IMPORTANCE OF BIBLE READING

Bible reading should be an important part of our daily lives. Pastor Rick Warren wrote, “The Bible teaches that we cannot be disciples of Jesus Christ if we do not have a regular intake of the Word of God.”

John Charles (or J.C.) Ryle (1816–1900) was born at Macclesfield and was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford. He was a fine athlete who rowed and played Cricket for Oxford, where he took a first class degree in Greats and was offered a college fellowship (teaching position) that he declined. The son of a wealthy banker, he was destined for a career in politics before answering a call to ordained ministry. He became the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool and was a prolific writer and speaker.

In an article titled “Bible Reading,” he wrote:

Next to praying there is nothing so important in practical religion as Bible-reading. God has mercifully given us a book which is ‘able to make [us] wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 3:15). By reading that book we may learn what to believe, what to be, and what to do; how to live with comfort, and how to die in peace. Happy is that man who possesses a Bible! Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it, but obeys it, and makes it the rule of his faith and practice!

If what J.C. Ryle wrote is true, then why do so many people find it hard to consistently read the Bible? Some say the language is too hard, some can’t find connection in reading random and short snippets. Some try hard, but can’t get past the lines of genealogies, lists of rules and duplicate stories and events.

            The Story provides a solution to all those objections. It is developed so any person can read the Bible as one seamless story from beginning to end. The Story is condensed into thirty-one accessible chapters and it sweeps the reader into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events. It’s arranged chronologically from Genesis to Revelation. It uses clear, accurate and easy-to-understand language to communicate the Truth and revelation of God’s story.

The Story is excellent for personal reading, but it’s also available for church-wide use. The Story Church Campaign has all the resources necessary for everyone (from young children to seniors) to participate in a unifying and personally gratifying experience.

            The Story is coming to NBCC in 2013!

MAKE THE WALLS COME DOWN

The Story Church Campaign offers a number of ways for churches to make the walls fall down when it comes to their people’s understanding and knowledge of the Bible.

Mark Coughlin, Senior Pastor of Immanuel Church in Lake Forest, MN shared an example of this recently with us:

“Our Children’s ministry researched the dimensions and size of the wall of Jericho. They had the kids cut paper in one foot squares and taped them together. After worship service, our folks saw our children’s leader bring in a 30 foot extension ladder. The kids filed in carrying a train of paper “bricks.” With the ladder against the wall, our leader put the papers up. It was a stunning visual of the actual wall height (27 feet) in Jericho. It brought The Story (and God’s story) to life because little things like this stick in people’s minds.

Pastor Coughlin adds, “People are hungry to learn what the Bible is all about.”

The Story Church Campaign is a fully-resourced program that will help your people connect with the Bible and God’s story of redemption. Because of its flexible, yet all-encompassing program, you can be creative, like Immanuel church and others, in the way you help you people connect and experience God’s story.

The Story is coming to NBCC and will make the walls fall down!

“THE STORY”… COMING TO NBCC IN 2013

What Pastors and Church Leaders Say

"I have loved The Story series. It has been a great journey for me, for my preaching, and for our members. We have had visitors throughout the entire series and have given over 100 books away... Getting God's word into people hands is always a good thing!"
Tim Halstead, Senior Pastor

New Life Community Church

Odessa, TX

"Quite often I have been asked what The Story is. What I tell questioners is that The Story is a condensed chronological account of the Bible telling the story of creation, what went wrong, and how all will be made right again. Who God is, who we are, and the meaning and purpose of life."
Jim Barker, Adult Sunday School Teacher

Oak Hills Church

San Antonio, TX

SPARKING CONVERSATION

"We’re excited about The Story. It has our church talking about the Bible more than anything else. It offers an opportunity for the congregation to gel. It really becomes the watercolor conversation!"
Mark Whitlock, Pastor
Christ Our Redeemer, A.M.E. Church
Irvine, California

LOVING SCRIPTURE

“So many people simply did not have a grasp of the biblical narrative, let alone how it all fits together. Our groups also loved it as we followed the preaching track – giving them a year of growth together.”
Eric Camfield
Christ Church of Oak Brook
Oak Brook, IL

CONNECTING FAMILIES

“We have enjoyed walking through the Bible in a chronological manner. In addition, we have LOVED being on the same page as our parents.”
Julie Chors, Director of Children’s Ministry
Hosanna Church
Lakeville, MN

UNITING CONGREGATIONS

“The campaign resources have been an incredible plus. This has really given our church a united focus and we are becoming more united because of it.”
Derek Stemen, Senior Pastor
Ohio City United Methodist Church
Ohio City, OH

DRAWING SEEKERS

“People began literally parking illegally in the access roads to participate in the experience.”
Max Lucado, Minister of Preaching
Oak Hills Church
San Antonio, TX

OUTREACH

"We were told that Debbie’s parents (one of our members) visited our church on Week 1 of The Story, and were so thrilled with what they were seeing and hearing that morning that they went out and bought copies of The Story for their whole church."

Davida Lambert
Oak Hills Church

San Antonio, TX

"As a whole, The Story increased our church's biblical literacy. So many people simply did not have a grasp of the biblical narrative, let alone how it all fits together. It also brought awareness of the value of regularly reading Scripture as a spiritual discipline."

Eric Camfield
Christ Church

Oakbrook, IL

GROWTH

"We are already seeing almost a 20% increase in attendance. Not only are our members excited, we are seeing a lot of new faces all of a sudden. We are bracing for the fact that we have underestimated crowds. We're currently packing out our 1200 seat facility and we only have one service going now."
Travis Eades, Worship Pastor

Southwest Church of Christ

Jonesboro, AR

YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

"We have LOVED being on the same page as our parents. That is a connection that cannot be beat."
Julie Cohrs, Director of Children's Ministry

Hosanna Church

Lakeville, MN

"The Story has had an amazing impact on the level of comprehension our students have of the Bible. They can now see the big picture so much easier in the Old Testament than they did before. They feel they have a better grasp on the Bible itself, and can now see ONE connected story."
Crysty Kimberlin, Youth Leader

Preston Rd. Church of Christ

Dallas, TX

"Many of our teens are reading the Bible for the first time. They are engaged in the learning process and are asking good questions. Several of them have started discussion groups outside the church (in their homes) for their school friends."
Youth Ministry Leader

Bay Harbour United Methodist Church

League City, TX

SMALL GROUPS

"Everything we've been using has been OUTSTANDING! The discussion questions for small groups are stimulating. We can spend an entire hour on three of the ten questions. Several of our members plan to use them for personal study. The Story may be one of the most important movements in the city and beyond."
Alana Ownby, Small Group Leader

Oak Hills Church

San Antonio, TX

"The Story provided an amazing synergy and common focus like nothing we have ever done here at Oak Hills. Someone in our small group mentioned that they now have a clear understanding of the terms Upper and Lower Story, and that has made a difference in how they understand the circumstances in their daily lives."
Pat Hile, Small Groups Pastor

Oak Hills Church

San Antonio, TX

Through my eyes...hobbies

Wow…I haven’t written a blog in a while! School is great so far!

Now, the title is my hobbies, right? So let me tell you some hobbies of mine……

1. Writing

2. Reading

3. Socializing

4. Learning

Writing is so great. I have been writing since the 2^nd grade. My teachers have been amazed at my writing skills. There are so many great writers in this world that I admire. In fact, Bethany Jett just finished a book! I would love to write a book some day. What kind? Well, I don’t know. Maybe teen novels….those appeal to me.

Reading…..ah, reading. I have always loved to read. I love reading stories and the stories just make a movie in my head. I see everything happening to ME (not the character) as I go. Especially stories with a great deal of suspense. Suspense captures me and drags me on the end of a line. I hate it, but I love it at the same time in a book.

Socializing is my absolute favorite. I love to talk…it’s a fact. I can basically strike up a convo about nothing with someone and talk for hours. I love people. I am a big socialite, as Justin says. I love to talk and be seen.

Learning is a big one too. I love learning about the past. As a PK, I know that there is so much more to learn about the Bible – even if you are experienced. Recently, our youth group went over the story about how Jesus heals the man who has demons and sends the demons into the pigs! I thought I knew everything about the story. I learned so much about that story, I thought it was totally different! 

Through My Eyes…..I love writing, reading, socializing, and learning. 

Abby!

Through my eyes...

Being Christian….

A new school year has brought many new challenges. 6^th grade is a whole new ball game. Switching classes, 5 different teachers, new curriculum….its all different! But luckily, I have all the classes with my friends and that’s all I could ask for.

One obstacle I had to get past was that I had to make new friends. At school, I am a very open person. I try to be open about my religion also, talking about God in certain classes if I can. That lets people know that I am a Christian. I sometimes get made fun of for being so open about it. Those guys, yes, are my friends, but they just don’t get it. Many of you have seen on Facebook that my friend, Summer, is Greek. She is very, very proud of that. But, she doesn’t believe in God. She told me her mom was a Christian, but stopped believing when her mom got married to her dad, who is from the island of Crete in Greece. My goal this school year is to show her how much I care about her by showing her the love of Jesus. Starting with Facebook. I want her to choose to love God. And I am going to help, in any way I can.

Through my eyes……….People should love God no matter what country they are from!

Abby

Through my eyes...The Olympics

Olympic season is going on and 2012 brought an abundance of great athletes to put on the table. Experienced athletes and new athletes were brought to London to pursue this life long dream. New athletes are probably really proud—and old ones are proud to watch.

The Olympics is a world tradition. Every four years, we watch for hours to see who wins gold, silver, and bronze in our favorite sport. Michael Phelps ended his career with the most medals in Olympic history, the Lochte Nation is rising, Gabby Douglas is the new all-around champ, Missy Franklin got her medals, and Katie Ladecky (The youngest Olympian) won gold in the 800 meter all at the 30^th Olympiad. I can’t imagine being named the best athlete at a sport.  Gold medals? Not in my book there isn’t one. Michael Phelps has like 20 gold medals! All the athletes have endurance and determination. An guts. Swimming, Gymnastics, whatever sport your doing in front of billions with a chance of falling---that takes constant hours of perfecting, practicing, and repeating. I"m proud of U.S.A are you? 

Through my eyes……….Our athletes are hard workers and do the things they love in front of millions.

                                                            ABBY <3

Kristian's Kaleidoscope: The Final Installment

            How truly blessed I am, God has blessed me so much through this internship at NBCC and in my walk with him.  I want to first thank all of the staff. You all were wonderful and dealt with me lovingly. I know there is a special place in heaven for you now. I learned so much from each of you and will take what I have learned and use it to further God’s kingdom. Do not worry your words did not fall on unwilling ears. Your thoughts, ideas, and actions will be used in my life and I am extremely grateful for each lesson I was taught.

            Second, I want to thank the church members for all the love and support. I am still astonished by the welcoming I received from each of you. Not once did I feel unwelcomed or out of place. Everyone was generous to me and received me with warm hearts. I owe you each a sensory thank you. I pray that God will keep you and bless you and may his face shine upon you.

            Third and most importantly, I want to thank my Lord and savoir Jesus Christ for all that he has done for me this summer. I praise him and continually thank him for such a loving and teachable internship. May he be glorified for all that was done in the church and in me.

            I am sad that this is my last blog. This blog was therapeutic in many ways. I was able to vent and express my feelings in ways I never have before. I enjoyed your feedback and was glad to write to an audience who would read my thoughts. Rather than a journal which is so one sided. It was a pleasure to be able to communicate my feelings and ideas with people. People who new me and truly cared about what I had to say. I thank you for reading and taking the time out to hear what I have to say. I hope that you have been blessed by me as I have been so blessed by each of you.

I know that God has a plan for my life and my prayer is that I will fully engage in his kingdom whole hardly without selfish means, so that his gospel is spread to all nations and disciples are made. 

Krisitan Beasley

Former Ministry Intern

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plansI have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosperyou and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

Through My Eyes...hanging with the Jetts!

Summer is already almost over! (Well, for me anyway.) This past week was a little thing I like to call VBS. I have been going to VBS since I was really little. I even have a certificate from when I was only a few months old saying I went to VBS! My summer has been great, starting with BigStuf and I’m ending it with a week of Lake Aurora with my best friend, Miya. 

A few days ago, Bethany Jett invited me over to her house for wings. I said yes. (Of course, I couldn’t pass on wings…) It was basically my first time going over to Bethany’s house as a “Youth Groupie.” I went over there, and I thought it was going to be a lot of people. I walked in and Jedidiah and Josiah were eating while watching Jeremy play Lego Batman on this gigantic screen TV. The Jett boys are all boy...all I can say. They are probably the cutest, squirmiest kids on the planet. So, since Sean, Kagan, and Justin were playing video games, I took the opportunity to play with them. Jedidiah and I played for a while, then Jeremy came in, and little Josey walked in, too. I walked out when Bethany put the kids to bed. Justin, Sean, and Kagan went to get the wings when Janine walked in. Bethany, Natalie, and I were playing a game of Hand and Foot. We squeezed Janine in and played for about another 15 minutes. When the wings came, they were in a big tin basket, almost the length of an oven. They were pretty good wings! We watched a show called Psych. It’s about this dude who pretends to be psychic to solve crimes for the local police. I stayed till about 11 p.m. I had a lot of fun, so I hope I can go over again.

Through my eyes…..I loved going over to the Jett’s house.

                                                                      Abby J

The Golden Years

It all began at a very early age, I think somewhere between 9 and 11. That was when I took my first job selling newspaper subscriptions, then in the fifth grade I bought produce from my neighbor who had a farm, taking the produce in my wagon around the neighborhood and reselling the vegetables and fruit.  In May of 2007 it began to come to fruition.  That is when I turned 59 ½ and the government let me do with my 401k investments as I wanted without penalty.  Then in November of 2009 I hit the magic number of 62 and became SSE (social security eligible).  I put in my paperwork to retire on June 30^th 2010, choosing this date since the company I worked for was changing, reducing and just messing with our retirement money on July 1^st 2010.  Had I known that I was/am this good at doing nothing, I would have planned my retirement much, much sooner.  I say that in jest, as it now seems that I need to return to work just to take a break.  I never had this much going on when I was working and now do not know how I find the time to keep it all going.  God has blessed Kate and I with enough of what we need that we can do many of the things we want to do and because He has blessed Kate with a good paying job that we Pray she can keep till she can retire in April of 2013.  I would urge anyone who reads this (regardless of your age) to attend one of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University courses, I promise you that it will make a great positive difference in your financial situation and the way you handle your finances.  Just as when I worked Monday through Friday and took Saturday off and used Sunday to worship our Lord, I still do the same thing in retirement with a few exceptions.  I now cut some of my neighbors yards during the grass growing season to pick up some extra spending cash, my grand kids spend much of the summer with us and I take them to the water park Monday through Friday (adventure island has a summer pass that is $50.00 and the kids can go every Monday through Friday), we still go to the airport and park on the top level (first hour is free) and watch the planes takeoff and land, riding the long term trolley as a small train going nowhere and then go to the third floor and have breakfast and visit some of the shops.  One of the most special things I get to do now (again, I would urge any and all of you who can, to do this as often as you can) is work for the Church on Tuesday afternoon.  While the Church staff is in their weekly meeting, I get to update some of the reports, prepare drive-in service bulletins, answer the phones and anything else Shirley will let me do.  My Prayer every Tuesday morning is that my work at and for the Church will make my Lord smile (Having done some stupid things before that is not a far reach if He is watching me).  I think sometimes when it sounds like thunder outside, it is really the Lord laughing at me or something I did or said.  I am also able to devote more time to our Missions Program at NBCC and to more easily go when we have trips planned.  One of the more personal things I am able to do in my retirement is read those books I was not able to during my working years.  One last story for you about my retirement.  We do not always have a weekly income  and for decades I have been accustomed to tithing on a weekly basis, not too long back I had no income for the week and could not bear the thought of not writing a tithe check, so I wrote one (my concern was for breaking my habit, since we had plenty of money in the bank to cover the check) and put it in my envelope and went to Church as usual to do my 8:00 AM greeting and pass out bulletins.  In walked two of my favorite people and he handed me a CASH for three times the amount of my tithe to help me pay for the missions trip I was going on.  AIN’T GOD GREAT?!!!!! 

John Hartley

elder 

Krisitan's Kaleidoscope: North American, Microphones & Crazy Kids (Installment 10)

For those of you who were wondering where your ministers were this past week. We were at the North AmericanChristian Convention, and it was incredible! The convention was held in Orlando at the World Marriott hotel. The convention was a week long and consisted of two main sessions a day with several classes to choose from in between. While there, we got to hear such speakers as Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven life, Bob Russell, and Christian comedian Chonda Pierce. The theme for this year was Refreshed, and that’s what we got, refreshed and renewed in the Lord. I have to say out of all the great speakers and classes my favorite part of the trip was getting to spend time with the staff that went. We had a blast together! We even volunteered to help count offering for the NACC, and that’s were we had some of the best times. All who went to the NACC were truly blessed!

Well, I hope you were at the ten-thirty service this Sunday because I got the chance to preach. What an experience and opportunity it is to preach the word of God! I just thank everyone here at NBCC for letting me get the chance to speak. I truly love preaching the word of God.  I preach again at all services on the 29^th so no excuses as to why you cant hear me then. And for all those wondering this time I will check the microphone before I get on stage. For the record, I just want to say I did turn the mic on; it just didn’t work. So not my fault, but all in all I had a great time up there, and I thank you for all your support. I just want to say that I really love speaking here at NBCC and being with you all and the reason is, I feel so loved here. I am not so scared to mess up when I preach, and I don’t get so nervous because I know no matter what, at the end of the day, you all love and care for me.

By the way, last night was our first night of Vacation Bible School, and it went great. The kids are learning about God on Promise Island, while here great stories, and doing fun activates. I ask you all to be in prayer for VBS, please pray that God will plant a seed in these kids so that it may one day grow into a beautiful tree of the knowledge of God. Oh, and I ask that you will as well keep those helping out at VBS in your prayers because kids are crazy, they have more energy than they know what to do with. 

Kristian Beasley

Ministry Intern

Through My Eyes...Friends

Hey, everyone! This past 2 weeks, I was in Leesburg! It’s a little town near Orlando where my grandparents are renting a house for a bit.

Today, I want to talk about my friends. God has given me so many new friends by switching schools. I appreciate them so very much and love them all. We made a little group on Facebook so we can stay in touch. (Most of my friends live in North Tampa or some where in the middle. Not very close to where I live!) My church friends I’ve known for the past 6 years and love them also. Most of you do know them. They are all very valuable to me. We have all laughed together, and that’s my favorite part. J I was gladly dubbed the funny girl this year at school, cracking jokes and making my friends and I all laugh till, sometimes, our sides hurt. Just like my father that makes all of you laugh. (Secret Sights: If he wasn’t teaching or a minister, he would like to be a stand up comedian.) So I was invited to parties and had fun at all of them. It was bittersweet when we all left. I cried when my teacher wrote me a letter on how great I was. I didn’t cry when I left my friends, because I knew we were going to stay in touch though the summer and that most of them were going to middle school with me next year. I know it’s not normal for a girl like me to say this, but im excited for school to start again. I get to see all my friends. I am new to middle school curriculum and up to the challenge. I’ll have all my friends to cheer me on.
Through My Eyes...friends are important to me and they always will be.

    Abby B J 

Kristian's Kaleidoscope: Installment 9

This last week, I had the privilege of visiting with one of NBCC’s finest members just for fun. It was a great joy to my life, and I hope they enjoyed the company as well. Not all the time but most of the time, I believe God gives us great joy when we are conversing and growing closer to other people. It is amazing how great a feeling you get when you receive a new friend. I was blessed this week in the same way when I got a chance to just kick back and talk one on one with a long time member here. I hope that person knows what a blessing that was for me. For those of you who do not yet know, I have been taking over Troy’s college and career class (C2) this summer. While we have been studying the Psalms, many great questions have been asked and answered, but last Sunday, I asked a really tough question and all of the students and myself really enjoyed talking about this topic. So here it is “Does God answer the prayers of a nonbeliever?” I would love to hear what you have to say on the matter. If you want, you can e-mail me at kristian.beasley@johnsonu.edu or talk to me at church about any information you would like to discuss concerning the question. Some verses on the topic are John 9:31, James 5:16, and Psalms 34:17. 
I hope you are ready to here your intern preach again! This coming Sunday, I will be preach in the 10:30 service. I know I lot of you have been asking lately when and where I will preach. So don’t miss it! It’s going to be a good one.
Also this week, most of your NBCC staff will be going to the North American Christian Convention. Please be in prayer for us this week; pray that God allows us to grow deeper in the Spirit and the Word as we are filled up and renewed by great preachers and evangelist from around the world. Though some of you might want to be in prayer for Sara Sharp and Shirley Wentzel as they hold down the fort while were gone having fun. This will be a great change of scenery for us, and I can’t wait to get in the hot tub at the hotel. I told Troy that I am only bringing two things my Bible and my swim suit. However, all playing aside I really want to grow close to God this week and straighten out a few things in my life. I hope that I get a chance to grow deeper spiritually and intellectually while at the NACC.

Kristian Beasley
Ministry Intern

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Kristian's Kaleidoscope: Installment 8

GET READY TO HAVE YOUR CAR WASHED!!!!!! This Saturday from 9am-2pm the C2 (college and career) class is having a fundraiser car wash at the church. I was looking at some of your cars last Sunday, and I noticed how filthy they were so come on down to NBCC and have’em washed for a good cause.  Also, coming up is VBS! Be ready to have some fun in the sun! VBS starts Monday the 16th- Thursday the 19^th.  Our theme this year is Adventures on Promise Island. We will teach kids what God what He promises to us. 

Well, for those of you keeping count it’s week number 8 for me. I am still loving it here at NBCC, and I still like most of you. Just kidding! I love you all, and I thank each and every one of you for making this internship so great. This past week was kind of crazy with three funeral services Thursday till Saturday. Then, with all the rain we had, I thought for a day or two we might have to build an ark like Noah. However, I hope you all stayed dry this last week. I know Bayshore was completely flooded and going down to south Tampa, I needed a raft not a car. I did see a sign posted on a church billboard on my wet way to work that read, “If you prayed for the rain, you can stop now.” I found it quit clever.

I learned a valuable lesson this week, that ministry is always full time whether you’re a part-time intern or a full-time senior minister. God’s work never stops. The kingdom of God doesn’t take a day off, I now realize.  Just because I am tired does not mean there are not people who need to be saved. God has called each of us to live a life that serves and glorifies Him and this is not depicted on our time but His. In 1 Peter 3:15 it says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” We must at all times be ready to serve God even if it means giving up our day off or losing time we could be at home. Being a Christian does not qualify you for a comfortable, cushy life but rather the opposite.  It calls for a life that faces hardships and endures for Christ sake. So remember, God wants us to have fun and calls us to relax but to always be ready to act. You could say we are called to be God’s firemen.

Kristian Beasley

Ministry Intern

            Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plansI have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Through My Eyes...Appetites

At BigStuf, one of the discussions with Andy Stanley was about appetites. Appetites are something that all of us deal with. Appetites, yes, can be for food, or it can be for many other things (being the best at everything, love, friends, ect.) Andy says that (and I quote) appetites will “determine the direction and quality of your life. In fact, it will determine the quality and direction of your life even more than your theology.” Of course, I think he has a point. I think that appetites are for something that we desire so much, but it often spins slowly out of control. Andy talks about how we should take control of your appetites because if you don’t rule them, they will rule you. Appetites are desires. I know this is a short blog, but it gives you a whole lot to think about. What are your appetites? Are they controling you? The live stream is still up if you want to check it out.

Through my eyes...appetites are something you can rule or else they will rule you. 

Abby B.

Kristian's Kaleidoscope: Installment 7

Praise God! Two people were baptized this Sunday. What an amazing Sunday it was! Even in the rain, I hope all of you who came to the driven-in service liked my preaching. I had a great time out on the boat. What an awesome thing to be able to put on a resume - I preached from a boat like Jesus. Also, I look forward to preaching again on July 15 in the 10:30 service, so be ready to hear the Word.

This Wednesday is the church wide game night. I can’t wait to beat you all in some games and I don’t even like games!

Please be in prayer for the Morris family. For all who do not know, Syd Morris passed away June 25, 2012. He was an amazing man and was loved by many. He will be sorely missed, and all our hearts at NBCC go out to his family and friends. Syd is at rest now. We praise God in all things for the glory goes to Him above all. We also ask that you been in prayer for all our brothers and sisters hurting.

All those able to help, please do not forget about VBS. We could use more helpers. If you have any questions, please contact Troy Borst. We need more volunteers if we are going to reach and teach children the kingdom of God.

I want to leave you with this verse as I always do, “ For I know the plansI have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”    

Kristian Beasley

Ministry Intern   

Bahamas Team - Dale

All Saints Blessings

First, I would like to give all praise and glory to the Lord, Who’s love and care we were blessed to witness first hand this past week. 

I want to also thank all of you for your gracious support and prayers for our travels.

You need to know this morning that GOD IS GOOD, and His people are strong, and His love still endures. Amen!

“All Saints Camp” in Nassau Bahamas first began as a leper colony. It is now an AIDS/HIV camp that houses about 20 or so residents that are either HIV positive or suffer from some other sever infirmity.  

The residents at All Saints are completely quarantined from the general population. They have little more than a 6x8 room with a small bed and very well wore clothes on their backs. Yet, they possess the most unbelievable spirit, and sense of worth that I have ever seen. They would never ask for anything, for they know with certainty that the Lord provides for their needs Our very presence there is undisputable proof.     

Our team was there with a large youth group from the Cincinnati area. Together, we worked to start the rebuilding of the camp, board by board, so that each resident will, eventually, have clean, sound housing with sewage and running water.

But, even more important, we were there to minister. We were there to talk, to listen, to pray, to laugh and cry with the residents. These are real people, God’s children, no different than you and I save for their afflictions.      

This was a PEOPLE first mission trip with a building secondary. Many of the youth helped to feed and groom the patients. Some cannot eat or drink on their own. Many are incontinent and require assistance. Some are blind and lame. We spent some time each day talking with them and listen to their stories and getting to know them and them, us.

It was a delight each morning to see Patrick, a stroke victim, waiting at the top of the hill for our arrival with a big smile and his loving charm. Even though he could barely speak, it was very obvious that nothing would suit him more than to grab a hammer and dive in, but his bent and broken body would not allow it.       

Vincent is blind, a stoke victim and has AIDS, but is also a strong man of God. I have heard few give a more moving testimony.

As you can see from the slides and photos, if it were not for Next Step Ministries the residents of All Saints would have even less. It is our prayer this day that these pictures and our testimonies might in some way allow all of you to see the need, and to understand that YOU can make a difference in people’s lives. Yes, you can! But!!!  Yes…. there is a but. But we can only make a difference by getting up and stepping out of the comfort that we are so used to. And putting our faith into action.  This is your call.

Will you answer?

Thank you! God bless.

   

Dale Hammond

Bahamas Team  

Through my eyes...BigStuf

BigStuf. It’s what the teens rave about year after year. Now, I understand completely why. BigStuf is an amazing conference/camp that can really change your heart, soul, and mind. It was my introduction into the Full Student Ministry program and what an intro it was!

Many speakers presented different views on many different topics that I haven’t thought about. Many testimonies were given and in the end, it showed me how God worked through each of those people in their problems. Andy Stanly gave me an understanding on how we as teens and adolescents get to get life right the first time. Judah Smith asked the question Is Jesus enough? and put it into a funny (yet serious) conversation. He explained that Jesus will satisfy all needs in life. Pattie Mallette (Justin Beiber’s mom) gave a fantastic testimony about her various problems. The organization, To Write Love on Her Arms talked about Renee, 25, who went through depression, self injury, and other problems, but God helped her through it. Singers like Phil Wickham, Mac Powell of Third Day, Mike Donehey of Tenth Avenue North, Aaron Shust, Natalie Grant, Trevor Morgan, Rend Collective, Shane & Shane, and Laura Story took the stage and worshiped with us.

BigStuf has connections with many organizations that help people all over the world. The 410 Bridge, a organization created by BigsStuf, sends Bibles to kids in Kenya. I was able to donate a Bible to a little boy named Bilha Njeri. I took a picture with a note written in his native language, Swahili. The picture of me is in the Bible I sent him.

Group time allowed our youth group to talk about what the speakers said. Justin asked us various questions like what would you want your future self to tell you now? or what would you tell your younger self? This was a time for us to talk and bond as a group.
Through my eyes...BigStuf is an AMAZING experience for everyone……students AND sponsers. There are still some livestreams up! Wanna be a sponser next year?

Abby B.

Through my eyes...

I’ve wanted to join Justin and Bethany Jett’s crew for a long time as Justin will tell you. Now that I am in 6th grade, I have officially crossed the border into the youth group. Through my eyes will be a way for you to experience the wonders of NBCC’s Full Student Ministry as I do.

Through my eyes...the life of a preacher’s kid new to Full Student Ministry! I'm excited...I hope you are, too!

Abby B.

Bahamas Team - Pam

In my previous blog entry, I mentioned that my prayer was for God to rip my world apart and break my heart for what breaks His.  Well, in the words of Ms. Moxey at Camp, “Sho’ Nuff!”  God did just that and what a tremendous blessing it was all week.  
We served with a youth group from Wyoming, Ohio.  They were a wonderful group of teens that ranged in age from 14 to 20.  Their leaders were amazing and gracious as well.  The Next Step staff was outstanding.  They worked very hard to make everything come together for all of us and even when obstacles came up like no water, and no gas for the stove and no Internet – they adapted and made everything work out.  Our God is awesome!!  
We all worked very hard at camp and actually finished all the projects ahead of schedule.  When we first arrived, there were pillars for the houses to be built on and that was it.  Teams filled in the dirt back around the pillars and built the floor frame and floor joists, painted the plywood flooring and installed that.  We did this for a two-resident home and a four-resident home.  In addition, another team used machetes and cleared away brush and trees around the camp, as a security fence needs to be installed.  These residents don’t have much at all and, yet, people try to steal from them.  Another team dug holes in the ground (using a jackhammer) to be able to put in 6x6 poles to rerun the electrical wires.  Concrete was hand-mixed for those holes by using wheel barrels full of rock, sand and 100lb bags of concrete and buckets of water.  Teams used shovels to mix the cement slowly to make sure it was the right consistency.  

While all of this work was going on, we were all encouraged to go meet and talk and visit with the residents.  This was the absolute best part!  The work was challenging and rewarding –but visiting was the true blessing.  We thought we were going there to bless them, and we received it back ten fold!  Ms. Moxey has been at the camp for a very long time – John says that she’s been there long before he started going there in 1999.  Using another one of her catch phrases, “I’ve been here umpteen years!”  Another resident, Patrick, greeted us each day and tried his best to help us out even though he is partially paralyzed from enduring strokes.  He was always joyful and was just so happy to be around us and to be included.  He prayed with us daily as we gathered in a circle, held hands and prayed each day before we began the work.  Vincent, who is blind, but blessed with such insight, sold us “Goombay Punch” and other sodas as well as joined our lunch devotions and prayed with us.  The Holy Spirit was definitely present and flowed through him as he would share and pray with us.  So many other residents were just happy to see us there and thankful for our service.  Garvin is an amazing person, and we got to witness the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.  
My personal favorite (if that’s possible in a place like All Saints Camp) has to be Lillian.  I brought her a pair of slippers and was able to personally deliver them to her with her lunch and her eyes lit up, and she just repeatedly thanked me.  From there she trusted me enough to take her key and unlock her door for her later that day – which is a big deal as again, everything they have is in their tiny room.  Thursday was the icing on the cake, though.  We visited her and told her how beautiful she was and how lovely her family was – 3 daughters, 2 sons and 20 grandchildren!!  Her smiles and laughter were so intoxicating. I’ve never previously felt God’s love showering over me as much as I did that day.  Definitely one of the best weeks of my life!  
Following God’s will for me to go on this trip has definitely opened my heart and mind to know that the mission field (no matter it’s location) is where I want to be and I will WILLINGLY go wherever it is He sends me next.


Pam
Bahamas Team

Kristian's Kaleidoscope: Installment 6

Happy late Father’s Day to all the dads! I don’t know about you, but my dad’s day was great. It was so relaxing and fun; I hope everyone else’s was as great. In my opinion, we need more days to celebrate so we can get more time off.

For all those who attend the 8:30 drive-in service yours truly will be preaching this coming Sunday. We will continue in the book of Luke, so get ready to hear someone different for a change. Also coming up in July is VBS! If you haven’t signed up, well get on it! 

For those of you who are not in your twenties, my C2 (college and career) class has been studying Psalms along with those of you who attend Wednesday night. In our study, we have all ready gone through Psalm one, two and three. I tell you this because I want to share a little bit of what we have learned. First, through our studies, we have learned that Psalms one and two are the introduction to the book. Psalms one and two set the tune for the entire book of Psalms. The first chapter deals with being righteous and what will happen to the righteous and the wicked. While Psalm two deals with Jesus coming and saving the righteous. With that, I taught the Greek name of the Psalms, which is “Psalterion”. The word means, “to pluck.” The reason for this is the Psalms were to be song. They were for music so the word makes sense in that essence. The word Psalter can be another name for the Psalms as well. Also, we discussed how some of the Psalms were prophetic in a way because they were spoken from David about David but also Jesus. Some Psalms were meant for David, Jesus, and us. We talked about the Psalms being in 5 parts. Each part of the Psalms ends in a doxology, and scholars believe this to be true so that when the priest read the books of the torah in the synagogues that they could accompany each book with a Psalm - 5 books and 5 parts of Psalms to read together. When studying the book of Psalms the word selah comes up a lot, you will notice, in between the verses. The word means to pause; it is a musical direction. Selah is equivalent to our rest symbol in modern music. The over arching theme we learned from the Psalms was the righteous will be blessed through Jesus.

            That was just a little bit of what we have been learning and going over in class. I hope if you haven’t gotten a chance to check out our Wednesday night Bible studies, you will!! For all of you that just graduated, I look forward to you coming to C2. If you have any questions, just ask me, your friendly neighborhood intern. 


Kristian Beasley
Ministry Intern
Remember Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Bahamas Team - John

Okay, we are back from the Bahamas and my prayer before leaving was that I would keep my mouth shut and let this team hear, feel, smell, touch, love and be loved like I have been since the year 1999 when I first began going to the All Saints Camp. I think the Lord made me successful in this regard and yet, it was like it was brand new all over again.  

The All Saints Camp is an old Leper Colony that now houses those with HIV and full blown AIDS as well as a few with major other health issues. Often times, the residents when found with these ailments are loaded in the car and taken to the camp and usually dumped at the front gate with whatever items they can carry, and seldom see relatives, family or loved ones again. Their existence is meager at best, with little to call their own.  They live in a room that is about ten foot by ten foot, most are bedridden or have trouble walking or even using a wheel chair. Their breakfast, lunch and dinner (usually a PB&J or Tuna Fish sandwich) is brought to them, and they are helped with their personal hygiene and diaper changes and bed baths. Yet with so very little, they give so much of themselves and most offer no complaints, only praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. One of our team told me on our return that the first night she was glad to be back home, yet felt so guilty that she could eat a filling hot meal, take a warm bath and lay in a comfortable bed (none of which the camp residents have).  

There are so many highlights to this trip that a book could not contain them, however, a few stand out. One is Miss Moxey who by her own admission has been at the camp for umpteen years and I know for a fact that she has been there since 1999 as that was when I first met her. She is a joy with a capital J. When I took a few of our people down to meet her (the first day at the camp), she greeted everyone with a warm friendly smile and words of praise to our Lord. She let us read Scripture to her and ask her about the pictures of family she had on the wall. Then, there was Patrick who can walk (with difficulty) and is partially paralyzed on the right side due to one of many strokes he has had due to his HIV/AIDS condition. He was always at the top of the hill with a great big smile and welcome as we came up in our school bus. He watched us close as we began building, and when we let him use our hammer to pound in a nail, you would have thought that someone had just given him a million dollars.  Patrick was also invited to join us in morning prayer before we began work and to join us during our lunch devotions, you could see that he knew we both loved him and cared for him. 

We stayed at a retreat that was run by Next Step Ministries (.com, if you want to go to the website). They have a staff of interns that take care of: the week coordination, job site management, cooking, devotions and worship. I know that when our Lord hears the name Next Step, or Heather, Rebecca, Craig, Maple, Kaylee, Travis, Jesus or Audrey that He smiles. We thank the Father for them all.  There were days we had no water at the camp, no gas for cooking, no cooking spray for the pancakes on the griddle and at times no air conditioning, yet this staff worked around it, making the best of a sometimes bad situation.  We had confidence in them from the moment they met us at the airport and that confidence only increased with every hour that passed.  I hope and pray to get Tom C, Justin J, Pam R, and one of our senior youth down there before this summer season is over.  This trip  allowed us to meet 26 people from a church in Wyoming (suburb of Cincinnati) Ohio.  One of the girls, Alex, came with her mother as her mother was not okay with her working at an HIV/AIDS camp.  That changed real quick, and I would look for her return next year.  This group was one of the best groups I have ever met. Their leaders taught us much, and we could see their investment in their youth and their youth's devotion to our Lord. 

I will stop now only because of space and the fear of boring you by going on too long. I pray that you will invest yourself in our Lords Kingdom and do as Jesus said, GO!  And what you do for the least of these you do also for Me.

We will be planning the Summer 2013 Bahamas trip very soon, get your passport and get ready to experience God showing up everyday in everyway.  You will be changed, I guarantee it.  

Love and Prayers…john hartley 

missions team chair

Bahamas Team

Kristian's Kaleidoscope (Installment 5)

Who’s ready for wacky Wednesday? I know I am! Its going to be so much fun, don’t forget June 27 is also our Churchwide Game Night. So be ready to have some fun and fellowship with others here at NBCC. That Sunday, however, I preach. I know a lot of you were asking me because you missed the first sermon but don’t worry! There is more of me to be had. I can’t wait to get the chance to preach again; I am very much looking forward to it. 
Like I say every week, God is doing big things here at NBCC and I cannot help say it, it's true! With big events like Wacky Wednesday, VBS, the mission trip to the Bahamas, and last week's Prom. It is hard to say that God isn’t moving this church. On that note, I just want to say how excited I am for VBS. Kids are one of my biggest passions so it’s going to be great working with them. We all have to admit the best part about kids is the fact that they say the darndest things. So if you want to hear the funniest things you have ever heard, and teach kids about Jesus then come help us out July 15th through the 19th. 
Well, as some of you who were at church this Sunday know, I had the privilege of doing the communion meditation. I truly enjoyed leading the church into a time of remembrance of Christ and His sacrifice. Like I said on Sunday, our time of reflection should truly put us back into that room where Jesus washed His disciples feet. As we meditate on Him, we should be brought into that upstairs room; we should see Jesus holding the cup in hand; we should feel ourselves reclined at the table. When we do this, when we remember like this, then we start to see the real picture of Jesus’ sacrifice; then we start to make out what He really went through on the cross. When we put ourselves back where He first broke bread, then we can see the pain in His eyes, the suffering on His face and see a glimpse of His great love for us. For then we will know that our God truly loves us and how great His only Son's sacrifice was. 
I look forward to another great week here at NBCC and can't wait for all the new, exciting, upcoming events! So everyone be ready for what God’s going to do! 


Kristian Beasley
Ministry Intern


“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Praying for the Bahamas Team - Pam

This is my first out-of-country mission trip and technically only my second mission trip ever (the first being the Steppin' Stone road trip on 5/5/12).  I think I've blown up John Hartley's email box with all of my questions about what to bring, when and where we are leaving from, what can we bring for the Camp, what else, etc.  I'm a "planner" and a list person.  This is how I stay focused and organized at my job and it overflows into the rest of my life.  This is good, though.  I'm "ready" from the perspective that my suitcase is packed (under the maximum weight of 50lbs - per the scale at Publix) and all my lists have been checked as completed.  So, one would think that I am prepared for this trip - or at least it looks good on paper.  

This is where Pam stops and God takes over.  My prayer is that God will open my eyes to truly see the world and these people we are going to serve and serve with.  I pray that He will clean my ears out to hear the needs, concerns, prayers and praises of this trip.  Mostly, I pray for our Lord to just rip wide-open my Heart for what hurts His.  I want to feel their needs and feel their joys.  I want to identify with each person I come in contact with.  I live in such a "bubble" here.  I have a great job, a nice apartment, food, clothes, a car, money, great friends and a wonderful church family.  I have no idea what it will be like there, but I know it's not going to be the nice, neat little box that I currently call Pam's world.  I want God to take my world apart and bring me into the world He wants me to serve in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ.  
The song that's been on my heart recently is "Worlds Apart" by Jars of Clay.  All I want is for Him to "...take my world apart, I am on my knees...".  To bring this full-circle right to where it started...it started with John Hartley at the Faith Promise Rally handing out a piece of chalk and telling us all to go home and draw a circle around ourselves with that chalk and think about Isaiah 6:8:  "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!".  What's left of that chalk and that passage are hanging on my bulletin board at home. 




Pam Rosky
Bahamas Team Member