February 2020 NEXT

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Groups launch this month! Find yours at ncc.re/groups

NEW TO NCC? We want to meet you, answer your questions, and show you how to get connected.

Visit the Connections Table

Fill out the tearout card in this issue

OR

OR

Go to ncc.re/connect

GET INVOLVED — Jump into life at NCC! New to faith? Pick up a Next Steps booklet at the Connections Table. ncc.re/nextsteps Join a group. ncc.re/groups Join a local or global mission team. ncc.re/onmissioneveryday Join a team and serve at your campus. ncc.re/team

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Interested in joining the NCC team? ncc.re/jobs 2

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February 2020

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Note from

Pastor Mark & Lora The middle “C” in NCC stands for COMMUNITY. It’s more than our middle name. It’s how we become who God wants us to be, how we get where God wants us to go! God has given us two families. The first family is biological. Our second family is spiritual, the church. Neither family is perfect. In fact, far from it. Community is Messy. That would make a great book title, wouldn’t it?

Do you know why C.S. Lewis went to church?

It’s not because he loved the songs. It’s not because he liked the people. Lewis went to church because he was afraid that if he didn’t, he’d fall into what he called “solitary conceit.”

I certainly hope you enjoy the worship at NCC. More than that, I hope you find community.

Why? It’s how we overcome solitary conceit and solitary confinement. Spirituality is a team sport. We make up the body of Christ, the bride of Christ.

The month of February is a great time to check out a small group at NCC. We’ve got lots of options to choose from! Prayerfully pick a group, any group, and step into community at NCC.

Next Contents 2 Welcome 4

Groups at NCC

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What’s Going On

7 Practicing The Jesus Way 8

Why We Sing

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NCC Families

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Coming Up at NCC

Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor Lora Batterson nationalcommunity.com

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GROUPS AT NCC: THE BASICS Groups run on a semester schedule:

Spring Fall

Summer

We have groups for: Co-Ed

Families

Couples

Students

Groups meet throughout DC, VA, and MD from Gainesville to Baltimore. Group Directors are available to advise you at each NCC campus.

TYPES OF GROUPS:

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January 2020

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT GROUP: 1. Pray First Pray and reflect on where you are right now in your spiritual journey.

Ask God to guide you to the right group for this season.

2. Do the Research Look on the web at ncc.re/groups.

Consult with your campus Groups director. Find their contact info at ncc.re/groups, or connect with them in person at your campus.

3. Narrow it Down.

Identify 3-4 groups that pique your interest. Email the leaders directly to learn more.

4. Take a Chance It’s okay to visit before you commit!

Group leaders expect and welcome this—feel free to try different groups before you settle in.

5. Commit Even if it doesn’t feel perfect, make a commitment to engage with this group for the semester.

6. Contribute & Lean In! The more you put in, the more you’ll grow.

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WHAT’S GOING ON

Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Training Seminar Saturday, February 29 Ebenezers Coffeehouse Register at ncc.re/sozotraining Spend a day with us to learn the Sozo prayer method. Sozo is one of the most effective prayer tools we’ve used.

Participants will receive a workbook included in their registration fee. Registration and payment must be received to reserve a seat. Chick-Fil-A included.

Space is limited. Limited scholarships are available.

Registration is $60. To learn more about Sozo, email lilly.cook@theaterchurch.com

Kickoff: February 24, 7:00pm Dinner Provided If you’re questioning your faith, returning to faith, or just exploring what you believe—the Alpha Course is a great place to start. Alpha explores the Christian faith and is designed for conversation, questions, and community around a meal. It’s free, and all are welcome! Can’t make the live course?

Join our new online Alpha from the comfort of your own home!

Alpha Online (via Zoom) Kickoff: Monday, February 24 @ 7pm Sign up at ncc.re/alphaonline

Second Saturday Serve

Freshmen of the City

Saturday, February 8 ncc.re/secondsaturday

Begins Tuesday, February 11 Register here: ncc.re/freshmen

Second Saturday Serve: DC - Rally and project overview at 9:30 am at Ebenezers Coffeehouse Performance Space.

Are you new to DC and between the ages of 18 and 30? Join us to learn from seasoned leaders about your career and calling. Engage in meaningful small-group community with your peers. Learn to live and share your faith for a lifetime!

Second Saturday Serve: VA Alexandria- Potomac Yard Movie Theaters 9am Arlington- Chick Fil A Ballston Quarter 9am Gainesville- Email pam.gilray@theaterchurch.com

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The Alpha Course

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February 2020

PRACTICING

THE JESUS WAY

WORSHIPING, LEARNING, AND LIVING IT OUT TOGETHER • LENT 2020 The Jesus Way | Weekend Teaching Series focusing on the ways of Jesus, beginning February 22/23 The Jesus Way | A Daily Guide practices, passages, and prayers to engage throughout the week.

The Jesus Way | Live Album Recording Event join NCC Worship Wednesday, February 26. See page 9.

The Jesus Way | NCC Worship’s New Album releasing a new album of songs written for our church.

The 40-day season of Lent is a time to reflect, repent, and pray as a way of preparing our hearts for Easter. Lent is an opportunity to get out of routine, re-center ourselves on God, and pursue the Jesus Way. Throughout this season, we’re going to be setting aside time, both collectively and as individuals, to respond and to dive deeper into who Jesus is and who we are in him. One thing is for sure, you can’t walk the Jesus way alone. So, grab a friend, schedule some time with your family, or join a group as we learn the ways of Jesus together.

Our entire church is coming together this Lent to practice the Jesus Way in our personal devotional lives. Sign up to receive a short guide each Monday through Friday beginning the week of February 23 with opportunities to worship, explore our identity in light of who God is, and experiment with spiritual practices to better live on mission wherever we are.

New practices each day: guided prayer • scripture readings • lectio divina • devotionals • videos.

Sign up here: ncc.re/TheWay

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WHY WE SING

By Worship Pastor Chris Douglas We worship God in everything we do.

Romans 12 says, “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (The Message). But there is something undeniably special when we offer our songs together to God in worship.

The verb “to sing” is used over 60 times throughout scripture. The Bible not only invites and prescribes singing, but we read that often song is a compulsory response to coming into contact with the life-changing presence of God. But why songs and why sing when we gather?

If you are anything like me, the majority of your time and mental energy is spent obsessing over one thing: self. We are consumed by self-interest. We are driven by self betterment. At the core of our human nature lies an idolatry issue.

Worship reorients the posture of our hearts. As we sing songs of praise and worship, we are taking our eyes off of our ourselves and fixing them back on God where they should be.

With every line, we are rewiring our

January 2020 88 // February 2020

self-centered nature and reinstating God back on the throne of our lives.

The beautiful part is if we fix our eyes on God long enough, we realize that His eyes are fixed upon us. The King of the Universe obsessed with you!

There is no part of your life that He is unconcerned with. There is no area of your life where He would not want you to experience His life-giving presence.

It’s no surprise that we are exhorted to sing a new song. Studies show that it takes us hearing something at least seven times before we internalize and understand. Likewise, by the time we have sung a song 21 times, we are no longer thinking about what we are singing. If worship is our corporate tool of rooting out idolatry in our lives, we must sing a new song!

We are excited to invite you to be a part of recording the new songs that have come out of NCC over these last 2 years. On February 26, we will record live our next record, The Jesus Way. We hope you’ll be there to worship with us. Make sure to reserve your tickets at ncc.re/livealbum. ●

THE JESUS WAY

A LIVE ALBUM RECORDING Come together to begin the season of Lent with a special night of worship as we record our new album, The Jesus Way, live at Capital Turnaround.

“

The Jesus Way is songs we’ve written for our church. We’d love to have you pour out your praise with us as we record them live. Our prayer is that these songs lead you more fully into the presence of Jesus.

- Worship Pastor Chris Douglas

WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 26, 7PM - 10PM CAPITAL TURNAROUND

”

RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKETS: NCC.RE/LIVEALBUM nationalcommunity.com

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Groups

NCC FAMILIES

Spring Semester Launches Now! ncc.re/groups

Whether you’re looking for a Bible study, a family-oriented community, or a crew to go hiking with, we’ve got a group for that! The spring semester will launch February 9.

A1:8 Missions

NCC Kids (birth-5th grade)

Camp KidJam Calling all 2nd-5th graders! Mark your calendars for Camp KidJam. You don’t want to miss an incredible week of jam sessions, small groups, fun games and memories to last a lifetime! This year’s camp is July 7-10 in Virginia Beach, VA. Please note the date change. The cost is $395 per child. Email kids@theaterchurch.com for info.

Baseline Baseline is our faith foundations small group for elementary aged kids and their parents. This semester, it will be offered at the Capital Turnaround. Ask your campus Kids Director for more information or email kids@theaterchurch.com.

Join a 2020 Mission Team

As we start a new year, take some time to pray about joining a mission team—building long-term relationships that allow us to partner with, learn from, and serve our brothers and sisters around the world. Visit ncc.re/missionteams to learn more.

Join a Team

NCC Youth (6th-12th grade)

Join the Prayer Team prayer@theaterchurch.com Do you love to pray for people?

Each NCC campus has a prayer team. Through prayer, we create safe spaces for people to encounter the love of God during services. We also provide personal prayer for people after services and pray for our campus during the week.

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February 2020

At NCC Youth we love to be advocates of students and partners with parents. Do you have a child in 6-12th grade? We provide a safe place for students to feel known, discuss real topics, find mentorship, and develop meaningful friendships. We meet at four different locations Sundays and Wednesdays. For more info, email brooke.perry@theaterchurch.com.

Subscribe to the monthly Parent Insider:

kidsofncc

Learn, be inspired, get encouraged:

therealnccyouth

kids@theaterchurch.com parentshareblog.com

COMING UP AT NCC

Learn more at ncc.re/now

Monday, February 3

Deeper Night of Worship

Friday, February 7

NCC Marriage Matters | Date Night

Saturday, February 8

Second Saturday Serve

Sunday, February 9

Spring Semester Groups Begin

Sunday, February 9

Baltimore Mission Team Info Meeting

Sunday, February 9

Baptisms at NCC-Capitol Hill, and NCC-VA campuses

Tuesday, February 11

Freshmen of the City Kicks Off

Sunday, February 16

Baptisms at NCC-Lincoln

Sunday, February 16

Ghana, Haiti Mission Team Info Meetings

Monday, February 17

The Alpha Course begins

Thursday, February 20

Black History Month Screening of “The Best of Enemies”

Sunday, February 23

Thailand Mission Team Info Meeting

Wednesday, February 26

NCC Worship Live Album Recording

Wednesday, February 26

Ash Wednesday/Lent Begins

Saturday, February 29

Sozo Prayer training

Sponsored by DC Dream Center and Miracle Theatre

3 Ways To Give “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

theaterchurch.com/giving TXT “$(amount) NCC” to 45777 Cash or Check

(Find offering envelopes at the Connections Table)

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WEEKLY GATHERINGS AT NCC CAMPUSES God created us to support, encourage, and rely on one another. Find community each week at NCC. Worship • Be transformed, inspired, and filled as you come into the presence of God Learn • Grow in faith as we hear teaching from the Bible we can apply to our lives Connect • Develop meaningful relationships and grow in community Go • Get equipped to love and serve each other, our neighborhoods, and around the world

BARRACKS ROW Saturday Nights, 5pm Pastor Marion Mason — theaterchurch.com/barracksrow Washington, DC

E-news: ncc.re/enewsBarracksSat •

Facebook Group: Barracks Row Saturday Night NCCers

CAPITOL HILL

Sundays, 9am & 11am Pastor Joel Schmidgall — theaterchurch.com/capitolhill E-news: ncc.re/enewsCapHill •

Facebook Group: Capitol Hill NCCers

LINCOLN THEATRE Sundays, 10:30am Pastor Dave Schmidgall — theaterchurch.com/lincoln E-news: ncc.re/enewsLincoln •

Facebook Group: Lincoln Theatre NCCers

BALLSTON

Sundays, 9:30am & 11am Pastor Jenni Clayville — theaterchurch.com/ballston E-news: ncc.re/enewsBallston •

Facebook Group: Ballston NCCers

GAINESVILLE Sundays, 10am

Virginia

Pastor Robb Schmidgall — theaterchurch.com/gainesville E-news: ncc.re/enewsgvemail •

Join our Facebook Group: Gainesville NCCers

KINGSTOWNE Sundays, 9am & 10:30am Pastor Marion Mason — theaterchurch.com/kingstowne E-news: ncc.re/enewsKT •

Facebook Group: Kingstowne NCCers

POTOMAC YARD Sundays, 10am Pastor Jon Vaughan — theaterchurch.com/potomacyard E-news: ncc.re/enewsPY •

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