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CONTENTS 02
Welcome to FBC Midlothian
04
The Highlights of Our Summer
06
A Volunteers Heart
Interview with Kyle Ballard
09
Fall Schedule
11
A Family of Believers
Interview with the Vicks
13
Learning a Language
ESL Program
15
Meet Chris Ransbottom
Get to Know Our Student Pastor
17
Upcoming Events
LIVE & LOVE MAGAZINE Bruce Prindle Lead Pastor
Design Ken Thompson
Kevin Phillips
Communications Director
Tim Hale
Editor Rachel Kidder
Discipleship Pastor Worship Pastor
Photography Greg Parker Jerry Fisk John Sweeney Cover Photo by Jon Tyson
BEAST FEAST OCT.
15
6:::--::: pm 2 Fall 2018
Beast Feast is a great time for men to come together and connect with one another and meet avid hunters and ďŹ shermen. You will have an opportunity to taste a variety of wild game, come in for diner, listen to a special message geared for men, and have a chance at many great door prizes.
$$$ for one ticket | $$$$ for a table of 8 To register, visit fbcmidlo.com/men today!
WELCOME TO FBC MIDLOTHIAN When I was a kid, I always looked forward to the start of school. Summer was very busy, but I looked forward to meeting new people, trying new things, starting familiar patterns, and many of the sports that I loved. Even though the days of classes are long gone, every autumn excites me about the potential that is just over the horizon. I still smile as I watch families entering the elementary school down the street, loaded with school supplies, new schedules, and some tentative smiles on their faces. It’s like a blank slate, a fresh start! I want to invite you on a fresh journey with our church family. We’re all juggling life. None of us do that perfectly. In fact, many of us lean on the encouragement we get from each other as we square our shoulders to face a lot of that life! But doing life together is integral to following Jesus. To live and love like Him means learning to face life together. This magazine is designed to celebrate the people, the opportunities, and the callings of the church as we pursue the Jesus Life together—learning to live and love like Him. If you measured it, you would find some ways where we long to be better. But we also experience days where we savor each other as we savor what Jesus is still doing to make us like Him. What will Jesus do in our midst as we seek to follow Him? That’s the exciting prospect of a fresh journey! Every autumn, He brings fresh faces to FBC Midlothian. I hope that you enjoy some of the stories you’re about to read, and that they encourage you to give Jesus more access to your life.
Bruce Prindle Lead Pastor
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THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR SUMMER Every summer FBC hosts numerous camps for all ages. This year Summer @ FBC held a camp for middle school students, a camp for high school students, VBS (that housed children from Entering Kindergarten - 5 th grade), and WinShape Camp that hosted completed 1 st - 9 th graders. One of our largest turnouts was Vacation Bible School this year! This was by far our biggest yet and we had a blast. We were maxed out in our preschool area and were almost at full capacity in our children’s. From energized worship, to recreational fun, to engaging bible studies, we were
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able to see the Holy Spirit enter into these kids’ lives. We truly saw the hearts of our volunteers, the participants, our leaders, and the parents. Alongside our VBS we also had Welcome Week. This entailed our completed 5 th graders to transition from or children’s ministry into our student ministry. During this time, students got to know what Elevate does as a whole. They also were able to get to know the lead pastor, Chris Ransbottom, and all the support staff. They wrapped up Welcome Week with a trip out to Group Dynamix for a great time to bond as a group.
32 Decisions
283 Volunteers
- VBS Summary -
I WILL SUSTAIN YOU AND I WILL RESCUE YOU. Isaiah 46:4 b
595 Registered
480
Avg. Attendance
1,400
$
Giving for bibles to Haiti
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The Ballard Family
A VOLUNTEERS HEART
An Interview with Kyle Ballard
Q: How do you serve the church as a volunteer?
Q: How did you prepare to serve?
A: I like to think that I’ve structured my life in such a way that I have some availability to serve the church both on a short-term, as needed basis, as well as some longer-term commitments. With that being said, I have been a leader of the 5 th graders during Wednesday night GLOW for the past couple of years. I’ve recently committed to fill a teaching vacancy in one of the adult bible fellowship classes. And I also serve as a member of the deacon body. I’ve previously sung in the choir, been a student bible fellowship leader, and served on the finance committee.
A: Well, I guess there are a couple of components to this question. Pragmatically, I first tell myself that I’m going to make serving a priority. That then leads to the need to clear some time in the schedule to be open and available to serve, and then make sure that the folks closest to you understand your commitment and the expectations that go along with it. Additionally, I had to be honest and flexible with myself and God to go where he leads. God has given each of us certain spiritual gifts, and often times we are called to serve in a way that utilizes and develops those gifts. However, we’re not to let that limit the ways in which we serve the church. God desires for us to step out of our comfort zone, and into faith. Sure, there are a number of areas of service that require a certain level of spiritual maturity, or even draw upon unique professional expertise, but there are many more ways to serve that only require us to be the clay in the Potter’s hands.
Q: How did you start volunteering? A: I tried to take notice of areas of need, and listened to requests for help, then simply made sure that I let one of the staff or church members know I was willing and available. Beyond that, sometimes it’s as simple as just showing up, seeing a need, and jumping right in.
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Q: How does serving the church help me live and love more like Jesus? A: Jesus himself set the ultimate example of what it means to serve. In Philippians 2, it tells us to serve one another with humility, the way Jesus did, by giving up His rightful place in Heaven, and coming to earth to live as a man and making the ultimate sacrifice for my sin by dying on a cross. By humbly serving the church, I learn more about my Lord, and thus grow closer to Him.
Q: What’s your favorite part of volunteering? A: Besides the latest T-shirt du jour, I’d say the joy of seeing the blessing God pours out on His church. I’m still learning this every day, but God’s not interested in what I can bring to the table, my finest garments are but dirty rags to Him. So if I will submit to His authority and do everything to the best of the abilities He’s given me, He will work in and through me to bring glory to His name.
Q: The most challenging part of volunteering? A: For me, it’s that humble part. I don’t so much mind giving of my time and energy, but pride is always
trying to creep in and mess up a good thing. The father of lies uses pride to try and tell me that if I serve the church well, then that makes me a good person, and if I’m a good person, then I must not need God’s mercies. You see, it’s a terrible downward spiral that is far from the truth. The truth is that I’m a sinner, deserving or God’s judgment, but because He loves me so much, He took my judgment upon Himself and adopted me as His own.
Q: What would you tell someone that is considering serving? A: I love the imagery God gave us in Romans chapter 5, where it says that, as believers, we are the body of Christ. Much like our physical bodies are made up of many different parts, the church is made up of many different people with varying gifts and abilities. Every believer is called to serve one another, the church, recognizing that we’re not all called to the same service, but all service is important for the health of the entire body. So if nothing else, consider what the body of Christ may be missing when you’re not serving...are you a hand, a lung, a heart or even a hair follicle? Whatever your part, God would not have called you to the body if He didn’t need you to serve.
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8 Fall 2018
FALL SCHEDULE All classes start the week of August 19.* C Childcare Available
CHILDREN & STUDENTS Noah’s Bible Club Wednesdays at 6:00 pm Open to ages 3 - 5. Bible study, crafts, play, and worship.
GLOW (God Lights Our Way) Wednesdays at 6:00 pm Open to 1st - 5th graders. Bible study, crafts, activities, and worship.
Students Wednesdays at 6:00 pm All grades meet at the Student Center for worship and a message.
Life Series Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Chapel C Short term series that will explore parenting, marriage, and world view conversations. August 22 | Parenting Series – Helping your kids thrive this school year. September 12 | Going deeper into the Lens sermon series with our Lead Pastor, Bruce Prindle. October 31 | 5-week series on embracing a biblical marriage.
MARRIAGE & FAMILY Smart Step Families Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 205 C Cost is $10.00 for the class.
MEN & WOMEN Women’s Off-Site Group | Starts September 10 Mondays at 7:00 pm | AJ Armstrong’s home
Grief Share Wednesdays at 1:00 & 6:00 pm | Room 207/209 C Cost is $1 per week for 14 weeks.
Women’s Morning Group
Divorce Care
Wednesdays at 9:30 am | Room 201/203 C
Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 202 C
Women’s Night Group Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 201/203 C Cost is $20.00 for the class.
MOPS | Starts September 5
Cost is $1 per week for 14 weeks.
Re-Engage Sundays at 5:00 pm | The Filling Station C Cost is $1 per week for 13 weeks.
This is a new MOPS group that supports working mothers. Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 204/206 C
OUTREACH
Senior Adults
ESL Classes | Starts September 5
Wednesdays at 10:00 am | Chapel
Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | First floor classrooms C
Men’s Group
Class is free, resource cost $20. Call 972-775-9095 for more information.
Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 104 C
Worship Choir Wednesdays at 6:30 pm | Room 107/109 C
To see a full list of our Sunday classes, please visit fbcmidlo.com/sunday-classes.
* Some classes will start on other dates and are specified in the title of the group.
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Travis & Katie Vick
10 Fall 2018
A FAMILY OF BELIEVERS “Be Brave.” That’s the advice Connect Group leader Katie Vick gives to church members who are hesitant to lead or join a connect group. Katie and her husband Travis Vick have been leading a group at FBC Midlothian since 2011. “There’s something harder about walking into someone’s house than a Sunday school class. For people that are willing to [take] that step of faith and courage, I think God honors that. There’s an authenticity and a vulnerability that you get only when you walk through that door,” Travis said. The authenticity and vulnerability are what drew the Vicks to the small group model when they first found it at a church they attended in Waco.
“Personally, it was transformative in my relationship with Jesus,” Travis said. He grew up in a church with the “Sunday School model,” which he credits with a good background in Bible training and Bible knowledge. “But I don’t think I got a lot of good discipleship out of [Sunday School],” he continued. “So when I got to live life and walk very closely with just a few guys or couples in a connect group, it was much more authentic and I felt like it was just much more transformative in my walk with Jesus.” Katie and Travis brought their passion for connect groups to the FBC Midlothian’s church body when they moved back from Waco. However, according to Travis, “it was small and it was needing some kind of leadership.” So the Vicks connected with the pastors and leaders who were a part of it. “We’ve been passionate about leading a group ever since,” Travis said. In the seven years since starting their Connect Group at FBC Midlothian, the Vicks have developed a model that serves the needs of their group members. The first 45 minutes is dedicated to eating a meal together. Then, they move to the lesson—which over the years has been books, that week’s sermon, or a book of the Bible. But every once in a while, their meeting takes a different path.
Interview with the Vicks
“There are times where we really just feel the Spirit leading us that we just need to spend the time worshipping and praying for each other.” “So we’ll just dim the lights, put on some worship music, pray, or read Scripture. Sometimes those are the most moving meetings that we have, when you allow God to lead you where the people in your group need to be. That’s the nice thing about a group. You can go whatever direction is needed.” Occasionally, there is a need within the group that needs even more direct attention. “When you have a direct need, everything needs to stop [so we can] lay hands over and pray for that person or couple, that’s what you do. That’s how groups stay together for years and grow to bring people in as we see that change happen. But if you don’t walk in that door, you won’t ever be able to experience that,” Katie said. At the end of each meeting, the group has intentional time of “life updates,” which Travis describes as a deeper version of prayer requests. “[We talk about] where you’re at with your relationship with Jesus, or what you’re going through with your family, your job(s), and your kid(s). That way we know how to pray for each other,” Travis said. “That’s what we try to replicate—a place where we don’t just want people to come in and go through the motions of church. We really want them to be honest about where they’re at, good or bad, and help them figure out what the next step is in their path of following Jesus.” Travis and Katie see this discipleship model as a reflection of the church in Acts, where Christians met in homes and broke bread together. “Really Christianity is not intended to be private,” Katie emphasized. “It’s supposed to be played out in community. That’s how we grow the Kingdom, grow the church, and how we support one another.” Their connect group—though it has changed over time with couples moving, changing jobs, or branching off to lead their own Connect Groups, has continued to disciple and minister to its’ members.
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“Being with some of these families for years, we’ve seen adult believers in our group become baptized. Everyone has had children, loved ones that have been lost, infertility struggles, and experienced job changes,” Katie said. “There are so many things that we look back through our prayer requests and we see that through the prayer and the spiritual growth they’re leading groups and talking to people at work.”
munity. They have assisted Gloryland Express on summer days to feed and minister to the children. They have also served at Brookdale Senior Living in Waxahachie by bringing gifts and praying with the residents. During these outings, they use it as an opportunity to showcase how to live and love like Jesus to their own children.
The church motto, “Living and Loving like Jesus” has always been at the core of the Connect Group ministry, according to the Vicks. “We really try to focus a lot on [the fact] that this is your core Christian community — but how are you pulling in the people that you work with, see, and are neighbors with?” Katie asked. “That’s how we need to grow the Kingdom. Our job is to impact the community around us with the support of our [Connect Group.]” Travis added that although there are many ministries within the church, connect groups have to unite on two types of ministry. "One is the type of ministry to the body,” he said. “We minister to each other. When someone has a baby, we’re the ones bringing meals and going to the hospital. We minister to the members of the group to fill needs that they have—spiritually, physically, emotionally, or financially. Secondly, we talk about finding an intersection point of ministry and needs outside of the church.” The Vicks’ Connect Group has found this “intersection point” through various ministries in the com-
“We want to be Jesus to the people in our group,” Travis said. "We want to be Jesus to the people outside of our group.” Katie added that, “you want an outward focus in the group. Through service and loving others, that’s how you really grow spiritually and connect as a group.”
Want to Get Connected? The church is currently growing the Connect Group ministry mainly through word-of-mouth and couples showing interest in leading or joining a group. You can express interest on the connect card, by contacting Kevin Phillips directly at 972.775.9078, or going online at fbcmidlo.com/connect-groups.
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“When you die and stand before God, He is not going to ask, “Do you speak English?’ He’s going to ask, ‘Do you know me?’” Beth Childs, director of FBC Midlothian’s ESL ministry, believes that her teachers reinforce this with the students on a weekly basis. “We want to be the best teachers we can be because we want them to succeed in this country. I want them to go to everything at their kid’s school. I want them to talk to their [kids’] teachers. I want them to have a great job. I want them to be able to go to the grocery store and be able to read everything. I want this to feel like home to them.” About four years ago, the last thing on Beth’s list of possible personal ministry opportunities was ESL. She didn’t speak Spanish, and she didn’t have teaching experience. That all changed when she visited similar programs at churches nearby. “That’s when my heart was just so touched,” Beth said. “There were people from Iraq, Mexico, some South American countries. And a lot of them had worked all day—some were professionals, some were manual laborers. And they would come and sit for two hours and study English, just desperately wanting to learn the language so that they could interact better in their community, they could get better jobs, they could go to the school meetings. Some were moms that just wanted to be able to read to their children or help with homework.”
Shortly thereafter, Beth and seven other women from FBC Midlothian attended the Texas Baptist Literacy Program. In less than two years, FBC opened its doors to an average of 35 ESL students every week.
Current Program Since its first semester, the ministry has grown and adapted its student’s needs. The church provides free child care, serves meals, provides entertainment during mealtime, and has occasionally brought in business owners from the community—nurses and other special guests who can provide services to the students. Class levels range from Level 1, where students speak virtually no English, to Level 5, which is intended mainly for professionals who speak fluent English but want to refine their language skills. Students go through an intake interview process where Beth, and her assistant director Rosanna, evaluates what level the student will be best suited for. Wednesday evening ESL runs from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Students have the opportunity to read, listen, and speak every week. They get up, and often move around to work with a partner or small group. They also include a light meal, entertainment, and games. ESL finishes the evening with a time of prayer and spiritual reflection.
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“We don’t realize a population that lives among us, that sometimes we don’t even see. I did not realize how many people live in Midlothian that don’t speak English.”
chance to practice, and they want to hear you speak English. If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
Living and Loving Like Jesus Beth sees the ESL program as an extension of how Jesus lived and loved during His ministry.
Future of the Ministry With that number rising steadily every year, Beth has her heart set on the future of the ESL ministry. Her main goal “is to try to reach out and get them into our church family.” The passion that Beth has for this ministry is contagious. After speaking with her for just a few minutes, you’ll be ready to jump right in and teach a class this fall. And that’s exactly what she is hoping for. The ministry is always looking for volunteers with an open heart and mind. “You do not have to have any experience with teaching a foreign language,” Beth emphasized. “It is so much better if the teacher does not speak Spanish or a foreign language because [the students are] here to learn English. What they’re really wanting is a
“He always engaged personally with people,” she said. “He was quick to act, to go toward what their need was. He was always respectful of people, no matter what their walk of life or past was. It was just meeting them where they were right then.” With this example in mind, Beth and the teachers always have a singular message at the center of their ministry: “You’re here. I love you as a person. I don’t know your story. I don’t know why God has put us together, but for some reason our paths have crossed at this church. The reason I’m doing this is because Christ has met my needs. I want you to know that no matter where you are, He loves you and wants to be your Lord and Savior.”
HOM E HOL IDAYS FOR TH E
A women’s gathering for brunch, impactful speakers, & tons of shopping!
COMING NOVEMBER 14 Fall 2018
MEET CHRIS RANSBOTTOM He was a "typical college punk”– flat-billed hat on backward, high-top shoes on his feet, and earrings in. "This kid needed Jesus,” according to the family he was serving Sunday morning at Buffalo Wild Wings. The reality was that Chris Ransbottom, then a college freshman at Texas A&M University, already had a long background in leadership—specifically in church and student ministry. This included being a student leader at his home church youth group, starting a Tuesday morning Bible study at Midlothian High School, planning "See You at the Pole", and free car washes as an evangelical outreach.
“I had always had the dream of either being a preacher or a teacher.” “I love that arena. So, I always found myself naturally in leadership positions at a young age. I’m an only child. I grew up with a single mom. My dad passed away when I was three years old. So, I grew up really quick.” The family Chris encountered that day in 2009 at Buffalo Wild Wings had just moved to College Station to plant a new church. He told them that he plans on going to seminary after A&M and wanted to get on board with their plant. When he said that, it shocked them.
Get to Know Our Student Pastor
As the first member of that church, Chris went through an eight-month planning process–from finding a location, to building a launch team, to handling the finances. At some point over his four years at the church, he served on every position on staff except worship and lead pastor. Whenever [he] "started seeing people as individuals, and not just the church as a whole,” he began seeing the path to seminary. “I’m walking in and seeing my waitress as somebody who needs Jesus,” Chris said. “I’m seeing the cashier at HEB as someone who needs Jesus. My roommate. The person living across the hall from me. The person in class with me. The person next to me on the bus. Everybody was somebody who needed Jesus. And I started seeing people as individuals with hopes and dreams. As the new FBC Midlothian Student Pastor, Chris sees an opportunity to “build something out of nothing.” Chris says, "we have the ability to evaluate what we’re currently doing and ask the questions of, ‘Are these things being productive? Are they accomplishing the goals that we want to see accomplished in our student ministry?’” So Chris, and the student ministry team, created a game plan. They had to think through how the student ministry would support the overall mission of the church–living and loving like Jesus. They dis-
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covered that there were three things they wanted the ministry to be— kingdom-expanding, culture-shaping, and character-transforming. “The church is not the only place we need strong leaders,” Chris explained. “We need them in all arenas of culture, whether that be entertainment, the arts, education, government. We need strong Christian leadership in all of those places. So we want to train people not just for the church, we want to train people for all of those areas." “We have a very high capacity group of students,” Chris said. “This generation, as a whole, is a very purpose-driven generation. It doesn’t make sense if the most purpose-driven generation isn’t connected with the most purpose-driven program in the church. There’s no greater mission-minded organization. No greater purpose that you can devote your life to, than the church.” They will also be focusing on other community goals. The recently opened student center is providing the opportunity to accomplish these goals. He has already seen students taking advantage of the individual group rooms, which give them a dedicated space to maintain their accountability groups they started at their October retreat last year.
“We can do all the programming, all the events, all the ‘fun stuff.’ But if they’re not becoming more a disciple of Christ when they leave our student ministry their senior year, then it’s more of a community center, which is not the goal." This fall we will see a focus on discipleship within the student ministry, including a weekly discipleship class on Sunday afternoons using the Disciple Civics course. There will also be high school and middle school conferences for both boys and girls devoted to their unique life stages.
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• Love Does Projects: service projects around Midlothian ISD and the community. • Parent Legacy Trainings: encourages parents to consider the legacy they’re leaving their children, give them tools to use, and let them be resources to one another. • The Shalom: students raising money for specific non-profits or projects with clear goals set by the students. • Road Crew: the student ministry will attempt to attend at least one of every sporting event or fine arts performance that students are involved in.
You can keep up to date with Elevate by finding them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @ElevateTX!
UPCOMING EVENTS C Childcare Available
Community Night Prayer
Unite Weekend
August 8 at 6:00 pm
October 5 - 6 | Fri. 6:30 pm, Sat. 8:30 am
Night of prayer for our children, schools, and school admin. Music will be led by Cassidy Hale.
Our premarital ministry offers a weekend class designed to give engaged or seriously dating couples a unique opportunity to learn, seek wisdom, and receive counsel about marriage in a safe, fun, challenging and authentic environment. Cost is $99 per couple.
Pool Baptism August 12 at 6:00 pm For some, being baptized in a church setting can be an intimidating experience. We feel that baptism should be an event that people look forward to, not one that can cause fear. After baptisms, we have a church-wide fellowship following as we celebrate together as a church family.
Newcomer Fellowships
Parent | Child Dedication Celebration October 13 at 9:30 am We are so excited to celebrate this first milestone in your child's life. Parents are the primary spiritual leaders for their children and we want to come alongside to help guide and support you on this journey. We host three sessions of Fostering Faith prior to our celebration. Cost for the resource is $10. Last day to register is September 1.
Aug. 26, Sep. 30, Nov. 11 at 5:00 pm This event is designed to give people an overview of our church. This is great to attend if you are thinking about joining or just want more information. In this time our lead pastor, Bruce Prindle, will discuss your first steps into living and loving like Jesus. You will also be introduced to some of our other pastors that run our other ministries. C
Beast Feast October 15 at 6:30 pm Beast Feast is a great time for men to come together and connect with other hunters and fishermen. You will have an opportunity to taste a variety of wild game, enjoy a steak dinner, and have a chance at many great door prizes. Cost is $15 per person.
Women, Worship, & the Word September 6 at 6:00 pm This will be a time of deep worship, lively fellowship, and encouragement. We will also be having a time for Stephanie Rieper to share her testimony with us.
Guys Golf Scramble
Surviving the Holidays November 11 at 5:00 pm Surviving the Holidays is an encouraging seminar to help you find healing and hope if you are you are dealing with the death of a loved one or the pain of Divorce or the insanity of Christmas as a blended family. C
September 16 at 2:00 pm This event is a four man scramble. Includes green fee, golf card, range balls, prizes and a hamburger dinner. Cost is $100 for a group of 4, $25 for an individual.
What Works for Us September 21 - 22 | Fri. 6:00 pm, Sat. 8:15 am
Home for the Holidays November 17 at 10:00 am Our women's ministry invites you to get spiritually and physically nourished. You will enjoy a delightful brunch, hear encouraging words from our speaker, enjoy a wonderful time of worship, experience warm fellowship, and fabulous shopping.
Even when it works, marriage takes work! Come join us for dinner and a few of our ministerial staff couples to share some insights on what has worked for their marriages. Cost is $69 per couple. C
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Today, we continue to help shape the spiritual landscape of our community, helping people
live and love like Jesus. We engage that pioneering spirit through powerful worship, innovative leadership, mission engagement, mercy ministries, and changing the culture around us. We seek to live and love like Jesus, placing us on a journey that is taking us to places of deepest needs and greatest hopes.
Find out more at fbcmidlo.com
1651 S. Midlothian Parkway, Midlothian, TX 76065 | 972.775.9000
