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/ January 2019
Note from
Pastor Mark & Lora What was 2018 like for you? This past year, I’ve heard stories from so many NCCers—stories of incredible joy; searing loss; painful, productive growth; intense learning; deep questioning; phenomenal creativity. And in every case, the hand of God is evident. Whatever last year looked like for you, I encourage you to take a few moments to reflect on it—really reflect. Where did you see God at work? What has He taught you? What promises, what blessings, what lessons is He preparing you for in 2019? It’s a new year, and I believe the best is yet to come!
Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor Lora Batterson
Welcome!
Get involved. It’s the best way to meet people and make NCC your church home!
New to NCC?
There are so many great ways to jump into the life of NCC.
See you at the Connections Table! We want to meet you, answer your questions, and give you a gift. We can show you how to get connected at your campus. or . . . Fill out the tearout card in the center section of this issue and drop it in the offering. or . . . Go to ncc.re/connect and fill out the quick form. We’ll be in touch soon!
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• Join one of our small groups. ncc.re/groups
• Join a team and serve at your campus. ncc.re/team
• Join a local or global mission team or show up at Second Saturday Serve as we work together to make a difference in our communities. ncc.re/onmissioneveryday
• If you’re new to church or following Jesus, pick up a Next Steps booklet at the Connections Table and check out our Alpha groups. ncc.re/nextsteps
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Subscribe: ncc.re/podcast | Learn more or get involved: ncc.re/connect 2
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January 2019
@NCC
Fall into Kindness A new song from NCC Worship by Worship Pastor Chris Douglas e were driving in the car, just kind of talking together about what we’d been walking through over the last year, when the idea for the song started to come together.
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Carolina Soto (one of our worship leaders) was celebrating 5 years of being cancer-free. My wife, Kathryn, and I had just lost our baby daughter, Keelyn. As we talked, commonalities of our stories rose to the surface. For both of us, we found that in the middle of intense pain and struggle, we had discovered a new kind of goodness of God that was unlike any we had known during easier times of life. The goodness and the unending faithfulness of God in the midst of our deep pain was almost inexplicably sweet. His kindness overwhelmed us and sustained us when we thought we had nothing left. We know many others who have encountered this side of God—the side that can only be experienced by those walking through the valley of the shadow. We wanted to write about THAT goodness of God. Too much worship music breezes past the painful realities of this life. We need a song that
we can sing after experiencing the loss of a child or a battle with cancer. That’s how “Fall into Kindness” came to be. We were writing out of personal, fresh experiences, and honestly, it only took about an hour to write! I have been overwhelmed by our church’s response as we have started introducing this song during weekend services. I can’t wait to worship with you through it and for us to encounter the kindness of God as we sing together. My prayer for this song is that your eyes will be opened in a brand-new way to the presence of Jesus in the midst of struggle. He is Emmanuel, “God with us.” His kindness, His presence give us hope and lead us through. And I’ve gotta tell you, we’re going to get out of one storm then life will bring another. That’s just reality! But take it from someone who knows: God is with us every single moment of the struggle. He doesn’t always promise us deliverance from, but He does promise His presence through. He’s the place where we can fall into kindness.
Fall into Kindness The music video for “Fall into Kindness” releases January 2019 accompanied by Kathryn and Chris Douglas’s story filmed at Children’s National Hospital. Watch for download info on NCC social media platforms and at ncc.re/now. NCC Worship will be releasing new songs for our church throughout 2019.
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What’s going on
The Story
Second Saturday Serve
Tuesdays, January 8-22
Saturday, January 12
Details at ncc.re/now
ncc.re/secondsaturday
Sixty-six books written by kings and peasants, prophets and poets, farmers, fishermen, shepherds, and tax collectors. Amazingly, one seamless story emerges: a passionate God on a relentless pursuit of His creation. Join us for three Tuesday evenings as we engage the chronological story of the Bible and seek to understand it within its unique cultural and historical setting.
Every second Saturday, we get together to meet tangible needs in our communities. Join us in DC or VA!
Passion, Purpose, and Personality Thursdays, Jan 10, 17, and 24 Details at ncc.re/now There’s an expression, “When a leader gets better, everyone gets better.” But in order to grow ourselves, we first need to know ourselves. Join us as we walk through the Enneagram, spiritual gifts, and leadership development assessments together to explore how we can use our wiring and personality to lead better.
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January 2019
Second Saturday Serve: DC - Rally and project overview at 9:30 am at Ebenezers Coffeehouse Performance Space. Second Saturday Serve: VA - Rally and project overview at at 9:00 am outside Regal Cinemas Potomac Yard.
New! Online Bible Intensives January-March 2019 ncc.re/now NCC is pleased to partner with Marc Turnage to offer a selection of online Bible courses with special discounted prices for NCCers. These courses are designed for lay people to learn how to engage with the Bible in a new way as they seek to be transformed into the image of Jesus.
2018
Renovation of our Navy Yard Car Barn property at 770 M Street in Southeast DC got underway in late 2018. First, though, we have been laying a solid foundation of prayer: various groups of NCC leaders have been gathering in the space to pray for God’s vision to come to fruition there.
On mission locally and globally
Growing together in our small groups
NCC 2018 Our Protégé Program is a year-long intensive spiritual growth, leadership development, and ministry immersion experience where we focus on developing character, community, and calling. We have seven members in our Protégé class of 2018/2019.
Serving together at our campuses
Small groups are where we make friends and grow together as we follow Jesus.
Small Groups This year, we captured stories and testimonies of our small groups making a big difference in our communities. We have shared stories of crossing cultures, told stories of tenacious friendship, and have praised God for all the narratives He is changing. Every number has a name and every name has a story!
420 small group leaders held 522 small groups in 2018
NCC Mission Teams allow us to par tner with, learn from, and serve people around the world.
Global Missions “Each year, I see hope come to life in physical forms— in buildings, in playground equipment, in the smiles that spread across children’s faces, and in miracles transforming legs that struggled to walk into legs which can run. God shows up in South Africa I’ve never seen and I believe it is because of the faith that our partners have in our God. They believe with their whole spirits that they can make a difference in their community and work tirelessly to make that a reality. In the last seven years, we have seen the transformational power of faith, hope, and love in a community. And I look forward to see how God will to do even more work through this incredible ministry.” AMANDA GANN, South Africa Mission Team
227 NCCers participated in 24 mission teams in 2018
Worshiping together at our campuses
NCC Worship “We are thankful for the emails we receive every week about how your lives are being transformed by God during worship. Fueled by our shared experiences—the triumphs and tragedy, heartbreaks and healing—we have written the most honest songs to ever come out of NCC Worship. We can’t wait to continue sharing them with you in 2019. Our church family’s support, evidenced in over 160k streams on Spotify and the critical work of over 200 incredible volunteers across 7 locations, fills us with gratitude. Thank you so much for sharing your lives and gift with the NCC Worship family.”
Nats Park overflowed with the beautiful sound of our own NCC Worship last September. They had the honor of being invited by the Nats to lead worship from the field post-game.
PASTOR CHRIS DOUGLAS
160,000 streams of NCC Worship songs on Spotify in 2018
Serving together to
make a difference in our communities
Local Missions Getting to be part of housewarming parties is a total joy for NCCers working to end homelessness. Donovan is one of our friends who was able to move into a home this year. He said, “The church crew pulled together and met of all my needs. I can’t thank you guys enough for this party. I can’t wait to give some of the stuff you guys gave me to other friends as they get housing and I can’t wait to be able to invite all you guys and other friends back for another party.”
250 needs met through A1:8 Commons | 6,300 meals served to friends experiencing homelessness
Baptisms 2018
We love to help people take this important step in their faith journeys!
67 NCCers were baptized in 2018
Freshmen of the City Every year DC attracts young leaders from across the world who are ready to make a difference, and over the last six years, NCC has been walking alongside these young adults transitioning into DC. Each semester, we empower our newest neighbors to build community, grow faith that lasts, and live counterculturally in the world around them.
17 mentors discipled 250 NCCers during Freshmen of the City 2018
The Alpha Course Alpha is a safe space for people to wrestle with some of life’s hardest questions. We all have them. One of the best things about 2018 was how many lives were changed as we explored topics of the Christian faith together. Some experienced salvation for the first time while others took one step closer to Christ. It was a great year! Our next Alpha Course begins in February 2019.
53 people completed the Alpha course in 2018
Raising up the next generation of Jesus-followers
NCC Youth
23 NCC Youth small groups in 2018
“I love everything about NCC Youth! It’s hard for me to be angry about my dad’s death because it led me to NCC Youth and led me to faith. The mission team to Jackson, MS, was the best week of my life. I can’t wait to bring friends to Winter Escape. I’ve forgiven people that I thought it would be impossible to forgive. You told me that when I worked toward forgiving people I’d be surprised at how much compassion I’d have for them. I thought you were crazy, but it’s worked!” - SOPHOMORE STUDENT to a leader over lunch
NCC Kids
The Neighboring Series this year was such a neat way to see moms and dads and kids work together to be intentional with those around them. We saw our kids live on mission every day—whenever, wherever! The sweet lemonade stand was such a cool way to see families getting out and serving together!
55 babies dedicated We served about 512 kids each week in fall 2018
We learned a lot together this year. What was your favorite series?
Reboot
State of the Church 2018
The Lord’s Prayer
Easter 2018
God in the Hands of Angry People
Seed the Clouds
Won’t You be my Neighbor?
The Way the Truth and the Life
House of Heroes
Dear Church
Missions Month 2018
Let There Be Light
Each weekend, our teaching team and campus pastors lead us deeper into God’s word as we grow in grace and truth.
Campuses
Campus pastors share highlights from 2018 Seven campuses • Twelve weekend worship services
Barracks Row
Pastor Joel Schmidgall, Sundays; Pastor Marion Mason, Saturdays This past September, our neighbors were in crisis when the Capper Senior Center went up in flames. Many responders rose to the occasion and NCC was one of them. Our city leadership came to us for support and NCCers not only gave significant finances directly to the displaced seniors, but 36 individuals stepped up to adopt a senior and provide further support during this difficult season. At our summer baptism and barbecue at Kingman Island, our Barracks Row Saturday and Sunday campuses and our Echostage campus all came together. What a great night to celebrate with NCCers making their public profession of faith! 16,848 donuts • 18 baptisms • 550 outreach volunteers • 3500 neighbors at Eggstravaganza
Echostage
Pastor Marion Mason Here’s what Patrick, the manager of Echostage, says to us frequently: “Is there anyting we can do to support the work of your church? . . . We really appreciate the work that you all do in the community. . . . There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t have a conversation with someone about your church. . . . God bless you!” This year, we had a number of people from all walks of life join our utilities team. Men in the congregation saw a tremendous need and similpy joined in to help set up chairs. Many of them have never served at NCC and now they own elements of the ministry.
9 potlucks serving over 1500 Meals • 9 babies dedicated • 500 gallons of water transported for baptisms
Lincoln Theatre
Pastor Dave Schmidgall “At Lincoln, I’ve been provided a place to get to know God through experience and share myself with Him, honestly and imperfectly. The worship is free and the diversity is more than just skin deep. At Lincoln, I’m learning to love people who are different than me because our differences are nothing compared to what we share in faith and agreement with God”. Aaron Jackson, Production Team Volunteer
Ballston
Pastor Heather Zempel Despite the literal and figurative barriers that we had to navigate in 2018, our 120 volunteers helped lead the way in the relaunch at Ballston Quarter with the reopening of the mall. We cast vision and brainstormed together at our Ballston Vision Night, hosted events that broadened our reach within our community (Community Picnics and Eggstravaganza), and celebrated as individuals crossed the line of faith. As the mall reopened, we welcomed 14 new business and 18 store managers with special NCC welcome gifts.
44 Small Groups • 60 new young professionals joined our campus
Gainesville
Pastor Robb Schmidgall We are so humbled by the impact of our relationship with local organizations. The Crocus Collective was started by 4 individuals at our campus. Their mission is to care for refugees through weekly ESL classes in addition to facilitating conversation partners, local teas, and other events. We’ve seen more than 100 women touched through these relationships in the last two years. We have also been partnering with Manassas Hunger & Homeless Outreach for the last year, making meals and developing relationships with those experiencing homelessness. In fact, our Campus A1:8 Missions Director was just asked to join the board there. 85 volunteers serving on different ministry teams • 750+ neighbors at Eggstravaganza
Kingstowne
Pastor Joshua Symonette “I started attending NCC at a time when I was struggling to connect with people and my relationship with the Lord was stagnant. The NCC-Kingstowne community immediately welcomed me in; I found friends (two of whom turned into roommates!), mentors, and a place to serve. Most important, I’ve established stronger spiritual disciplines and grown in my faith. I am thankful for God’s pursuit on my life and leading me to a community that is passionate about following Jesus.” - Kerry Lynch, Production Team Volunteer
An average of 99 kids each week in NCC Kids • 11 babies dedicated • 120 NCCers serving on our ministry teams
Potomac Yard
Pastor Jon Vaughan There are countless stories of people in our community being loved by NCCers in their sphere of influence. I think of our Pentagon City group serving at a local homeless shelter together. I’m reminded of our Mount Vernon Corridor group serving the neighborhood of Chirilagua through the Four Mile Movie Series and serving the ongoing community events of Del Ray. I’m encouraged by the team of volunteers who served a meal for those currently experiencing homelessness in Old Town on Thanksgiving day. And my favorite, our faith community effort to host 5,000 neighbors at the Arlandria Eggstravaganza. 10,000 people served by our community events this year • 150 NCCers serving on our ministry teams
3500 movie tickets sold | 5 film festivals & 45 live events hosted
Miracle Theatre The theatre continues to blossom as a community event venue as well as a second-run movie theatre. We hosted 45 live events and doubled our rental income this year. We’re proud to be the venue of choice for important creative and community gatherings, including the DC Black Film Festival. The theatre has also become a favorite spot for families: we host many children’s birthday parties and our Christmas movie series is becoming a tradition for neighborhood families as well as DC filmgoers.
NCC
Expressions Ebenezers Coffeehouse We renovated the bar this year and created a beautiful, larger space for baristas. The additional space enabled us to incorporate new things such as a slow bar and new merchandise. We also started a “buy a coffee, give a coffee” iniative that lets customers purchase a coffee for someone in need. 325 people were able to get a coffee because of the generousity of our customers.
153,300 beverages served | 2,500 cinnamon rolls served in 2018
Bridges Nashville
DC Dream Center The Dream Center has been open for just over a year now, and its community impact has already been massive! NCCers have created arts programs for kids. Local businesses have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and dozens of staff hours. Neighbors volunteer their time there. Community organizations meet at the DC|DC to deepen understanding and make the neighborhood a better place.
400 attended job fair Volunteers have given more than 16,000 hours
“Bridges Nashville launched Sept 16, 2018 downtown at the popular venue, The Listening Room. We had 172 people on Launch Sunday, and since that first service we have about 100 people who call Bridges “home.” Teaching through worship and TED talks has become our unique fingerprint on Music City.” PASTOR KURTIS PARKS
What’s ahead for 2019 Why would God entrust us with an entire city block? Because His vision for His church is bigger than ours! Because He wants us to be a bigger blessing to our city! 2019 is the year we’ll really lean into God’s plan for our property at 770 M Street, the former Navy Yard Car Barn. We’re praying that Phase 1, the new auditorium, will be complete in time for us to celebrate Easter there in 2019. Watch for opportunities to share in the vision through prayer and financial giving. Says Pastor Mark, “The Car Barn sits at the intersection of historic Capitol Hill, the Navy Yard, and the Riverfront. The Riverfront is the fastest-growing community in DC. Thousands of people are going to move into the Riverfront over the next couple of years, and guess what? We're going to be ready to love them and serve them and bless them.”
Project Phases Phase 1: 1,000 seat event venue; expansive lobby and gathering spaces Phase 2: 20,000-square-foot kids ministry space to be offered as a child development center during the week Phase 3: A marketplace with retail, restaurant, and co-working space
Our legacy is not a piece of property. Our legacy is changed lives. • A prototype for other NCC campuses as they continue to grow • An economic engine for doing missions globally and locally • An incubator for kingdom entrepreneurs • A launching pad to plant churches and start kingdom-minded businesses
Missions Blessing Our Communities We’ll be sending out 25 mission teams around the globe and partnering with more than a dozen local organizations this year. We continue to seek out ways to bless our cities and communities. Every NCCer has a unique place to serve on mission!
Groups Small groups are the cornerstone of discipleship at NCC: they’re the way to find community and grow as followers of Jesus. Each group has a unique focus. We’ll continue to offer Bible study groups, sports groups, care and support groups, arts groups, and lots more in dozens of settings across the DMV area.
Kids and Teens NCC Kids and NCC Youth will continue to grow. On any given weekend, more than 150 NCCers serve in our family ministries, supporting parents as they disciple the next generation.
NCC Families
NCC Kids (birth-5th grade)
Subscribe to the monthly Parent Insider:
It’s a new year and a new opportunity to serve! If you are interested in volunteering with NCC Kids, we’d love for you to join us. Email us at kids@theaterchurch.com. Baseline is happening this spring! Stay tuned for more details. Are you signed up to receive our emails? Don’t miss a thing and make sure you are signed up to receive our emails at ncc.re/kidsinsider. Don’t forget to also follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
kids@theaterchurch.com Learn, be inspired, get encouraged:
parentshareblog.com kidsofncc therealnccyouth
A1:8 Missions
Join Refugee Care Family Friends Join a family friend small group and partner with a refugee family as they resettle here. Email refugeecare@ theaterchurch.com. If you’d like to help teach English, email the Crocus Collective at thecrocuscollective@ gmail.com.
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January 2019
NCC NCC Youth Winter Escape February 15 - 18, 2019 Youth Early bird pricing through Friday, January 11 (6th-12th grade)
Winter Escape affords middle school and high school students the opportunity to step away from the pressure, deepen faith, think honestly, dream beyond themselves, and experience Jesus in a fresh way. Register here: ncc.re/escape
Small Groups
Join a Small Group Small Groups start February 10. In the meantime, take advantage of our J-Term groups to enrich your knowledge of the Bible or of yourself. Sign up for The Story, or for Passion, Purpose, and Personality. See page 4 for details.
Join a Team
It’s the Perfect Time to Join a Team ncc.re/team
It takes all kinds of people with all kinds of skills to make NCC tick. Join a team and serve with us at weekend services. It’s a great way to make friends and make NCC your home. Opportunities abound!
Coming Up at NCC
Learn more at ncc.re/now
December 26 - January 3
NCC Mission Team to Bolivia*
Tuesday, January 1
New Year’s Day
Weeknights in January
J-Term Courses (see page 4)
Saturday, January 12
Second Saturday Serve at DC Dream Center | Potomac Yard | Ebenezers Coffeehouse
Monday, January 21
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Saturday, January 26
Leadership Summit for all NCC active leaders
*Follow NCC’s A1:8 Missions on Instagram (@aoneeight) to pray for our mission teams.
3 Ways To Give theaterchurch.com/giving TXT “$(amount) NCC” to 45777 Cash or Check (Find offering envelopes at the Connections Table)
Thank you for your generous giving this year! The last day to give a tax-deductible donation for 2018 is Monday, December 31. Any donation given at church, postmarked, or given online by Monday, December 31, 2018 will be receipted on your 2018 Giving Statement. An email with instructions to access your final 2018 giving statement will be sent out by January 31, 2019. Please note: your giving history is now located in our new online giving system, NCC Central. If you don’t yet have an account with NCC Central, get yours at ncc.re/ central. Questions? Email finance@theaterchurch.com.
Do you already give online? Please remember to switch your giving to NCC Central! ncc.re/central
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New to Following Jesus?
Let us help you take your next steps! Visit the Connections Table and we’ll make sure you get your own Bible and our Next Steps guide. You can read this workbook on your own, but we encourage you to do it with a group of friends or in a small group. Want to talk with someone about your new faith? Contact your campus pastor and consider joining an Alpha group. More info here: ncc.re/alpha.
Your NCC Campus Community Sustainable apprenticeship to Jesus, effective mission, and real relationship—that’s our deepest desire for every person who’s part of NCC. This happens best in community at your campus. Here are a few ways to stay informed about what’s going on at your NCC campus.
Barracks Row - Saturday
Saturday Nights, 5pm Pastor Marion Mason theaterchurch.com/barracksrow Subscribe to E-news: ncc.re/enewsBarracksSat Join our Facebook Group:
Barracks Row Saturday Night NCCers
Sundays, 9am, 10:30am, and noon Pastor Joel Schmidgall theaterchurch.com/barracksrow Subscribe to E-news: ncc.re/enewsBarracks Join our Facebook Group: Barracks Row NCCers
Echostage - Sundays, 9:30am
Pastor Marion Mason theaterchurch.com/echo Subscribe to E-news: ncc.re/enewsEcho Join our Facebook Group: Echostage NCCers
Lincoln Theatre - Sundays, 10:30am Pastor Dave Schmidgall theaterchurch.com/lincoln Subscribe to E-news: ncc.re/enewsLincoln Join our Facebook Group: Lincoln Theatre NCCers
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Pastor Robb Schmidgall theaterchurch.com/gainesville E-news: ncc.re/gvemail Join our Facebook Group: Gainesville NCCers
Kingstowne - Sundays, 9am & 10:30am Pastor Joshua Symonette theaterchurch.com/kingstowne E-news: ncc.re/enewsKT Join our Facebook Group: Kingstowne NCCers
Potomac Yard - Sundays, 10am
Pastor Jon Vaughan theaterchurch.com/potomacyard E-news: ncc.re/enewsPY Join our Facebook Group: Potomac Yard NCCers
205 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
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@theaterchurch
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202-544-0414
@NCC
Virginia
Washington, DC
Pastor Heather Zempel theaterchurch.com/ballston NCC Kids at 9:30am E-news: ncc.re/enewsBallston Join our Facebook Group: Ballston NCCers
Gainesville - Sundays, 10am
Barracks Row - Sunday
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Ballston - Sundays, 9:30am & 11am