Published January 11, 2017
North Annville Bible Church, Annville, Pennsylvania
Kevin
Ministry Highlights
Alisha and I helped prepare our 5-year-olds through 6th graders to do well in their Christmas program. They did great! There was some acting and some singing. Nothing too elaborate, but it gets the kids involved and lots of people in the families like to come out and support their children or grandchildren. Since I have moved to overseeing the children’s ministry in a hands-on way I was able to help the kids get ready this year. It was neat to see them learn the songs and see them get excited about learning their lines and their acting parts. I look forward to getting back into the regular kid ministry routine.
I was able to preach a message on New Year’s day called “Choose to Be Interrupted.” I built off the series we just finished for Christmas and took into account that we were having church on the day where people probably stayed up past midnight the night before. I had to keep them awake. I think I accomplished some of those things for the most part. It was a great opportunity to preach at my wife’s home church because they are currently in search of a pastor, and the candidate they had scheduled canceled at the last minute.
I met with a lady who is interested in filling the big hole in our children’s junior church ministry. This is a great answer to prayer. The only problem is that she is currently teaching once a month in the 3-4-year-old class. I’m not sure yet how the schedules will be rearranged but I know we are heading in the right direction!
We had a nice Christmas day service. It was nice to celebrate Christmas together with the church family.
Key Prayer Requests
Continue to pray for the students on the campus of Lebanon Valley College and the young adult ministry group (YAC) we started there. We have been thinking about ways to be more effective in our ministry. Also pray that the students remember our church’s outreach event from last month when they come back on campus in a couple weeks.
We still need God to raise up a new wave of ministry volunteers. Youth group, YAC and Kids Ministry all need more adult leaders to minister and serve.
Pray for some students in our youth ministry that are going through some rough times in their life.
Prominent Lessons
Thursday Dec. 8 was the day I joined a small group of church people and YAC students to hand out cookies at Lebanon Valley College. We also had hats and scarfs that we gave away for free. The students greatly appreciated our gifts to them, especially the hats and scarfs!
I hope that this is just one of many coming examples where groups of people do something to reach out to their connections and community to love and serve them with the church’s help. I am trying my best to help our congregation realize that this was not a church-created event but an idea from a small group of ladies that the church was able to come alongside!
It was awesome to see many of the principles of the book “Conspiracy of Kindness” come alive as we did this event. One principle in particular was just the enthusiasm of our group. They were so excited about it. Wen they had finished, they wished they had 300 more bags of cookies to pass out. It was just the perfect amount of time and effort to keep everyone excited, reach lots of people, and keep a lot of energy and expectation in the tank. Very cool to see!
One morning I had the opportunity to preach at my wife’s home church on our vacation. We were out visiting my wife’s family and to celebrate her cousin’s graduation from nursing school, but we always go to her church when we are here on a Sunday. Unfortunately, their pastor recently resigned from their church and many people have stopped attending the church (probably about 50 in attendance this morning). On that Wednesday I got a call from the church saying their candidate that was scheduled to preach this morning canceled on them. So, on short notice I got a message ready to preach for that Sunday.
It was a good experience to preach in a different church with many people that I didn’t know and also to prepare a message in three days that was relatable to the congregation. After my message, some in the congregation said that they appreciated my message. We will see how their church continues to do as they move on.
Yesterday we had worship team practice to get ready for our Christmas day service. I’ve played the cajon for about 2.5 years and help operate the sound board. Taking the worship class at Seminary encouraged me to get involved in the worship ministry at our church! Last night our worship leader wanted to do the Christmas version of the hallelujah song to close the service. He was thinking that it would be awesome to have a cello, violin and flute play along with the regular band and invite the kids to come on stage to sing. Well, we all went to practice, and we must have practiced for about an hour on that one song! Our worship leader had an idea in his head but it took us a while to work it out and see it come to life. Not everything went smoothly but it is awesome to see the big picture of everyone working together to help create a worship experience that is both memorable and meaningful for the glory of God. I’m thankful that I have been a part of the worship team and thankful that I can help with the sound.
Today I met with one of our Lifegroup (small group) leaders and elders. It was great to be able to get together with him and spend some time talking about what God is doing in each of our lives as well as in the church. It was great to be able to talk to him about his group and just encourage him a little with a few ideas about outreach that I had. These meetings have been neat for me because I am not involved in the groups, nor do I have my own Lifegroup. In these meetings I am just a support person. I am offering ways that I can support their group, learn from them and help them. In our time together, we also talked about how the groups relate to the Sunday School hour that we have on Sunday mornings and also talked about our mission trip to Guatemala that is coming up in March. We are looking forward to traveling and ministering together. In the end, it was just neat to get together with an elder of the church that I don’t get to see outside of church all that often. It was great to hear about his ministry and the people that he is reaching inside and outside the church. I am hoping that I will be able to come alongside their Lifegroup and help in some way. I look forward to ministering with him in Guataemala!
Key Goals for the Next Month
Follow up our outreach event at Lebanon Valley College from December 8 to keep the momentum going. Also, continue to share the outreach vision and work on another outreach event.
Recruit people to join the ministry teams. Specifically, meet with at least one person who would be a great kids ministry small group helper or leader. One of my helpers who asks people to help serve in various ministries opened the door with one lady which is so helpful and awesome. I am excited that she might be able to help out!
Continue to make progress at our youth group’s Engage program. Engage helps students discover, develop and deploy their spiritual gifts and talents for the Lord and the church. Our third practice took place on Jan. 8.
Alisha
Ministry Highlights
Participating in youth group and leading a girls small group.
Helped facilitate a conversation between two youth group members who needed to work out a conflict. I was able to offer counsel and the situation was resolved.
Helping to lead the young adult group (YAC),. We have a wide variety of people who are attending from freshman Lebanon Valley College students to a married couple, to young adults from the community who never went to college.
I’ve been able to build my relationship with a young adult girl in our YAC group and walk with her through life. I offered to read a book with her and discuss it with her to help her out.
Helping to lead our NABC Kids Sunday morning ministry. I lead a small group of six to seven kids and mentor high school students as they help lead the group as well. This month we started preparing for our Christmas play. I helped the kids with a variety of things such as making their costumes, practice singing, acting and learn their lines.
Kevin and I had the opportunity to have dinner with a couple who visited our church about a month ago. It was nice to get to know them!
Had a good night with the ladies at a paint night at church. A girl from our YAC group joined us for the night.
Visited and ate dinner with a couple who lives close to us and used to be Alisha’s mom and dad’s pastor and pastor’s wife growing up. They are going through a difficult season in their life.
I continue to visit a family from our church to do some physical therapy treatment on a high school senior. We have been able to make a good connection over the last year or so.
A 10th grade girl who has been struggling a lot lately has been keeping in touch with me through SnapChat. Praying for her to work through all the things she is dealing with.
Thankful for the time I have to talk to our Pastor’s wife about being a pastor’s wife.
Started to do morning devotions with Kevin before going to work.
Key Prayer Requests
Continue to pray for a girl in the youth group that is struggling. She has recently made some significant changes in her life and praying that although they have been very difficult decisions that God will use them to deal with the big issues. We have stayed in touch lately.
Pray for my sister-in-law that is going through a lot difficult things in her life. It was nice to see her at Christmas.
Pray that I continue to study well for my manual certification class/test and continue to apply what I am learning to my job every day.
Pray that I do well in clinic director training that is starting this month and continues through April.
Prominent Lessons
After helping to resolve a conflict between two members of our youth group, I learned more about how this girl processes things. I learned that she tends to hide things inside until she cannot take it anymore and things build up. From learning this I can start to check on her more frequently and ask those specific questions to help her not bottle up everything.
I am starting to read a book called “The Chase” with a girl. We have yet to start the book, however, just through conversation with her I have learned some more about her personal life and the areas where she is struggling. From learning this, I can be more aware of the type of encouragement she needs.
Since Kevin and I started doing morning devotions, I have learned more about the book of Isaiah and about some of the promises God has made. I enjoy this time in the morning with my husband and with God, I also learn a lot more when I am able to ask Kevin questions about the passage rather than just read it on my own.
Key Goals for the Next Month
Continue to help my PTA student learn and do well in her clinical.
Do well in my clinic director training.
Do well in my manual certification classes and tests that are coming up.
Get together with other YAC people and continue to build these relationships.
To help a particular family start coming to church regularly again.
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