Visions Of Glory April 2015

Visions of Glory

Dr. Lance Watson St. Paul Baptist Church, Richmond, VA

Baptism Leadership Training

S.W.A.T. & H.U.D.D.L.E.

Women of Purpose www.newbindy.org Volume 1 / Number 28 / April 2015

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CONTENTS

Creative Ideas

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14.

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BAPTISM

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S.W.A.T. AND H.u.d.d.l.e.

It was surely a celebration at the 10:45 a.m. service on Sunday February 15! Nearly 40 people made their commitment to Christ.

It’s more than becoming a man through age and maturity.

This journey is about becoming a “Godly Man.”

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Youth Night at the Movies

music ministry workshop

As the After I Say I Do Marriage Ministry held a workshop for couples, children and teens enjoyed two great movies. For parents it was a night to enjoy time away from the kids. For the children it was a Night to enjoy a movie away from their parents.

Maintaining a pure heart is vital to worship.

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11th Year Birthday celebration

leadership training

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W.O.p.

singles life class

Our New B. family was in for a treat with this years birthday celebration. We experienced amazing guest Psalmists and Phenomenal Guest Preachers We were blessed with 3 days of worship and praise that will continue to build upon our Year of Kingdom Expansion.

It is the Women of Purpose’s mission to minister to the total woman (mind, body, spirit) by meeting both their spiritual and social needs.

Leadership goes beyond being in front of people. New B, held its Leadership Academy to bring light to the Biblical view of leadership and the expectations for New Beginnings Leaders.

A man’s desires can be expansive. But the Singles Life Class wanted to hone in on what the desires were of a Godly Man.

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Dr. James A. Jackson, Sr. Pastor

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reetings family! I am so excited to be able to speak to you all through this magazine. This year has started off in a wonderful way for the New Beginnings Fellowship Church.

Here we are in April already and God has already done some incredible things for our church family. We just came off of our eleven year Birthday Celebration and continue to grow. Wow! Has it been eleven years already? It seems like just yesterday when we had our first worship service in the auditorium of the Fall Creek Valley Middle School. Now to see where God has brought us eleven years later just blows my mind. It is a feat worth celebrating.

What a celebration we had. We gave thanks to God for blessing this ministry by bringing in some powerful men of God to celebrate with us. Bishop Derek Triplett and Dr. Lance Watson both shared powerful and life-changing mes-

sages that blessed all who attended.

Also having national recording artists Trent Cory and Anita Wilson minister to us in music was just amazing. Each and every night was incredible. People were delivered, people gave their lives to Christ and a great time was had by all.

We also just finished our 40 Day Corporate Fast as a church family. This is always a special time of year where we take time to put our flesh under submission and focus on hearing from God. Many of you have been praying for some great things from God during this time.

I have already heard some, but I cannot wait to hear all of the many testimonies from you on the amazing things God has done for you and your families during this time.

After eleven years God continues to amaze me. Lives continue to be changed through this church. I cannot wait to see what may happen over the next eleven

years. Now that the birthday party is over, the work must continue. God has continuously blessed this ministry, now we must be good stewards of His church and continue to impact the kingdom.

As we continue at the New Beginnings Fellowship Church, we must always be mindful that we have been blessed with the opportunity to help meet the needs of God’s people. As we move forward, I ask you all for your continued support in all areas. I promise to continue preaching and teaching God’s word to the best of my ability. I ask you to continue to be receptive to God’s will and I believe we will continue to grow and be the church where the Lord is worshipped and His people are changed. I love you guys!

May God bless you and may God keep you. That is my prayer.

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reetings church family. As always I am excited to share with all of you through this column. I pray that each and every one of you is doing well and enjoying this Christian life. It is exciting to see what God is doing at the New Beginnings Fellowship Church. I am encouraged by the many testimonies and stories of blessings many of you have shared with me.

Our God is awesome!

Recently, due to daylight savings time, we all had to change our clocks. This is the time of year where we “spring forward” and set our clocks ahead one hour. While this change may have caused some of you to be late for church that first week (lol!), it is a great thing to

From the First Lady allow us more daylight to accomplish our tasks and works.

I think this is a wonderful approach to take when it comes to ministry. This is the time where we should “spring forward” and do all that we can in ministry. We should utilize this new season to explore new opportunities and ways we can better serve the Lord.

The bible tells us that we should do the work of the Lord while it is daylight. In other words, now is the time. Do not delay doing what God has for you to do. Now that the season is changing and the weather is getting better, let us waste no more time. Let’s do the work of the Lord.

Spring is also a time of cleaning and reorganizing. Many of us will

go through our closets and rearrange things. We will throw out things that we no longer use to make room for new things. That is exactly what we should do in our spiritual lives as well. Now is the time to get rid of things, habits and even people that are hindering us from serving. Let us make room for new things that God wants us to do and accomplish in this year.

Family, I am so looking forward to the rest of the year. I pray that you examine yourselves and do some “spring cleaning” in your lives.

Make room for God to do some amazing things. Let us use this time of spring to go forward and expand our capacity to do more.

Lady Tara Jackson

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A Note From The Editor “I know the plans I have for you, announces the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIRV)

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reetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On behalf of the Visions of Glory Magazine Ministry, we are so very thankful to be able to say “Happy Birthday” New Beginnings!!! New Beginnings is now “11” years old! As we continue on the journey the Lord has prepared for us, let us not forget how far we have come. New Beginnings started out worshipping the Lord in the Fall Creek Valley Middle School Auditorium. Now, with blessings of the Lord, we worship in a “debt free” worship facility for three services on the east side of Indianapolis and have a fourth service on the west side of Indianapolis at Guion

Creek Middle School. From the beginning to 2015, thousands of people and families have given their lives to Jesus Christ and embarked on a “New Beginning.” Hallelujah!

God is truly amazing and His mercy endureth forever. Our 11th Birthday Celebration was awesome. A huge thank you goes out to the speakers, Bishop Derek Triplett of Hope Fellowship Church, Daytona Beach, Florida and Dr. Lance Watson of Saint Paul’s Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia. They blessed us tremendously!! Also, the guest Psalmists, National Recording Artists Trent Cory and Anita Wilson, Heartland Worship and the New Beginnings Choir ushered in a wor-

V.O.G. Section Writers Contributors

Photography

Mark Davis Brenda Ellis Tionda Harris Mary F. Howard-Hamilton Melissa Jones Serita Kent Charmaine Little Fulljahan Morin Darnesha Riffe Kia Watkins-Robinson

Carl Williams Andrea Smith Stephanie Bowens Harvey Brooks Elwood Reams Michael May Cedric Merritt

Graphic Designer Tuane Hearn

ship and praise atmosphere each night that blessed us all as well.

See the article and photographs inside. Thank you to all that visited and celebrated with us!

During this quarter, we also honored “All Tithers” month in February, continued our tradition of 40 days of corporate fasting and prayer beginning February 25, and baptized nearly 40 people. Finally, upon reading this edition, you will see highlights of our Men’s, Women, Singles and Marriage Ministry Kick-Off events for 2015. We hope that you enjoy this edition. Blessings…

Alma J. Phillips Burrus, Managing Editor

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By: Charmaine Little

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t was surely a celebration at the 10:45 a.m. service on Sunday February 15!

Nearly 40 people made their commitment to Christ official when they were baptized in an action Pastor Jackson calls “making public what has already been done in private.”

It was so awesome to see the families, friends and supporters of the dozens of people as they stepped out in faith and made it clear they wanted to serve Christ. They were met with cheers, claps and even a standing ovation from their proud new brothers and sisters in Christ when they reentered the sanctuary after the choir lead the audience in praise and worship.

Pastor Jackson’s message was also right on time for those who were baptized. He continued his sermon from the previous Thursday called “It’s Not As Bad As You Think.”

He taught from Acts 8:1-8 and encouraged the congregation to remember that no matter how extreme the situation might seem, it is never as bad as it seems.

He urged everyone to keep the right perspective and added that optimism in any situation (such as seeing the glass half full versus half empty) is one of the best ways to stay on track and consistent with Christ. He ended by telling the audience to never let circumstances cause them to speak negatively of themselves, their situation and especially God. This sermon wasn’t only great for the newly baptized to hear, but it served as a timely reminder for others who have been a part of the body of Christ for years.

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By: Fulljahan Morin

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hen I arrived at 7:00pm, Friday, February 20, 2015, the delicious aroma of pizza had made its way to NBFC lobby. Many couples were already enjoying the pizza, salad, lemonade, and desserts with their children who were on their best behavior, and exhibiting good manners. At approximately 7:30pm, the couples here for Marriage Night quickly left the room.

Not one child could be heard protesting their leaving. Popcorn was passed out as the children waited for the movie to begin: How to Train a Dragon 2, while the teens watched the movie God is Not Dead. Their attention was occupied for quite a bit of the movie.

Parents arrived in the nick of time as the children started to get restless, some turning to more active pursuits like Hide n’ Seek. All in all, it was a good night for kids.

Hopefully it was a good night for the parents as well.

While many of them let their children and teens enjoy the movie night, several married couples participated in the After I Say I Do Marriage Ministry’s kickoff event.

Min. Bobby and Valerie Baker spoke and helped our couples understand how to manage the “Four Seasons of Marriage.” Taking tips from the book by Gary Chapman of the same name, the Bakers shared many of their personal experiences to help improve the marriages of those in attendance.

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“Four Different Experiences” By: Brenda J. Ellis, Mary F. Howard-Hamilton, Darnesha Riffe, and Kia Watkins-Robinson

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appy Birthday New Beginnings Fellowship Church (New B)! Everyone, including Darnesha, was filled with excitement and praise as New B kicked off their 11th Year Birthday Celebration.

Members and guests were greeted by the Spirit of the Lord as they entered into Guion Creek Middle School for the 9:30 a.m. Westside service to worship and praise God for 11 years as a ministry.

Guest Psalmist, Trent Cory, lead the congregation in praise and worship with praise anthems like “Mighty God,” We Praise Your Name,” and “Awesome Wonder.” He also shared with us a new song that reminded us all that Jesus “Made A Way” for all to come before the throne of grace.

All hearts and minds were ready to hear the Word – and what a Word it was! Bishop Derek Tripett from Hope Fellowship Church in Daytona Beach, Florida was the guest speaker who preached with boldness, under the anointing of God the “Reasons for Greatness.”

Coming from 2Chronicles 2:5,Bishop Triplett

inspired New B to be great because our God is great.

He shared with us three reasons why we should Be Great and they are: Be great because you are a reflection of God’s greatness, Be great out of respect for God, Be great as a reference for God! There was also excitement in the atmosphere and a spiritual buzz that could not be contained at the 10:45 a.m. Sunday service. Worshippers were entering New Beginnings East to continue the three-day birthday celebration. Mary asked a few members how they felt about the New B’s success and greeter Lonnie Abram said “It is a blessing to be here with Pastor Jackson”. Brenda Yates asked me if I had enough paper to write about her excitement. Overall, she said New B has “The best first family ever!” There was also a member, Butch Bundrant, who has attended every birthday celebration since year one and he said “I will not miss the 11th!”

The 11th Birthday Celebration began with the melodic voices of a meticulously clad choir wearing black and turquoise along with the praise dancers bringing the congregation to their feet quickly singing “Praise to the Only Living God.” Trent Cory, the inspirational guest psalmist, returned for the fourth time to celebrate New B’s birthday and he shared that we have “the most beautiful congregation in all America.” Cory’s musical performance moved the congregation to shouts of “Amen” segueing into

Bishop Derek Triplett’s sermon. Using the metaphor of having ingredients in a sealed jar, once it is closed nothing can penetrate nor tamper with it. As worshippers we are preserved, sealed, not tainted, and in a purified state until God decides to open us up. We are strengthened, sealed and secured walking in confidence because searching, hoping, and dreaming are no longer necessary. Do not stress because your new word is AMEN! Members and guests attending the Monday, 7:00 p.m. service also experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Brenda experienced the effect of all hearts, bodies and souls united as one, bonded by the songs of praises to God by the Psalm of Judah, the Heartland Church Praise Team and Guest Psalmist, Anita Wilson.

The atmosphere was set to receive the Word from our guest Pastor, Dr. Lance Watson from The St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia who delivered his message from Genesis 37: 23-25. His message, “You Will Get Through This,” revealed the life of Joseph who was molded by pain while developing his personal knowledge of God. The story of Joseph revealed traits of a dysfunctional family. Joseph had the gift of interpreting dreams and was the apple of his father’s eye. He shared his dreams with his brothers and this caused his brothers to become jealous. Filled with envy, his brothers sold him into slavery and Joseph was thrown into a pit. Pastor Watson warned us not to forget the power

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of envy.

He revealed to the congregation that Joseph used the pit to develop his character and this positioned him to become what God had already planned for him to be.

Pits have no easy exits but it forces us to look up. We all had an “Amen” moment when we realized who we see while looking up, God. Pastor Watson also revealed that being in the pits will not be painless, absence of trouble, and won’t be quick, but God can use evil for good. What the enemy designs to destroy us, God uses it to recycle us in order to restore us. So fitting that Pastor Watson left us with this simple but strong message, keep “But God” in our sentences and prayers. Your individual pit may be unemployment, financial problems or family issues, but stand firm that God, with love and grace, He will deliver you from your pits. God can do all things but fail!

The challenge to “Sound the War Cry” was Mia’s experience. If it wasn’t for modern day construction, Dr. Lance Watson would have blown the roof right off of New Beginnings Fellowship Church (New B) during the 11th year celebration of our

God’s house! As always, Dr. Watson gave a confirmation of our Lord and Savior’s unconditional love and reassurance of His plan and purpose for our lives. No matter the scenario or the circumstance, our “destiny’s intact”. No matter the level of adversity or the obstacles faced, our “destinies are intact”.

At the Tuesday 7:00 p.m. service, the New B family was once again on fire with the Holy Spirit’s presence as Dr. Lance Watson brought the word forward in only a way that he could. God reassures us in (Deuteronomy 28:1-68) that if no other word or plan is secure, His is a promise that will always be kept.

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.

Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds

and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl...”

So when you are going ‘through’ remember the words of Dr. Lance Watson from this day of celebration, “You Cannot Lose Your Destiny”. “The moment you decide to say, yes, it increases your direction and enhances your potential.” You are somebody and a child of destiny! “Cultivate constructive discontent” and “Sound the war cry!” Your destiny is intact! Be blessed family.

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By: Serita Kent

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he Singles Ministry hosted Life Class: Desires of a Godly Man featuring a panel of four young, awesome men of God. Ms. Hazel Owens of CoCo’s Couch served as the moderator for this event. Our distinguished panel featured; Pastor Jay Johnson of Eastern Star Church, Minister Will Speed of Living Water Fellowship Church, New B’s own Minister Antonio Patterson, and founder of The Bridge Leadership Foundation, Minister Chris Davis of New Direction Church.

Each panelist brought a unique perspective to the meaning of a godly man.The men of God addressed some very interesting issues that many single men, and the women seeking those men, may face. Pastor Johnson expressed his vision of godliness as a man that first and foremost has a relationship with God and spirituality

being a top priority. Being able to seek God in everything he does is equally important. Each panelist was able to share their individual experiences during times that they did not consider themselves to be “godly”.

The ministers were asked to share their own desires for their ministry, relationships and family. Minister Chris Davis shared that his desire in ministry was to bridge the gap between generations. Minister Will wants to take the religiousness out of the act of going to church and focus on building relationships with God. Minister Chris and Pastor Jay both expressed the need to reconnect to this newer generation and bring fun back into church.

Minister Antonio spoke of the need to be a “preaching machine” and moving ministering beyond the pulpit and ministering everywhere he goes.

The question of exactly what a man of God desires in a woman was no challenge for the panel.

The ministers all shared the same views on the importance of a praying woman who is patient as well as understanding of the call placed on their lives.

Some of the audience members were also asked to share their experience of operating as a man of God without their covering (wife). All of the pastors agreed that being able to avoid certain situations was instrumental during their journey, as well as prayer and focus. Many of the panelists also have a mentor or friend that advised them of how to handle or even avoid certain situations.

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By: Mark Davis

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n football, between each play, each team goes back to “huddle up”. It is in the huddle that the team receives instructions and corrections from the coach, as well as talk to one another about what is going on. At New Beginnings Fellowship Church, the H.U.D.D.L.E. is a mentoring program for the church’s young men who are in at least the 5th grade.

In this H.U.D.D.L.E., the young men had a chance to interact with the brothers from Sons with Authority and Truth (S.W.A.T.) Men’s Ministry to hear life lessons, receive advice, ask questions, and also just to discuss what life is like as a Christian male.

On February 28, the H.U.D.D.L.E. and S.W.A.T. ministries held their 2015 kick-off event. This group of men, some young and some more seasoned, started their morning with a Daniel Fast friendly meal and then heard a powerful word from Pastor James A. Jackson, Sr. Pastor Jackson spoke of the challenges of being a Godly man and how God can use anyone to get glory. The example he gave was of Nehemiah, who was a cup-bearer to the king. The cup-bearer is the equivalent to a modern waiter or bartender. Despite his humble beginnings, God used him to rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem.

Following the word, the men engaged in table discussions where they each answered the question,

“What does a Godly man look like?” Each table chose one of the young men to be their representative and shared their table’s thoughts with the entire group.

The way the young men broke down their thoughts on a Godly man and articulated them was inspiring and showed the bright future of our next generation.

At the end of this meeting was a question and answer period with Pastor Jackson. Questions came from men of all ages and some of the most insightful questions were from the youth.

Why is it so important to raise Godly men, you may ask? Here are some statistics that might show why it is necessary to build up our young men: • Only 54% of African American students graduate high school, compared to more than ¾ white and Asian students • African American male students, grades K-12, are 2 ½ times more likely to be suspended from school than white students

• Black males make up just 5.5% of college students while Black males make up nearly 40% of the prison population These are just a few cultural and social reasons. The most important reasons are spiritual.

To paraphrase Pastor Jackson, if we can train our men and young men to be the men that God has called them to be, our families will be better, our churches will be better, and our communities will be better. Amen!

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By: Tionda Harris

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he Women of Purpose (WOP) Ministry wants to help you pick up the momentum with their monthly meetings of fun, connection, and glorification. It is the Women of Purpose’s mission to minister to the total woman (mind, body, spirit) by meeting both their spiritual and social needs. But it doesn’t stop here.

It is the Young Women of Purpose’s (YWOP) mission to minister to the young ladies the importance of having God-

ly women mentors and stress that this is a safe place. We understand the stage of life they are in and we are here to help and support them in the most loving way possible while building a stronger relationship with God. On Friday, February 27, at the All White Snowball Affair, power was regained and strength was found for the women and young ladies of New Beginnings Fellowship Church. The young ladies were escorted to another room for the 1st YWOP

group session receiving their special message based on the question, “Who Are You?” For New Beginnings’ 1st YWOP gathering, two questions were raised for each young lady to think about after the scripture was read: “Who Are You?” and “Who Are You In God’s Eyes?” The YWOP mentors shared with the young ladies that we understood they are challenged by social media and peers to depend on them to tell them who they are. But they were encouraged to ask

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God to show them the way for their lives and ask Him to reveal what is right and who He says they are. The young ladies were also encouraged to take time each day to journal and search the Bible for other scriptures that tell them who God says they are.

Teaching from John 4, Lady Tara Jackson delivered a word of God’s love and acceptance to the women. In the story of the Samaritan woman, she was able to change her perception of Jesus from being just a

Jew to a Prophet. Through her knowing that what God has conversation and dialogue she planned, ordained and estabsaw him first as a Jew, then fi- lished is within. nally as a prophet. When we focus on having honest communication with God, we develop a stronger connection with Him. Lady Tara posed the question, “how stroing is your connection with God.” This was just the first step in the kickoff toward Kingdom Expansion with each stride building a strong connection, allowing oneself to be stretched by God and boldly

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By: Charmaine Little

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ew Beginnings’ Worship and Arts Ministry had an amazing time at a special praise and worship workshop in early March. It was a day full of fellowship, fun and of course tips and lessons on how to set the atmosphere for God’s presence to enter in every service. Members of various ministries such as the dance team, Psalms of Judah Choir and media team united to work on a common goal together; just a day before New Beginnings’ 11th Birthday Celebration kicked off.

Singing sensation and New B favorite Trent Cory joined the cause for the second half of the session. He went beyond reviewing songs he planned to sing with the worship ministries for

the church’s birthday festivities. He also provided a great reminder of how important it is to maintain a pure heart while worshipping. He used an example of a visitor entering the sanctuary on a Sunday morning and choosing to focus on one member of the choir or a performer on the dance team during praise and worship. It could be for a reason as simple as liking the blouse or shirt they have on. Whatever the case, that worshipper (as well as their attitude) could play a key factor in the visitor receiving what God has for them. Mr. Cory encouraged the ministries to keep in mind that they could be the only Jesus someone in the audience sees.

The awesome session was closed out by none other than Pastor James Jackson. He spoke briefly and urged listeners to remember their personal assignments from God as they minister to the Lord and the congregation.

He reminded the ministry leaders and members of a time during his college years when God gave him a very specific assignment that he has pursued whole heartedly to this day. He shared insight on why it is important for worship ministries to do the same. The workshop ended with each heart full and ready to walk out their duties God has assigned. It was certainly a call to action for New Beginnings Worship and Arts Ministries.

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By: Rodney Cork

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he Chapel was filled to capacity on Friday January 16th as over 90 people attended the 2015 New Beginnings Fellowship Church Leadership Academy. This group of current and potential leaders participated in classes, workshop and activities to prepare them for future roles at the church.

The Leadership Academy started the first night with a group activity. Participants broke up into groups and came up with their definition of a Christian Leader. While there were several responses, the consensus was that at Christian Leader is there to serve the people whom they lead.

Dr. James Anthony Jackson gave the group an overview of Christian Leadership as it relates to New Beginnings. He relayed the requirements for leadership at New B and described what Chris-

tian Leadership looks like.

Over the next few sessions, the participants examined the Spiritual Gifts necessary for a leader to understand and possess. They also examined the leadership style of Jesus as a basis for Christian Leadership.

The group returned on Saturday February 7th for a final session.

This session was led by Elder Frank Stone of Crossroads Bible College. He taught and explained the requirements for Christian Leadership from a biblical perspective. The class was very impressed with his experience and knowledge and enjoyed his teaching style that included many real life examples.

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