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/ May 2018
Note from
Pastor Mark & Lora If you haven’t seen our new website, take some time to check it out. The new “Grow” section under Small Groups is packed with resources that will help any leader in any field. And if you’re out of town over the weekend, catch up on our series by clicking the “Media” button. We’ve got messages going all the way back to 2008, but, please note, fashion has changed significantly! You can also download audio, sermon transcripts, sermon discussion guides, and more. Enjoy!
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 new to following Jesus, pick up a Next Steps booklet at the Connections Table and check out our Alpha groups. ncc.re/alpha
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Subscribe: ncc.re/podcast | Learn more or get involved: ncc.re/connect 2
/ May 2018
A Brand-New theaterchurch.com If you haven’t visited our website lately, we hope you’ll jump on and take a look. It’s had quite a makeover! It’s bright, it’s fresh, it’s easy to navigate, and it works great on your
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phone. It’s full of ways to get connected, ways to grow in your walk with Jesus, and the latest happenings at NCC.
Here are just a few of the questions you can get answers to at theaterchurch.com:
How can I get involved in the DC Dream Center? ⊲ theaterchurch.com/missions/serve-locally
When is the NCC Youth gathering in DC? ⊲ theaterchurch.com/youth/dc-youth
Is there a sermon transcript for Pastor Joel and Nina Schmidgall’s talk, “Known in Marriage”? Yep! There are transcripts for most NCC sermons, as well as downloadable audio and video. ⊲ theaterchurch.com/media/ known/known-in-marriage
Is there a small group in my neighborhood in Shirlington? Yes! ⊲ theaterchurch.com/groups/find
What’s the backstory of Ebenezers Coffeehouse? ⊲ theaterchurch.com/expressions
What was that amazing thing Pastor Heather said in her sermon about worrying? ⊲ Click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner and type, “Do Not Worry.”
How do I get reimbursed for small group child care? ⊲ theaterchurch.com/groups/lead/childcare-reimbursement
I really need some pastoral counseling. Where do I go? ⊲ theaterchurch.com/care-prayer
I want to learn how to lead a discussion well. Check out our small group leader enrichment resources—they’re useful for anyone in leadership. ⊲ theaterchurch.com/ groups/grow/leadership-resources
1. Check in at theaterchurch.com/events
What’s the latest at NCC?
2.
/theaterchurch
@theaterchurch
@NCC
3. Sign up for your campus’s weekly e-news (see back page of this issue of NEXT) 4. Join your campus’s Facebook Group 5. Follow Pastor Mark on Twitter
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What’s Going On theaterchurch.com/events
The Sex Talk(s)
Deeper Night of Worship
Mondays, May 7, 14, and 21 7pm, The Miracle Theatre ncc.re/sextalks
Monday, June 4 7pm, The Miracle Theatre
We are excited to bring in three speakers— Christopher West, Deb Hirsch, and Bob Ragan— to cast a positive Christian vision of sexuality and to help us all better understand God’s plan and purpose for our lives. Hope you can join us!
Summer Small Groups June 3 - July 28 ncc.re/groups
Groups are where we get connected to community, grow together as we seek Jesus, and positively impact the world around us. Summer semester starts soon, so be looking for where to join in! Small groups make a big difference.
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/ May 2018
Join fellow NCCers from all over DC, MD, and VA as we worship God and delve deeply into worship and prayer.
Second Saturday Serve Saturday, May 12
Second Saturday Serve is a monthly opportunity to serve our local partners throughout the DC/NOVA area with no strings attached. Join the team at your campus and pitch in! All are welcome. Visit the Connections Table at your campus for more details.
The Bible is Weird
by NCC Youth Pastor Steffen Humbert
If God is good, why is there suffering?
Isn’t it arrogant to think that Jesus is the only way?
Why does God let bad things happen?
If God can speak to us directly, why does He use an old book?
When asked, “What made you leave the church?” a group of Millennials most often answered, “The church ignored hard topics and conversations.” They said they felt hoodwinked, as though the church had purposely hidden something from them.
lush man-locks that possess superhuman strength . . . need I continue? And more than just weird, the Bible is challenging. It can leave us with hard questions—questions that have been asked for centuries. Through our current youth teaching series, “The Bible is Weird,” we’ve sought to embrace together more than 100 hard questions, hard conversations, and even hard answers. And here’s why. We want students to know that there’s no question that we’d ever respond to with, “You can’t ask that.” There’s nothing we’re trying to conceal, nothing that’s ever off the table. If students can’t find NCC to be a safe place to talk about the hard things happening outside of them, why would they ever presume this to be a safe place to talk about the hard things happening inside of them? The greatest threat to faith isn’t doubt, it’s silence.
When my mother began asking doubtful questions as a late adolescent in 1981, her questions were met by church leaders with a swift, “If you were a good Christian, you’d worry less about questions and more about following instructions.” Her questions were seen as an act of defiance. Others of us were met with similar responses like, “Oh, we don’t believe that here!” or some version of, “If the Bible says it, that settles it.”
In addition, in a world of choosing sides and hurling insults, we believe this generation can begin to re-imagine the way we dialogue. We pray students leave more interested in defending each other than defending a point. Disagreement doesn’t have to mean disrespect. This is the series in eight words: Ask anything. Listen well. Freely disagree. Love regardless.
Sadly, for some, those closed answers often became fatal to faith. If we’re honest, the Bible is gushing with the bizarre—bear attacks that not even Leonardo DiCaprio could have survived,
By the way. . . Generation Z, we think you’re pretty dope. Your questions not only matter, they inspire us to really know, and be able to answer for, what we believe.
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NCC Families
NCC Kids (Birth-5th grade)
How to Plan a Meaningful Summer Looking for some fresh ideas for this summer with your kids? Check out parentshareblog.com and type “summer” in the search box. Lots of great ideas and insights from fellow NCC parents!
Subscribe to the monthly Parent Insider:
kids@theaterchurch.com
Learn, be inspired, get encouraged:
parentshareblog.com kidsofncc
therealnccyouth
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/ May 2018
NCC Youth (6th-12th grade)
Register Now for Mission Camp NCC Youth Mission Camp is June 22 - 27! FOR: Students in grades 6-12 REGISTER: ncc.re/missioncamp Students will find at mission camp the best of two worlds—the fun of summer camp fused with the heart of a mission trip. At Mission Camp, something happens in students. The Bible goes from being talked about and heard to experienced and applied.
Coming Up at NCC
Learn more at ncc.re/events
Monday, May 7
The Sex Talks, featuring Christopher West 7pm, The Miracle Theatre ncc.re/sextalks
May 11 - 20
NCC Mission Team in Israel/Palestine*
Saturday, May 12
Second Saturday Serve at your campus
Monday, May 14
The Sex Talks, featuring Deb Hirsch 7pm, The Miracle Theatre ncc.re/sextalks
May 17 - 26
NCC Mission Team in South Africa*
Friday, May 18
NCC Kids Dads & Daughters Camping Trip
May 19 - 28
NCC Mission Team in DR Congo*
Monday, May 21
The Sex Talks, featuring Bob Ragan 7pm, The Miracle Theatre ncc.re/sextalks
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day
May 31 - June 10
NCC Mission Team in Belgium*
Saturday, June 2
NCC Leadership Summit (for all current active leaders)
Sunday, June 3
Summer Small Groups begin
Monday, June 4
Deeper Night of Worship
June 22 - 27
NCC Youth Mission Camp
*Follow NCC’s A1:8 Missions on Instagram (@aoneeight) to pray for our mission teams.
3 Ways To Give “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
theaterchurch.com/giving TXT “$(amount) NCC” to 45777 Cash or Check
(Find offering envelopes at the Connections Table)
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Sozo is simple, fast, Spirit-led, and next effective for inner Let us help you take your steps!prayer Visit the New to healing. Sozo prayer helps people better hear theyour Holy Connections Table and we’ll make surefrom you get Spirit so they can walk through process of freedom and own Bible and our Nexta Steps guide. You can read Following wholeness. this Getworkbook trained inon effective Sozo prayer from one your own, but we encourage you of Sozo Inner Healing do it withpractitioners, a group of friends or in a small group. leading Dr Margaret Nagib. Jesus?the country’stoWant to talk with someone about your new faith?
Prayer Training
Contact Campus and consider joining an Register and findyour out morePastor at ncc.re/sozo
Saturday, September 16, 9am - 5pm Ebenezers Coffeehouse
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
Ballston - Sundays, 9:30am & 11am
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
Pastor Robb Schmidgall theaterchurch.com/gainesville E-news: ncc.re/gvemail Join our Facebook Group: Gainesville NCCers
Echostage - Sundays, 9:30am
Pastor Marion Mason theaterchurch.com/echo Subscribe to E-news: ncc.re/enewsEcho Join our Facebook Group: Echostage NCCers
Kingstowne - Sundays, 9am & 10:30am Pastor Joshua Symonette theaterchurch.com/kingstowne E-news: ncc.re/enewsKT Join our Facebook Group: Kingstowne 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
Potomac Yard - Sundays, 10am
Pastor Jon Vaughan theaterchurch.com/potomacyard E-news: ncc.re/enewsPY Join our Facebook Group: Potomac Yard NCCers
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205 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
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202-544-0414
@NCC
Virginia
Washington, DC
Saturday Nights, 5pm Ashley Anderson Sundays, 9, 10:30, and noon Pastor Joel Schmidgall theaterchurch.com/barracksrow Subscribe to E-news: ncc.re/enewsBarracks Join our Facebook Group: Barracks Row NCCers