SHARING
CBS MAGA ZINE 2019
WELCOME
TO THE 2019 EDITION OF SHARING MAGAZINE! A simple setting. A simple meal. But what an extravagant invitation! When the resurrected Christ appeared to His followers for a morning meal by the Sea of Galilee, it was an invitation to more than a quick bite to eat and a short conversation. In Jewish tradition, a meal was an offer to savor the hospitality of a lifelong friend. To share life. To enjoy community. And here by the seaside, the Bread of Life invited eleven weary men to “come and share.”
KIMM CARR Executive Director
It’s no surprise that Jesus welcomed His followers to share a meal. After all, He is the God of the warm welcome. The one who invited a curious Andrew to “come and see.” Who invited the multitudes to “come and find rest.” Who urged the crowds at the Great Feast in Jerusalem to “come and drink.” None who responded was ever turned away. After He ascended to His Father, Christ’s disciples followed His example. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 souls were welcomed into God’s family. They found forgiveness. Hope. And the offer to share life with others who “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.” An invitation to join together in community and to study God’s Word. Sound familiar? Much like Christ’s early followers, Community Bible Study welcomes all who accept His invitation. In this edition of Sharing magazine, we’re telling stories of CBS classes and members who have welcomed friends, neighbors and strangers to study God’s Word and build a community. Interested? You’re invited to Come and Share their stories. Love, Kimm
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The Power of Community COME AND SHARE … MY COMMUNITY “Thank you for coming here or I would have died without
meeting Jesus .”
a 90-year-old woman’s response to a CBS leader who started a Remote Core Group in her retirement home
“The most impor tant thing I have learned is that just the action of asking someone to a CBS class is a
ministry of love . When we invite someone to our
class or church, what we are really saying is, ‘I love you enough to invite you into my world, to come into my class, to be my friend, to live life with me.’” Michael Haas, Prayer Chairman, Roanoke Valley Evening Class, Virginia
Michael with members of his Remote Core Group
“I’ve realized that when we go through some kind of storm, we really do appreciate the ones who have come alongside us. Af ter experiencing breast cancer last year, I have come to truly understand the privilege, the joy, and the need for our
closeness here at CBS . When you need suppor t, we
will hold you up, encourage you, and yes, we will even wear pink.” Janice Kupratis, Associate Teaching Director, Orange County Evening Class, California CBS Servants Team wearing pink for Janice
“What CBS has been to me, and to my family, is a place of stability and encouragement. Ever y time I walked through the door, no matter what I or my kids looked like, sounded like or smelled like, I never felt any thing other than over f lowing, radiating love and encouragement: smiles ready to greet me, helping hands to hold my babies, godly advice, and sisterly understanding.” CBS attendee in Bethesda, Maryland (the original “birthplace” of CBS)
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Come and Share … My Dinner With a Syrian Refugee There’s an empty seat at the table. Someone’s missing. Someone who was there last night … but today, they’re gone. Your heart breaks because you know they can’t come back. Life changed in an instant and you’re left to deal with the loss. CBS lesson book in Arabic
country of Jordan. Others seek shelter in Turkey, Europe and the United States. There are no easy answers to the refugee crisis or the Syrian war. But while the world struggles to find a solution, God has been quietly preparing His people to show His love. Among them is a CBS class in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joni is its Teaching Director. “Pittsburgh is a hotbed of refugees. There are Somalian … Syrian refugees … and I didn’t even know it. The refugee women live right next to where I live.” But what Joni did know is that God had called her to get involved. “In 2012, God kept burdening my hear t and telling me, ‘You need to have an Ethnos group at Pittsburgh Nor th.’ ” She initially thought God was guiding her to work with Spanish-speaking par ticipants, and all seemed in order until God closed the door. She next prayed about a ministry to Chinese-speaking par ticipants, but again, nothing happened. “I said, ‘OK, I’m not going to worry about it. Obviously, this isn’t the right time.’ ”
There are many empty seats at many abandoned tables in the country of Syria. More than 400,000 chairs sit empty because of a violent civil war that is destroying that nation. What started in 2011 shows no signs of stopping. More lives are claimed every day. To give you some perspective, the cities of Anaheim, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana, are each home to 400,000 people. Imagine the loss our nation would feel if the population of even one of those cities disappeared. The French Quar ter – empty. Disneyland – gone. Never to return. Welcome to the world of a Syrian war refugee. Not only has the war claimed nearly a half-million lives, it has also resulted in the widespread loss of homes and proper ty. Five million Syrians are displaced. Homeless. Refugees seek asylum. Some have fled to the nearby 4
When the time was right, God not only confirmed Joni’s calling to serve, but He also directed her to the right conversation. A class member named Betty worked with refugees and needed help. “As we were talking, she said, ‘I’ve been working with Syrian refugee women, and I’ve run out of materials. Do you have any idea about materials I can use with them?’ ” Joni shared her hear t for an Ethnos Group and offered to help Betty find CBS materials translated into Arabic. Joni shared the opportunity with her class and asked them to pray about the opportunity and the challenges involved with setting up an Ethnos Group. “We would need a place to meet. We would need permission from National (CBS’s Ministry Service Center). We would need to know that we could do it for a shorter period of time, because we didn’t have a complete study in Arabic. We didn’t know who would come to the group. We didn’t know anything.” Those were just the logistical challenges. An even greater challenge lay ahead. “We learned that the Syrian refugee women not only don’t know
English, but they don’t read or write. How do you do an Ethnos group with women who can’t even do their lesson?” God answered each and every request. Betty – the classmate who worked with the Syrian refugees – took the role of Core Leader. It was a natural fit. Betty is from Egypt, speaks Arabic and understands the culture. She was also willing to commit to helping the women learn God’s Word and adapt to life in the United States. One of Betty’s friends, Mushira – another Egyptian Christian with ties to CBS – joined as Betty’s Assistant Core Leader. The first attendees included refugees with whom Betty worked. None were Christians, but they were interested in attending a Bible study because of positive interactions with Christ followers in Turkey. “When they fled Syria,” Joni explains, “they fled ISIS and they left family members behind. They went through a refugee camp in Turkey. There were missionaries there who treated them kindly, cared for them, and spoke the name ‘Jesus.’ And because the missionaries did that, the refugee women were open to hearing more from people who talked about Jesus.” Five refugees signed up for the class. Three left the group for personal reasons. Two women remained. One of the women, Hanifa, especially showed great interest in learning more – due, in par t, to her love for learning, but also because the Pittsburgh Nor th class has become the “hands and feet” of Jesus by helping her family. The refugee women weren’t able to drive, so Joni asked her class to help with transportation. And Joni’s group responded enthusiastically. Class participants offered more than just rides to the Arabic Core Group. They also volunteered to help Hanifa with medical transportation for one of her family members, who is fighting a life-threatening illness. And 15 people signed up to make weekly meals for Hanifa and her family. Class leaders visited Hanifa’s family and prayed with them. And they had one more surprise. In December 2018, leaders responded to Joni’s request to bring non-perishable foods and toiletries as a Christmas gift to the family. “We filled four huge laundry baskets.”
Hanifa, Betty, “F”, and Lynn (Prayer Chair)
The gifts, the food and hear tfelt care poured into the refugee families was making a difference. Joni visited the family and – to her surprise – was invited to a feast. “They welcomed me into their Middle Eastern home, and they laid out a spread of food for me. I had to try all these cheeses and yogur ts and grape leaves.” Joni had earned a place at the table. The hard work is bearing fruit. Hanifa stood up at Sharing Day and quoted three memory verses in Arabic to the class, who cheered and gave her a standing ovation. God is opening hearts to His truth, all because the Pittsburgh North class was willing to share His love. Joni reflects on the work and on her visit to the refugees. “It was a delightful time – to think that less than a year ago, we didn’t even know we were going to have an Arabic Core Group, and now we are in the home of a Syrian refugee being welcomed and loved by them. And they are so open to the gospel. It’s crazy.” * Since the writing of this ar ticle, Hanifa’s ill family member has passed away, which gives us even more impetus to reach these precious souls for Christ. Pray for Hanifa in the loss of her loved one. Pray that relationships continue to be built as Betty and her helper Mushira meet families and look to God to bring the people in, as Joni and her class wait on the Lord for His direction and timing.
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Come and Share … My Confidence in Christ “I never thought in a million years that God would make me a Teaching Director,” Sarah Jawahar says. Sarah describes herself as an introver t. How can anyone who sounds so warm and welcoming possibly struggle to speak up? But the more you listen, the more you hear it. It’s not a lack of confidence or insecurity; rather, it’s the calmness and gentleness that come from someone who is content to walk quietly with God and let Him do the speaking. Her story is about letting God be strong when we are weak.
Sarah returns to the parking lot where she was invited to her very first CBS class.
Sarah’s story starts with weakness. She struggled with her emotions after her family moved to Dover, Delaware for her husband’s new job. Dover was the last place she wanted to be. “I thought of this move as a place of transition. My family lives in Connecticut and I was hoping to move closer to home.” The move was more difficult than she anticipated. “I was eight months pregnant with my third daughter,” Sarah recalls. And then there was the winter weather. “That year we had the biggest snowstorm in Delaware. It was hard to get out. I felt isolated.” While her husband’s job provided for the family, it also kept him away long hours. The move away from family and the new routine began taking a toll on Sarah’s emotions. “I slowly began to get lonely. I fell into a routine with the kids and star ted taking them to various events and immersing myself in their schooling. I went to church but felt I needed something more.” That “something more” happened as Sarah was getting into her car after a Sunday church service. “I was standing in the church parking lot when someone asked me to come to CBS.” But Sarah struggled with the invitation. “I wanted a deeper connection with the people I met, but I didn’t really want to get to know people. I wanted to get back to Connecticut.” Making new friends might get in the way of her goal, but she knew she needed fellowship and answers to the questions she faced daily. “How do I deal with anxiety and my problems? Is God really in charge? How do I deal with changes and transitions?”
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The CBS class provided Sarah with a safe place to sor t through her challenges. “I just felt welcome and I loved getting into the Word in a systematic way.” But she battled her insecurities. “I was so scared to answer my first question. I was thinking it was going to be the wrong answer.” She soon discovered that others dealt with similar fears … and, like them, she found a way to push past the doubts and speak with confidence. Today, nearly 20 years later, Sarah is still actively involved in CBS. “CBS has been impor tant for my growth,” she says. And talk about growth! Today she is the Teaching Director for her CBS class in Dover. “It transformed me, strengthened me, and made me realize that God has a plan.” And to think that it all star ted with a simple invitation in a parking lot!
Come and Share … My Second Chance at Hope No one who comes to Jesus is ever turned away. Christ delights in giving second chances. It all began with the CBS In Prison ministry. It was there that a young woman with a searching hear t began studying God’s Word. When she was released from prison, she began attending the local CBS Day Class – and she brought her preschool son, Colton, with her. Colton attended the CBS preschool class in the children’s depar tment. But after about a year, Colton’s mother fell back in with her old group of friends and stopped coming to CBS. But the story didn’t end there. Colton’s father, Fred, wanted to see Colton continue in Bible study and learning God’s Word. So every week he would bring Colton to the Day Class and wait for two hours outside the sanctuary until CBS was over. After a while, the children’s leaders noticed that Fred was standing near the sanctuary doors, where he could listen to the Teaching Director’s teaching. They encouraged Fred to go into the sanctuary and take a seat. Next, after more encouragement from a loving CBS children’s leader, Fred eventually joined the men’s Core Group. Fred also realized that the Bible stories from Colton’s lessons really resonated with him and brought back memories from his early childhood. Fred’s mother used to take him and his siblings to church, but she died when he was 9 years old. After that, Fred did not go to church anymore. His father was just too busy with work and all his other responsibilities to see that the children got to church. Studying the Bible at CBS awakened Fred’s heart once again to what he had heard long ago. Through in-depth Bible study, CBS InPrison & Beyond provides opportunities in our communities to make disciples of Jesus by reaching our incarcerated or recently-released brothers and sisters. CLICK HERE to learn more about CBS In Prison & Beyond. After School Kids (ASK) is a flexible framework for Bible study that can be used with students almost anywhere.
When Colton became old enough to attend the local After School Kids (ASK) class, Fred signed him right up and brought him to ASK faithfully every week. One day Colton told his dad, “I want to be baptized.” Fred looked at Colton and said, “Son, I’ve never been baptized. Why don’t we get baptized together?” And they did. When you talk to Fred, he’ll be the first to tell you that he made many mistakes and didn’t always live the way he should. Fred and Colton at their baptismal service But he also says, “The Lord gave me a second chance, and boy, I’ve taken that chance and run with it.” Fred and Colton talk about the Bible all the time. Fred is so proud that Colton at age 5 already knows so much about the Bible. Colton even told the ASK class what repentance is! The Lord worked through In Prison, ASK and a Day Class to invite a father and son to Come and Share God’s Word. Fred received a second chance and a new beginning. And Colton is beginning his life firmly rooted in God’s Word and Christ’s love.
CLICK HERE to learn more about CBS ASK.
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Come and Share … My Search for Identity God answered her prayers with an unlikely invitation. She was asked to join a playgroup for children. “A friend of a friend invited me,” Amy remembers. “I was at home with two little ones and she thought it would be something I was interested in. It was much needed.” She welcomed the chance to connect with other women and find others who understood her struggles. But that wasn’t all she gained from the encounter. “There were a few women in the playgroup who were in CBS. One of those women invited me to visit, and once I came that first day, I was in. I liked everything about it.” The class welcomed Amy, and soon she found that CBS was more than just a weekly Bible study – it was a place to belong. “I was in a Core Group only briefly when I answered the call to leadership in the Children’s depar tment. CBS was desperate for help, and the Lord knew I was desperate for a place at the table – His table. God had brought me to a playgroup for the purpose of leading me into a ministry and a life-changing study of Him through His Holy Word.”
Amy O’Reilly and her children, Jacob and Sami, during her early days in CBS
Business or family? Amy O’Reilly and her husband had made their decisions … both for the right reasons. Amy left her career to stay at home with the kids. Patrick dedicated his time to star ting a business. Neither anticipated the challenges ahead. Babies and businesses are a lot alike. Both need care, feeding and a lot of attention. Patrick spent long hours growing the company, while Amy spent her days with a toddler and a newborn. Soon, it was apparent that the couple was growing apar t. Financial strain and the pressures of raising children led Amy to feel she was losing her husband to the business, and that she was losing some of her own identity. She needed something to change. Soon. 8
As Amy found purpose and meaning through the study of God’s Word, she also discovered an unexpected blessing. “There were times when I would be going through that week’s study and a verse would stand out, or maybe an illustration from one of the teachings or the commentary. And I would say to my husband, ‘Wow, you’ve gotta listen to this.’ Patrick was receptive to things I would share from my Bible study. And God had my husband on a journey of faith, just as He had me. God really called Patrick back to Himself. My husband rededicated his life to Christ and was baptized in our church. Our paths were definitely growing toward the Lord and building a firmer foundation in our faith.” Patrick and Amy grew closer together as a couple. Since then, Amy has served as a preschool teacher, a Core Leader, Associate Teaching Director, and Children and Youth Director. She’s also recently added a new role on top of her CBS service – publishing her beauty-fromashes testimony so that others can see how God works through even the most difficult circumstances. And she thanks the CBS family for inviting her to sit at Christ’s table and join in fellowship. “The community of CBS embraced and believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Come and Share … My School Lunch Motivating children to study God’s Word can be both satisfying and challenging. Donna Carrell knows this from first-hand experience. She’s the Children & Youth Director for a CBS class ... and she’s a grandmother. Donna’s Children & Youth class, San Marcos, Texas
When her 9-year-old granddaughter balked at coming to Donna’s class, the family suggested that she invite a friend to come with her. The idea worked – better than anyone ever expected! A few weeks after the decision, Donna visited her granddaughter’s school and enjoyed lunch with the little girl. While they were eating, her granddaughter’s friend showed up and shared how much she enjoyed the CBS class. Not only that, but she had taught her mom how to pray. Her mother struggles with anxiety and rarely leaves home. She has few oppor tunities to hear about Christ’s love, but because the little girl attends CBS, both mother and daughter now pray together each night. They may soon be joined by the friend’s sister, who also learned about prayer – all because Donna’s granddaughter invited her friend to attend CBS.
Come and Share … My After-School Friends What do these three things have in common: a nail salon, child care, and Community Bible Study? The answer : a little boy named Henry. Henry’s family owns a nail salon in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. Due to the demands of running a small business, Henry’s family spends hours each day caring for customers. The young boy spends a lot of time at the shop. It would be a lonely situation, except that Henry has a friend – an older boy named Andrew who takes time to visit and play. And whose mother attends a CBS class. Andrew’s mom, Michelle, is also a working mom. She knows what it’s like to tend to a job and an active little boy. It’s important to find the right place and the right people who can help her child succeed. She recommended her son’s CBS After School Kids (ASK) class and explained that it’s not just a safe place for kids, but it’s also a place where children can learn about the Bible.
Henry and Andrew outside Henry’s family’s business
Henry’s family considered the invitation and then signed him up to attend. The ASK class has become more than after-school care. It’s become a place where Henry can belong and can learn about the God who loves him. 9
Come and Share … My Dangerous Faith A Children & Youth training for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region
Miriam had a dream: 5,000 people in her community were going to come to Christ and God would use her to minister to them. Good dream, right? Who doesn’t want to minister to their community? But there’s a slight challenge. Miriam lives in a Muslim community. In her village, when someone turns to Christ, their family often turns their backs on the new believer. Those who share their faith face hatred and persecution. Miriam knows the cost of following Jesus, but boldly welcomes curious individuals into her home and tells the gospel story. She recently attended a CBSI training near her home. CBSI leaders were helping new believers read and understand God’s Word by offering CBS studies. Now, Miriam wants to make CBSI classes available to others in her village. Seventy people have come to Christ through her ministry … but she’s still praying to reach 5,000. Please join Miriam in praying for 4,930 more to hear and respond to the gospel.
Come and Share … The Love I Found You would never guess from Christina’s cheerful disposition that she lives in a very poor community and is a beneficiary of a worldwide sponsorship program. When Christina found the true meaning of a loving relationship with Jesus, she was blessed to have a mentor who had a passion for discipling young people who would in turn disciple younger people to follow in the ways of God. Today, Christina is doing just that. She spends all her time outside of school serving at church and Community Bible Study, ministering to young children so they can come to know and love Jesus the way she does and have their hope rooted in Jesus. 10
Come and Share … My Prayers for My Father Pastor S’s father prays for him each day. He fasts regularly and studies the Bible. He’s become one of his son’s biggest supporters. But it wasn’t always that way. If you’d asked the young Sri Lankan pastor about his father a few years ago, he would have said his father hated him. What happened to bring this father and son together in Christ’s love? Three heart attacks and a whole lot of prayer! Pastor S’s father was an alcoholic who reveled in his drunkenness and the pain it caused his son. He was so addicted to drink that even after his first and second heart attacks, his friends brought alcohol to the hospital and he drank it.
Pastor S
Photo by Jaromír Kavan on Unsplash
Sri Lanka landscape
But it took yet another heart attack for him to start listening to God. Pastor S prayed for his father’s recovery and God answered. When the older man left the hospital, he asked to go to church. Then he started a CBSI study in the Book of Mark. Partway through the study, the pastor’s father exchanged his old heart of hatred for a new heart that overflows with God’s love. The result: He stopped persecuting his son and started praying for him. Father and son are now united in serving Christ.
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Come and Share … My Breakfast at a Homeless Shelter Some CBS classes invite friends to “come to the table” and enjoy the fellowship. Melody Kesler’s class does just the opposite. They take the Bread of Life to those who are hungry. And there are plenty of hungry people in Athens, Georgia. Although the small college town is located an hour northeast of Atlanta, nearly a third of its residents live below the federal poverty level. Some are homeless. Others regularly struggle to find food and shelter.
They take the Bread of Life to those who are hungr y.
Melody and her class see these challenges as oppor tunities to serve those in need. Every Thursday morning, CBS class members meet in the fellowship hall of Athens First Baptist and share God’s Word with the hungry and homeless who visit the church for free breakfast. Some weeks, eight to 10 people attend classes. Other weeks, one or two show up. But, Melody says, she feels it’s impor tant to stay faithful no matter how many – or how few – show up. “It has taken time to build a trusting relationship with the clients who come for breakfast, but by coming to them (instead of expecting them to come to us) the CBS Beyond team is able to pour love, mercy, acceptance and hope into those we serve.” Sandra, class participant
Come and Share … Dinner at La Mesa God speaks Spanish. And He’s using a CBS Ethnos Group in Tampa, Florida to reach Spanish-speaking women in the community. The group includes women from Mexico, Puer to Rico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Ecuador. What star ted with just two people today welcomes disciples from all nations to la mesa – the table – for fellowship in Christ.
CLICK HERE to find out more about CBS Ethnos. 12
CLICK HERE to watch a trailer for the God’s Amazing Book series.
CLICK HERE to find out more about God’s Amazing Book. 13
Who Sits at Your Table? Jesus always showed up at the most unexpected places. He reached out to the most unlikely people. And He extended a most unexpected invitation: Come, sit at My table. Be My friend. Share life with Me. Those who responded – whether fishermen, tax collectors, the sick or the poor – found a welcome unlike any other. Who else but a loving Savior would ask an outcast to be His guest of honor? And how can those of us who have accepted His extravagant invitation do anything less than share this good news? In this edition of Sharing, we’ve included stories of CBS participants who have followed Christ’s example and extended an invitation to the homeless, the refugee, fathers and sons, grandchildren, busy moms, and others who long to find a place where they are welcomed and loved. Now the challenge is yours. You have the opportunity to reach out and welcome others to your CBS class … your circle of friends … your life.
Who will you invite?
Who is hungry for God’s love?
Who sits at your table?
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2019 CBS Finances: Your gift, God’s work.
7.9%
12.0%
6.1%
12.4%
8.1%
22.7%
12. 9%
17. 9%
Cu rr icu lu m D ev elopme n t & Fu lfillmen t
Leader s hi p Trai ni ng & Dev el o pment
Tec hno l ogy
N ext Gen era ti o n o f C h i l d ren & Yo u n g Peo p l e
Ho s t C h u rc h Su p p o r t
In tern a ti o n a l M i n i s tr y
L o c al Class O p e rat io ns & S he p he rding
F ie ld S up p o r t
FISCAL YEAR 2020 ANNUAL BUDGET: $13,350,000 GO TO CommunityBibleStudy.org/financial to learn more about CBS finances.
V I S I ON S TAT E M E N T Tr a n s f o r m e d L i v e s T h r o u g h t h e Wo r d o f G o d
M I S S I ON S TAT E M E N T To m a ke d i s c i p l e s o f t h e L o r d J e s u s C h r i s t i n o u r c o m m u n i t i e s t h r o u g h c a r i n g , i n - d e p t h B i b l e s t u d y, a v a i l a b l e t o a l l .
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E-MAIL US: Info@CommunityBibleStudy.org FIND OUT MORE: www.CommunityBibleStudy.org FIND YOUR LOCAL CLASS: www.FindMyClass.org PRAY WITH US: www.CommunityBibleStudy.org/Prayer GIVE US A CALL: 1.800.826.4181
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