we call local church,” Rachel said. “God just continues to amaze me. That’s why I might as well be anticipating huge, big, awesome things and ways He will continue to stretch and grow me. I want to be used until I’m dry, whatever way He wants to use me.”
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submerged “ Summer Jam is one of the biggest community outreaches we have each year. It’s a great opportunity for kids and parents alike to invite friends from their neighborhoods, schools, sports teams – anywhere – to come have a great time learning about Jesus.” - Gail Wiles
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by meredith thompson
our-hundred and fifteen wideeyed children cheered as 20 pounds of mud and eight buckets of worms were dumped over adults’ heads on stage before them. Group admission to the slimy spectacle totaled nearly $3,000, but they surrendered it eagerly – it was, after all, for a good cause. This scene from Summer Jam 2015, though unique, is not unusual for the fun-filled week kids at Bay Area enjoy every June. Last year, they received a challenge: Give generously to help kids in need at the El Guayabo Children’s Center in El Salvador. Girls against boys. Winning team gets to plaster their team representatives in copious amounts of sludgy mud and slithering worms. (No worms were harmed in the making of this fundraiser.)
be crowned the 2016 winners. Their spoils? Sending their designated leaders to the watery depths of a dunk tank. The evening will be rounded out with inflatables, an obstacle course and other exciting activities outdoors. Of course, kids and their families won’t be the only ones who have a blast at Summer Jam, an event around which many Bay Area families schedule their summer vacations. In 2015, over 200 members of the Bay Area family served as volunteers throughout the week, making Summer Jam the exceptionally
Summer Jam is Bay Area’s nextleveled version of Vacation Bible School. This year, kids ages 3 through fifth-grade are invited to embark on a deep seathemed adventure June 26-30.
Parents of elementary-age participants are invited to wrap up the weeklong underwater expedition with their kids during Family Jam on Thursday, June 30. The whole family will be able to worship together, enjoy skits, hear a message about Jesus, share dinner and dessert, and be there for the moment the kids will have been waiting for all week: the big reveal. The team that raised the most money for elementary school supplies and furnishings for kids in South Sudan this year will
Underwater adventurers who plan to attend Summer Jam are encouraged to invite their friends to be submerged in Bible-centered fun with them this June, discovering truth below the surface together. Registration for Summer Jam is $20 per child, and is available online or at the Children’s Welcome Counter at Bay Area on Sunday mornings. Summer Jam will run 6-8:15 p.m. for children ages 3, 4 and 5, and 6-8:30 p.m. for kids in kindergarten through fifthgrade. The deadline to register is Sunday, June 12. Numerous volunteer opportunities remain, too; those with a heart to serve kids and teach them about Jesus can sign up online. For more information, or to register, go to bayareacc.org/summerjam.
It was a close competition, but the girls claimed the victory.
Underwater explorers will enjoy five evenings of action-packed fun, including interactive worship, outdoor games, exciting activities, creative projects, snacks and more. Most importantly, they’ll have fun learning and applying Biblical lessons. All week, kids will be submerged in God’s word, learning that Jesus sees, knows and saves. They’ll leave Summer Jam understanding that Jesus sees people for who they are on the inside, everyone needs a Savior, and having a relationship with Jesus changes everything.
elementary-age attendees are part of the Bay Area family, many of them are members of the greater Annapolis area who don’t attend Bay Area, or perhaps, church at all. “Summer Jam is one of the biggest community outreaches we have each year,” explained Children’s Ministry Director Gail Wiles. “It’s a great opportunity for kids and parents alike to invite friends from their neighborhoods, schools, sports teams – anywhere – to come have a great time learning about Jesus.”
high-energy, high-quality event kids have come to look forward to each year. Ask any of them, and they’ll probably tell you they had just as much fun as the youngsters they served. Mike Abramo has served on the safety and security team during Summer Jam for several years, and is looking forward to volunteering again this year. “I love seeing the kids get excited to learn about Jesus and how to draw closer to Him,” he said, noting he enjoys being able to provide a safe environment for kids to have fun learning about their faith. While the majority of Summer Jam’s
If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for?
Pictured: Jake Wieduwilt
B A Y
A R E A
L AU N C H E S RESIDENCY P R O G R A M BY BRIAN HOPPER
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“I
’ve always felt called to be in full time vocational ministry, but just wasn’t sure how or even if it was going to happen,” Jake Wieduwilt recently shared.
At some point or another, we all have wrestled with the question - what should I be doing with my life? And for some ministry leaders, that question typically revolves around being in fulltime ministry. Whether being a pastor, church planter, or a missionary, most ministry leaders wonder if the Lord is calling them to serve Him full time. It’s a question I asked Lead Pastor Greg St. Cyr almost 20 years ago: “How does a guy like me get into a position like you?” At the time, I had a prominent career as a national sales director and a growing family here in Annapolis, while volunteering in ministry with young adults at our church. The Lord was doing enough in our ministry (and in me) for me to wonder – is it possible that the Lord would want me to do this full time? And if so, how would I do that? For those ministry leaders who have wrestled with this, figuring out how to enter full-time ministry can be a challenge. Some choose to pack up, move and go to seminary, or join a missionary agency to help them, while others look to the local church to train and prepare them. Though the first two options are common and continue to produce many good pastors and missionaries, there is one element they overlook – and this is why we are starting the Bay Area Residency. Seminary is necessary, but they often take people out of ministry to learn and then get reinserted back in the local church afterwards. Likewise with missions organizations, they often train people outside of the local church, not in conjunction with it. We believe the local church has a lot to offer in preparing men and women for full-time vocational
ministry, since that is primarily where seminary graduates and missions organizations send people – into the church. We desire to keep the local church central to the developmental process of equipping and sending vocational leaders – right here, active in ministry, in our church, under the leadership with whom many of our leaders are already working – in conjunction with a seminary and/or missions organization. This is the way Jesus did it. The best trainer and ministry training regiment was developed by Jesus in the context of everyday normal life. It was in this way that the disciples not only learned theology but also learned how to apply it to life’s challenges and questions. Likewise, the disciples’ character grew in the context of normal life, and their ministry skills of how to pastor people were not classroom theoretical, but personal and live. We believe Jesus is still doing this type of vocational training by His Spirit through local churches. And we want to join Him in that work. Hence, the Bay Area Residency. The Bay Area Residency is comprised of two one-year intensives with the objective of ordaining and/or commissioning its graduates. Year one focuses on core curriculum and ministry foundations, while year two emphasizes training in a specific ministry field. Residents who have not already attended seminary will attend local or online seminaries to earn a minimum of a certificate degree; though training will take place in-house, we know that seminaries are better equipped to teach and train theologically. Each resident will have a supervisor who oversees their development, serves as mentor, and helps track their progress. In the end, we hope to be regularly sending church planters, pastors and global missionaries.
So starting this September, we plan to invite four residents into our program. We are excited to announce that Jake Wieduwilt and Joseph Sharon will be two of our first residents. Jake and his wife Sarah have been part of Bay Area since 2013. Jake has had a prominent career in the Coast Guard and is retiring this summer after nine years of service. While here, Jake has volunteered as a leader in Student Ministry, been part of a thriving Missional Community, and served as Missions Intern for the past 10 months. You may recognize Sarah, too, who regularly sings on the worship team. They have a 3-year-old daughter, Parker. Jake has always felt called to ministry, but was unsure how he would get there. He sees the residency as the best way for him. Jake and Sarah are currently raising support for their residency. Joseph and his wife Esther are quite familiar with Bay Area. He and his family have been part of Bay Area for almost a decade. Joseph’s father is our global missions partner, Pastor Samuel, from India. Several years ago, Joseph served as a Student Ministry Intern. After serving here, he moved to Chicago where he married Esther. They have three children (with a fourth on the way). Joseph has his Master of Divinity from Moody Bible Institute and aspires to join his father in India as a pastor and missionary. He and his family will move here in the fall and start the residency after they complete their support raising. We are excited the Lord has brought these two men and their families to Bay Area to join our residency program. We would ask you to join us in praying for them while they raise monthly support. If you’d like to help them financially, visit bayareacc.org/ give. For more information about Bay Area’s residency program, email brian. hopper@bayareacc.org.
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FROM HERE... SUPPORTING OUR GLOBAL MISSIONARIES By Michele Rollins
B
aseball season is here, snow shovels have been replaced with lawnmowers, and children are squirming in their seats as the school year draws to a close. Summer is coming! So, where are you going this summer? Over one hundred of our family members here at Bay Area might answer El Salvador, Ghana or Poland, but did you know that you can travel internationally without leaving Maryland? There are many ways to be involved in God’s heart for His global church, and these roles are just as important as joining our short term mission teams! Consider how you might get involved:
PRAY
SEND
MOBILIZE
One significant way to lock arms with a team is to pray. Check out bayareacc. org/stm for a list of teams and leaders, and commit to praying for a team before, during and after their trip. You could also commit to praying for one of our global partners (learn more about each of them at bayareacc.org/globalmissionaries).
Traveling internationally requires resources, and sending missionaries involves giving sacrificially to meet those needs. Bay Area’s short term missionaries raise financial support to cover travel costs, in-country expenses and the resources they need to serve our global partners. Some of our teams also need supplies, especially those that interact with children. You can be a part of the sending part of global missions! Start here: bayareacc.org/stmgive.
Do you have previous missions experience or a passion for a cause or country? Use your skills and knowledge to mobilize others. Encourage others to join a short-term team, form a prayer group for a country or team, organize a fundraiser, share your story with others, or raise awareness of global issues. Your experience and passion could be just what someone else needs to step out and serve God globally.
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Pictured: Janie and Gideon Baugher share the gospel in El Salvador
LEARN
WELCOME
Why does God care about the nations? Who are the people who have gone before us to serve? What is going on in the global church today? My challenge to you: Talk with one of our returning short term missionaries to hear about what God is doing in the country where they served. If you’re interested in reading more, check out the lending library located in the Loft above the Chapel at Bay Area. You can borrow books selected by our pastors and key ministry leaders.
Do you have the gift of hospitality or a heart for service? One way to support our short term mission teams this year is to provide transportation to the airport as they depart, and to welcome them home at the airport when they return. For more information or to volunteer, email michele.rollins@bayareacc.org.
Our God is a sending God (John 20:21), and in response, we embrace the truth “Every One a Missionary.” Each of us is a sent one – sent to your neighbors as well as to the nations. Our prayer is that all of us – everyone who calls Bay Area “home” – would be involved in global missions this year, whether it’s through going, praying, sending, mobilizing, welcoming or learning. So, where are you going this summer? If you would like to let a team leader know that you’re praying for their team or learn more about their specific prayer requests, email michele.rollins@bayareacc.org.
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BY JENNIFER GINN
SERVE LIKE JESUS:
MISSIONARIES TO EASTON
Answering the long-distance call to Serve Like Jesus, Bay Area’s Eric and Nancy Feldmann stepped up and out late this past winter and early spring to serve in Easton as Bay Area’s first multi-site campus launched and began gathering on Sunday mornings. Hailing from Severna Park, the Feldmanns added quite a few miles and a scenic stretch across the Bay Bridge to their Sunday morning commute for a couple months.
“Initially, the Feldmanns served as greeters, welcoming those who were coming to check out the church, then they asked where else we needed help so we asked them about serving in Children’s Ministry,” explained Craig Fadel, who serves as campus pastor at Bay Area Easton. Jackpot! Nancy is a teacher and presently leads 2-year-olds at Woods
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Child Development Center. Her husband Eric has had a successful career as a business owner and launched several start-up companies. Though he toyed with retirement, he currently teaches the 3and 4-year-olds at Woods. Together, they both taught Sunday school for 10 years.
Now empty nesters, the couple raised their own children at a church in Severna Park and enjoyed many years of wonderful fellowship there. Eric was introduced to Bay Area while involved with a confirmation class. “We had to go to other churches to see how they worship,” he said. “We brought the group to Bay Area, and the kids really seemed to enjoy what they were doing.” Nancy had friends at Bay Area as well, and knew they loved it.“The teaching at Bay Area was what we needed. We knew it would
feed us,” Eric shared.The dynamic duo began attending Bay Area just this past summer, but their big hearts for service already have made a significant impact. “In January we heard about the new campus and the call for people to think about being missionaries to Easton,” Nancy said. “We were interested and wanted to learn more about what was happening across the bridge.” Eric chimed in, “We prayed about it and jumped up and said, ‘Why not? Let’s do it. We love our home church [in Annapolis] but being there was exciting. We got a real sense of how Craig and his wife Mary were stepping out in faith. It was palpable.” The Easton campus had a soft launch in February and its official opening on
Easter. According to Craig, initially 50 to 75 people attended the first couple of weeks, but Easter brought more than 200 worshipers. Since then they’ve been averaging nearly 150 attendees each week. Craig said that as the Easton campus has grown, so has the need for volunteers to lead Children’s Ministry, and having Nancy and Eric step in enabled Easton’s core team to attend Sunday gatherings. “They came from Annapolis and served for more than three months -- always early and eager to help out,” said Craig. “There is a wonderful sense of community in Easton, and we were glad to be a part of it,” Nancy highlighted. Also from the Annapolis area, Bernadette Kraft and her teenage daughter Meghan regularly made their way to Easton, too, serving alongside Eric and Nancy in
Children’s Ministry. “We are thankful to all those who served in any way,” said Craig. “These are my all-stars. They really dove in, coming across the bridge to help get us going.” Back in Annapolis, Eric and Nancy also serve as an integral part of the Marriage Ministry team, helping coordinate two Learning Communities, the Great Date Night and the annual Art of Marriage event. “Our [leadership] group makes those four events happen throughout the year,” said Nancy. “It’s very rewarding, and we all need to work on our marriages, so it’s also beneficial to stay involved.” “We are pretty passionate about the marriage ministry,” echoed Eric. “Having messed up once, I want to stay married. Everything you’ve heard about divorce being positive is wrong, and everything
that you’ve heard about it being awful is 10 times worse.” Looking forward, Eric and Nancy said they are considering the idea that their next significant “vacation” should be a mission trip. For the past few years, Nancy has studied Spanish at the community college. Eric is fluent in the language. “Having come to faith later in life, I think that so much of what I am hearing at Bay Area is to step out in faith,” Eric expressed. “When I look at my growth in faith, it inevitably occurred when someone asked me to do something that wasn’t really on my list: middle school ministry, Sunday school. Then I would teach a class and immediately get sucked in. Every time I have stepped out in faith, it has been an amazing experience. And it’s becoming more natural for us. We know God will meet us there.”
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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 ? For more information...
Are you in the midst of any of these struggles or challenges: the loss of a loved one, a serious illness, divorce, job loss, addiction, discouragement, spiritual crisis, loneliness, parenting difficulties or any other challenge? These types of experiences can happen at any time in our spiritual journey. Perhaps you even know of someone who is struggling and could use some help right now. God’s intention is that we engage with others and not walk alone through these circumstances. Jesus wants to see us through challenges instead of avoiding or going around them. God is in the business of restoring and renewing all things and we believe no person is beyond His redemption and grace. The Care Network is a free, confidential, Jesuscentered ministry that assists those seeking help by serving as a bridge to hope and healing through a variety of resources. After an assessment, we offer appropriate referrals within Bay Area and other outside resources such as a Care Coach, Missional Communities, financial assistance, Celebrate Recovery, Christian counselors, or an appropriate agency or program in the community. If you need help or have questions, email leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.
• K-5th: contact gail.wiles@bayareacc.org • 6-12th: contact brent.squires@bayareacc.org • Adults: contact deb.shipley@bayareacc.org CELEBRATE RECOVERY Celebrate Recovery (CR) is for anyone seeking a richer life through worshipping God and being in community with others. Don’t let your hurts, habits and hangups keep you isolated. Let CR be a place of healing, hope and community for you. We meet every Monday night, even on holidays, at 7 p.m. for worship, a lesson/testimony, open share groups and fellowship. We share a meal together every first and third Monday of the month from 6-7 p.m. The third Mondays are potluck dinners. The need for Celebration Place, the program for children at CR, has declined; until the need arises again, there will be no Celebration Place for children. Info: Tom at tmuth57@gmail.com or 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 how to be of assistance. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or 443837-3718
CONNECT WITH BAY AREA If you’re new or just have a question, we’d love to meet you and help you get plugged in. Look for a member of our connect team in a blue shirt in the lobby after each Sunday gathering or visit us online at bayareacc.org/new.
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VOCATION ASSISTANCE If you or someone you know is currently unemployed, in the early stages of determining their career path, or wanting to get a better understanding of how God has wired them for a career, perhaps meeting with a trained career coach would be helpful. Jacques Fox is equipped and called to help people better identify their vocational paths using a variety of tools and approaches (SIMA, DOMA and others). Info: leanne.lane@ bayareacc.org or neal.schaefer@bayareacc.org
MARRIAGE MINISTRY TEAM Do you and your spouse have a deep desire to see couples start and stay strong in their marriages? Have you been married 10+ years? Come join our growing Marriage Ministry team. This team seeks to encourage existing marriages through the development and scheduling of enrichment/educational opportunities throughout the year including Learning Communities, marriage workshops, special events and small group Bible studies. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or bayareacc.org/ marriageministry PREMARITAL MENTORING Are you newly engaged or thinking about getting engaged? Premarital Mentoring is just what you need. Strong marriages are the cornerstone of a healthy, Jesus-centered family. Bay Area’s Premarital 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 or not 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. Info: premarital.ministry@bayareacc.org TEMPORARY HOUSING Occasionally couples who are living together come to the Premarital Ministry. We believe strongly in the Marriage Ministry that the best way to honor God is to remain pure and physically separated until marriage. Do you have space in your home that could be used by either a man or a woman on a temporary basis in order to fulfill this desire? Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or 443-837-3718
LEARNING COMMUNITIES Learning Communities are intended to strengthen your Biblical knowledge, character and/or practical ministry skills. They are also an opportunity to get to know others at Bay Area on Sunday mornings in an environment of learning and interaction. Sign up at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities. ANGELS & DEMONS: SUNDAYS, JUNE 5-19 AT 9:15 A.M. There is a lot of interest lately in the spiritual realm of angels and demons from new TV shows and books. There are many different philosophies on these topics. Executive Pastor Ed Kelley will teach on these topics in The Docks.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
SUMMER JAM Registration is underway for this year’s Summer Jam, our version of Vacation Bible School, which will take place Sunday - Thursday, June 26 - 30. New this year! Family Jam will offer an opportunity for all parents to be a part of the fun on the last day. Visit bayareacc.org/summerjam for more information on volunteering or to register your children. DIVE 45 June’s Dive 45 will be all about games supersized games, that is! Your fourthand fifth-grade students won’t want to miss this event. Join us Friday, June 3 from 7-9 p.m. We will have a snack bar, so you are welcome to send your child in with a few extra dollars. RSVP at bayareacc.org/dive45. SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL Parents of incoming 6th graders are invited to our Surviving Middle School Workshop on June 12 during the 11:15 a.m. gathering in The Docks. Middle School Coordinator, Lydia MacBride, will share about our Middle School Ministry, the Fusion Gathering, and upcoming summer and yearly events. No RSVP needed. Info: lydia.macbride@bayareacc.org WAVE RIDERS Summer is approaching and we are looking forward to fun playdates we have scheduled for your little ones to enjoy the outdoors. All parents of preschoolers are invited to join them at Bay Area on June 8 at 10 a.m. for some fun in the sun and an ice cream social. Then join us again on June 25 at Kinder Farm Park for a picnic. For more information go to facebook.com/waveriderplaygroup or contact stacey.burkhardt@bayareacc.org.
CONNECTING MINISTRY
NEW DADS: WEDNESDAYS, MAY 4 - JUNE 22 FROM 7-9 P.M. In this eight-week Learning Community for new dads topics will include how to love your children well, what commitment looks like and more about achieving true success as a Christlike father. Join us in The Docks. DISCOVER BAY AREA - NEWCOMER LUNCH New to Bay Area? We’re glad you’re here. You may have questions about who we are or what we believe so join us on GATHERINGS June 5 at 12:45 p.m. in the Bay Cafe for Discover Bay Area. Enjoy a free lunch and hear from a few of our pastors and staff SATURDAY NIGHT SINGALONG Join us for a Saturday Night Singalong on Saturday, June 4 about our mission, values and how you can get plugged in. No from 6-8 p.m. for worship on the west lawn. You won’t want RSVP necessary, and kids are welcome. Hope to see you there. to miss this refreshing time of music, testimony, prayer and The following Discover Bay Area will be July 3. Info: rachel.perry@bayareacc.org resting in worship. Info: brendan.macbride@bayareacc.org J UNE GO&MAK E 31
MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP REGISTRATION OPEN If you are part of the Bay Area church family, consider becoming a Ministry Partner. Lock arms with us as we partner together to accomplish the mission of making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations. Start the process by joining us for the Ministry Partnership Orientation on Saturday, July 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hear teaching from Greg St. Cyr and other pastors. KidCare and lunch are provided with advance registration. Learn more and register online at bayareacc.org/ministrypartnership.
MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES
FINANCIALS Operating Budget Financial Update As of May 15, 2016 New Fiscal Year Began September 1, 2015 Fiscal Year Giving Goal
$4,417,654
YTD Received YTD Goal YTD Actual vs. Goal MAY To Date Received MAY To Date Giving Goal
$3,292,740 $3,273,835 $18,905 0.6% Ahead $246,052 $205,796
For weekly financial updates, go to bayareacc.org/ financials. Please indicate any designated gifts on the memo line of your check or use the drop-down box online to select your desired giving fund. Note: You will need to donate via check if the fund to which you wish to give is not listed online. All undesignated checks will go toward the general operating fund.
HOW CAN I CONTINUE TO SUPPORT BAY AREA’S BUILDING FUNDS? MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Are you new to Bay Area and/or looking to get connected in community? Join us for our Missional Community Taster on June 12 in The Warehouse at 12:45 p.m. Here we will introduce you to our version of mid-sized groups that will help you continually grow spiritually, relationally and missionally. Lunch and KidCare are provided. See you there! RSVP online at bayareacc.org/mctasterrsvp or email us at mc@bayareacc. org for more info.
LOCAL OUTREACH LOCAL OUTREACH SERVING OPPORTUNITIES Missional Communities often don’t know how to get involved with serving locally. We’re here to help. There are many organizations in the Annapolis area that will be blessed by your involvement; we’d love to connect you with them. Go to bayareacc.org/localoutreach and fill out the short involvement form there. SERVE THOSE IN NEED WITH HOPE Hope For All is a local Bay Area partner whose mission is to provide basic human necessities (i.e. furniture, housewares, clothing, etc.) to families and individuals without sufficient economic resources. They have several ways to get involved: serve at their garage sale, donate furniture or offer your time to help engage new guests. Learn more online at hopeforall. us. Info: outreach@bayareacc.org ROLLING KNOLLS PARENT CONNECTION Do your children attend Rolling Knolls Elementary School? Would you like to connect with like-minded parents? Email Shea at SheaRiniker@gmail.com. Shea is pulling together a group of parents at Rolling Knolls to see how we might be able to better engage and resource the school and parents. 32 GO&MAKE JUN E
Giving Methods eCheck: Go to bayareacc.org/give to give online through your checking account through a one-time or recurring donation on My Bay Area. Direct Debit: Go to bayareacc.com/give to download the form. Mail completed form to the Bay Area Finance Department and we will debit your checking account directly each month. Personal Check: Write “Building Fund” on the memo line and drop it in the offering basket on Sunday or mail the check to Bay Area (884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, MD 21401). Bank Check: Process through your bank’s Bill Pay service online for a bank check to be sent to Bay Area. Be sure to note “Building Fund” on the memo line.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES KIDCARE TEAM MEMBERS Our team is currently accepting new applicants. Specifically, we are searching for 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 various events throughout the year. If you are interested in joining our team, contact KidCare Coordinator Dax at dax. clinkscale@bayareacc.org or visit the Children’s Welcome on Sundays for more info.
GLOBAL MISSIONS To support any of Bay Area’s short term global mission trips, go online to bayareacc.org/stmgive. The application deadline is June 6, 2016, for the El Salvador IV, Southeast Asia II, Brazil and South Sudan fall trips.
EL SALVADOR • CHILDREN’S MINISTRY & HOME VISITS • June 25 - July 3 • July 23-31 | college & children’s ministry • November 12-20 (Fall Trip)
GHANA • HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY • June 30 - July 10 • August 4-14
SOUTHEAST ASIA • ENGLISH TEACHING & RELATIONSHIP BUILDING • May 16-28 • October 7-17 (Fall Trip)
missional efforts and missionaries, the ministries of the church, those who are sick or saddened, and those who are wrestling with life’s struggles. The Prayer Ministry provides an opportunity for us to gather and share our hearts with our Father who loves us. The prayer room is located on the second floor of Bay Area. Every Sunday immediately following the gatherings, members of our prayer team are up front and to the right of the stage if you would like someone with whom you can pray. Info: bayareacc.org/prayer or pat.linnell@ bayareacc.org
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AMBASSADOR TEAM: Serve as an ambassador by helping newcomers get connected. If you have a passion for people and Jesus, and have been attending Bay Area for at least six months, the ambassador role is for you. Info: rachel. perry@bayareacc.org AUDIO/VIDEO TEAM: We’re looking for a few more passionate, committed people to partner with our Sunday production team. Info: tres.cozad@bayareacc.org BAY CAFÉ & ESPRESSO BAR: Do you love coffee? Enjoy hospitality? Join our team in the Bay Cafe and/or espresso bar. Info: sherri.raimondo@bayareacc.org CHAIR MINISTRY: Serve on the chair set-up/tear-down team. Info: chairs@bayareacc.org
BRAZIL • MINISTRY TO CHURCH LEADERSHIP • Fall TBD (Fall Trip)
POLAND • FAMILY ENGLISH CAMP • July 20 - August 1
INDIA • August 10-20 | outreach to children and ministry to pastors and local believers
UGANDA • COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT • July 13-23
SOUTH SUDAN • MINISTRY TO CHILDREN AND CHURCH LEADERS • September TBD (Fall Trip)
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY WELCOME TEAM: Welcome new families on Sunday mornings as well as assist with check-in and escorting families to their children’s agespecific environments. Info: chyloe.cheetham@bayareacc.org ELEMENTARY COMMUNITY GROUP LEADERS: The Submarine Canyon is looking for committed high school and adult volunteers to lead a small group of children during the 11:15 a.m. gathering. Info: tammy. taschenberger@bayareacc.org COMMUNION TEAM: Opportunities to serve our church family include baking allergen-free communion bread once a month or assisting with preparation or cleanup during one of the three gatherings on communion Sunday. Info: sherri.raimondo@bayareacc.org PARKING MINISTRY: Serve by directing traffic and greeting people as they arrive at church. Info: parking@bayareacc.org SAFETY TEAM: Are you passionate about safety or have experience in security, law enforcement, EMS or First Responders and want to serve in this area? Info: Ed at safety@bayareacc.org USHERS: Be a part of creating a welcoming environment by serving during Sunday morning gatherings. Info: Michael at mtabramo1@comcast.net
PRAYER MINISTRY Did you know Bay Area has a ministry devoted to prayer? The Prayer Ministry comprises teams of individuals devoted to gathering in prayer for our worship gatherings, pastors,
HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND VISITATION: Interested in being part of a team reaching those hospitalized or homebound? Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org
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STUDENT MINISTRY
WOMEN’S MINISTRY
SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL Parents of incoming sixth-graders are invited to our Surviving Middle School workshop on June 12 during the 11:15 a.m. gathering in The Docks. Middle School Coordinator Lydia MacBride will share about our Middle School Ministry, the Fusion Gathering and upcoming summer and yearly events. No RSVP needed. Info: lydia.macbride@bayareacc.org
SUMMER CINEMA Over the summer months Summer Cinema will take the place of Club 678 for middle schoolers. Once a month on Fridays middle school students are welcome to join us for a movie, games and more. Students are encouraged to invite their friends and can bring money for snacks. The first Summer Cinema is Friday, June 17 at 6 p.m. featuring The Little Rascals. ELEVATE Elevate is a weekly summer hangout for middle school students on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting July 6. Colossians 3:2 tells us to set our minds on things above, and that’s exactly what we want to encourage students to do during the summer months. Elevate will combine fun games and activities with engaging Bible study and discussion. Students are asked to bring their lunch. Some weeks students may be asked to bring money for pizza. Dates: July 6, 13 and 20; August 10 and 17. Info: lydia.macbride@bayareacc.org
MEN’S
SUMMER MORNING STUDIES Road Trip by Jen Hatmaker What’s better than a road trip with a group of your best friends? In the journey of life the Bible is the ultimate guidebook. Come learn, grow, laugh and change together as we study topics including faith, identity, discipleship, contentment and more. Cost is $15. Study runs Wednesdays, June 1 – July 6 from 9:3011:30 a.m. Books are available at registration. Info: Laurie Gregory at thewell@bayareacc.org
The Power of a Woman’s Words by Sharon Jaynes Explore the power our words possess and learn how to positively impact others as we reflect God’s love to them. Cost BIG BEACH WEEKEND 2016 is $10. Study runs Wednesdays, June 8 - July 13 from 9:30-11:30 Don’t miss our third-annual a.m. Books (not workbook) available at registration. Big Beach Weekend high school Info: Bette at bettechristian@comcast.net retreat. This amazing extended weekend will take place Friday SUMMER EVENING STUDIES - Monday, August 5-8, 2016 at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference Friends on the Journey: on Long Beach Island, NJ. Sign Encouraging and Equipping Women to Disciple Others up at bayareacc.org/basmevents Sometimes we think we don’t know enough to disciple others, or at the BASM info kiosk. Info: but if you know Jesus, you start there. Join us to learn from lauren.gibeault@bayareacc.org experienced disciplers how to pass on the essentials for growing in Jesus. Cost is $15. Join us Tuesdays, June 7 - August 2 from 7-9 p.m. Books available at registration. BIBLE STUDIES Info: janet.graves@bayareacc.org
MEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays from 6-7:30 a.m. in room 236 at Bay Area. Info: Dennis at dbradylaw@aol.com MEN’S EVENING BIBLE STUDY Sundays from 6-7:30 p.m. in room 235 at Bay Area. This study is geared toward helping men draw closer to Jesus while discussing and discovering God’s answers for the challenges men face at home, work and in society. Info: bob.gregory@ bayareacc.org 34 GO&MAKE JUN E
THE WELL At Bay Area, we invite women to join us on a spiritual journey in community with others. Like the woman at the well in John 4, Jesus meets us where we are and invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. Sign up for the studies below at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth. There will be no KidCare for summer studies.
Four Loves by C.S. Lewis How do you love? We will use this book with other articles and passages from the Bible to learn to live a life marked by love. Join us on Tuesdays, June 7 - July 12 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Order your own book and bring it to class with your Bible. Info: meredith_battan@sil.org Practical Prayer God creates us in His image to reflect His glory. We cannot
reflect His glory, if we do not know Him intimately. We come to know God through His Word and prayer. In this short fourweek study, we will look at God’s Word (Luke 11:1-13) to learn about prayer. We will meet on Tuesdays, May 31 - June 21 from 7-9 p.m. Info: Kammi at fishclerk@comcast.net WOMEN OF LEGACY (55+) Join us as we encourage one another in Jesus and share about ways to practically care for others. On Monday, June 13 from 10:30 a.m. - noon we will meet for a potluck lunch and time of sharing together. Info: Cedulie at luisandcedulie@gmail.com QUILTS FOR KIDS We will meet on Saturday, June 18 from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. to sew quilts for kids in room 235. You don’t have to know how to sew to help. But if you do, bring your sewing machine and supplies. Be sure to bring your lunch and we will give you a quilting kit to sew. Info: Janet Hogan at annapolisQFK@ quiltsforkids.org.
EASTON CAMPUS HAPPENINGS MINISTRY PARTNER ORIENTATION Registration is now open for our upcoming Ministry Partnership Orientation. Ministry Partnership is Bay Area’s version of membership, and we would love for you to lock arms with us as we seek to make passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations. If you call Bay Area Easton your church home, you’ll want to investigate partnership. Our next orientation is Saturday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Info: craig.fadel@bayareacc.org
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