S P RI N G 2 0 1 9 | I SSU E 0 2
F BCM I DL O .CO M
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CONTENTS 03
Welcome to FBC Midlothian
04
The Highlights of Our Year
06
We are Better Together
What is Group Life?
09
Spring Schedule
11
On a Mission
Interview with the Pinkett's
13
Reaching the Unreached
Mission Trip to India
15
Meet Michael Sanders
Get to Know Our Media Director
17
Upcoming Events
LIVE & LOVE MAGAZINE Bruce Prindle Lead Pastor
Kevin Phillips
Discipleship Pastor
Tim Hale
Worship Pastor
Design Ken Thompson
Communications Director
Editor Rachel Kidder
Photography Greg Parker Jerry Fisk Kaye Adams John Sweeney Cover Photo by Amy Humphries
Before you start booking up your calendar, be sure to get these dates in first! We have four camps that span across ages 4 - 18. We also offer financial assistance through our Pray. Give. Participate. initiative.
JUNE 12 - 16
JUNE 24 - 27
Horizon Camp
VBS | Vacation Bible School
JUNE 17 - 21
JULY 22 - 26
Fuego Camp
WinShape Camp
Completed 6 th-8 th grade
Completed 9 th - 12 th grade
Entering K - Completed 4 th grade
Completed K - 8 th grade
To register or find out more, visit fbcmidlo.com/summer 2 Spring 2019
WELCOME TO FBC MIDLOTHIAN! What will this year be like? What will we experience? What will be different and what will be the same? What do I want to accomplish? These are the questions we ask ourselves every new year. They’re more than resolutions; they are the road maps for our plans and hopes. So, I invite you to add another question to these:
How will I live and love like Jesus more than ever before? That is the essence of being a follower of Jesus, and that’s the essence of our pursuit as a church family. I invite you to join us in that journey this spring. Jesus promised us a big life. We want to help you pursue and discover it! This magazine is designed to celebrate the people, the opportunities, and the callings of the church family as we pursue the Jesus Life together—learning to live and love like Him. You’ll meet some of the families whose stories are being reshaped by Jesus. You’ll see some resourceful options for stretching your heart and building new relationships. And your story will be part of shaping our story as we start a new year.
Join us in the pursuit of that big life—living and loving like Jesus!
Bruce Prindle Lead Pastor
THE WHOLE PICTURE What is the Gospel?
GOD'S DESIGN
BROKENNESS
THE GOSPEL
REPENT & BELIEVE
God has a design for everything: for work, money, sex, marriage, relationships, family, for how we face trouble and how we celebrate joy. He has a design for everything and designed it in such a way that we could experience a great life.
But something about us wants to go about life in our own way. From the very beginning of humanity, we want to be the boss. When we depart from God’s design, the Bible has a word for that: sin.
When we get to a point where we know something needs to change, the Bible has a word for that solution to our brokenness.
An amazing thing happens when we turn from our sins and turn to Jesus. God does a miracle in our hearts and gives us a new power, a new motivation, and the ability that allows us to recover and pursue God’s design for life.
It’s called the Gospel. That word “Gospel” means “good news.” The Good News is that God loves all of us! He loves us so much that when He sees us in our brokenness, he doesn’t just leave us there.
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THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR YEAR We worked for three years to be able to open the doors to a new student center, it wasn't just for the kids who were attending here, but to also invite middle and high school students into a safe environment where they could meet friends, receive encouragement, and hear the Gospel. Over the last year, 936 different students walked through the doors to have that experience with us. And we continue to reach out and seek to connect them with Christ! 207 people united with our church fellowship this year, 60 of whom participated in believer’s baptism. So, our challenge is to help them grow a relationship with Jesus so that they live and love like Him. Group Life is a huge part of that process. 920 different people participated in Group Life last year in Connect Groups, Re-Engage, Grief Share, Divorce Care, or Bible Groups.
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What’s really exciting is how many participated in mission projects this year. 339 people invested their lives in the many mission projects with local and after school ministries, food distribution, disaster relief and national crisis projects, or with projects in two other countries. To support our Sunday services and ministries, an average of 404 volunteers drove shuttles, helped people find seats, led worship, taught classes, made coffee, hosted The Compass, rocked babies, provided security, ran technical arts, served as greeters, or led groups. For approximately 1,500 people on campus, every 25% were serving others as volunteers!
All of this reinforces a core truth we must never forget: the church of Jesus Christ is PEOPLE!
*based on an average
283 VBS Volunteers
60 Baptisms
Mission Participants
404
Sunday Volunteers*
920 In Group Life
936
Student Participants
116
1,201
207
Unique Online Viewers*
Attend Worship*
339
New Members
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WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER “This group will never want me back,” Craig kept thinking to himself. The week before he had shared some details about himself that he was scared to say in front of his new Connect Group, and had beat himself up for days for being that transparent. Until he got a text. He looked at his wife through developing tears, pointed to his phone and said, “This is why we are in a small group!” The text read, “Thought of you today when I heard this song…”. For most people, the response to this would be, “thanks” or “that means a lot”, but for Craig, it hit him deep in his heart and impacted him more than he would have ever expected. He was just starting to realize that biblical community would have a greater impact than just being a part of a large church. I have had the privilege of hearing stories like these over and over. People moving past their comfort zone to seek others in faith and life so they can experience the impact that is made on their ability to Live and Love like Jesus. I am passionate about Group Life! Michelle and I have benefited greatly from the decades that we have experienced biblical community day in and day out. Our church family has always been an extension of our faith journey. At FBC Midlothian, we are committed to helping each other
6 Spring 2019
By Kevin Phillips
Live and Love like Jesus better and better every day. We can be more like Jesus when we purposely decide to worship regularly, pursue Group Life, serve the church, and engage our world. Group Life is carried out here at FBC in many ways. Every one of us can connect with a smaller group of people through our Sunday Morning Groups, Connect Groups, Midweek Groups, and Support Groups. More detailed info. is on our website at fbcmidlo.com/group-life. One may see all these opportunities but never really understand why Group Life is imperative for everyone. Allow me to paint a picture for you from Scripture to help us all understand each of our needs in Group Life. When we look at the early church, we get a picture of small communities of people who followed Jesus together. The Book of Acts, especially Acts 2:42-47, gives us a great picture of the early church and the components of biblical community, which encompassed both the "temple courts" and "house to house." These believers engaged in life together through teaching, fellowship, communion, prayer, miracles, radical generosity, and corporate worship. They spent time together eating, learning, celebrating,
proclaiming the Good News, and supporting each other. In addition, the 50-plus "one another" verses in the New Testament flesh out other aspects of this community. For example, it was a place where people loved, forgave, served, carried burdens, encouraged, taught, prayed, equipped, spoke truth in love, confessed sins, and treated each other as precious members of one body. God never intended for us to live the Christian life alone. How can we apply these "one another" references unless we are in intentional, close relationships with each other? God calls us to love, not in an abstract or superficial way, but in a deep, face to face, life-on-life, transformative way—which is difficult and inevitably messy. All of these groups are often viewed merely as a program or a fellowship ministry within the church. But for the New Testament church, it was a way of life, encompassing every area of their lives. Their relationships with one another were critical to their pursuit of Jesus, their growth in Christ, and their witness to the Good News. It would be impossible to experience biblical community apart from spiritually significant, intentional relationships with other believers. These groups, therefore, are a foundational part of "being" the church and not just "doing" church. One of Jesus' final instructions to his disciples is found in John 13:34-35: "A new command I give you:
love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Note that Jesus did not say people will know we are Christians by how many churches we build, how many Bible studies we complete, how many prayers we say, or how many people come to our church. The litmus test is clear: people will know we are Christ-followers when we love each other the way Jesus does. Our non-believing friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors are watching and deciding on the validity of the gospel message. We need others to help us live lives worthy of God's calling so that people will see the power of God's love in and through us. Ultimately, Group Life is a way of living out our purpose, both as individuals and as a collective group of believers—to be the church. We share a common foundation of faith, and God has called us to live out the implications of that faith in a relational community. What will it take for you to make a sacrificial commitment to Group Life? Our church offers over 100 options for people, of all ages, to get plugged in. We are always adding new groups as needs arise and leadership to help facilitate those groups. If you would like more information on joining a group or facilitating one, contact me at kevin.phillips@fbcmidlo.com. I am looking forward to hearing many more stories, like Craigs, that God will be writing into our church family!
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must
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8 Spring 2019
SPRING SCHEDULE All classes resume the week of January 13.* C Childcare Available
CHILDREN & STUDENTS
Financial Peace University Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 205 C
Noah’s Bible Club
Cost is $90.00 for the class.
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.
MEN & WOMEN Women’s Off-Site Group
MARRIAGE & FAMILY Grief Share Wednesdays at 1:00 pm | Room 107/109 Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 207/209 C Cost is $1 per week for 14 weeks.
Divorce Care Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 202 C 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.
Mondays at 7:00 pm | AJ Armstrong’s home
OUTREACH
Women’s Morning Group
ESL Classes
Wednesdays at 9:30 am | Room 201/203
Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | First floor classrooms C
MOPS AM
Class is free, resource cost $20. Call 972-775-9095 for more information.
Wednesdays at 9:30 am | The Filling Station
Women’s Night Group Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 201/203 C
MOPS PM - Working Moms
India Mission Trip | April 5 - 13 Highlights of this trip will be ministering to our Christian brothers and sisters in home churches located in Dehradun, India. We will also be visiting a leper colony and showing them that Jesus loves them and died for them.
Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 204/206 C
Senior Adults Wednesdays at 10:00 am | Chapel, Room 106
Men’s Group Wednesdays at 6:00 pm | Room 104 C
Germany Mission Trip | July 5 - 14 We partner with a church in Bramsche, Germany who offers a baseball camp for elementary through college aged students. We coach them, encourage them, and have a daily Bible study where we are privileged to share the love of Christ with them.
Worship Choir Wednesdays at 6:30 pm | Room 107/109 C
To see a full list of what is offered in our Group Life (Sunday, Mid-Week, and Connect Groups) please visit fbcmidlo.com/group-life.
* Some classes will start on other dates and are specified in the title of the group.
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Lamar & Schnequa Pinkett
10 Spring 2019
ON A MISSION
Interview with the Pinketts
Polar Opposites Family. Missions. Ministry. Three words that seem to sum up the priorities of Lamar and Schnequa Pinkett. The Pinketts, who have a 13-year-old son, Trey, and a 9-year-old daughter, Kennedy, describe themselves as polar opposites. Lamar is the introverted “homebody” who prefers watching movies and sports. Schnequa is the extrovert who loves to travel, never misses her kids’ activities, and describes herself as “authentic.” But when you see how the couple, who have been married for a decade, interact and describe their love for their family, their church, and reaching people for Christ, their differences aren’t as pronounced.
A Shared Passion As a couple, Lamar and Schnequa have served on four mission trips to Bolivia, Guatemala, Ghana and Germany. In addition, their kids have accompanied them on two other mission trips to Guatemala and Vancouver. This year, Schnequa recently returned from a mission trip with the FBC Midlothian's Women’s Ministry to Vancouver.
“It’s written that we need to go out there and share God’s word,” Lamar said, but emphasized that even though it’s a commandment, it’s not necessarily easy for everyone. "I'll say that initially it was very difficult for me, but as I’ve done it more and more, I increase my amount of outreach. It has become much easier now. I just feel that it’s required of us, to be a follower of Jesus. So, it really wasn’t that difficult after the initial one or two times.” The Pinketts’ mission work has taken them across the globe and given them the opportunity to share the Word with people from vastly different cultures. “When we go to Germany or Vancouver, they have more money than I do,” Schnequa said.
“But the thing is that those people don’t have Jesus at all, so it’s the flip side of it. You see people who are more concerned about where they live and what they drive, and they don’t even know what a Bible is. So at least when we go to Africa, they’re praising Jesus and shouting, they just can’t eat or drink. To see both cultures, it’s very mind boggling.” But Lamar reiterated that people in third-world countries do have what he calls a great need for outreach from the church. “For the majority of the world, just access to clean water is a big deal,” Lamar said. “And that’s something that we don’t even think twice about. Where your next meal is going to come from is such a big deal. We both attached ourselves to missions outside the US, especially in third-world countries. And I know you can serve anywhere, but there’s just such a greater need.”
Mission Field at Home Mission work doesn’t stop for Lamar and Schnequa when they’re home in Midlothian. Schnequa is involved in women’s ministry and volunteers in childcare. Lamar works with the men’s ministry and on the church security team. Together, they are in the marriage ministry and lead a Re-Engage group. They also make sure their kids are involved with ministries at home. As a family, the Pinketts serve at Ronald McDonald House, Manna House in Midlothian, and they go to Dallas to pass out fruit, water and toiletries to people in need. The need for Trey and Kennedy to “feel like their spirits’ [are] getting fed,” was a main reason Lamar felt drawn to FBC Midlothian in the first place. “That’s huge to me to ensure that my kids have a relationship with the Lord and that they have the ability to guide them through that process,” Lamar said.
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Living and Loving Like Jesus It can be daunting for some to reach out to strangers, whether at home or on foreign mission trips. It may surprise those who meet Schnequa, but it was the same for her at first. However, she explained that once she “learned to have a relationship with Jesus, it’s like God directed me into His path. And it’s in the Word too, so I honor it, but I was actually good at it. Serving just comes natural for me. “I’m not afraid to talk to people, so I’ll just go up. Normally it just starts as a regular conversation, then it just leads to more. (“She’s very good at that,” Lamar inserted) And I like going to other places too, and I like learning about other people. I learn about their culture, I learn how to connect with them. So then, I can share the Gospel.” Living and loving like Jesus is a priority for the Pinketts. “For me, it’s not about what you say, it’s
12 Spring 2019
how you act,” Schnequa said. “So when you’re out in the community, it’s just doing the things that God wants us to do. And truly loving people who aren’t like you.” Lamar added that it’s important to “walk out your faith every day,” not just on Sundays. “It’s about focusing on being intentional,” he said. “[The Bible] is very clear on how we should act and how we should conduct ourselves as Christians and living that out. But you really have to put your mind to it, not just be a Sunday or a one-day-a-week Christian.” Schnequa admits that the work they are committed to doing is not always easy and it can cause burnout in some, but her strategy for pushing through is key to her drive. “I have to continue to pray about it and ask God to help me to be able to do it,” she said, “Because I know I can’t do it by myself.”
Reaching the Unreached When we hear someone speak about the nation of India, we often have varied thoughts and ideas of what the country is actually like. Some of us may think of the famous books by Rudyard Kipling like “The Jungle Book,” or maybe we think of Mother Teresa in Calcutta, or one of the seven wonders of the world – the Taj Mahal. The truth is, all of those things play a role in the rich fabric of India. It is an extremely vast country that is destined to become the world's largest in 2024, overtaking China, which currently has a population of 1.4 billion. And this growth isn't expected to slow until around 2060, when approximately 1.67 billion people will call India home. It’s a geographically diverse country with breathtaking tropical beaches and also home to the largest mountains in the world, the literally breathtaking Himalayas. Its' people are equally diverse, and the religions of India are 5% OTHER predominantly Hindu at H INDU 80% and Islam at 15%. It 15% is a country in need of the MUSLIM love, grace, and the truth of Jesus.
80%
India's Religion Population
We have been blessed, for the past few years, to partner with Sonam and Sylvia Parvez in India.
We have watched God work through them to build house churches and bring the Gospel to villages and people who have literally never heard the name of Jesus in the course of human history. Imagine that! This part of India has more unreached people groups than anywhere else in the world. It’s a staggering statistic. What a privilege to be able to walk into a village and be the mouthpiece of God to a group of people who have never known the salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s a goose bump experience and one that we will be taking in April of 2019. Highlights of this trip will be ministering to our Christian brothers and sisters in home churches as well as visiting a leper colony and showing them that Jesus loves them and died for them. Last year, Sonam had the honor of baptizing the first converts in this colony and what an amazing and joyful experience that was!
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Our home base, while in India, will be Dehradun, which is situated in the northern part of the country near Tibet, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is a cosmopolitan city with around 500,000 people and as Jesus would say, “The harvest is plentiful� for Dehradun. We ask that you pray for us as we go to a country of people that God loves and that we would have the boldness to love like Jesus. It will be a life changing trip. If you are interested in being a part of our missions trip experiences, please contact Tim Hale at tim@fbcmidlo.com or go to fbcmidlo.com/serve.
14 Spring 2019
DEHRADUN, INDIA
MEET MICHAEL SANDERS What started as a part-time job putting Sunday sermon recordings on-line a decade ago has turned into a full-time career and passion for Michael Sanders. Since 2008, Michael has been the man behind the scenes for most of the media that church members and the community associate with FBC Midlothian – video podcasts, website, social media, graphic design, and videos for services. Michael is also mostly self-taught. He has always found new and improved ways of doing things. The media specialist finds inspiration in the scriptures from Paul’s teachings when he focuses on raising the quality of the church’s media.
“The overall goal was raising the level of our presentation here, of our services, and of our product,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with our culture,” Michael said. “We increasingly live in a culture centered around media consumption. Paul said that whatever you need to do to draw people toward Jesus, you should do that, as long as it wasn’t a sin. I personally don’t believe that media is a sin. I sure hope it’s not because it’s what I’ve chosen to do as a career."
Get to Know Our Media Director
He emphasized that media is simply a tool, and it's not innately good or bad. He believes that the way FBC Midlothian has chosen to grow its media is “an extremely powerful tool.” “It has great potential to inform people and also to influence people,” he added. "We are trying to show them the truth in a way that they can understand.” In addition to the church media being used to reach out to community members through social media, podcasts, and live streams, Michael emphasized that some of its greatest uses are right within the congregation. “I think you can do a lot more where you are than you would probably think,” he said. “I could go on mission trips, I could build a house for someone, and I could minister to five people. Or I could create a video that will have an impact on a great number of people. I have a captive audience here. We have 1,000 people sitting in front of us, and that is a huge opportunity that God will use if you will let him." As the technology team has continued to grow, they have been able to take on more people, freeing up Michael to do more content and video creation. One of the more recent additions that most recognize is the video announcements during Sunday morning
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services. It has allowed them to condense announcement time and the information is generally better retained by the audience. They also started the live stream in 2018. It began as just the sermon, but demand grew to add the full service including the worship section. This endeavor required new equipment and manpower, but with the help of more volunteers pitching in, they’ve made it happen every week.
“I’m not the one who’s doing everything anymore. That means it’s going to look creatively different than what it would have looked like if I were the only one doing it. “To me, that’s a huge plus. Now we have more people who are contributing and it’s looking better and better,” says Michael.
In the new year, Michael has goals of expanding on some of the areas introduced in 2018. He believes the main area of growth they will see will be in the volunteer technology team. He sees this opportunity as a way for more people in the church to find a way to plug in with their individual skill sets.
“It almost feels like it’s growing on its own, because I’m not fully in control of it anymore,” Michael said.
16 Spring 2019
If you would like to join our expanding FBC Tech Team, you can message Tim Hale at tim.hale@fbcmidlo.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS C Childcare Available
Parent's Night Out
Singles Over 60 Banquet
January 25, March 29, June 21 at 6:30 pm
April 12 at 6:00 pm
Bring your kids to church and have a night to yourself! Our childcare staff will play games, have snacks, and do other fun activities with the kids while you enjoy a date night, a night out with friends, or whatever you want to do! C
This is a special evening consisting of a catered meal, musical entertainment, and great fellowship. Non-qualifying guests can attend the banquet. Registration for non-qualifying guests is $15.
Newcomer Fellowships
Guys Golf Scramble
Jan. 27, March 24, May 5 at 5:00 pm
April 28 at 2:00 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
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.
Summer @ FBC June 12 - 16 | Horizon Camp - Completed 6th - 8th grade
GoNow Weekend February 15 - 17
Horizon is a camp that provides our students with an immense opportunity for spiritual growth. This is a week dedicated towards seeing junior high students grow in their faith.
As a host home for this GoNow Weekend, you become a partner in sending Texas students across the states and to the nations to share the good news of Jesus Christ! To learn more about GoNow Missions go to gonowmissions.com. We are needing 25 host homes and 2 back-up homes.
Registration is $329 and ends March 27.
What Works For Us - Marriage Retreat
Registration is $349 and ends March 27.
March 22 - 23
June 24 - 27 | VBS - Entering K - Completed 4th grade
Our ministerial staff couples at FBC don’t claim to have perfect marriages, but we’ve been able to figure out what works for us. We hope you’ll join us Friday evening and Saturday morning as we share some insights.
Vacation Bible School will be an epic African adventure engaging the whole herd. At Roar, kids explore God’s goodness and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life.
Leaders will include Bruce & Kelly Prindle, Tim & Cindy Hale, Kevin & Michelle Phillips, and Ben & Tammy Condray.
July 22 - 26 | WinShape - Completed K - 8th grade
The cost is $69 per couple and includes dinner on Friday, breakfast on Saturday, all sessions, and door prizes. Partial scholarships may be available. C
Parent | Child Dedication Celebration March 30 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 classes prior to our celebration, and is required if you haven't taken them. Cost for the resource is $10. Last day to register is February 23.
June 17 - 21 | Fuego Camp - Completed 9th - 12th grade This is a camp that provides our students with an immense opportunity for spiritual growth. We dedicate a week towards seeing high school students grow in their faith.
Come be a part of this incredible adventure where we combine sports, recreation, arts, Bible study and worship into one incredible week. WinShape Camps provides a professionally trained staff to help create the most meaningful, unforgettable and fun-filled day camp experience you’ll find anywhere... right at home in your own community!
Fireworks Watching Fellowship July 3 at 7:00 pm Grab a lawn chair, bring a neighbor, and come join us in the FBC parking lot for a great time of fellowship and entertainment! Our students will also be selling concessions to raise money for an upcoming mission trip.
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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
