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IN THIS ISSUE 14 COVER STORY: GIFTS FOR CHILDREN Each year, our church family provides Christmas presents for over 500 children in need. This year, we’re kicking things up a notch with a short term mission trip to deliver those gifts in Bluefield, West Virgina.
6 PAT’S EDITORIAL: SINGLENESS AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD Teaching Pastor Pat Linnell illustrates how singleness is a viable lifestyle in the church, emphasizing the importance of finding community regardless of circumstances.
10 BAY AREA RELEASES CHRISTMAS EP Bay Area’s first-ever Christmas EP is underway, bringing together over 80 musicians, vocalists and staff from the worship team. The six-song EP will feature an original song, “King” as well as familiar Christmas favorites.
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18 10 MINA PEOPLE, 10 MINA CHURCH Following his sabbatical, Lead Pastor Greg St. Cyr unpacks what his vision of “MORE” for Bay Area means for each individual who calls the church their home.
12 LEADERSHIP PROFILE: WARWICK FAIRFAX Australian-born Elder Warwick Fairfax shares his story of coming to faith, moving to America and serving at Bay Area.
We appreciate your comments and questions. Please email us at feedback@bayareacc.org and a staff member or elder will respond within 48 hours.
MAGAZINE CREDITS Gathering Times: 7:50, 9:20, 11:20 a.m. EDITOR Meredith Thompson ART DIRECTOR Josh Shirlen ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Arianne Teeple ASSISTANT EDITOR Jocelyn Sacks LEAD DESIGNER Josh Burgin GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jake Williams CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Rosa Andy Smith Donna Leadmon Janice Shirlen Michael Leadmon Michele Rollins Nate Thacker
Cover photo by Josh Shirlen
ELDERS Bill Smith Chris Heacock Don Wiley Greg St. Cyr J. Upton John Taylor Keith Riniker Ken Gilmore Roger Ishii Tim Grossman Tom Dalpini Tom Hogan Warwick Fairfax
884 Chesterfield Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401
410.544.2222
BAY AREA LEADERSHIP Brent Squires, Student Ministry Pastor – brent.squires@bayareacc.org Brian Hopper, Missional Community Pastor – brian.hopper@bayareacc.org Casely Essamuah, Global Missions Pastor – casely.essamuah@bayareacc.org Craig Fadel, Easton Campus Pastor – craig.fadel@bayareacc.org Ed Kelley, Executive Pastor – ed.kelley@bayareacc.org Gail Wiles, Children’s Ministry Director – gail.wiles@bayareacc.org Greg St. Cyr, Lead Pastor – greg.stcyr@bayareacc.org Janet Graves, Women’s Ministry Director – janet.graves@bayareacc.org Jerry Shirlen, Financial Administrator – jerry.shirlen@bayareacc.org Jocelyn Sacks, Missional Community Director – jocelyn.sacks@bayareacc.org Jonathan Madrid, Worship Leader – jonathan.madrid@bayareacc.org Josh Shirlen, arts – josh.shirlen@bayareacc.org Leanne Lane, Care Network Director – leanne.lane@bayareacc.org Meredith Thompson, Communications Director – meredith.thompson@bayareacc.org Pat Linnell, Teaching Pastor – pat.linnell@bayareacc.org Rachel Perry, Guest Services Director – rachel.perry@bayareacc.org Ron Dutton, Operations Director – ron.dutton@bayareacc.org
For a comprehensive list of all BACC staff, elders and deacons, please visit bayareacc.org/leadership. N OV E M B E R GO&MAKE 3
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A JOURNEY INTO HOLINESS
uring the month of November, we as a church are going on a journey – a journey into an attribute of God. It’s an attribute that many theologians believe is the chief among attributes: the holiness of God. Why holiness? The short answer: Because we are not. Too often, our standard of holiness is based on culture. As a culture, we have a light view of sin. Unless our minds are constantly renewed by God’s Word, we easily drift into adapting and compromising our lifestyle with that of the culture. Our standard is never the culture or other people. God is the standard and we are called to be holy as He is holy. Unless we grasp the holiness of God and our responsibility to pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14), we will never become all that God desires us to be. If you are a believer in Jesus, God has a calling on your life. It is a calling to be holy. Regardless of circumstances, background, race, gender or education, you are to be holy. No exceptions. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” To be holy means to be set apart. God is set apart from sin and evil. He is morally perfect in all His ways. For us to be holy, we are to be conformed to His holy character. That means that our lifestyle is to be set apart from sin and consecrated to God. Set apart from sin… and here is the enemy. Because God is holy, he hates sin. Every time we sin, we are doing something that God hates. Our jealousy, anger, lack of love or self-control, lust, pride, or rebellious spirit all grieve the heart of God, who loves us with an infinite love. Sadly, we can become so accustomed to our sin that we dismiss the reality that God hates it. Our holy God never overlooks sin. He cannot. “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor.” Habakkuk 1:13 The good news is that we have a Savior who is perfectly holy. Sinless from eternity
WE ARE NOT DESTINED TO HAPPINESS, NOR TO HEALTH, BUT TO HOLINESS.
past, He lived a perfectly holy life. As the holy One, He became our sin bearer. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 The sinless life of Jesus is the perfect example of holiness for us. As we get to know Him and learn from Him, the Holy Spirit will transforms us into Christ’s holiness. The words of Oswald Chambers ring true: “We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. … Never tolerate any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God.” The journey of holiness this month is a journey into the heart of God. It’s a journey into deliverance from the sin we tolerate. It’s a journey into the life you’ve always longed for, a life of holiness. Glad to be on the journey with you. From here to the nations,
Greg St. Cyr Lead Pastor
Greg St. Cyr is the Lead Pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE. N OV E M B E R GO&MAKE 5
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before marriage, which was completely culturally acceptable because kids are supposed to be single, and young men are generally given a free pass to play video games, take longer to graduate or figure out a career, sow wild oats, or otherwise live like Peter Pan who refuses to grow up. But at some point there is a cultural shift, when being single becomes a stigma, a curiosity. If you get too far into your 30s, eyebrows begin to raise and married people start thinking, “Hmm – wonder what the story is there?” And all of the sudden, being single can feel like flying coach while the rest of the world moves on with more legroom, leather seats and meal service. Not to mention the looming threat of perpetual loneliness for the person who never finds that “special someone.” The reasons for singleness are not one-size-fits-all. Some are single because they are young, and supposed to be single. Some are newly single after a difficult divorce. Others are on the hunt, and have been too picky in the choice of a mate, which sounds harsh, but I’ve known some pretty stubborn single dudes in my day. Others are single because they want to be single, never feeling the desire to pursue marriage. Some are single because they have devoted their lives to Jesus, and in some way or another are not married or dating because of obedience to Him. And a large swath of people are single and just waiting for match.com to hit pay dirt. With sensitivity to each person’s story in mind, it is important to popularize and adjust to the Biblical norm that singleness is a completely viable and God-honoring option for the Christian life. Jesus was single, and a virgin, then He died – what is up with that? Jesus actually changes the game when it comes to singleness and the Kingdom of God. We know that God is a communal being, one God who has eternally existed in a community of three: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Part of being people created in His image means that we are also creatures intended for community. Inside of that community comes being intimately known, and knowing others, sharing and serving, and experiencing love. From creation to the time of Jesus, the locus of community in God’s design was the biological family, the tribe. With our first parents, Adam and Eve, being commissioned to be fruitful and multiply, marriage, that one-flesh relationship, was the house where procreation was intended to dwell. And true community was to be found within the walls of family. In this economy, procreation was a driver for the development of community, and marriage was the vehicle. But check this, when Jesus taught He affirmed the honor and importance of marriage – but His emphasis was not the development of community, the place where a person’s deepest longings are met, and where intimacy can be
experienced, through procreation. Rather, He taught the development of true community by new creation, a spiritual birth, by which a person is grafted into a new tribe, a new family, the church. True community is still intended to be found in a family, but a spiritual family, not necessarily a biological one. One declaration of this from Jesus is found in Matthew’s gospel: “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”
Here Jesus is making the connection to a real spiritual family. It stands to reason that through His life and His teaching, intimacy – even physical, though not sexual – can be enjoyed among friends who share the deepest bonds through a shared faith in Jesus. In a spiritual family you can laugh, you can cry, your hopes and dreams can be known, your goals can be shared, you can even play an important part in child-rearing and training. Jesus showed us that being single is not a prison sentence to loneliness, or a ticket to fly coach; rather a single person can share in all the joys and sorrows of being truly known, while also being used by God in the life-giving process of spiritual rebirth. This doesn’t mean that being single doesn’t have its own set of unique challenges – there are bound to be good days and hard days, all of which could be shared among true friends, in good churches, who hold singleness in high regard and elevate the importance of this lifestyle in the church family and for the Kingdom of God.
Pat Linnell is the teaching pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.
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YEAR ONE GOAL $3,500,000
$1,910,972 AMOUNT TO GO $1,589,028 THEDESCENDANTSPROJECT.ORG
COUNT THEM. SO SHALL YOUR
DESCENDANTS BE.”
AMOUNT RAISED
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AND COUNT THE STARS, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO
GENESIS 15:5
“NOW LOOK TOWARD THE HEAVENS,
YEAR 1 Hey everyone! Ed Kelley here. I want to give you an update on The Descendants Project as we come to the end of the first year of the giving campaign.
designated “Descendent Project” and they will be applied to our campaign. We would be so grateful to have you lock arms with us in this effort.
For those of you who are new to Bay Area, let me set the background of The Descendants Project (TDP) briefly. TDP was born out of a faith-stretching vision to disciple more children and students through expanding our spaces for those ministries. Our children’s and student facilities have been stretched past their physical capacity for quite some time, so we decided to build Phase III of our Annapolis campus master plan. (We’ve built Phases I and II, but there are four phases, dating back to 2005.)
We plan to launch the second season of giving somewhere in spring 2018. As you can imagine, we have a lot of work to do before we unveil the themes and direction for our second season of this effort. We’re excited about a great new idea that we’ll be rolling out in 2018, culminating hopefully in April.
Through TDP, we are adding 25,000+ square feet in Phase III to provide needed space for our growing children’s and student ministries, and to prepare us for continued growth over the next 10+ years. It’s our desire that every child and student who enters our doors would be able to connect in a ministry where they learn to know and love Jesus. TDP truly is a visionary build with our descendants in mind. We are believing God to impact generations to come through this effort! Students and children need to be reached and discipled like never before. The world has lost its moorings, but we, the Church, are bound and determined to help kids become passionate, maturing followers of Jesus despite the challenges they face. As you may know, TDP is a single campaign with two yearlong seasons of giving. The first began last October/November with the intention of initiating the second season sometime after we concluded our first. The project price tag is approximately $7 million and we’re grateful that, to date, $2.3 million has been committed toward TDP and we have actually received $1.9 million of that commitment amount. We plan on finishing the first season of giving to TDP by the end of this year. So, everyone will have a couple extra months to finish their pledges by December 31. If you weren’t part of our church family when we launched TDP, but you would like to join us in making this vision happen, impacting generations to come, you can simply contribute gifts
In the meantime, we want to encourage you to prayerfully continue to give toward The Descendants Project. Thus far, we have paid cash for all the civil, architectural and design work. We want to delay the construction financing that’s typically necessary for a project like this as long as possible, so every gift to The Descendants Project truly makes a difference. Folks, I can’t tell you how impactful this space is going to be. I also can’t thank you enough for the gifts given thus far. Greg St. Cyr and I continue to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead in making sure we as a church are Kingdom-minded. Your sacrificial generosity, now and in the future, will be used by God to affect literally thousands of people in the years to come. Yours,
Ed Kelley Executive Pastor
Ed Kelley is the executive pastor at Bay Area Community Church and a monthly contributer to GO&MAKE.
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BAY AREA RELEASES FIRST
CHRISTMAS EP BY AARON ROSA
KING
AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2017
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n August, Bay Area began producing a Christmas EP, bringing together over 80 musicians, vocalists and support staff from the Bay Area worship team. “King,” the new EP, serves a dual purpose: to bring the worship community of Bay Area together, and to discover the sound that God has for the church moving forward.
“A disadvantage of having such a large worship team is that it’s hard to narrow down what we sound like,” said Ryan Scheerer, a multi-instrumentalist and co-producer, whose drumming makes an appearance in the EP. Worship Leader Jonathan Madrid hopes to use this EP to discover Bay Area’s sound and complement the church’s teaching messages. “People don’t leave humming the sermon, they leave humming the songs we sing,” he explained. Drawing from their musical tastes, worship team members Ryan Scheerer, Logan Purdue, Matt Brandt and Josh Lyon planned the EP’s sound and theme. The EP will feature six tracks including recognizable songs like “Joy to the World” and “Oh Holy Night,” but also a Bay Area original, the title track, “King.” The song is the brainchild of Josh Shirlen, the creative director at Bay Area. Taking the idea from Josh and inputs from the pastoral staff, Jonathan and the worship leaders traded melodies and ideas, and in six hours collectively composed the title track. In order to meet the targeted release date of November 26, the worship team has been feverishly recording, editing and mixing the new EP. Sometimes for just an hour at a time, sometimes for whole days, Jonathan and members of the worship team escape to his basement studio where a full drum set and microphones stand propped next to his children’s toys. Following the wires on the floor will lead you to a small room down the hall with massive speakers and a large computer screen tracking dozens of inputs to craft each track. Bay Area’s first Christmas EP will include an original song, “King,” written by the worship team.
Jonathan and Ryan bob their heads in time as they play one of the working cuts, adjusting knobs and making small comments for future corrections. A lilting bass riff kicks off one of the songs, the idea of one member of the worship team, and the drum beat on another track was contributed by yet another member. “When I first came to Bay Area I was praying through what God would have for us, and I didn’t want to be hasty with the vision for the worship team,” Jonathan said. “But I sensed as I was praying over and over, the word was ‘together.’” Jonathan sees “King” as a way to bring the dozens of worship team members together and to explore each person’s gifts, and through the process of producing the EP, find Bay Area’s unique sound. “God is doing something unique at our church, and I think we need a soundtrack to that,” he said. The idea behind the EP and the worship team’s vision stems from John 4:24 where Jesus says, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” By taking the principles of that verse, to worship with the heart and the mind, Jonathan seeks to provide a balanced approach with theologically sound songs and passionate worship. “There are no featured artists on this EP,” said Jonathan. “We’re all artists and we’re going to keep coming together as a collective to make Jesus known.” “King” is scheduled for release the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with songs from the EP being performed during gatherings throughout advent, and will be available for download online.
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WARWICK FAIRFAX LEADERSHIP
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By Meredith Thompson
orn into a prominent, wealthy family in Sydney, Australia, Bay Area Elder Warwick Fairfax grew up attending church primarily on Christmas and Easter until a friend invited him to a local Anglican church during their undergraduate years at the University of Oxford, his father, grandfather and other family members’ alma mater. The church was different – very Christ-centered, very evangelical – Warwick remembers. Friends soon invited him to a retreat on the coast. He recalls magical weather that set the stage as testimonies were shared and people sang worship songs. Warwick had never heard anything like it. He’d spent the first two decades of his life under considerable pressure to be the heir of a sizeable 150-year-old family media business, and recognized he wouldn’t be able to survive it on his own strength. Through that retreat, Warwick sensed that God loved him not because of where he was from or what he was to do, but because of who he was – that God’s love was a free gift through Christ’s death on the cross. He found freedom in that truth and began a relationship with Jesus. After graduating from Oxford, Warwick moved to the United States for a few years to work in banking and earn an MBA from Harvard Business School. Yet, it was back home in Australia, at an airport, that he met his American wife of nearly 30 years, Gale. Warwick had returned to Sydney and taken over the family business in his late 20s. Simultaneously, Gale decided to leave Chicago behind and do something different, so she headed to Australia. The two had mutual friends, whom Warwick had been showing around town because they weren’t accustomed to driving on the opposite side of the road. They asked him if they could pick up a friend from the airport; Warwick was the first
PROFILE
Australian that Gale met, and they soon started dating. “Sometimes if you do a good deed, it pays off,” he joked. When a series of challenges caused the family business to dissolve in 1990, it opened the door for Warwick and Gale to return to the states. They chose Maryland because they had friends there, and because Chicago was way too cold, Warwick said. “I told my wife I wasn’t designed for cold weather – [I prefer to] keep above 60 degrees at all times!” he shared. “Maryland – I never complain. This is like Florida compared to Chicago.”
prayerfully try to seek His wisdom of how our expression of church here fits in with His grand plan of redemption,” Warwick emphasized. “It’s not about us, but all about Him.” The Australian counts it a privilege to serve as an elder, citing the countless miracles he witnesses as one of the role’s greatest joys. “We have staff guests come to the meetings … and you just hear God working mightily in different areas,” Warwick illustrated. “To sit and listen to that, [I just] say, ‘Wow, God is real – look at the miracles He’s doing!’”
In the early 2000s, Warwick again followed friends to church – this time it was Bay Area Community Church in Annapolis. Once they were there, he recalls, it just felt like home. “What I loved about Bay Area and still do was – the preaching was great, and there’s a centrality of the gospel – but there’s a spirit of grace rather than judgment, and you don’t always find that,” the father of three explained. “Some churches have more of a fire-andbrimstone reputation, and truth is good, but you have to have truth and love in balance along with grace.”
Warwick has invested the last 15 years in a career centered around executive coaching and leadership. He’s currently penning a book about his experiences in Australia with the family business and the lessons he’s learned. “The book is meant to help people think. When you’ve had a crucible, you either want to go downhill, to give up on life, or ask, ‘What can I learn from it? How can I use the experiences I’ve been through to help other people?’” he said. “We should always be asking ourselves, ‘How can this be used for the Kingdom?’”
After deciding Bay Area would be their church home, Warwick approached a staff member with a desire to contribute; he shared about his gifts in strategic planning and strategy, asking how he could give back. He was invited to serve on the stewardship committee that oversaw Faithful to the Call, an early building campaign. Several years later, after fully plugging in and building relationships with many at the church, he was nominated to serve as an elder and joined the elder board in 2007.
When he’s away from his office, the church and his book, Warwick enjoys spending his hours with family. He plays his adult sons in tennis, pursues cycling, and goes for walks and ski trips with Gale. They enjoy travel, particularly when it involves visiting new places.
Over the last decade, Warwick has served with Bay Area’s team of elders in line with his gifts: he’s made contributions to much of the church’s strategic planning and governance, helping develop its policy manual. “This is Christ’s church; the elders just
In reflecting on life and offering encouragement for his church family, Warwick summarized what life has taught him: “We all have our own challenges in life. Try to see God’s hand in the challenges as He’s refining you and – in His own way, though we may not see it – trying to bring you closer to Him,” he offered. “There’s a purpose in everything that happens to us, even though we don’t always see it at the time. Try to see God’s benevolent hand – even in the tough situations.”
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GIFTS FOR CHILDREN
Gifts for Children – STM
By Michele Rollins
G o e s O n Mission In Appal achia
By Michele Rollins
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f you’ve been at Bay Area for a while, you’ve heard about Gifts for Children. In past years, Bay Area families have purchased gifts for local children to help spread the love of Jesus to families in Anne Arundel County as well as West Virginia. This year, we’re kicking things up a notch and joining forces: Walk The Walk Foundation, which annually organizes the Gifts for Children program, with Bay Area’s short term missions teams, dedicated to taking the gospel outside of the walls of our church. In the past we’ve hosted a gift distribution at Bay Area; this year, we’re meeting people where they are, in their own communities, in the same way that Jesus came to us at Christmas. This December, you have an opportunity to be a part of our Gifts for Children short term missions team by either GOING or SENDING. Our team will travel to Bluefield, West Virginia, home of the Wade Center. All gifts provided through Gifts for Children this year will travel to this Appalachian community in the care of our short term missions team, who will not only distribute gifts but also seek to serve the community in practical ways. Bluefield has a population of 10,000 and decreasing – boarded up businesses and houses sit alongside occupied dwellings. Over 20 percent of families in Bluefield live below the poverty line, double the poverty rate of Annapolis, and unemployment is nearly 3 percent higher. Nearly 40 percent of children live in single-parent households, compared to about 25 percent of Annapolitan families. These statistics
combine to form a lack of hope and resources in the Appalachian region. The Wade Center exists to combat that hopelessness and share the hope of the gospel; Bay Area’s short term missions team will work to do the same. In Bluefield, our team will continue to build on the relationships forged when our first-ever short term missions team to Appalachia served this past June. From December 14-17, a team of Bay Area missionaries will serve alongside the Wade Center to equip students with a Biblical worldview and the skills, nutrition and love necessary to thrive in school, employment and life amidst high unemployment and the influences of poverty and substance abuse. We’ll assist the Wade Center staff and volunteers with their free after-school program; provide homework help, daily worship time, and a healthy meal to over 50 students; and get our hands dirty by tackling one or more improvement projects around the center to help them love children and their families more effectively. There are two ways to participate in Gifts for Children this year. The first is to GO to Bluefield this December by joining our short term missions team. Visit bayareacc.org/stm and click the Gifts for Children link for more information or to apply. The second way is to SEND by providing gifts to children, thus equipping our missionaries for service in West Virginia. Check out the next page for dates and information about how to sponsor a child or family this Christmas and to learn more about Walk the Walk Foundation. N OV E M B E R GO&MAKE 15
GIFTS FOR CHILDREN
How it Works By Nate Thacker
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ay Area Deacon Kim Mitchell remembers the Christmas of 1998 not as the annual celebration of a Child’s birth, but as a time of mourning for the loss of a child, and as the birth of a future ministry that now impacts thousands of needy families in Anne Arundel County and across the United States. Kim was halfway through a pregnancy when the child passed around Christmas. “I wanted to give gifts to children, in memory of the child I lost,” Kim said. “Each Christmas season, I would look for a little boy in need who was the age our child would have been.” What started as personal, commemorative acts of service developed into a multi-state ministry one Christmas when a friend mentioned that her company was organizing a holiday charity event, and asked Kim if she knew any children in need. Kim told her she knew plenty: Kim’s aunt served as school principal in an impoverished area of West Virginia. Kim contacted her aunt to get a list of families in need, then solicited gift donations from family and friends. The response was overwhelming, with 68 children and their families receiving gifts, groceries and gift cards. One mother told Kim’s aunt in tears that she could now go out and buy basic clothing for her children. When trash bags filled with toys kept showing up at Kim’s door weeks after Christmas, Kim and her husband Dave felt called to start a ministry, and formed the Walk the Walk Foundation (WTWF). WTWF now annually orchestrates the purchase and distribution of gifts to over 2,000 kids ages birth to 18 in Anne Arundel County and West Virginia, and has impacted the lives of children as far away as Louisiana, where WTWF delivered 125,000 pounds of items after Hurricane Katrina.
NOW ANNUALLY ORCHESTRATES THE PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GIFTS TO OVER 2,000 KIDS
Bay Area partners with WTWF and its Gifts for Children program. Each year, WTWF receives the names of children in need, their sizes, and three gift ideas that they would like for Christmas. Sponsors buy and wrap 3-5 presents, accordingly; the goal for Christmas 2017 is to sponsor at least 500 kids in need and purchase 200 new bikes. Bay Area plans to sponsor children WTWF has identified from the Wade Center in West Virginia, which was renovated by a Bay Area short-term missions team this summer. Over the years WTWF has distributed thousands of faithbased kids’ books, collected many uproarious thank-you notes scrawled by delighted children, and shared countless photos of children and families experiencing the joy of Christmas and the season of giving. But Kim’s vision is that Gifts for Children will have as great an impact on the sponsors and volunteers themselves as it has on the recipients. “Giving in children’s ministries can be highly impersonal,” Kim said. “With Gifts for Children, we don’t want that. It’s personal. You know your impact, who the kids are, what they need. You know their name.” Kim has experienced this impact first-hand through her own family. Her four kids have grown up with and participated in Gifts for Children since its inception in 2005, when her youngest was just 5 years old. “I wanted to teach them that it’s better to give than to receive,” Kim said, “and that we’re doing this in response to Joshua 22:5, which tells us to ‘love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways,’ and to ‘hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.’”
WHAT:
Join Bay Area in supporting the Walk the Walk Foundation’s Gifts for Children program, which provides Christmas gifts, supplies and faith-based books to children in need.
WHEN:
Starting November 12 and running until December 3, Bay Area will set up a Gifts for Children registration kiosk that will be open between gatherings. When you register to sponsor a child, you will receive a card with the child’s name, clothing size and gift ideas. Sponsors may drop off gifts at Bay Area between gatherings until December 10. All gifts must be wrapped and clearly marked with the child’s name and designated number (on the card).
CONTACT:
For information or to express interest in volunteering, email giftsforchildren@bayareacc.org
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10 Mina People, 10 Mina Church By Greg St. Cyr
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JEREMIAH 29:9 “His Word in my heart is like fire that burns in my bones and I cannot hold it any longer.” Two months after my sabbatical, I still have fire in my bones. Fire to see God change us and do more in our lives. Fire to see us become a 10 mina church. During my time away this summer, the word “more” kept coming to mind. In seeking the Lord over this, I was led to Luke 19:11-27, the parable of the minas. “More” is a challenge for each of us to be faithful and diligent like the servant in verses 16-17: “The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’” This is what I long for: each person receiving the “Well done, good servant” commendation along with the blessings that come with such faithfulness. If that happens, we will become a 10 mina church. I realize the word “more” can be somewhat vague and might not resonate with everyone. No problem. What’s important is the direction and trajectory God has us on. Here is what’s behind it: Bay Area has been faithful for the 30 years of her ministry. Based on that faithfulness, I believe that the Lord is extending an invitation to trust Him for more and become a 10 mina people. After all, 10 mina churches are made up of 10 mina people. So what does “more” mean practically? It does not mean more work for those who are already serving Jesus with all their might. For those who are not engaging in the work of the Lord, it will involve reprioritization of time, talents and treasures. But when I say “more,” here is what I primarily have in mind:
More surrender. There are many ways to say this but, in essence, it is death to self, presenting myself on God’s altar, relinquishing to God whatever I am holding on to, yielding myself fully to Him. The more we yield ourselves to the Lord, the more He draws us to Himself and works in our lives.
More faith.
and several staff were on sabbatical, God moved powerfully in our midst. This is what we long to see more of. I believe that the key indicator of surrender and faith will be reflected in something very simple and basic. Namely, surrender and faith are demonstrated by making your personal, intimate relationship with the Lord your highest priority in life. There is nothing more important than growing in our relationship with Jesus. This is why we must prioritize daily time with God in prayer and His Word. We long for God to do in us and through us what only He can do, and He has sovereignly appointed prayer as the means for His supernatural involvement. To the extent that we mature spiritually, to that extent we will have His mind, experience His life and power, and be used supernaturally by Him. The outflow of our surrender and faith will be more fruit born.
More fruit. We are merely branches through whom the Vine bears the fruit. John 15:16 and Ephesians 2:10 remind us that we are chosen for fruit and good works before the foundation of the world. We focus on surrender and faith and Jesus bears His fruit. With that said, without knowing all the details of the how and when, I feel impressed by God to believe Him for “more” than I’ve ever asked for. What does that look like? It starts with each of us becoming passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations. It’s a vision for every person at Bay Area to live as a missionary who connects in community, serves like Jesus, gathers in worship, shares the gospel, and goes on a mission trip. “More” is about reaching the next generation of children and students, multiplying Missional Communities throughout our area, starting more campuses like in Easton, sending out more church planters through the SENT Network and more global missionaries to reach the nations, becoming an extravagantly generous people, and persevering in more believing prayer. “More” involves believing God for the great and awesome things He has for us. At the heart of “more” is my ultimate prayer and vision. It’s a vision for you – that you live out your highest priority: cultivating your relationship with Jesus. That will require surrender and faith. If you do that, He will grow you into a 10 mina person who will bear more fruit than you could ever envision. If we all do that, we’ll become a 10 mina church.
Faith grounded in our triune God and His Word always wins. The Lord desires and honors mountain-moving faith that is anchored in Him. As we surrender and trust, God is going to do His work supernaturally, and that is the vision that I am holding on to. We got a taste this summer as God supernaturally worked. Though people were vacationing, many were away on mission trips,
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Dolls on a mission USING OUR GIFTS TO SERVE UGANDA
By Donna Leadmon and Janice Shirlen
t’s been four years since we first felt called to use our creativity as part of a short term missions trip to El Salvador. This summer, we felt God’s call again, this time to Butiru, a remote village in Uganda seven miles from the border of Kenya. Despite not knowing exactly how we could use our gifts, the Holy Spirit continued to stir in our hearts that we could once again minister to children using our creative skills in a foreign land. Eight team meetings, short term missions training, detailed logistical planning and raising financial and prayerful support followed. As our departure date neared, we continued to wonder what special gift we could bring to the children of Butiru. We wanted them to know that Jesus loves every one of them and that they are not forgotten, even after HIV/AIDS had taken so many family members. 20 GO&MAKE N OV E M B E R
Reviewing a list of possible gifts for the children, we decided to purchase bracelets with “Yesu angana nabi” (Jesus loves me very much) imprinted in the local language, Lugisu. Then, we considered the idea of purchasing dolls for the young girls we would meet on Family Day. Family Day is a joyous day when the entire surviving family of a person who had died or was still living with HIV/AIDS is invited to enjoy a meal with the short term missions team members from Bay Area. There, families receive gifts such as a lantern, goat or mattress and enjoy music, dance and drama put on by the Precious Souls Family Support Group Ministry. Finding no dolls that we felt would appeal to the girls in Uganda, Donna proposed that we make the dolls ourselves! What could be more unique and personal than to create each doll individually?
We purchased fabric, then cut and ironed it to specifications, ready for assembly. We added straight or curly black felt or wool for the hair. With the help of some dear friends, our initial goal of creating 25 dolls increased to 50. Using social media, we asked people to sponsor the dolls. The idea was simple: for a small donation, someone could name a doll after a loved one or a person they admired, knowing that “their” doll would be given to a child in Uganda. Within two days, requests came in for over 100 dolls! Before our team left Dulles Airport aboard a flight to Entebbe, the dolls had raised an additional $2,400 above what the seven members of Uganda Team 2 and 11 members of Uganda Team 1 had already raised for the Precious Souls Family Support Ministry. We rejoiced in anticipation of how many more needs could be met!
each family would receive one gift. Now the additional funds raised allowed each family to receive multiple gifts. Many women expressed deep joy and gratitude for the gifts by raising their arms up high and ululating. Women knelt and men bowed before the team, as is the Ugandan tradition when greeting or thanking someone. The team was humbled by this gesture and felt undeserving. However, we understood that this gesture was a cultural expression of their gratitude and should be accepted with equal gratitude to Jehovah Jireh, our Lord who gives all things!
We landed in Uganda with team members Riley Corkran, Zikomo Essamuah, Kayla Smith and Michael Leadmon, excited to see what the Lord had in store. The team spent most days hiking over difficult terrain, heavy brush and narrow footpaths, visiting humble homes that often did not have a kerosene lantern, beds or mattresses, let alone running water. The medical, spiritual and financial needs of the people were enormous and the devastating impact of disease, including HIV/AIDS, was heartbreaking to witness. Despite their extreme poverty, the families we met on home visits did not complain. They ran to gather small wooden cross-legged chairs from neighbors to place under shade for each of us. They were filled with gratitude and joy that we had traveled such a long distance to visit them in their homes. Most were hesitant to name their
family’s most pressing needs when we asked. Often, they would respond shyly that, Lord willing, they would appreciate a lantern ($5) so that they could see at night; a grant ($30) to fund a business idea; a goat ($30), a prized commodity, to provide milk for the family; a set of iron sheets ($100) to provide a permanent roof over their home; or a mattress ($20) so that their children would not have to sleep on the ground. Funds from the sponsored dolls were used to purchase 30 goats, 50 blankets, 20 mattresses, 20 lanterns, four new sheet metal roofs for two homes, one entire new home and four sewing machines. We were grateful to God for His immeasurable provision! On the eagerly anticipated Family Day, held on the last Wednesday Bay Area teams are in Butiru, families received gifts from local team volunteers. Usually,
The dolls were handed out to one girl at a time while boys received a toy car. Some were curious and some were frightened because they had never held a doll in their lives. Ten-year-old Grace Nambozo was one such girl. She looked bewildered at first as she tentatively received her doll but soon broke into a smile when she realized the doll was hers to keep. Weeks later, she still treasures the doll she received that day. She still wears the bracelet that proclaims “Yesu angana nabi.” She understands what the gift of the doll and the bracelet means: “Jesus loves me. I am special, and nothing can separate me from His love.” We are humbled that she experienced the love of Jesus through the gift of a doll. Now that we have returned from Uganda, we feel grateful that God used our gifts and talents to bring joy to the boys and girls who have so very little. As we brought our skills to the Holy Spirit, He used them to serve as a tangible reminder to the Ugandan people that they are loved!
Each year, Bay Area helps children and families in Uganda celebrate Christmas through our Gifts for Children program. Visit the Gifts for Children team in the lobby to learn more or give online at bayareacc.org/give by selecting Uganda Christmas in the Designated Fund box. N OV E M B E R GO&MAKE 21
BAY AREA
BELIZE
APPALACHIA
SOUTH SUDAN
POLAND
GLOBAL PARTNERS
EL SALVADOR
GHANA
UGANDA
RUSSIA
INDIA
FROM HERE TO THE NATIONS Each year, we send short term mission teams to 10 countries around the world and 9 support global missions partners across four continents.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING A GLOBAL MISSIONARY OR GOING ON A SHORT TERM MISSION TRIP? GO TO BAYAREACC.ORG/GLOBALMISSIONS TO LEARN MORE OR APPLY.
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C E L E B R AT E S
YEARS OF TELLING THE STORY OF HOW G O D I S W O R K I N G I N A N D T H R O U G H B AY A R E A , W I T H A P P R E C I AT I O N F O R A L L W H O H AV E C O N T R I B U T E D.
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HAPPENINGS OUR MISSION Making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations
to isolate, yet God never intended that we walk through them alone. He is in the business of comforting, restoring and renewing all things for His glory.
For info or registration, email leanne.lane@bayareacc.org.
We want to walk with you through this season of life. The Care Network is a free, confidential, Jesus-centered ministry for those seeking assistance. We provide hope and healing through a variety of resources both inside and outside the walls of Bay Area. Let’s partner through these struggles together. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org
Occasionally, couples who are living together enter our Premarital Ministry. We believe strongly that the best way to honor God before marriage is to remain pure and live separately. We’re looking for folks who have temporary space in their homes that could be used in order to fulfill this desire. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org
OUR VISION
PREMARITAL MENTORING
There are five things we desire for every follower of Jesus who calls Bay Area home to do:
CONNECT IN COMMUNITY SERVE LIKE JESUS GO ON A MISSION TRIP SHARE THE GOSPEL WORSHIP TOGETHER
YOUR FIRST STEP New to Bay Area or want to get involved? Join us at First Step, a fun, one-hour gathering where you’ll learn about who we are, what we believe, and how you can get plugged into community and serving at Bay Area! It’s an interactive time with coffee, snacks and childcare. Your next opportunity is coming up in January 2018 - look for more info at bayareacc.org/firststep. Info: rachel.perry@bayareacc.org
BAPTISM WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BAPTIZED? For more information, contact: • K-5th: gail.wiles@bayareacc.org • 6-12th: brent.squires@bayareacc.org • Adults: dax.clinkscale@bayareacc.org
CARE NETWORK Sometimes life hands us struggles: loss of a loved one, serious illness, parenting difficulties, divorce, addiction and other challenges. These difficult circumstances can cause us
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TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR PREMARITAL COUPLES
CELEBRATE RECOVERY Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Celebrate Recovery is for anyone seeking a richer life through worshiping God and being in community with others. Don’t let your hurts, habits or hangups keep you isolated. Join us for community, worship and teaching. Want to learn more? Join us at our CR Taster on the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. for dinner, conversation and a chance to experience what it’s all about. KidCare is available. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org
DIVORCECARE SUPPORT GROUP Have you experienced the support of others through a DivorceCare Group or another format while going through divorce? We are looking for women and men who feel a calling to be part of this new ministry and are currently training facilitators. Look for our first DivorceCare Support Group in early 2018. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org
GRIEFSHARE SUPPORT GROUP Thursdays, 6:45-9 p.m. through 12/14 When experiencing the loss of a loved one there is a deep, prolonged impact caused by the death of a spouse, child, family member or close friend. The griever often needs ongoing support and encouragement. This Christcentered support group meets weekly to help those grieving by providing a safe place to walk through this time with the support of others. Join us in the Kelp Forest Room in the Children’s Ministry wing.
Are you newly engaged? We want to partner with you as you establish a strong, Jesus-centered life with your future spouse. Through premarital mentoring you’ll be paired with trained marriage mentors who will equip you with the tools and resources you’ll need to succeed in marriage. Info: premarital.ministry@ bayareacc.org
MARRIAGE MINISTRY TEAM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Our marriage ministry team seeks to encourage and equip couples to start and stay strong in their marriages. If you have a passion to help strengthen marriages and have been married for 10 or more years, come be a part of this ministry. Learn more at bayareacc.org/marriageministry.
SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS SEMINAR Sunday, 11/18, 2-4 p.m. Are you dreading Thanksgiving and Christmas knowing that things have changed and that happy memories from past years can’t be recreated? The Surviving the Holidays seminar is for people who are grieving a loved one’s death. You’ll learn how to deal with emotions you’ll face during the holidays, what to do about traditions and changes, and helpful tips for surviving social events. Info: leanne.lane@bayareacc.org Register: bayareacc.org/ survivingtheholidays
EMPLOYMENT KIDCARE TEAM MEMBERS Our KidCare team has a need for adults who have a heart for kids. We provide KidCare for all ministries and
various events year-round. Want to join our team of paid workers? Visit the Children’s Welcome counter on Sundays or email KidCare Coordinator Dax at dax.clinkscale@bayareacc.org.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Responsibilities will include oversight of all in-service worship technology, i.e. video, lighting, graphics and audio; oversight of external technology experience including live-streaming and remote-site content delivery; recruitment and development of volunteers; repairs of all ministry technology equipment; support of technology requirements for special events; and support of technology needs of our remote campuses. Preferred candidates will be passionate followers of Jesus who have at least 5 years of experience in worship production and technology. For more info & to apply: bayareacc.org/employment
ISRAEL TRIP 2018 INFORMATIONAL MEETING Sunday 11/5, 11:20 a.m. in Dock A Considering going on the October 2018 trip to Israel but have some questions? Here’s your opportunity to ask questions, review the 10-day itinerary in detail, and talk to Pastor Ed Kelley about the experience of visiting the Holy Land for this Biblical tour. The trip is October 15-24, 2018, and costs $3,892. Register at registernow.ittworld. com with tour code: Kelley18. $90 discount expires Nov. 15. Info: ed.kelley@bayareacc.org.
MISSIONAL COMMUNITY We are all about community. Being connected with others helps us grow in our love for God, for each other, and for our neighbor. You can find out more about Missional Communities at bayareacc.org/ missionalcommunities.
MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Sunday 11/12, 12:45-2 p.m. in the Bay Cafe If you are new or simply looking to get plugged in, join us for our Missional Community Taster on Sunday, November 12 from 12:45-2 p.m. in the Bay Cafe. The MC Taster is
a lunch and info session dedicated to sharing more about our philosophy about community. It’s a great chance to get a “taste” of what community is like. KidCare is available pending registration. RSVP online at bayareacc.org/mctaster.
GLOBAL MISSIONS BACK FROM THE EDGE: A CELEBRATION OF SHORT TERM MISSIONS IN 2017 Friday 11/17, 7-9 p.m. If you traveled on a short term missions team in 2017 or supported one or more teams through prayer or financial giving, we want to say thank you! Join us for a fun, free night of entertainment and celebration, hear and share stories from 2017 short term missions and get a sneak peek at 2018 short term missions opportunities. Dessert and KidCare provided with registration. Info & registration: bayareacc.org/stmcelebration
SEND Interested in sending others through prayer or giving? Give to a short term missionary or team at bayareacc.org/ stmgive. For prayer information email michele.rollins@bayareacc.org.
MEN’S FELLOWSHIP MEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays, 6-7:30 a.m. in room 236 Info: jlradcliffe@hotmail.com
WOMEN’S MINISTRY CHRISTMAS OUTREACH AT CURTIS BAY Sunday 12/10 Join us as we partner with Drink at the Well, a local nonprofit, to prepare an “IT’S CHRISTMAS, HON!” themed event for the women at Curtis Bay. We can use your time and talents to serve as hostesses, provide and serve food, and set up and clean up. Help us make Christmas special for these ladies. Info: janet.graves@bayareacc.org.
WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP CRUISE AUGUST 25, 2018 Join other Bay Area women for a five-night women’s fellowship cruise from Baltimore to Bermuda on Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas. Learn more at bayareacc. org/womensevents. Balcony rooms book up first. $100 deposit needed to reserve your room. Info: Lynn Riley at lriley1137@comcast.net
LIFE CRAFT EVENT Monday 12/4, 7-8:30 p.m. in Dock B Make Christmas wreaths and centerpieces using fresh greens. This workshop taught by Janice Shirlen will get you ready for Christmas decorating. Cost $25/wreath, $15/ centerpiece. Register: bayareacc.org/ womensevents.
QUILTS FOR KIDS 11/18, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Dock B
This study is geared toward helping men draw closer to Jesus while discussing and discovering God’s answers for the challenges men face at home, work and in society. Info: bob.gregory@bayareacc.org
Join us as we make quilts for kids in shelters and hospitals using donated fabrics. Come and learn to sew a new pattern. Kits will be available. Please bring your sewing machine, sewing supplies and lunch. If you would like a quilt kit, want to donate a quilt, or have questions, contact Janet at annapolisQFK@quiltsforkids.org
MEN’S BREAKFAST
WOMEN OF LEGACY (55+)
MEN’S EVENING BIBLE STUDY Sundays, 6-8 p.m. in room 235
Join us for The Line: God ‘N Grits, a men’s monthly breakfast on Saturday, November 18, from 8-9:30 a.m. in the Auditorium. The Line is an opportunity for men of Bay Area to gather around good food and conversation, and maybe walk out with more than just a full stomach and a few laughs. Register today at bayareacc.org/mensbreakfast. Info: bob.gregory@bayareacc.org
We meet to encourage each other in our walks with Christ and leaving a lasting legacy for others. Join us on second and fourth Mondays at 10:30 a.m. On November 13 we will serve the Creative Team as they prepare the church for Christmas. On November 27, we will consider on ways to have a Christ-centered Christmas. Info: Cedulie Sanchez at luisandcedulie@gmail.com N OVE M B E R GO&MAKE 25
SERVE LIKE JESUS INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT SERVING AT BAY AREA? Below, you’ll see a list of some of our most immediate serving needs. For a complete list of serving opportunities, and to sign up, go to bayareacc.org/serve. AMBASSADOR TEAM AUDIO/VIDEO TEAM CHAIR MINISTRY ESPRESSO BAR TEAM CHILDREN’S WELCOME TEAM
PRAYER MINISTRY Jesus lived a life of unceasing prayer that connected Him to the Father. We too long to be devoted to prayer. Our Prayer Ministry is comprised of individuals dedicated to gathering in prayer for all aspects of Bay Area life: our gatherings, communities, pastors, missions and so much more. Individuals are also available to pray with you on Sunday mornings after each gathering (front and right of the Chapel stage). For more information visit us online at bayareacc.org/prayer. Info: pat.linnell@bayareacc.org
CHILDREN’S SET DESIGN TEAM PARKING TEAM PRESCHOOL TEAM SAFETY TEAM WOMEN’S MINISTRY USHER TEAM
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
LEARNING COMMUNITIES Learning Communities are intended to strengthen your Biblical knowledge, character and/or ministry skills. They are also an opportunity to get to know others at Bay Area in an environment of learning. Sign up at bayareacc.org/learningcommunities.
COUPLES PRAYER Sundays 12/3-17, 11:20 a.m., Dock A
GRACE BOMB: KEEP THE MOVEMENT GOING A Grace Bomb is a surprising gift meant to make someone’s day better. We hope everyone at Bay Area will be a part of this movement to bless Annapolis and Easton! Pick up more Grace Bomb cards at any connect kiosk on a Sunday morning or download your own at gracebomb.org.
GIFTS FOR CHILDREN Join us in our annual efforts to bless children in need with Christmas presents this year! For more info or to volunteer email alex.williams@bayareacc.org.
11/12: Gifts for Children Begins - sign up between gatherings to sponsor a child.
11/19: Sign up to sponsor a child, turn in gifts purchased.
11/26: Sign up to sponsor a child, turn in gifts purchased.
12/3: Sign up to sponsor a child, turn in gifts purchased.
12/10: Last day to turn in gifts. 26 GO&MAKE N OV EM B ER
This is a prayer workshop for couples. Our desire is for you to pray with your spouse, regularly. If you do not pray with him or her, if you did and stopped, or if you do so intermittently, this LC is for you. This three-week LC designed to create space and time for communicating with the Lord in your marriage, as husbands and wives, and joined as one before our Heavenly Father.
STUDENT MINISTRY AMPLIFY Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Amplify is our mid-week middle and high school gathering where students can grow deeper in their walk with God through group-based discipleship. Amplify features games, worship, teaching, and gender/grade-specific Community Groups. Students will experience true community and discipleship in a fun environment with their peers. Optional dinner at 6 p.m. Info: lydia.macbride@bayareacc.org
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLUB678 Club678 is our monthly middle school hangout night during the school year. Our November Club678 will be on
Friday, November 10 from 7-9 p.m., and our December Club678 will be on Friday, December 8 from 7-9 p.m. Club678 is a free, high-energy evening full of activities and prizes. Info: tim.agnolutto@bayareacc.org
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY BL!TZ CHRISTMAS Sunday, 12/3, 4:30 p.m. This event is for the entire family, and it’s a great opportunity to bring your neighbors and friends. Bl!tz Christmas is a mashup of rockin’ Christmas music, extreme games and crowd participation. Your family will not want to miss this exciting, fast-paced time together. Blitz will be a fun Christmas memory, so register now at bayareacc.org/blitzchristmas.
DIVE 45 MOVIE NIGHT Friday, November 17 Registration is open for our next fourth- and fifth-grade Dive 45 event. We will meet and enjoy the film “Wonder” at a local theater. Plan to send your child with money for a ticket and snacks. Info & register: bayareacc.org/dive45
WAVE RIDERS PLAY GROUP Come check out this family play and support group with fun activities, book clubs and socials that offers a space for parents to share parenting knowledge, resources and experiences. Save these dates for our next gatherings: Tuesday, November 14 and Monday, November 27! Check our Facebook page at facebook. com/waveriderplaygroup or email brittany.dunklin@bayareacc.org for more details.
NURSING MOTHERS If you would like a quiet place to nurse during Sunday gatherings, visit our Tidal Pool area and we will direct you to a room equipped with glider rockers. If you would like a place to nurse and hear the gathering during the 9:20 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. gatherings, visit our Children’s Welcome desk.
SPRING PARENT DEDICATION Parent Dedication is more than an event, it’s celebrating your decision as parents to raise your child to follow Jesus. To participate, parents
are required to attend an orientation. Info & register: bayareacc.org/ parentdedication
COLLEGE MINISTRY YOUNG ADULT MISSIONAL COMMUNITY (AGES 18-25) Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Missional Communities are a great opportunity for people to connect in community where they are loving God, serving others and growing spiritually together. Info: bryan.mcfarland@bayareacc. org
org. For gifts other than cash, contact our finance team at finance@bayareacc.org. How Can I Continue To Support Bay Area’s Building Funds? GIVING METHODS eCheck: Go to bayareacc.org/give to give online through your checking account through a one-time or recurring donation on My Bay Area. Personal Check: Write “Building Fund” on the memo line and drop it in the offering basket on Sunday or mail the check to Bay Area (884 Chesterfield Road, Annapolis, MD 21401). Bank Check: Process through your bank’s Bill Pay service online for a bank check to be sent to Bay Area. Be sure to note “Building Fund” on the memo line.
FINANCIALS Annapolis Campus Operating Budget Financial Update As of October 26, 2017 New Fiscal Year Began 9/1/17
ANNAPOLIS CAMPUS Fiscal Year Giving Goal
$ 5,185,000
YTD Received YTD Goal YTD Actual vs. Goal MTD Received MTD Giving Goal
$ $ $ $ $
694,764 684,396 10,368 365,574 309,956
Fiscal Year Giving Goal
$
187,000
YTD Received YTD Goal YTD Actual vs. Goal MTD Received MTD Giving Goal
$ $ $ $ $
34,782 28,769 6,013 19,159 14,385
EASTON CAMPUS
ANNAPOLIS CAMPUS OUTSTANDING BUILDING DEBT $3,224,801 (as of 9/30/17)
For weekly financial updates, go to bayareacc.org/financials. Please indicate any designated gifts on the memo line of your check or use the drop-down box online to select your desired giving fund. How Can I Participate In The Descendants Project? Pledge cards are available on Sundays at the 3D model and online at bayareacc.
EASTON CAMPUS HAPPENINGS DISCOVER BAY AREA Sunday 11/5 after the gathering If you would like to hear the basics about our church’s mission, key ministries, and get basic questions answered, don’t miss Discover Bay Area. It will last about 25 minutes and no RSVP is required. Kids are welcome to sit in the meeting as well. We hope to see you there.
MISSIONAL COMMUNITY TASTER Thursday, 11/16 at 7 p.m. At Bay Area, we have groups that meet in homes throughout the week called Missional Communities. These are a great way to build relationships and strengthen your faith. If you want to find out what they are and how to be involved in one, come join us for the next Missional Community Taster. Info: dustin.carpenter@ bayareacc.org
ELDER & DEACON NOMINATIONS
If you’re a Ministry Partner and you know a godly man who is qualified for the office of elder or a godly man or woman qualified to serve as a deacon, please nominate them online by November 22. Thank you!
BAYAREACC. ORG/ELDER OR BAYAREACC. ORG/DEACON
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