Batesville Christian Church exists to seek the lost, build up the saved, and serve the community. January 2018

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1 January 2018 For those of you who know, we are fortunate enough to have had a marriage mentor program at our church for the last two years. This ministry has hosted a marriage retreat, a dinner and several small marriage moments panel discussions on various topics applicable to married, or engaged couples. It s become clear that we need to revamp this ministry and call it the Marriage Ministry with marriage mentors being just one branch of support we offer our church and community. We are proud to support every marriage or potential marriage in this church and community because we know that strong marriages and families in turn create strong examples of God for those that do not know Him. Please look for upcoming events and opportunities for you to enrich your marriage through this ministry. If you have ideas or would like to serve in some capacity, please let Chad know! No Regrets is a one-day Christian Conference for Men that can open or renew your heart for the Lord, for your Family and for the Church. Featuring World Class Speakers that hit on key topics such as Parenting, Marriage, Spiritual Growth and Work, among others, the day is sure to leave you filled with Passion for serving and loving the Lord. This event has been running for 25 years, and is based at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI where it will occur live. We will be participating via Internet Simulcast and will feature a total of 10 speakers streamed live. You can learn more about the event at On Saturday, February 3rd, Batesville Christian Church will host a No Regrets Men s Conference from 9:30am-5pm. Tickets are $10 and includes lunch. This event is open to the public and hope all men invite a few friends to join them. The conference will offer men a dynamic growth experience that equips them to be strong, effective, Christian leaders at home, on the job and in the community. This is a great opportunity for our congregation to serve others during the conference. Men, invite a friend, co-worker or neighbor to join you. If you would like to serve, please contact John Rodgers at jtr4251@gmail.com Batesville Christian Church exists to seek the lost, build up the saved, and serve the community.

2 It has arrived! The calendar has turned into I am so excited for the things the Lord has in store for us this year at Batesville Christian Church. As a leadership team, we ve spent a lot of time praying for where we are headed. As a staff, we have been planning together for how we are going to get there. So where are we headed? We re going to be talking about this through the month of January. For the next four weeks, we re looking ahead to things like our mission, our urgency, our family, and our opportunities. Start your new year out by joining us each Sunday in January as we come together on mission as Kingdom Workers. Clay in His Hands, Mark Bond Mark Bond Lead Minister We are excited to welcome Dayla Drake as Administrative Assistant. Dayla will be working Monday-Friday 8am-3pm. You can reach Dayla by ing the church office at bcc@etczone.com or calling Dayla and her husband, Paul, have two boys Conner and Cayden. They are very involved in the community with sports. Dayla enjoys scrapbooking and time with family. Please welcome Dayla to the BCC office staff!!

3 There are numerous events coming up for our youth. We wanted to be sure you had plenty of time to prepare and register for these events. If you have a child between 4th grade-high School, please read below and sign up online at our church website: If you need help registering online, please let us know. High School: Winter Retreat Dates: January Cost: $65* Early Registration Deadline: January 3, 2018 During this retreat just for High School students, the focus will be on Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. We will look at how His treatment of her speaks to how we should treat the people around us for the sake of the Kingdom. This is a great opportunity for students to renew friendships with camp friends and deepen their relationship and focus on God. Students will meet at 5:30pm on Friday, January 12th and return at 2pm on Sunday, January 14th. The retreat will be held at Mahoning Valley Christian Service Camp in Rushville, IN. * $65 if registered by 1/3/18. After that date cost is $75. Middle School: Believe Dates: February Cost: $90* Early Registration Deadline: January 14, 2018 Believe is a high-energy weekend event for Middle School students. It is a weekend packed with powerful worship and teaching from God s Word. The event takes place at BB&T Arena The theme for this year at Believe will focus on the idea of a relationship WITH Jesus. But God teaches us that relationships are key in life. A relationship with Jesus is where life really comes from eternal life. Believe will help students discover how to Worship God through a right and faithful relationship with Him. Students and chaperones will meet at BCC parking lot at 3:15pm on Friday, February 16th and return at 5:3opm on Saturday, February 17th. Cost includes: Believe registration, room/board at Comfort Inn Airport Turfway Road. * Cost if received by 1/14/18; $100 if received by 1/28/18; $110 if received after 1/28/18. 4th-5th Grade: SuperStart! Dates: March Cost: $80* Early Registration Deadline: February 11, 2018 Throughout the event, preteens will encounter Christ through worship, interactive teaching and small groups-all which are designed with their unique needs and maturity in mind. Students will spend the weekend at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, KY and sleep at Embassy Suites Hotel. Students and chaperones will meet at BCC parking lot at 3:15pm on Friday, February 16th and return at 5:30pm on Saturday, February 17th. Cost includes: SuperStart! registration, room and board at Embassy Suites in Covington. *cost if received by 2/11/17; $85 if received by 2/25/18; $90 if received after 2/25/18 Chad Pindell Minister of Youth & Discipleship

4 We want to welcome new members to the BCC family. Lucy Clevenger was baptized on Sunday, December 10th. Rus Bailiff had the privilege to baptize he and Carolyn s son-in-law, John Dickerson on Sunday, December 17th and Kyle & Tory Flynn, along with their children, Sophie & Bowen, placed their membership on the 17th. On Sunday, December 24th, Alexis Schiller was baptized by her dad, Jack Schiller! We welcome them all the BCC family. Lucy Clevenger John Dickerson Kyle & Tory Flynn Jack, Melanie, Alexis Connor Welcome to Braydon Douglas Campbell, son of Kevin & Tasha Campbell who was born on December 28, 2017 and weighed 9 pounds 6 ounces. He is welcomed home by big sisters Sydney & Emma! It s almost time to bless our BCC College Students with a Valentine s box. If you have a college student who has attended BCC, but is away due to college, please the church office at bcc@etczone.com so we can include them. Starting January 7th, there will be a sign-up sheet at the Gathering Area for items to be donated to these gifts along with details as to when items are to be returned.

5 On Sunday, January 21st, we will celebrate Sanctity of Human Life with a Family Dedication for the families of BCC that want to commit to raising their children in the Lord. It s been several years since we ve had a celebration like this. If you d like to participate in this way or find out more information, please contact the church office. What is a Family Dedication? This is an opportunity for families to publicly announce that they are choosing to raise their children in a Godly home. Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3) and the best place for them to be in is in a loving relationship with God. We see in 1 Samuel how Samuel s parents set him apart, an action of giving back to God. The Bible teaches us in Deuteronomy 6 to take every opportunity to teach our children about God. Our church will have a dedication service as a pubic testament that parents will choose to raise their children in a Godly home that seeks to honor Him and will lead and spiritually nurture their children. If you have never publicly dedicated your family to honoring God in your home and would like to do that, please contact the church office for more information at or bcc@etczone.com Who was the first missionary? There are probably several answers, Paul comes to mind, was it Peter in Acts 2? But there were others who proclaimed the good news even earlier than the apostles. The shepherds mentioned in Luke 2:8-20. Now these fellows were not high up the first century social ladder. They spent their lives away from others, roaming the hills behind groups of smelly animals. But the angels chose them to receive the news of Christ s birth. What did they do with this spectacular revelation? They acted on it. Let us go and see this thing (Lu 2:15) and they told others the good news (Lu 2:17-18). They didn t stop and say, "Wait guys, we really aren t the ones to do this! We have only these clothes worn for many days, and when was the last time any of us had a bath? No, they went as they were, and did what they could to share what had been revealed to them. God worked through them. After recently celebrating the day where we celebrate Christ coming to Earth the mission team would like you to think about two things. First, like those shepherds, we have people out there who have given up homes, comfort, their native tongue, and contact with family to share the Good News. Please pray for them and ask our God to bless them with health, strength, and adequate financial support so they may reach many for Christ. Second, consider joining the mission committee. While we bathe more regularly than those shepherds I suppose, we are just a group doing what we can to help Batesville Christian answer the call Christ gave in Matt 28: If it has ever been something you have thought about doing, come join us. The focus in 2018 will be on domestic outreach projects to help bring the love of Christ to those who need it.

6 I m Melany, a grateful believer in Jesus Christ, and I struggle with hurt and anger. I was born and raised in a home where my father was a minister. My father was focused on his ministry growing up, and our life revolved around perfection and doing things because others were watching. It was my youth leaders at church that continued to pour Christ s love into me that carried me through those years, as they were full of much hurt and confusion as a result of my home life. It wasn t long after until my parents divorced. I began biblical counseling at Brandywine Community Church and Gina suggested 12 Steps in C.R. I have a busy life and didn t know if I could sacrifice the time. I remember telling a friend what had been recommended. She asked, Can you sacrifice the time for a year to heal and change your life forever? I was in denial. Step 1: Admit we are powerless. Step out of denial and into God s grace. I began praying that God would reveal things to me. One of the first things that God began to speak to me about was my relationship with Him. Because of my strained relationship with my earthly father, it was difficult to see myself through God s eyes. I knew my dad loved me, yet I felt hurt and rejected as a result of his actions through the years. Over time, I began to see that though my relationship with my earthly father was distorted, that I had a Heavenly Father who longed for me to see myself through His eyes and to be able to experience the true love that only comes from Him. Jeremiah 31:3-4, I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness. I will build you up again, and you will be rebuilt..again, you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. God began a pruning process & I asked God to examine my heart and reveal His will. John 15:1-2 says, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. I quickly discovered that I had placed relationships and things before God and my family. That s part of God s pruning. Our desires aren t always God s desires, and it s only when we truly seek Him and His will that His desires for us are revealed. Philippians 2:13, For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. As my desire to please Christ became greater, my heart began to soften, and I began to deal with the anger that had occurred from years of hurt. I found that unforgiveness hurt me more than anyone else, and it hindered my relationship with Christ. Ephesians 4:26-27, In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anger is a human emotion, but how we handle it is the key. The devil wants control, and I had to learn to not let him win. I did this by daily praying and laying people and things that had hurt me. Romans 8:6 says, The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. In closing, I d like to share with you the words from Isaiah 61:1-4, The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me, to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. I am forever grateful to Christ for His grace, His healing, and His restoration in my life. God isn t finished with me yet, but I look forward to allowing Him to continue to write my story. Celebrate Recovery is looking for key volunteers. Are you available one night a month on a rotating schedule? Training is available. For information please contact: Celebrate Recovery meets at the church on Thursday night. The meal starts at 5:15pm and Large Group at 6pm.

7 1294 Columbus Avenue Batesville, IN (812) ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Are you on our list?? Would you like to receive the weekly or would you like to receive a digital copy of this newsletter? the church office and let us know at bcc@etczone.com Important Dates to Remember: January 4 Celebrate Recovery January 11 Celebrate Recovery January High School Winter Retreat January 17 Believe Early Deadline ends January 18 Celebrate Recovery January 21 Congregational Meeting & Family Dedication January 24 Midweek Programming Begins January 25 Celebrate Recovery January 28 Assemble College Student Valentine boxes DECEMBER ATTENDANCE & GIVING ATTENDANCE Worship OFFERING Month YTD Budget General $48,223 $510,635 98% Missions $5,358 $64,246 80%