April Internship Report – Alexander Noriega

Published April 6, 2017

Northmoreland Baptist Church, Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania

Ministry Highlights

Centershot has ended and it was very encouraging! We had a great turn out most nights, and while no one was saved through the 9 weeks it was still a success; we’ve formed a lot of connections and relationships with those attending. It was a success for the church as a whole, a brand new ministry that was fun, and gave the Gospel clearly each night. It has opened the doors in people’s minds that new things CAN be done, and some are excited about that which is great!

We also held our first annual Sportsmen’s Banquet! Our church did an amaaaaazing job with our facilities, it looked top notch! We had a great turnout (over 200) with probably 70% unsaved. Everyone heard the Gospel, were welcomed with friendly faces, and enjoyed good food. We’ve seen some of the people from Centershot and the Banquet coming to some of our other services, which is great! Building on those relationships one step at a time!

It has been a huge blessing to be able to visit more people from our church. It’s nice to be able to build on the friendships that I have, and I can honestly say that I have made many quality friends here over the last 2 ½ years I’ve been attending Northmoreland Baptist Church. These people are incredibly encouraging and supportive of me. I’ll miss them once I leave.

Key Prayer Requests

Our church will be hosting some teens from Radiate (a high school ministry through CSU) at our church April 6th. We will be going out to various towns around our church and canvasing, going home to home and handing out tracts and invitations to our Easter services. Our goal is to establish our presence in their minds, so that come Easter if they have no place to go they can come to NBC. So please pray for fruit from this upcoming canvasing outreach!

Please do keep my friend C. in your prayers still. Last I talked, she’s still struggling with the trials that God is taking her through in this time of her life. She’s continuing to lean on Him, but like all of us, it’s easy to be like Peter and take our eyes off of Jesus. Please keep her in prayer!

I could use prayer for the future! As internship is almost over and graduation in May is approaching fast, the search for future work and living arrangements is on! It’s sad to have to leave NBC, so I ask for prayers that God continues to guide my steps and open doors to where He would have me to go. Whether that’s here in the glorious state of PA or back home out West.

Prominent Lessons

It’s amazing how much I learn and grow when in the process of teaching or preaching. God has really blessed me with lots of time to preach in the evening services and to teach one of the adult Sunday school classes (till the end of April). He’s really helped me refine my speaking and preaching, and has helped me be an encouragement to a number of people who have shared what God has been growing them in through my lessons/sermons. We serve a great God!

I love having other people to help out with various ministry work! I have 2 great friends (Matt and Renae Johnson) who have been an incredible blessing to me. They have put in a lot of work in Centershot and the Sportsmen’s Banquet, yet they still took time out to help me with some of my project work for April. It’s great that God has placed us together as a body, here to not only build one another up to love and good works but to also encourage one another and help each other out. I couldn’t have done a lot of the work for my internship without help from numerous people and I’m grateful that God supplies all of our needs, even if it’s through someone else!

We are never done learning, no matter how old we get. In prepping for lessons and sermons I had to watch a dvd series by Howard Hendricks (7 Laws of the Teacher). I’m really glad I did. It’s helpful to remember that even though I am teaching or preaching, I don’t know it all, I’m still learning and growing! What’s more, even those who are older than me and have three times as much ministry experience as I do are just like me, they are still growing too! It really put the task of preaching and teaching for life change to the forefront of my mind. Why do I preach, why do I teach? It must be for change, not only knowledge. So, I’m glad God brought those DVDs my way.

Key Goals for the Next Month

To see the Radiate trip and hosting day go well.

To finish off Sunday School and Sunday Evenings well.

Wrapping up all loose ends with paperwork, the funnest part of ministry as I’m sure you know (and yes, funnest is now a word. Same with gooder!).

Juggle finishing internship with planning for the future after graduation.