Go & Make Issue #29 (March 2016)

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IN THIS ISSUE

11 PAT’S EDITORIAL: THE TELEPHONE GAME 2,000 years after it was written, how can we be sure what the Bible says today is what its authors intended? Teaching Pastor Pat Linnell illustrates how we can be confident that what was written about Jesus has come from the mind of God, not the will of men.

14 BEYOND884: A FINAL CELEBRATION As Bay Area wraps up Beyond884: Room For People, Lead Pastor Greg St. Cyr shares about all that God has done over the past two years.

18 COVER STORY: SHAKEN Teaching Pastor Pat Linnell unpacks this Easter’s theme, “Shaken,” and explains that through Jesus we have access to an unshakable Kingdom.

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

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

884 Chesterfield Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401

410.544.2222

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 Grace Farmer Jennifer Ginn Trevin Hoekzema Sam Logan Michele Rollins

On the cover: Sarah Wieduwilt Photo by Arianne Teeple

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ELDERS Brian Mallare 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

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 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 Micah Pringle, Worship Leader – micah.pringle@bayareacc.org Pat Linnell, Teaching Pastor – pat.linnell@bayareacc.org Rachel Perry, Connecting Coordinator – 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

16 LEADERSHIP PROFILE: BRENDAN MACBRIDE Bay Area’s assistant worship leader shares his story of coming to faith and his passion for leading his church family in responding to God through worship.

20 FROM HERE TO THE NATIONS: INDIA Right after his return from India, Scott Kilpatrick details what God is doing through one of Bay Area’s global ministry partners and shares his heart for the world’s second-most populous nation.

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LETTER FROM THE LEAD

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s I write, I’m just off a 10-day trip to India. Pastor Samuel, leader of the International Cultural Bible Ministries that we helped start, sends his warm greetings.

Bay Area member Scott Kilpatrick and I traveled to teach at the ICBM mega-conference, a gathering of 200 ICBM pastors and church leaders to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the ministry. In 10 short years God has used ICBM to raise up 72 pastors who have planted 247 churches with over 13,000 people in seven regions of India! While in India, I was able to see the progress on the ICBM headquarters that our church generously funded as part of Beyond884. It should be completed in about six months.

Following the conference, we traveled to Bandipur, a remote tribal village, in order to dedicate a church building also funded through Beyond884. Our plan was to take a 2 p.m. flight, then drive five hours to Bandipur. But the flight was canceled and we found ourselves on the 10:20 p.m. flight, finally arriving in Bandipur at 4:30 a.m.! It was during this five-hour car ride that something very unusual happened.

Though surrounded by others in the car, I found myself very much in God’s presence as He flooded my mind. I’d like to share three of the things He impressed on me:

Great Faith I sensed the Lord saying, “Trust Me for more. I’ve blessed Bay Area to be a blessing, and if we will become a people of great faith, I’ll reveal more of My glory through Bay Area.” Great faith is risky faith. It’s a faith that has confident conviction that God will do what He says. Great faith takes hold of God and His Word and perseveres in spite of circumstances. Great faith moves mountains and sees God do the miraculous.

Great faith is full of expectancy, pleases God and brings His rewards. God wants to stretch our church family to become a people of greater faith!

everywhere are lost without Christ. We, Bay Area Community Church, must see ourselves as missionaries who are on mission with Jesus to make disciples from here to the nations.

The Lord was speaking to me about the need for us all to be better equipped at sharing the Good News of Jesus. Look for us to address this in the months to come.

Kingdom Generosity As we continue to grow into a generous family, God showers His blessings on us. To date, in India alone, we are supporting all 72 ICBM pastors, have helped build 14 church buildings and two children’s homes, and are currently constructing the ICBM headquarters. The result of this kingdom generosity: God continues to bless our church with increased giving.

God showers His blessing on those who generously give to fund His kingdom work. The Lord is calling all of us to get our personal finances more in order so we can be more and more generous to the needs of the greater Annapolis area and around the world.

Great faith, elevate lostness and kingdom generosity – areas in which the Lord is growing and stretching us.

Just before writing this, I was reading the “upper room discourse” (John 13-17), and I was struck by the repeated words of Jesus: “whatever you ask,” “if you ask anything,” “ask whatever you wish” and “I will do it.” The only condition is that we ask the Father in the name of Jesus. Increased faith, generosity and a burden for the lost are all things God wants to develop in us as a church. I’m asking and believing for Jesus to do these things in each of us. Join me in asking “in Jesus’ name” for us to become a people of great faith, who have a burden for the lost and embody kingdom generosity.

Elevate Lostness In India I was once again reminded that only 2.5 percent of the population claims to be Christ-followers. That means over 1.2 billion people in India don’t know Jesus. In Anne Arundel County, eight out of 10 people have not experienced the love and forgiveness of a relationship with Jesus. People 4 GO&MAKE M A R C H

Greg St. Cyr Lead Pastor

Through Beyond884, the Bay Area church family funded construction of a new church in Bandipur, India.

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LESSONS

FROM DOGS

By Ed Kelley

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f you’ve attended any of my classes, or have read this column for any amount of time, you know I am a literature nut, a history and movie buff, a Bridge fanatic (the card game), and have a penchant for philosophy, debate, apologetics, theology and dogs.

It’s the latter topic I want to address this month. I have a bold proposal: I propose that people should be more like dogs. Why can’t we be more like Labrador Retrievers? Seriously. Let me ramble a bit, and try to follow the logic. Perhaps you have even more reasons why we should look to our four-legged friends. Consider:

Dogs are loyal. Wouldn’t it be great if

all of our human relationships were marked by loyalty? That is, a strong sense of support and allegiance. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been dumb and ignored them; they’re there right next to you. It’s almost like they understand our foibles and stupidity but love us anyway. What a great trait.

Dogs are happy to see you… always.

When you walk in the door at the end of the day, they greet you. Smiling.

Wagging. Jumping. No matter what kind of day they’ve had or if you yelled at them the night before, when you walk in, they tell you they want to be with you. Unconditional love.

Dogs play with you. Fetch, wrestling,

jumping – they like doing stuff with you, and you don’t normally have to call them twice. They’re always ready to play. Their priority is you. Wouldn’t it be great if I viewed my relationships like that: When someone needs me, I’m there! I know we can’t be everywhere, but the priorities of our family and good friends need to be solid.

Dogs wag a lot – they show their love.

Most of the time they’re happy just being in the same room as you. They lay at your feet or on their doggie pillow or somewhere in proximity,

and if you move, they move. You get up, they wag. It’s a great feeling to know your dog loves you, not because of what you’ve done – but because you’re just you. This happens 20-30 times a day at my house.

Dogs protect the domicile. They

are fearless. We have my daughter Sarah’s dog living with us, a six-pound Maltipoo, and that thing thinks it’s a Doberman. A 300-pound UPS delivery guy comes to the door and Axle, that’s his name, thinks he can take him.

He jumps all around, barking and growling like he’s going to chew that guy’s ankles clean off! Gotta love a dog’s bravery. I wish I was fearless like that.

Dogs are simple. Feed me, give

me water, pat my head and I am happy. Why do people have to be so complicated? People get offended so easily these days. I look at our world and I long for a simpler time. I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent in meetings talking about words and sentences in order to get them just right; otherwise they may come across so, well, offensive to someone. It’s very hard to let your guard down anymore.

Dogs don’t care about that stuff; they just have love, peace and joy all the time seemingly. That’s something Greg St. Cyr has taught me: to operate in love, peace and joy in all arenas of life. The problem is I forget. I forget about the simple pleasures of life. I get so anxious and burdened over the 101 decisions I make every day that I lose the simple joy of life sometimes.

Do you?

Here’s a verse for you: Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Take note: God’s got it. I affect very little. This verse says God acts on behalf of those who wait… Sheesh.

Is there anything harder? Waiting.

That’s a cuss word in my world. I make a ton of decisions a day, have dozens of conversations, and I press people into the “now” not “later” most of the time.

Ugh. Why can’t I be simple, confident and waiting on God? Bottom Line: I want to be more like a Lab…

LOYAL. HAPPY. PLAYFUL. DEMONSTRATIVE. FEARLESS. SIMPLE. Here’s to the dog. A creature that lives life like I’d sometimes like to. Let’s help each other care about important things like the Kingdom, serving and giving, and sharing and caring for people; but the rest of it, let’s be more like my old black lab Molly. Simple.

She used to wait very patiently for me.

Perhaps I need to wait patiently for the Lord to show me clarity in many things in my life.

Let’s enjoy the now. Let’s not complicate life too much. Here’s to the dogs that help me see simple things.

Taking lessons from creatures on earth!

the

greatest

- Ed Kelley P.S. You can’t learn anything from a cat!

Ed Kelley is the executive pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.

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By Micah Pringle

Micah Pringle is the worship leader at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE. 8 GO&MAKE M A R C H

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f you read my pontification in last month’s GO&MAKE, then you already know that we’re about to discuss control. If you didn’t read last month’s article, go check that out before reading any further!

Cruise control. Ground control. Frizz-control hair spray.

“Control” is a word that gets used in so many different contexts, from space travel to making your hair look “on fleek.” (That’s a phrase that all the kids these days are using in place of “nice.”) But no matter the context, the implication is that control prevents things from going outside of what we’ve planned, what we’re comfortable with, and it mitigates risk. Living on the edge of arguably the most powerful city in the world, you could even say that control is a topic that we’re all well aware of in a political sense.

Control is a tricky thing when it comes to how we approach worship. That’s because to worship is to release control. Let me say that again: to worship is to release control. Which also means if you are striving to maintain control, you are not worshipping. If you’re pushing back or questioning the dogmatism in that statement, good. Let’s press in, and look at three reasons I believe this statement to be accurate.

1. There’s not one place in the Bible where someone is given the option to maintain complete control while still following God.

Not a single one. Folks leave the comfort of their home and countries, step out of boats onto rough seas, and even Jesus says “not my will but Yours” moments before going to the cross. If you’re like me, you might agree with the first two examples, but contest that Jesus still had control because He’s God, after all, and He allowed the crucifixion to happen. But that really only reinforces the issue we’re discussing. We’ll get back to this in a moment, but let’s move to our second reason.

2. To trust is to risk, and risk inherently implies there are things beyond our control.

Remember, control is intended to help mitigate risk and make sure things stay comfy. When we enter into any kind of meaningful relationship, we begin to establish trust. The more we trust, the more vulnerable we allow ourselves to become. And being vulnerable means we’re open to injury.

Jesus, along with every other Biblical example of someone following God, chose the path that allowed for vulnerability and risk. That’s because they trusted that our loving Father is trustworthy, and our vulnerability is safe with Him. We’ll come back to this again after addressing our third reason.

3. To maintain control is to feed pride and act in disobedience.

When we cling to control, we are often unknowingly acting in pride and disobedience. We’re saying, “God, I think I can handle this better than you can” (pride). Or perhaps we’re saying, “God, I know this is the step you want me to take, but I’d have to let go of _____ and I can’t do that right now” (disobedience). James 4:6 is clear in saying that God resists the proud. Titus 1:16 shows a people that professed to know God but didn’t obey Him in action. How can we say we are worshipping God if we are not obeying Him, and if He is resisting us because of our own pride?

When Jesus took on flesh, He was fully God and fully man.

He walked where we walk, experienced every emotion we experience, and modeled how we are to live our lives. As we discussed a moment ago, in His moment of greatest apparent struggle, moments before going to the cross and bearing our punishment, He acknowledges that His own will would be another way… and then declares, “Not my will but Yours be done.” He acknowledges that the way the Father’s glory will best be displayed is by surrendering control. When we gather to worship, our desire is that the Father’s glory would be revealed. This can only happen through the same surrender that we see from our Savior.

We sing songs like “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,” but our words are not worship if our placing of trust and releasing of control are not really happening. We beg to see and experience more of Jesus, but He resists us because we fail to act obediently. Whew. Did I mention that this control stuff is a tricky thing?

So what does it look like? What does releasing control practically mean? It means recognizing we are not the exception. If no other Biblical figure, including Jesus Himself, held to control, then we cannot excuse even the smallest prompting of the Holy Spirit to “let go” in whatever that area is that pops into your heart and mind.

It means honestly trusting God, and testing that trust through obedience to Him. The more we individually and collectively release control to Jesus, the greater the opportunity for Him to invade our lives and our church in miraculous ways.

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By Pat Linnell

H aving four young kids, dinners at

the Linnell house are, well, interesting.

Think “Sesame Street” meets “Fast and Furious.” Most dinners involve encouraging the children to eat, giving thanks in prayer, remembering manners, staying seated, a tabletalk time called “high, low” where we all share the day’s best and worst moments, guessing games to extend table talk, and the occasional dance party to end dinner. One of the games that we have played over the years to extend those all-together moments is the telephone game.

Most of us know about the telephone game. The first person whispers a phrase to the person next to them, they transmit that message to the person next to them, and so on. The more people in the chain, the more likely the message will start to change with each passing. This usually results in a funny distortion of the original message brought on by human error, or someone highjacking the message all together (usually me – classic).

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible among many believers and non-believers is that the telephone game happened in the transmission of the Bible over the millennia – resulting in additions, subtractions, changes, reconfigurations, revisions and the like. This understanding leads us to the question: Is what we have now what the Biblical authors wrote then?

Let me point out that this is indeed a misconception about the transmission of the Bible. In fact, with each passing day, I believe we are getting closer and closer to the exact words penned by the Holy Spirit-inspired authors of the Bible. For the sake of time, I will briefly

introduce this idea from the New Testament standpoint.

First, can’t we just look at the original papyrus scrolls that guys like Paul, John and Peter wrote on and compare them to the Bibles we are reading today? No. The originals, like almost all other ancient pieces of paper, have turned into dust. So from where do we get our biblical information? From manuscript copies of the originals.

Early on after the circulation of the letters and gospels, they started to get copied, and those copies were copied.

What we can literally put our hands on today are thousands and thousands of Greek (the original language of the New Testament) manuscripts. Most of these manuscripts are dated incredibly early, and very close to the time of when the originals were written.

The amount of manuscript documentation for the Greek New Testament is a unique phenomenon in all of human history. Nothing has been so preserved, and in such vast quantities, like those texts – and scholars and archeologists keep finding more and more. To date, we have close to 6,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that are dated within 100 years of the originals, and over 24,000 if you count copies in Latin, Syriac and other languages. The closest in number to these in all of the world are manuscripts of Homer’s “Iliad,” of which there are 643 manuscripts that span some 500 years after the original was penned.

In addition, whenever someone translates the Bible into a modern language (like the one you read), they always do so from the Greek manuscripts, not other translations,

and since those manuscripts keep getting piled on, we are actually able to gain, not diminish, in the accuracy of piecing together those very first stories, accounts and teachings of the apostles.

Today more than ever we can say with confidence that what we have now is very close to what they wrote then – especially when you take into consideration that most of the variations in the texts are not doctrinal, but grammatical in nature. In other words, we can scientifically disprove that the telephone game warped the message of the Bible, or the Bible was changed or tinkered with over the past 2,000 years. So the next time you sit down to family dinner, share your highs and lows, have a dance party, and even talk about Jesus – you can be confident that what was written about Jesus has come from the mind of God, not the will of men.

I encourage you to spend more indepth time learning about reason and science behind this topic. Check out these two lectures by Daniel Wallace, PH.D., a leading scholar in the field of Greek manuscript evidence, titled “Is What We Have Now What They Wrote Then?” parts one and two on YouTube.

Pat Linnell is the teaching pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE. M A RC H GO&MAKE 11

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MISSIONAL COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: J. AND HOLLY UPTON

By Jennifer Ginn

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usband and wife, parents to three boys and Missional Community leaders, J. and Holly Upton’s story together began when they met during their first week of college at Frostburg University in the fall of 1991. J. – short for Joseph – grew up in Millersville, Holly in Harford County. The two started dating and that summer, after hearing about a great new church, headed to Annapolis High School (where Bay Area previously met) and attended a gathering. Both J. and Holly had been raised in church, but they fell in love with the authenticity of a Scripture-based gathering.

The couple married in 1996 and joined one of Bay Area’s original Missional Communities (then called home groups).

“We were hungry for the Word and eager to be with other believers,” J. recounted.

Marshall and Kelly Drake served as their first group leaders. “Marshall got his guitar out, we opened our Bibles, but we didn’t say two words the whole time,” recalled Holly. They talked a lot about the gospels, so at the end of an evening Holly inquired, “What are the gospels?”

“I think Marshall and Kelly looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve got a live one here,’” Holly laughed. “They ushered us back in. We never felt uncomfortable or judged and it became a weekly thing.

Everyone else would leave and we would stay late into the night. Kelly and Marshall were vessels. They were living their faith and sharing it and we knew we wanted more of that.”

When their initial group expanded, or “burst,” as J. and Holly prefer to say, they moved on to another group led by Tom and Debbie Gorman. And then the baton was passed on to J., literally. “In my office

there is an actual runner’s baton that was given to me by Tom Gorman and Mark McGeever,” explained J. Along with the baton, the two referenced 2 Timothy 2:2, which reads, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Every Thursday night for the past four years, J. and Holly have opened their hearts and their home to their MC. Comprised of about 25 members, J. and Holly’s group includes grandparents, singles, empty nesters, newly marrieds, military and new parents. “Our group is so dynamic,” described Holly. “They are searching hard and asking good questions, which is exciting for us.”

Fellow MC member Becky Bierc and her husband Gary had been part of an MC previously but took a hiatus before joining up with J. and Holly in 2012.

“To find a group and have this close friendship again has been fulfilling.

There is so much prayer support, and I feel like I can be honest about what’s going on,” said Becky.

“The fellowship is compelling,” said Jamie Nussle, who joined the community in the fall of 2014. “We pray for each other and remind each other to look to God and Jesus through the good times, the bad times and everywhere in between.”

In addition to fellowship and prayer, the Uptons’ MC is focused on the narrative stories now. They select one person from the group to read the Biblical narrative prior to their gathering and summarize it for the group in their own words. The group then reads the narrative passage together, answers topical questions and

considers application in their own lives.

“We’ve had very vibrant discussions hitting subjects that are challenging,” said J. “But this makes us read more and dig deeper in Scripture and in our hearts.”

“And it is always something I have been needing to hear,” reflected Holly. “That’s why it is called the living Word. It’s God putting his fingerprint all over us.”

Loving each other through blessings and hardships, celebrations and trials, the group supports each other with baby showers, birthday parties, meals and prayer in times of need.

Recently, one of their members who serves in the Army was deployed to Honduras. J. said that thanks to technology they are able to keep in contact and pray with her. The group also gathered over 60 pounds of necessities and sent them over as a sign of support for her and her troops.

Once a month, they also gather to pack lunches for the Light House Shelter.

During Winter Relief, the guys from the group give the security team a muchneeded evening off and pull an allnighter together at the church.

Many of the group members are being missional in their communities, stepping out and forming relationships with coworkers or friends who need Jesus in their lives. “They are investing in people, getting to know them and opening up,” said J. Batons passing and arms generously stretching out to receiving hands.

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For over two years, the Lord has had us on a journey we’ve called Beyond884.

It’s been a faith-stretching adventure to make room for people at our Annapolis campus, 884 Chesterfield Road, and resource God’s work from here to the nations.

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a final

CELEBRATION

In early 2013, with the auditorium and Children’s Ministry space at capacity, the elders sought the Lord. We sensed Him leading us to not only make room for people at 884 Chesterfield Road by building a chapel and additional children’s rooms, but also give generously to the Annapolis Pregnancy Clinic, our D.C. church plant (Redeemer City Church) and our global missions partners in India and South Sudan, as well as pay down our existing building debt. We set a faith-stretching goal of raising $7.1 million over two years, asking God to raise up 884 families to participate.

As we wrap up Beyond884, I’m writing to share with you what God has done.

From the onset of Beyond884, we have prayed that God would:

Use each of us to change lives Move 884 households to participate Help the entire family become more generous Advance His kingdom locally, regionally and globally Draw people to fill the room we make for Him. The Lord has answered each of these requests.

Today, hundreds worship in our new chapel and our Children’s Ministry has been able to expand from 310 children to over 500 children!

Seven hundred households participated in Beyond884. Though less than the faith goal of 884, this is very strong participation by our church family. These 700 households pledged a total of $4,387,418 along with a donated property valued at $500,000. This makes a total amount committed of $4,887,418. The donated property has yet to sell, so please pray for this. Of the remaining $4.4 million pledged, $3,987,758 has been received to date.

In addition to money raised for the building, through your generosity we saw the Lord provide

By Greg St. Cyr

$9,650 for our church plant in D.C., $110,524 for the Annapolis Pregnancy Clinic, $202,891 for India and $223,235 for South Sudan! Designated gifts of $34,700 and $19,375 were also given for debt reduction and El Salvador, respectively.

In total, God has provided $4,588,133 through the generosity of His people at Bay Area. We praise the Lord for each person who participated! If you would like further details on Beyond884 or the building construction, please contact our operations director, Ron Dutton (ron.dutton@ bayareacc.org). Also, if you have not completed your pledge, or feel the Lord leading you to help us reach our goal, we encourage you to continue to give to Beyond884.

The completion of the building came just in time as God brings more and more people to our church. Over the last two years we’ve grown by 20 percent in adult attendance! Today, almost 450 people worship in the Chapel, for a total of about 1,800 adults gathered on Sundays. Children’s Ministry now helps disciple about 500 children every week! Additionally, over 200 students gather together every Sunday. Without the generosity of so many, this would not be possible.

INDIA $202,891

REDEEMER CITY $9,650

SOUTH SUDAN

As we’ve said many times, “it’s really not about the building.” The building is simply a means to help reach and disciple more people for Christ. It’s about the mission Jesus has given us of making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations.

To every person who has given, prayed and believed God to move through Beyond884, let me say – on behalf of the church family – THANK YOU! Thank you for the sacrifices you’ve made.

Thank you for your faithfulness to God. Thank you for impacting the lives of every person who worships and every child who is discipled at our Annapolis campus. Thank you for helping save the lives of unborn babies in Annapolis. Thank you for helping grow God’s church in D.C. And thank you for advancing His kingdom in India and South Sudan. Well done!

$223,235

PREGNANCY CLINIC $110,524

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L E A D E R S H I P

P R O F I L E

brendan macbride

By Meredith Thompson

“YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR LIFE.” Growing up, Brendan MacBride heard those words on repeat. “You’ll never be able to do that,” people told him.

“There’s no real cure for what you have.”

The 27-year-old Harwood native was born with an uncommon eye disorder; because so few people in America have it, many of his doctors didn’t understand it or know what to do.

Brendan was told he would live like a blind person, and he spent a lot of time being angry at one person in particular for it.

“I grew up believing in God,” Brendan said, noting his parents took him to church every Sunday. “A lot of me [believed] God purposely made me this way, and I hated God. He gave me this thing that no one else has to deal with and no one understands.”

For years, he rejected God and church, until friends invited him to a church that was less traditional than his parents’ church. The more he participated in the youth group there, the more the things he believed about God were unraveled as people poured truth into his life. Early in high school, Brendan surrendered his life to Jesus at a youth event at the church. “I finally realized I was angry at God for no reason,” he confessed.

Along with his friends who brought him to church, Brendan was passionate about music. Their youth service lacked a worship element, so together, 16 GO&MAKE M A R C H

they decided to start writing songs for Jesus. They began leading worship, playing music together every Sunday morning for years. In college, a few of them formed a band of missionaries of music, giving away their music for free and playing alongside non-Christian bands so they could share the gospel.

“My Maker And I” played in bars and coffeehouses, then grew into concerts, ultimately touring with bigger bands.

“We would play at bars, we would share the gospel with people, and we got to see God do so many amazing things,” Brendan recalled. When a couple of his bandmates had to move away and the band ended, he felt called to continue leading worship. After all, he noted, that’s what they had been doing, albeit in unorthodox venues.

After earning his degree from Towson in video production and graphic design, Brendan worked for six years as technical director at Mid Atlantic Community Church in Crofton. His role didn’t include leading worship, but he began doing so for the student ministry anyways. His wife, Lydia, worked there for six years too. “Every church we’ve gone to, we’ve served together,” he noted. “We both have a heart for ministry, and we really don’t see that working at different churches.”

When Lydia was hired as Bay Area Community Church’s middle school coordinator, Brendan was ready for something new, too, but he had a tough choice to make. He wasn’t sure

what he wanted to do, but he knew he wanted to attend the same church as his bride. He looked into government jobs that offered lucrative salaries, and was offered a financially enticing position. Concurrently, Bay Area’s need to have two worship leaders pressed with the advent of offering two worship environments – the auditorium and newly opened chapel – on Sundays. Worship Leader Micah Pringle and Technical Director Tres Cozad contacted Brendan to gauge his interest in filling that gap at Bay Area.

“I knew I wanted to stay in ministry … and out of nowhere God brought this [opportunity],” Brendan said with a smile, four months after being hired as Bay Area’s assistant worship leader. Again working at the same church as his wife, Brendan now helps plan Sunday gatherings and lead the nearly 100-member worship team. On Sundays, he sings and plays guitar, and throughout the week he helps shoot and produce videos.

In his short tenure at Bay Area, Brendan has fallen in love with his new church family. “I think what’s most important for a worship leader is to love the church first and love the people they’re leading,” he said, noting his colleagues on the worship team have great hearts.

“I already feel something special, God moving through the people – the congregation as well as the team.”

People often ask Brendan, “What do you do besides music?”

His response? “I do more music.” In their free time, he and Lydia write songs together. When they first met, she didn’t sing or play any instruments; Brendan told her, “If you’re going to marry me, you’ve gotta play something!”

So he taught her to play bass and mandolin. When time allows, they play together at bars and coffeehouses – Brendan’s other passion.

Quick to admit he’s “super” into coffee, Brendan’s caffeine addiction sometimes gets him into trouble with the wife. “I have every possible coffee gadget in our kitchen – Lydia sometimes gets mad because I buy so many coffee things,” he admitted, adding excitedly that he became the proud owner of an espresso machine this past Christmas. “Forever, I’ve dreamed of owning my own coffee shop.”

As assistant worship leader, Brendan emphasized that God is challenging him, stretching him, growing him. A relatively reserved guy, Brendan has been stretched to step out in leadership and shepherding the large worship team. Each week, he takes a few of them out for coffee or dinner, to find out how life is treating them or read through Scripture together. He’s committed to discipling his fellow musicians and showing appreciation for their commitment.

“I love being able to take them out and say ‘thank you’ by getting them coffee or dinner, and being able to pour into them and shepherd them on their walks … with Christ,” he highlighted. “As I build those relationships with people on the team, I see a more cohesive atmosphere with everyone, and everyone has a greater trust with each other. I think we’re able to lead better on Sunday mornings because of that.”

M A RC H GO&MAKE 17

BY PAT LINNELL

18 GO&MAKE M A R C H

here are many things in life that may shake us up – sometimes shaken for the good, and other times for the not so good. My sister is expecting her second child any day now, and when they bring that little one home, life will change for the good, at least when they are all sleeping again. This month also marks the oneyear anniversary of losing a great friend from a brain aneurysm, which shook me up this past year for the not so good. With all the ways this life is uncertain there is one constant – the unshakable love of God for us. And when we encounter this love through Jesus, He does shake things up, but always for our good, and always for His glory.

This Easter season I have a prayer for our church family: that we would be shaken in new ways by the truth about a Creator who loves us, a risen and very alive Jesus who empowers us. This year, we would be less distracted by the trappings of a cultural holiday, and more rooted in love and built up in our souls than ever before. I pray Christ’s heart-melting grace would dislodge our fears about money, security, popularity or even our health – in order to lead a new kind of life marked by love, joy and peace.

Throughout March in our gatherings and Missional Communities, we will trek through stories of how Jesus shakes the religious establishment, the status quo and even individual lives to the core. We will see a young man who did not find his true riches in Jesus, unwilling to let go of material things. Unlike this guy, there was another who used to make a living by shady financial dealings, yet he was ready to be shaken from this lifestyle. There was also a woman who, after meeting Jesus, was willing to leave behind all that she found her identity in, and it showed by her devotion to and love for the Lord. We will also recount a true historical account of a dead man who got a new lease on life after Jesus prayed for him. While lives were being rocked, Jesus was upending what the world around Him thought to be a firm foundation. All of these stories really happened, and the same God with the same plan is still at work among us now.

His plan is bigger than the re-prioritizing and infusion of love tremoring into our lives; it is also the forgiveness of our sins so that we would be declared righteous.

On the very day this forgiveness was secured for us the earth was literally shaken. The seismic activity in the Middle East that coincided with the execution of Jesus of Nazareth shook

the ground, shook the temple, split rocks and tore an “untearable” curtain straight down the middle from top to bottom.

This was especially significant, because the most holy place in the temple was now exposed, the most holy place was now accessible.

The access that we have available to us now is access to an unshakable Kingdom. On that first Easter morning, as Jesus appears alive and well, we come to grips with what we find to be the most permanent thing in life – death cannot hold God. Even death is shaken and its power rent. We are all invited to partake and participate in this kind of life through Jesus: eternal, immovable, unshakable. So as our busy lives come crashing into another Easter season, would you open your eyes, open your ears, and open your heart to how Jesus has already been shaking you up for your good, and His glory? Would you be willing to have the false floors fall from beneath your feet, to find yourself on solid ground?

M A RC H GO&MAKE 19

from here to the nations

India scott kilpatrick shares his heart for the world’s second-most populous nation by sam logan

“w

hen a rural village in India receives a church and a well, people come to drink water and listen to the Gospel.”

Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Kilpatrick felt his heart stir when he heard those words, seated at Bay Area one Sunday morning with his wife Heather. He felt God pressing in on his soul and teared up. Looking back, he admits that the rest of the presentation has become a blurred memory.

The Battalion Chief was fixed on a goal to fund a well in a small village in India where those stopping to drink might experience an encounter with Jesus, like the Samaritan woman’s story recorded in John 4. But God’s plans didn’t stop there. Heather had also caught a word as Pastor Samuel, Bay Area’s global missions partner in India and leader of International Cultural Bible Ministries, shared about the work in India.

"God spoke to me through my wife. God told Heather to send me,” Scott said over the phone from the Fire Station just days after returning from India. "I did feel a calling to give the well, but when my wife said, 'I really would love to send you to India to teach because this is what you do well,' I said ‘Okay, it looks like I’m going to India.’”

Scott had been to Korea and the Philippines 30 years earlier. The idea of making the trade, of participating in a short term mission and trading his time and comfort at home in exchange for being open to God’s will for him in a foreign land, didn’t present as much of a challenge as the teaching.

Scott met with Global Missions Pastor Casely Essamuah, who talked to him about the trip, about how he would be involved in teaching other pastors. “I know I have a spiritual gift for teaching,” Scott expressed, laughing, “but I needed more information to see if my skills would equal what was needed."

As a fireman who regularly risks his life without hesitation to save strangers, Scott is a man of action. That day when God spoke to him, he didn’t miss a beat. The message was clear.

As a layman teaching pastors, what possibly could he have to offer? Yet Scott leaned in.

He studied, researched, asked questions and prepared. Though he felt intimidated to teach pastors, he rested in God’s will for his role in India and pressed on, unsure of what was needed or exactly what he would teach. He knew he was called to serve. God would take care of the rest.

"When God laid on my heart to provide a well, I went on mission to find out what I needed to do. So I went to Pastor Samuel directly. 'How much is a well?’ I asked,” Scott recalled.

Pastor Samuel had expected to receive five teachers on the trip in early February.

Due to the reality of logistics on the

"I don’t remember any other part of the service, don’t remember hearing about an orphanage, or seeing the building. I was focused on the well, and what God was saying," Scott said with a laugh.

20 GO&MAKE M A R C H

international mission field, only two of the five made it to India: Scott and Greg St. Cyr.

In Hyderabad, Scott visited the site where Bay Area is funding construction of a children’s home, housing for Pastor Samuel’s family and training facilities for pastors. They prayed over each room of the building, which should be complete in three months.

Scott remembers the spicy-sweet smell of curry and how the colors of the Saris that the women wore were beautiful. And the poverty: It was everywhere and striking.

It overwhelmed Scott as he moved through his days teaching pastors and spending time with others over meals.

Still processing the trip in the first few days following his return to Maryland, Scott shared two impactful experiences.

“I was leading a Bible study on how to study the Bible,” Scott began in a softer voice, recounting a humbling moment, “and a Hindu man who had converted to Christianity asked a question."

After Scott told his students about the often-shared axiom at Bay Area of reading a chapter of the Bible a day, the former Hindu priest shared his daily routine. Then he asked a question.

“He was saying how he woke up at 4 a.m. to shower, eat and begin his day by reading three chapters of the Bible before spending time in study and prayer for two to three hours. So he asked me, ‘Scott, do you think it would it please God more if I skipped my breakfast and my shower and went straight into devotions?’” Scott remembered. "It was humbling because I can barely get in a chapter a day.”

In a separate moment, Scott found himself at a table eating with others when he witnessed a level of generosity that challenged all aspects of his faith.

“People would knock on the door, and [they] would give them food off the table.

One woman came in with her whole family,” Scott said as if not believing his own experience. “She brought her sister, her sister’s children, her mother and father. [They] took care of sick and dying people.”

The Sunday after he and Scott returned from India, Greg St. Cyr recounted how God had moved through Scott while they were abroad. “He was teaching above his abilities,” Greg said with a smile, adding, “God had become greater because Scott said yes.”

“seeing the smiles, the love and faithfulness was humbling. it made me want to fall in love with jesus even more.”

“How they view the Bible is literal,” Scott said, as if seeing in that moment again the lives of believers in India expressed in ways exactly like we read about in the early Church. “I tried to be encouraging, loving and a servant to them, but they were a witness to me, some of their stories of faith — how they lived out the Bible — were inspirational.”

Pastor Samuel’s heart for the lost in India was not lost on Scott. Time with Pastor Samuel’s family, listening to conversations between family members could be boiled down to one word: love.

“They love one another, they love the Lord and they love the lost people of India,” Scott said.

"During Pastor Greg's messages, I watched the faces of these men and women as they listened,” Scott recalled of their time in India. “It appeared that they had not heard some of the messages like that before. Many of the pastors said they learned quite a bit and could take what they learned to grow their churches and build up the men and women they served.”

On the phone, before Scott’s life as a fireman pulled him away from remembering his time in India, he shared about how God is moving in India: “I truly believe God's hand is spreading out to India. There are so many needs there, but the main thing is the people of India know that Christians are known by their love. When Christians show up, the lives of those they touch improve! The places in India where the church has been established have better schools and hospitals, and the people are flourishing,” Scott said.

“What I got from India was far more than my time, or the money I gave for a well. What I received in blessings from God far outweighed any dollar amount.

He’s just more real to me now. Seeing the smiles, the love and faithfulness was humbling. It made me want to fall in love with Jesus even more.”

M A RC H GO&MAKE 21

22 GO&MAKE M A R C H

REVAMPED

e live at a downright frenetic pace. We’re always going from one thing to the next with a million distractions along the way.

If we’re not careful, this can bleed into our experience on Sunday mornings. For the last couple years, we’ve worked to create an environment to counteract this by offering a Saturday evening worship opportunity called the “Saturday Night Singalong.” These have traditionally been held on the first Saturday of every month. They provide us a chance to slow down and hit reset in our hearts and minds, and focus on God without a million different distractions.

The Saturday Night Singalong is now shifting from a monthly occurrence to once per quarter. The shift comes because, as noted, people’s lives are incredibly busy, and the goal of the singalong is to be a blessing, not a burden. This new quarterly rhythm will also allow more bandwidth to make the times we meet even more intentional and meaningful. If you haven’t participated in a singalong, here are a few things that you can expect to experience while you’re there:

stillness Yep – the kind of peace and stillness that just feels good. The kind that makes you take a deep breath and close your eyes.

music Of course there will be music… it’s a singalong! Think of it as Sunday morning, but bumped up a notch. It’s the kind of music that will make you actually want to sing out and maybe even dance a little. (There may or may not have been a spontaneous conga line at past singalongs.)

realness You’ll hear people sharing out loud about real struggles, and real celebrations. We get past the superficial and have refreshingly real testimony.

connection You’ll experience intimate connection with others that are there in the room with you, and with God as we focus on Him and allow Him to have the freedom to work.

no agenda That’s right… the only agenda is to be present. The format and flow is intentionally loose. For once in our lives, the agenda is to just be.

The next Singalong will be held in the auditorium at Bay Area on March 5 at 6 p.m. Limited KidCare will be provided for toddlers and under, and there also will be space for the rest of the kids to engage with the worship right there in the auditorium alongside the adults. So come join us. Bring yourself, your friends, your Missional Community – bring everyone. And let’s all hit reset together.

We’re looking forward to having an awesome time, and we don’t want you to miss it!

Also, don’t forget to mark your calendars for upcoming Singalongs later this year: June 4, September 3 and December 3.

Micah Pringle M A RC H GO&MAKE 23

“I

remember walking down this street during an art festival downtown in Salisbury. God was obnoxiously pointing out every person and saying, ‘I love that person, and I love that person, and I love that person … I love everyone, everywhere and I am always, only concerned about reaching them.’”

This memory is a couple years old for Rachel Pletts, the worship leader for Bay Area’s campus in Easton, and it was just one piece of the puzzle as God prepared her for what He has planned for His church on the Eastern Shore.

Rachel began serving at Bay Area in the fall of 2010, volunteering in youth ministry, leading worship for students, and plugging into a Bible study through The Well. Later, she joined the worship team under the mentorship of Worship Leader Micah Pringle.

By Michele Rollins

A few years ago, Bay Area sent Rachel out as a music missionary via the LiLi Project. Short for “living room listenin,” these house concerts serve as opportunities to invite friends, co-workers and neighbors to hear about Jesus. The LiLi Project exists to come alongside and grow the church by reaching out to people who are hard to reach, “the people we should be reaching out to,” Rachel said. She’s traveled all over the country, including a shorter trip across the Chesapeake Bay to visit one of Bay Area’s Missional Communities in Easton. It was another piece of the puzzle bringing Rachel Pletts and Bay Area Easton together.

Soon after the elders felt confirmation from the Lord to launch an expression of Bay Area in Easton, Campus Pastor Craig Fadel asked Rachel to consider joining the core team, and she attended a vision meeting. “God’s doing something here,” Rachel realized. She remembered advice from Jim Hiskey a few years before to “only go where you see the Spirit moving and working.” Though prayer did not provide a clear leading, circumstances – puzzle pieces – began to line up. Someone from Easton bought a guitar from her; relationships grew with a group of women who lived across the bay.

Finally, through the counsel of friends, Rachel realized God was gently asking her, “Hey, I’m building my church… do you want to come?” The final puzzle piece was in place. Rachel was all in for Bay Area Easton.

Though initially uncertain about heading to the Eastern Shore, God

24 GO&MAKE M A R C H

Rachel P letts Leads Worship In Easton has equipped Rachel well for the task ahead. “She has the heart of a worshipper, cares for people, and has spent the last few years honing her tools for a role like this one,” Micah shared.

“The LiLi Project has perfectly prepared her to engage and lead in an intimate environment like Easton.”

Rachel’s prayer for the Easton campus is similar to that of Moses: “If your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). God’s Spirit “must be our distinguishing characteristic, because otherwise we’ll just be like everyone else,” she stated. A new campus like Easton is somewhere welcoming for people who “don’t know the rules” of church, but it’s also an extension of Bay Area’s vision.

“Bay Area is a greenhouse for me, and I see it for other people too,” Rachel explained. “Most people aren’t meant to stay . . I would hope that most of us are here with the mindset that this is our training ground, and then I’m going to be sent out to multiply this wherever I go.”

Serving Bay Area Easton doesn’t mean that Rachel is giving up her roles as music missionary or artist. You could call her an “artiworshinary” – an artist, worship leader and missionary – and her new role incorporates the LiLi Project as a way to come alongside Missional Communities to reach out into neighborhoods. “The whole point is to change the way we have relationships with people to be more intentional,” she explained.

Serving Easton also doesn’t mean that she’ll never again grace the doors of Bay Area’s Annapolis campus; rather, it’s a “broadening of our ministry here in Annapolis,” Micah said. “Rachel’s not ‘gone forever’ or anything even close to that. She and the team will be walking hand-in-hand with our Annapolis campus, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity for Kingdom impact that lies ahead.”

Part of Rachel’s salary will come from support, and she is building her support team now. To learn more or join her team, you can contact her at rachel.pletts@bayareacc.org.

“God has continually allowed me to find myself in situations where I need Him to be bigger than I thought He was,” Rachel confided. “I feel convinced that I can say I see the Holy Spirit working, and I’m going. I’m being sent to join Him. If God is doing something, it will be done, and it will be good.”

M A RC H GO&MAKE 25

In

Manuel and

Laura Baerga SERVE AS MISSIONARIES to

Annapolis’

Hispanic

Community

September 2015, Bay Area sent Manuel and Laura Baerga out as missionaries to Annapolis’ Hispanic community.

They began their ministry with five focus areas in mind: creating partnerships with churches, making connections with civic organizations, providing care and resources to Hispanic families, educating Hispanic families on American culture and policies, and building relationships with local schools. Their dedication and focus to reaching the Hispanic population in Annapolis has brought them a long way, and into relationships they weren’t expecting in these six short months.

Creating Partnerships with Churches One of Manuel’s passions, and a great need in the Hispanic community, is to see Hispanic men become Bible-preaching, Christ-centered pastors. God has brought him into significant relationships with several key churches, one of them being Downtown Hope. Manuel and Joey Tomassoni, pastor and planter of Downtown Hope, are developing several tools, resources and a pipeline for potential Hispanic pastors. They’re also resourcing existing churches with these tools and resources, providing essential training for evangelism and discipleship.

Educating Hispanic Families and Building Relationships with Schools Manuel and Laura offer their skills as interpreters to the Anne Arundel County school system. It serves as a source of income to offset their need for raising support, and is an excellent way to build community and relationships. Many of the interpreting sessions lead to Manuel and Laura educating their clients on school and government policies, next steps for receiving documentation, and much more. Through the school system, they are also able to make connections with families who are in need.

The Baergas organize food, clothing and furniture donations for these families and are able to share the Gospel with them. “I share a message of freedom,” said Manuel.

“It’s not something that is normally shared with these families. They need to hear that they can have freedom in Christ.”

Making Connections with Civic Organizations and Providing Care to Hispanic Families Future Ministry in Annapolis Manuel and Laura have found a unique way to both partner with an existing organization and provide much-needed care to Hispanic families. Through their vast network, they made a connection with No Turning Back, a behavior clinic based out of Baltimore with an Eastport office. The Baergas share the office with NTB, running their ministry out of 918 Chesapeake Avenue’s upper room. Manuel offers free pastoral counseling to Hispanic families that are referred to him. NTB also offers substance abuse counseling, which Manuel helps facilitate at times. The central location of the office and the connection with NTB have enabled Manuel and Laura to develop many meaningful relationships with individuals and other organizations.

The significance in this relationship is also seen in the huge need for more accessible counseling in Anne Arundel County. The county’s Mental Health Agency reported an increase of 11 percent of residents served between 2013 and 2014. The highest increase, 20 percent, occurred in the population of children ages 0 to 5. Manuel and Laura are providing a critical service to a community that is underserved and in need.

In the last three months, Manuel has met with and counseled eight families. One teenager

26 GO&MAKE M A R C H

was referred to him because he was crying every two to three hours, seemingly for no reason. The family has insufficient money to pay for counseling, and faces a wait time of two to three months for pediatric psychiatric help. “So of course I met with him!” explained Manuel. “The young man was depressed, stressed out and needed someone to talk to.” After several visits, Manuel has noticed a significant change in the 17-year-old; the teen has opened up, and is beginning to understand God’s abounding love for him.

As Manuel and Laura continue their work and focus on their five areas of ministry, they have their eyes set on a long-term plan. Over the course of the next few years, they plan to further develop their leadership tools for Hispanic churches and for training Hispanic pastors. In the midst of that, they also hope to open a business that’s a thrift store by day and community center by night. The thrift store will provide funds for community programs, including English as a second language classes, a food bank, free clothing and events that center on Gospel presentation. “We’ve done this before and Annapolis needs this,” explained Manuel. “We just need to get the right people in place and get this going. We’re excited and eager to reach our community.”

Manuel and Laura are always looking for additional partners, volunteers and connections. They continue to build a support team, and welcome prayers and financial support. To learn more about opportunities to partner with them and help them make an eternal impact on the Hispanic community in Annapolis, contact Manuel at manuel.baerga@bayareacc.org.

By Trevin Hoekzema

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE SAFETY TEAM? We're looking for men and women with security, law enforcement, military or EMS experience to join our Safety Team on Sunday mornings. For more information contact Ed at safety@bayareacc.org.

M A RC H GO&MAKE 27

deserve what happened, and Job became angry with God that he had punished him without a reason. God rebuked Job for his anger. Job humbled himself, and God blessed him with twofold what he had before.

WINTER MELTDOWN RECAP MORE THAN FUN

Joseph, his father’s most beloved child, was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. Later, when Joseph was working in the house of Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, and when he would not fall for the trap, she had him thrown in jail. Finally, he was released after God revealed the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream to him.

Pharaoh then made Joseph second-incommand of Egypt.

By Grace Farmer

W

inter Meltdown is a high school retreat packed full of exciting activities: ziplining, paintball, horseback riding, tubing, archery, tag and dodgeball. How much more fun could you have in one short weekend?

We had a great time at River Valley Ranch January 29-31, but it wasn’t all about fun.

Spiritual significance was also infused into the retreat. Worship, speaking sessions and small-group time – the reminder was everywhere that the real focus is on God. Even the theme for the weekend, Wake our Wonder, stressed the fact that we need to have God as our focus. The speaker, Rob Stansberry, also emphasized the importance of keeping God as the center of our lives.

Rob’s speaking on this subject was phenomenal; cutting, yet strengthening; simple, yet challenging; obvious, yet with hidden meaning. He observed that in the present day and age, one of the difficulties we have with focusing on God is that we go about our daily routines not truly in awe of Him. We float through life, feeling so-so about Christ and wondering why things aren’t working out. Because of this passionless relationship, we settle for small satisfactions and consuming temporary pleasures, while God is pushed to the side. After all, God Himself wants to be our satisfaction, yet we settle for video games, sports and social media.

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Rob had a simple answer for this dilemma: to be in awe of God, you have to look at Him! You cannot continue to chase after the small, temporary satisfactions of this world and expect to find lasting satisfaction. You can’t continue to drown out Creation’s symphony, the magnificent melody that shouts God’s majesty, and expect to be filled with true wonder. You cannot continue to ignore God, only calling on Him in time of need, and expect to have a genuine relationship with Him. To be in awe of God, to truly marvel at Him, you have to look at Him. According to Rob, the question of a good God and suffering coexisting in the world is also preventing us from waking our wonder. After all, it is hard to be in wonder of God when you feel that He cannot be all good. Rob drew on two stories from the Bible, Job and Joseph, when explaining theodicy, or the defense of God’s goodness in view of the existence of evil. Both of these men went through immense trials and suffering, even though they were righteous and loved by God. In Job’s story, God gave the devil permission to test Job, saying the only thing he could not do was harm Job physically. Job had his children taken away, his house, his possessions, his health, everything. Yet he did not curse God. Job’s friends were convinced he must have done something wrong to

Rob pointed out that in these two men’s stories, people and the devil were not the only two working. In Job’s story, God and the devil were both working, but the devil’s power was limited, while God’s power was unlimited. In Joseph’s story, his brothers were intending their actions for evil, but God was intending them for good, and His power is greater than theirs. Rob stressed the importance of knowing that the forces of evil are not the only ones working in our world, and that they are not the most powerful.

Also, as Rob said, we must see that “suffering is redemption.” Suffering is God’s way of refining us. The nature of our world is that beauty comes from suffering. Rob explained that God often uses suffering to accomplish His purposes in this world. It is a hard truth, but one that we must learn to accept.

Overall, the small-group times, Rob’s speaking, and the worship experiences brought great spiritual significance to Winter Meltdown. It’s not just a weekend full of fun, but one also full of potential for spiritual growth. Our relationships with God and our small groups were strengthened as we dove into the messages. Our outlook on our lives was challenged as we were urged to look beyond the small satisfactions of this world. Our hearts were lifted as we praised our Creator and Savior for all that He has done.

Grace Farmer is a 10thgrade student who participates in Bay Area’s student ministry.

She is homeschooled, and enjoys reading and archery. Grace aspires to be a missionary.

M A RC H GO&MAKE 29

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 of restoring and renewing all things and we believe no person is beyond His redemption and grace. 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. After an assessment, we offer appropriate referrals within BACC and other outside resources such as Care Coaches, Missional Communities, financial assistance, Celebrate Recovery, Christian counselors, or an appropriate agency or program in the community. If you need help or have questions, email leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.

• K-5th: contact gail.wiles@bayareacc.org • 6-12th: contact brent.squires@bayareacc.org • Adults: contact deb.shipley@bayareacc.org

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

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

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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. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org or 443-837-3718 VOCATION ASSISTANCE If you or someone you know is currently unemployed, on 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@verizon.net MARRIAGE MINISTRY TEAM Do you as a couple 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. To learn more about the Marriage Ministry go to bayareacc.org/marriageministry or email leanne.lane@ bayareacc.org.

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 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 come to the Premarital Ministry who are living together. 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 BACC on Sunday mornings in an environment of learning and interaction. Sign up today for the three new courses below at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY: APRIL 3 - MAY 22 Come investigate and explore key theological doctrines of the Christian faith both in substance and in practice with teacher Brian Mallare. Learn and deepen your understanding of the triune God of the Bible and how knowing this living God results in a new kind of life.

STARTING POINT: APRIL 3 - MAY 22 New to faith? Starting point is a great opportunity to jump into community. We will discuss God’s big story in the Bible, and how He provided us with the free gift of eternal life in Jesus.

HOUSE OR HOME MARRIAGE EDITION: APRIL 3 - MAY 8 Marriages require intentional focus and, when we are all in, the benefits are incredible. Join us and other couples for this Learning Community focused on the House or Home: Marriage Edition study by well known pastor/teacher Chip Ingram.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY LEADERS OF THE MONTH TIDAL POOL Steve and Lindsey Lantz have huge hearts for the babies of Bay Area.

They have two children - Henry and Violet. Steve is a Marine Corps pilot in the Reserves and works for the Navy; Lindsey is a sign language interpreter. In their spare time they enjoy watching football - they are huge Packers fans - and exploring all that there is to do in the area. Thank you so much, Steve and Lindsey, for showing the love of Jesus to our babies every Sunday.

CORAL REEF Rob Young has committed to leading large- and small-group time for preschoolers at Bay Area for over a year now. He enjoys being a part of discipling preschoolers in a fun, energetic way that will capture their hearts at this unique stage. In his spare time you’ll find him enjoying quality time with his wife and two young boys - possibly watching Lord of the Rings, which he shared he’s watched more times than most 5-year-old girls have watched Frozen. We are grateful for Rob’s heart to disciple our next generation.

SUBMARINE CANYON Trish McGinn is a humble servant of Jesus who leads second-graders every Sunday. She loves serving because it gives her the opportunity to grow outside of her comfort zone while growing right beside the kids each week. In her free time, Trish enjoys spending time in the new garden she just planted. Thank you Trish for all you do.

DEEP BLUE BUDDIES Mother-daughter duo Karen and Emily Kivi bless two families every week as they partner with families of children with special needs. They both have degrees and work in this unique field.

Their hearts to serve like Jesus allow these parents to be fed in the gatherings and their children to engage in safe and loving environments that are age-appropriate for them.

They’ve built relationships with these children that resemble loving others as we should. Thank you Karen and Emily for serving families of Bay Area just as Jesus would.

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY 4TH & 5TH GRADE RETREAT What does identity in Christ look like for you and your child? That’s what students will study at this overnight retreat happening Friday, March 4, through the morning of March 5. We will have fun, prayer, discussion and reflection with the kids on Friday; on Saturday morning there will be a time for the parents to participate in a breakout session and family fun. Registration closes March 1. Cost is $40 per student and parents can register online at bayareacc.org/deepblueevents.

CONNECTING MINISTRY

DISCOVER BAY AREA NEWCOMER LUNCH New to Bay Area? We’re glad you are here! You may have some questions about who we are or what we believe, so join us on March 6 at 12:45 p.m. in the Bay Cafe for Discover Bay Area.

Get a free lunch and hear from a few of our pastors and staff about our mission, values and how you can get plugged in. No RSVP necessary, kids are welcome. Hope to see you there! The next Discover Bay Area is April 3.

THE HUNT All families are invited to join us Saturday, March 26 for a morning in community.

Kids will enjoy finding more MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP REGISTRATION OPEN than 20,000 eggs filled with If you are part of the Bay Area church family, consider goodies. Invite new families in your communities and don’t becoming a Ministry Partner. Lock arms with us as we partner forget to bring baskets for your children. together to accomplish the mission of making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations. Start WAVE RIDERS the process by joining us for the Ministry Partner Orientation Our Wave Riders group is designed on Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hear strong teaching for families of children birth through from Greg St. Cyr and other pastors. KidCare and lunch are preschool to come together to encourage provided with advance registration. Read more or register and spend time in community with others online at bayareacc.org/ministrypartnership. in your same life stage. This month we meet March 7 and March 24. For details, check out “Wave Rider Play Group” on Facebook or contact Stacey Burkhardt at stacey.burkhardt@bayareacc.org.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES SPRING PARENT DEDICATION Is it your desire to dedicate your child? Our Parent Dedication is more than an event, it’s celebrating your decision as parents to raise your child to follow Jesus. Registration for our spring dedication opens online March 6. To participate, parents are required to attend an orientation prior to the event.

For more info visit bayareacc.org/parentdedication.

KIDCARE TEAM MEMBERS Our team is currently accepting new applicants who have a heart for kids. Our workers are paid and we are regularly looking to add to our team. We provide KidCare to all ministries of Bay Area including various events throughout the year. Info: dax.clinkscale@bayareacc. org or visit the Children’s Welcome on Sundays.

LOCAL OUTREACH CHILDREN AND STUDENT BAPTISM CELEBRATION If you have a child or student who is expressing interest and wants to be baptized, we would love to celebrate this milestone with you. Visit the children’s or student webpages to read more on how your family can participate in the Baptism Celebration on April 16.

EASTER SUNDAY SERVING OPPORTUNITIES Consider being a part of the Deep Blue Children’s Ministry as we welcome new families this Easter season. Serving opportunities are available in all three of our environments.

Consider serving at 8, 9:15 or 11:15 a.m. Info: chyloe. cheetham@bayareacc.org

MEN’S BIBLE STUDIES MEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays from 6-7:30 a.m. in room 236 at Bay Area.

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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.

WINTER RELIEF We house, feed and resource more than 25 homeless men and women every year through the Winter Relief initiative. This year our guests will stay at Bay Area March 14 - 21. Would you like more information or want to get involved?

Info: winterrelief@bayareacc.org

FINANCIALS Operating Budget Financial Update As of February 14, 2016 New Fiscal Year Began September 1, 2015 Fiscal Year Giving Goal

$4,116,000

YTD Received YTD Goal YTD Actual vs. Goal (14.4% Ahead) FEBRUARY To Date Received FEBRUARY To Date Giving Goal

$2,202,872 $1,925,651 $277,221 $181,541 $138,672

For weekly financial updates, please visit us online at 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 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 “Beyond884” 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 “Beyond884” on the memo line.

MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES

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. RSVP online at bayareacc.org/mctasterrsvp or email us at mc@bayareacc.org for more info. Lunch and Kid care are provided.

GLOBAL MISSIONS 2016 SHORT TERM MISSION TRIPS The 2016 short-term mission trips are here! We encourage you to pray to see how the Lord is leading you to serve this year.

To apply visit bayareacc.org/stm. The application deadline is March 15. Info: ashleigh.bicevskis@bayareacc.org To learn more about this year’s trips, consider attending one of the following informational meetings with Global Missions Pastor Casely Essamuah: March 2 at 6 p.m., March 8 at 6 p.m. or March 13 after the third Gathering in The Docks.

Info: casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org EL SALVADOR • CHILDREN’S MINISTRY & HOME VISITS • March 12-20 | open to Midshipmen only • May 21-29 • June 11-19 • July 9-17 | open to high school students only • July 23-31 | college & children’s ministry • November 12-20 GHANA • HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY • June 2-12 • June 30 – July 10 • July 14-24 • August 4-14 SOUTHEAST ASIA • ENGLISH TEACHING & RELATIONSHIP BUILDING • May 16-28 • October 7-17 BRAZIL • MINISTRY TO CHURCH LEADERSHIP • July 15-25 POLAND • FAMILY ENGLISH CAMP • July 20 – August 1 • August 7-14 INDIA • May 27 - June 4 | outreach to children & ministry to local believers • July | outreach to children and ministry to pastors and local believers UGANDA • COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT • July 13-23 • July 27-August 6

MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Are you new to Bay Area and/or looking to get connected in Community? Join us for our MC Taster on March 13 in The

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OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AMBASSADOR TEAM: We need your help connecting newcomers into community. If you have a passion for people and Jesus, 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 CHILDREN’S MINISTRY WELCOME TEAM: Welcome and assist families with everything from the electronic checkin system to escorting families to their child’s individual environments. Info: chyloe.cheetham@bayareacc.org EASTON CAMPUS: There are many opportunities to serve Bay Area Easton; presently, we’re looking for children’s ministry volunteers through May. On the Sundays you’re not serving, we’d also invite you to simply attend BACC Easton to help cultivate a warm, friendly environment during our gatherings. Info: craig.fadel@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 gathering. Info: tammy.taschenberger@ bayareacc.org COMMUNION TEAM: Serving opportunities include baking communion bread and preparing/cleaning up communion on Sunday. Info: deb.shipley@bayareacc.org PARKING MINISTRY: Serve by directing traffic and greeting those arriving 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 HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND VISITATION: Interested in being part of a team reaching those hospitalized or homebound? Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org

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, 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 34 GO&MAKE M A R C H

an opportunity for us to gather together 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 to pray with. For more information about prayer or the teams, go to bayareacc. org/prayer or contact Pat at pat.linnell@bayareacc.org.

STUDENT MINISTRY LEADERS OF THE MONTH MIKE GIBEAULT is new to the BASM team this year. He wasted no time jumping right into serving both as a community group leader for the sixth-grade boys and in running the BASM sound board.

A recent transplant from the Philadelphia area, he is an avid Flyers and Eagles fan. Outside of hanging out with the sixth-graders he enjoys photography, hiking and listening to blue grass music. Mike’s hard work and dedication make him this March’s leader of the month.

DIEDERICK VAN DILLEN joined the BASM team this past May. His humble attitude and fun spirit make him a perfect fit for our team! He serves our team by ministering to the eighth-grade boys. When he is not volunteering with BASM, Diederick can be found sailing and biking. He recently biked from D.C. to Pittsburgh.

CLUB678 Club 678, a monthly hangout for middle school students, is March 11 from 7 9 p.m. The theme is Duct Tape Extravaganza, with duct tape inspired games. Students can come dressed in their own duct tape creations. A prize will be awarded to the best outfit. Students are encouraged to invite friends and can bring money for snacks. Info: lydia. macbride@bayareacc.org

WOMEN’S MINISTRY THE WELL At Bay Area, we invite women to join us on a spiritual journey in community with others. Like the woman at the well in John 4, Jesus meets us where we are and invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. MORNING STUDY On Wednesday mornings we are studying a new series by our guest teacher, Marilyn Anderes, called“I AM.” This study looks at the “I Am” statements Jesus made in the gospel of John to see that Jesus is enough for us. If you are a newcomer

and would like to try The Well, join us any Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. for our “Come and See” small group. This group formed especially for newcomers to Bay Area and for those investigating faith in Jesus welcomes you on a drop-in basis. Following small groups, all the Well members meet in the Chapel for Marilyn’s teaching from 10:25-11:30 a.m.

Info: Laurie at the.well@gmail.com.

UPCOMING WOMEN’S MINISTRY EVENTS

KINGDOM COME WOMEN’S CONFERENCE Saturday, March 12, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at BACC. Learn how, when we respond to God’s Kingdom Invitation, we become partners with Him in His Kingdom incarnation on earth. Biblical teaching and practical workshops will encourage us to become more like Jesus. Cost is $20 and will include lunch and snacks. Sign up at the Women’s Ministry kiosk in the lobby or online at bayareacc.org/womensevents.

Info: Sheila at sheiladavid7@gmail.com.

QUILTS FOR KIDS On Saturday, March 19, we will meet to sew quilts for kids from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Bay Area in room 235. You don’t have to know how to sew to help! But if you do, bring your lunch, a sewing machine and sewing supplies, and we will give you a quilting kit to sew.

Info: Janet at annapolisQFK@quiltsforkids.org

WOMEN OF LEGACY (55+) Join us as we encourage one another in Christ and share about ways to practically care for others. On March 14 we will meet to explore our spiritual gifts and how to use those in our everyday lives. On March 28 we will learn about the Care Network. Join us from 10:30 a.m. - noon in The Warehouse.

Info: Cedulie at luisandcedulie@gmail.com.

EVENING STUDY A new study will begin on March 8 - May 3 called “Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize when God Speaks” by Priscilla Shirer (cost: $15). They meet on Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m. You can register at bayareacc.org/women/spiritualgrowth.

Info: Darby at darby@dougcate.com.

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