THE. Come On, Man! Pg. 2. Walking & Praying Pg. 4. Finding A Place of Service Pg. 6. What Does A Deacon Do? Pg. 7

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1 SPIRIT THE BON AIR BAPTIST CHURCH JUNE 2014 Come On, Man! Pg. 2 Walking & Praying Pg. 4 Finding A Place of Service Pg. 6 What Does A Deacon Do? Pg. 7 When We Are Discouraged, God Is Still Working Pg. 8...increasing numbers of transformed lives Image 123RF.com Image Design Pics Inc.

2 COME ON, MAN! By Billy the village July 6 Steve Amerson steveamerson.com Starting the series on a high note, America s Tenor makes his BABC debut singing favorites from inspirational to Broadway and patriotic. Heard in movies and commercials, churches and concert events around the country, you ll want to hear Steve in person! Sunday, 7 p.m. July 12 American Youth Harp Ensemble harpensemble.org Dazzling audiences around the world, well known for their rich sound, emotional power, and imaginative programming, America s premiere youth harp ensemble, a professional-caliber ensemble of 12 young harpists gives a don t-miss hometown concert right here. Saturday, 7 p.m. July 20 Elliott Bromley Hymns of Our Faith The BRC Traditional Worship congregation has heard the variety of sounds and selections beautifully and worshipfully played every Sunday for 27 years by our own organist extraodinaire. Now all generations of all services can come together to hear the Rogers pipe organ. Sunday, 7 p.m. July 27 Friends & Family Night With Matt Fore mattfore.com A very special event for friends & families of BABC held in the BRC Commons, we start with an indoor picnic at 6 p.m., followed by a hilarious and intriguing program at 7 p.m. with humorist and sleight of hand artist Matt Fore. Invite friends, family members, and neighbors! Have you heard that phrase on one of the national sports shows? The phrase is, Come on, Man! It s used in a segment with video clips of athletes performing in bizarre and usually humorous ways which won t lead to success. They ll show the clip and the commentator will say, Come on, Man! which is to say, You can do better than that. In 2013 the Holy Spirit gave me a mental video of my spiritual performance as a follower of Jesus, and I could hear him say, Come on, Man! No, I wasn t involved in moral failure, unchristian attitudes, or straying from the faith. The revelation came through the normal process of being one of the Bible teachers for the Koinonia Class. We were studying the books of 1st & 2nd Timothy and Titus. In lesson preparation I was confronted with the way Paul was obeying the great commission of Jesus. You know the one, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Can I claim to be a true follower of Jesus if I ve never made one disciple? Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Jesus gave this command to His followers and I claim to be one of His followers. So, I had to ask myself the question, Can I claim to be a true follower of Jesus Buford Road Campus Free Admission! 2

3 if I ve never made one disciple? The Holy Spirit was saying, Come on, Man! 2 Timothy 2:2 made it clear, And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. I knew if I was to become obedient to the Lord two things must take place. First, I must become much more intentional in sharing the gospel. Disciples can only be made of those who commit to following Jesus and experience the transformation He makes. Nothing in my old nature motivates me to share Jesus. It always seems awkward to me. It s like being a teenager when you re trying to ask a girl for your first date. It never seems smooth. But I committed to learn from the Holy Spirit how sharing Jesus works best for me. I m not there yet, but I m growing. Second, I must engage someone else willing to grow in the faith who is also committed to making disciples These entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. This part is developing slowly, but God is definitely at work. like much, but one member was baptized on Easter Sunday, and one is scheduled to be baptized in the river this summer. Our goal is to be averaging ten and start a second class by the middle of July. The Village Class for Men also sponsors, Man I believe men who truly know Jesus want others to know Him also. Time every month. Perhaps a guy doesn t yet know how to lead another guy to Jesus. However, all of us can invite another guy to Colonial Shooting Academy, G Force Kart Racing, or a movie. Man Time gives every man a door to invite a friend to meet other followers of Jesus in a fun experience. I believe men who truly know Jesus want others to know Him also. I m trusting God to motivate other men who are willing to do two things. One, learn to share the gospel effectively or die trying. Two, mentor other men to learn how to walk in the Spirit, share Jesus, and disciple others. We need men committed to being a disciple who makes disciples. Come on, Man! Shortly after walking this path the church announced the possibility of having another site which resulted in the new campus of Bon the village. I agreed to start a Bible class for men from scratch. From zero to averaging around five doesn t seem Congratulations to all BABC High School Graduates! Our church community is proud that you have reached this milestone and your recognition at the June 1st Graduate Banquet. Church members, please express your individual congratulations and encouragement to our seniors as you see them during the summer. Well Done Seniors! 3

4 Walking & Praying By Teri Tolbert, BRC Wow! What a beautiful day God has blessed us with! This was my first thought as I stepped outside the house on the glorious March morning of the Bon Air Baptist Church Annual Prayer Walk. The weather was cool, and the skies were clear and blue, absolutely perfect for walking! The purpose of the prayer walk, sponsored by the BABC s Women s Missionary Union (WMU), is to walk in communion with the Lord at various locations and pray for others. This year s prayer walk was very successful, thanks, in major part, to the large number of volunteers. Meeting in the BRC Fellowship Hall at 9 a.m., we agreed that the presence of he Holy Spirit was powerful and motivating! After a light breakfast, we were given our various prayer assignments which would send us throughout our community and all over the city. After Ivan Tolbert offered up a prayer of inspiration, everyone was off to his or her assigned destination. The experience of walking and praying was amazing! One really had the opportunity to look around and appreciate the beauty and majesty of God s creation in multiple manifestations. Afterwards, many returned to the Fellowship Hall to share their experiences. Here are comments and reflections from some of the participants: Alberto Jiminez (RHC) - Prayed for God s continued blessings for Image creationswap.com Booknet YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Help break the poverty cycle through literacy! Read to children & have fun. July 7-10 & August 4-7 Info: Beth williamtaylor48@comcast.net or Lois lcumashot@aol.com 4

5 all and stated that the experience and opportunity to pray for others was a great one. Mary Feliz (RHC) - Said that it was a blessing to walk around and pray for others. Mary encouraged everyone she met to join the walk and pray. the church. She suggested that all should be prayerful towards others. Lois Bass (BRC/WMU Director) - Thanked all who participated and gave encouragement to everyone. Nancy White (BRC/TV) - Shared her experience about a conversation she had with a young man at the South Richmond Baptist Center who asked for prayer that the center s walls would expand to make room for others. Betsy Cobb (BRC) - Shared her experience at U of R, where a student asked her how one discovers God s will. Betsy said that she encouraged him to pray and to keep asking God directly to reveal what His will is for his life. Kitty Neale (BRC/RHC) - Spoke about her prayers for all the meetings and gatherings that take place at our church. Janette Melton (BRC) - Shared that it was a privilege to pray over the many rooms and meeting places at BRC and to have fulfilled her promise to the Youth Empowerment Group to pray for them on this occasion. Pat Nance (BRC) - Talked about the blessing of so many people being involved in activities at The experience of walking and praying was amazing! Deb Upton (BRC) - Voiced her appreciation and closed the Annual Prayer Walk with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Prayer walking also happened at other campuses. Both JRC and TV hosted prayer walking in their neighborhoods. A prayer walk for JRC took place at the new property at 288/Robious Road. Everyone who was able to participate in the sharing time agreed that prayer walking was a wonderful experience and need not always be done in a group. Anyone can take a personal prayer walk on his/her own, as the Holy Spirit leads. Keep an eye out for the next opportunity to join in a prayer walk here at BABC or wherever and whenever you feel the Spirit! We promise it will be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience! CELEBRATE LIFE Virginia Baptist MUSIC & WORSHIP ARTS CAMP July 14-18, 2014 Eagle Eyrie, Lynchburg Exciting opportunities for drama, stomp, band, choir, banner making, swimming, fishing, hiking, and more fun. For completed grades 4-9 Cost $260. Includes all fees, meals, lodging, and transportation. Info: curtis.doyle@bonairbaptist.org Quarterly Business Meeting: JUNE 18,

6 FINDING A PLACE OF Service By Les Venable, RHC Campus Pastor VBS 2014! BUFORD ROAD/ JAMES RIVER/ ROBIOUS HALL CAMPUSES June a.m.-12 THE VILLAGE July a.m.-12 p.m Patterson Ave REGISTER AT One of the elements of the BABC Five-Year Vision is Member Mobilization. Wanda Turpin heard about the weekly Homework Helpers tutoring that occurs on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at the Robious Hall Campus and that ignited the smoldering desire inside her to teach. Wanda has a love of math that sent her to Georgia Tech to receive a degree in Chemical Engineering. Now that her sons Jon and Jason are away at Indiana University and Wichita State University, she has the time to combine her love of math and her desire for service by tutoring. When Wanda reached out to me at the Robious Campus, she indicated her desire to tutor math but not to a large group. She was willing to assist 2-3 students at a time. Her offer was immediately accepted by several students including Tori Mabry, a James River High School student as she prepares for graduation and college. Wanda s influence has given Tori the confidence to try new and exciting things In addition to improvement in her grades Wanda s influence has given Tori the confidence to try new and exciting things. She now has a part time job and looks forward to continuing her education at the level beyond high school. She recently attended a weekend orientation at Liberty University where she plans to attend. Wanda and her husband David found BRC s Gathering service in a most unusual way. On a business flight, David was seated next to Lee Ann Sawyer, wife of James River Campus Pastor John Sawyer. David mentioned they were new to the area and looking for a place to worship. Lee Ann told them about BABC, and they have settled in at The Gathering. The multi-site plan of the Bon Air Baptist Church offers many opportunities to support our commitment to meeting human needs at the various places we worship. 6

7 WHAT DOES A DEACON DO? There is no set list of duties for deacons, but here is how two deacons describe their role. Danny Smith described his way of ministry as being there when there is a need. At a recent deacon retreat, Danny shared that it is a matter of every day walking the walk whether at work, home, or church building. Danny s manner invites opportunities to share his answer to the question, Why are you different? Or, Why do you care about me? His affirmation of his faith in God and his own transformed life give validity to the words he speaks. This being there --availability--is an important part of what a deacon does. At the Buford Road Campus, each deacon is assigned a Sunday School class or small group. They get to know the class members and are often members of that group. When there is an illness, death, or some other need, the deacon is available to stand alongside church staff members as care-givers. David Winn listened to the members of the Good News Koinonia Class and discovered a unique way By Kathryn Burnes, BRC Deacon Chairperson When there is an illness, death, or some other need, the deacon is available to stand alongside church staff members as care-givers to minister to them. This is a class of senior members at BRC. During the Christmas holidays at a luncheon, shut-in members who attended noted that the class had new members since they had last attended. I have a picture of our class, and I go around the room in my mind s eye and pray for each member every day, retired minister Jim Massey said. He also indicated that he needed to add some new faces to his prayers! Class members who had not met Jim expressed an eagerness to be included in his daily prayer. That was when David Winn acted to meet a need. He took a picture of the class in their places in the classroom and had copies of the picture made for each member. The picture now serves as a connector between members who attend regularly and those members who are only able to attend occasionally. And it encourages member to pray for each other. Being there...listening acting. These are some of the ways BABC deacons show that they are CARING for members! Good News Koinonia Class All Campus River Baptism Sunday, June 8 4 p.m. Robious Landing Park, behind James River High School. Celebrate together with Rita s Italian Ice! Info: Lisa Svanda lisa.svanda@bonairbaptist.org River Baptism in September Want to be baptized in the river? Sign up with Lisa Svanda for the next date, Sunday, September 7 at 3 p.m. Robious Landing lisa.svanda@bonairbaptist.org Save the Date Church Picnic! September 7, :30-6:30 p.m. following the River Baptism at the American Legion Post 354 7

8 Buford Road Campus 2531 Buford Road Richmond, VA bonairbaptist.org When We Are Discouraged, God Is Still Working By Bob Wilber, BRC Interim Prison Ministry Director On February 27, Rev. Jack Martin and I traveled to Deep Meadow Correctional Center for the Thursday night service. When we got to the gate, Jack had forgotten to take his pass out of his wallet which was back in the car. We walked back to retrieve it. When we were walking to Building 5, the guard said he forgot to pick up the key for the building and had us wait while he returned to the gate for the key. When we finally got in the building, I had forgotten to bring a CD from the car that I planned to use for special music. The men arrived, only 26 when we usually have 40. Obviously discouragement had set in as we were a little late in starting, attendance was down, and this just seemed to set the tone for the service. When we closed with the sinner s prayer, one man accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. God had other plans! Rev. Martin delivered a rousing sermon on Luke 7, the faith of the Roman centurion. When we closed with the sinner s prayer, one man accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. Then the men asked if I could pray for Tom who was being released on the next day. I asked that he come forward while I prayed for him. He then thanked the men for their support and shared that this was his second time in prison, a total of 20 years behind bars. But, this time he was taking Christ with him when he was released and letting Him guide his life. Praise God for this testimony! We have also started a different procedure. When someone commits their life to Christ, we give them a card with the prayer we prayed printed on it and add the date at the bottom. We then inform the chaplain of their decision and request that he include them in their next baptism session. Please keep our Prison Ministry in your prayers. Background image creationswap.com