Estrella Baptist Association OFFICE 623-936-4481 7901 W. OSBORN RD. PHOENIX, AZ 85033 ESTRELLA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION STRIVES TO R.E.A.C.H. R.E.A.C.H. Relationships Encourage Assist Church Planting Harvest CELEBRATE GOD! Let the Association office know what God is doing in your local church body so we can share the Good News and rejoice together! FREE! Evangelism Dinner & Training In MY316 evangelism training, we teach you how to tell your salvation story, and how to use John 3:16 to share the Gospel. Register by Friday 9/23/16 with Twila at the EBA office (623)936-4481 or via email Win! Win a Kindle Fire! We are giving away 3! Must be present to win! Who is it for: You & a friend! (Everyone will stay together for the entire program) What is it: FREE evangelism training and dinner Where is it: South Peoria Baptist Church @ Olive & the Loop 101 When is it: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm What s the cost: Absolutely free to you! You will receive evangelism materials and a strategy to help you personally share the Gospel. What s the program: 6:00 registration and meal 6:30 7:45 Session 1 7:45 8:00 Break 8:00 9:00 Session 2 Who s the speaker Randy Adams has served as the Executive Director-Treasurer of the NWBC since May 2013. Prior to that, he served for 28 years as a pastor in Texas and Oklahoma and the as a key denominational leader for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Randy has a degree in petroleum engineering from Montana Tech and master of divinity and doctor of philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Summer Mission Engagements In this monthly newsletter edition, we are highlighting some of the Summer Mission Engagements of our West Valley churches. In spite of the heat and lack of monsoon rains, we are still called to be the light of the world to those around us; which means we often have to find unique ways to engage folks during the summer months. Thanks to all of you for continuing to pursue a LIFE on MISSION for the Gospel of Christ Jesus. May the strong and mighty hand of God go before us all as we go to the mountains and the valleys, and from the highways to the hedges with His Good News! But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. (Acts 6:4) I pray you will lead your congregation to experience the power of God s mighty hand moving ahead of us as we serve the needs of those God has placed in our life s circle. Some can go across the seas, some can go across the state, all of us can go across the street. Let us alway seek opportunities to be On Mission Engagement.
FBC Garden Lakes partnered with the City of Avondale and their Care First Resource Center for its annual backpack drive. We helped distribute over 300 backpacks filled with school supplies to kids from K-8. This On Mission Engagement was a simple way to be the hands and feet of Christ to the residents of Avondale and those who work at the local community resource center. Our next engagement with Care First will be their annual holiday meal program. If you want information on how to help, contact Jennifer Griffin with the Care 1st Resource Center @ (623) 333-2703.
VBS Submerged Summer Mission Laveen Baptist Church held its Submerged theme Vacation Bible School, June 6-10. It was an amazing week filled with dancing, singing, games, crafts, fellowship and most importantly learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Every day the kiddos and volunteers were submerged with God s Word. A child did make the decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and overall, God s Word was taught to an average of 223 kiddos and 68 volunteers per day. There are many families who do not have a home church but we pray they will be open to come back to LBC or another Christ-centered church in the area. LBC also had the opportunity to donate the Submerged curriculum, supplies and set designs to other churches in the Estrella Association. Thank you to the volunteers who served many hours to make this an enormous outreach in spreading God s Love.
A great WAY to beat the Heat! The Way Water Works at Coyote Hills Elementary School was a tremendous success; we had 199 people attend! This was a huge undertaking for our church and it took many servants to make it possible. This event is part of our mission: to connect the disconnected to the family of God. The Water Works simply lets our community know that The Way exists and is here to serve them. People in our community are increasingly coming to know who we are and what we stand for. For some people, it may take many positive experiences with Christians before they will ever be willing to investigate the truth of the gospel. Doors were opened for gospel conversations and opportunities to invite people to the church. I spoke with a man named Ernest who expressed an interest in attending our Wednesday Night Equipping Service. Ernest said he was raised Catholic and was looking for an opportunity where he and his wife could come together to a Bible study. Let s pray that Ernest will visit with us soon! I also had a chance to speak with an older man named Ibrahim and his wife who are immigrants from Iraq. Although he does not speak English fluently, Ibrahim seems to enjoy coming to our events, as he also attended the Pool Party several weeks ago. Pray for continued opportunities to invest in this family as well. Coming to an event and sitting and talking with people is a simple and easy way to begin investing in the lives of unbelievers. Our next Mission Engagement event is our community movie night on August 20th.
IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS! Members of the Arizona SBC and other churches from across Phoenix met to discuss Crossover 2017 (during the Southern Baptist Convention next summer) and our partnership with Greg Laurie and his Harvest America Crusade. The meeting showed the excitement and commitment across denominations to reach Phoenix and thousands more with the Gospel on Saturday, June 10 at the University of Phoenix Stadium. On March 6, 2016, Harvest America was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, with 82,000 people in attendance and another 180,000 watching from 7,000 host locations! 25,557 people made a profession of faith after hearing the Gospel of Christ Jesus proclaimed.
Gateway Seminary Gateway Seminary offers several Certificate and Diploma options for people who want to increase their Bible knowledge and grow in their ministry experience without the higher costs of being a full time seminary student. The Bible Teaching Certificate is available for those interested in Master s level education and for the lay person who wants to be more Bible proficient. The GOALS of this Certification include: An increased knowledge of both the Old and New Testament An ability to study and interpret the Scriptures appropriately To be skilled with instruction methods that teach for transformation, not just information! The MASTERS level is 15 total credit hours = 2 1/2 years of study, 1 class per semester, the cost per semester credit is $255, all hours are transferrable to a seminary Master s degree plan. Courses include: OT 1 & 2, NT 1 & 2, and Principles & Methods of Bible Teaching. The LAY level is 12 total credit hours = 2 years of study, 1 class per semester, the cost per semester credit hour is $25 plus a fee for the instructor, courses do not require testing or graduate level writing assignments. Courses include: OT, NT, Hermeneutics, Principles & Methods of Bible Teaching. Both options allow those completing to walk across the stage at graduation. For information about Fall 2017 enrollment or to explore hosting a Certificate program at your church, please contact Dr. Leslie Dodrill. The Estrella Baptist Association gladly offers some tuition assistance for the Bible Teaching Certificate program.
SW Valley Homeless Initiative Our Goal: 10 homeless men & women + 7 host & help churches = shelter, shower, food & love Partnering with local cities and NGOs Providing shelter, shower, meal, hope and opportunity Program to help homeless move into housing and find work Participate by being the hands and feet of Christ to a community in need Pray about your involvement Host: Provide a place for 10 adults to sleep, volunteers to monitor guests and a meal. Help: Supply and serve dinner, be volunteer monitor, provide and clean blankets / towels. Homeless: There are 30 homeless any given day in Avondale, together we can give them a place to sleep, a meal and a way to a better tomorrow. Contact: Pastor Jack Marslander (FSBC Avondale) 623.932.2723
Brent Hale, the Youth Pastor @ FSBC Buckeye is heading up a West Valley Youth event for the Spring of 2017. Disciple Now is more than another youth retreat, it is an opportunity for your church to invest in the lives of the next generation of Christian men and women. D-Now consists of a large corporate service and small group meetings over a three day / night weekend. Guest speakers and artists will help attract but it is the truth of God s Word applied to their lives that will transform our youth. Below is a link to the Disciple Now website which has some more detailed info. https://dnowstudies.com/what-is-dnow/ Brent shared the success of this endeavor and is excited to see many of our West Valley churches come together for worship, fellowship in the Word and development of future Kingdom leaders! Contact Brent Hale @ FSCB Buckeye for more info! phone is (918)244-6131 email is brent@fsbbuckeye.com webpage is http://www.fsbbuckeye.com
Estrella Equipping Events The Estrella Baptist Association is dedicated to equipping the body to reach the lost and with that in mind we are planning events to help develop Christians in a firm foundation and celebrate the Kingdom work the Lord has called us to. Here are just a few of the upcoming events... SAVE THE DATES: My3:16 Evangelism Conference - 9/27/16 @ FBC Peoria 6-9pm EBA Celebration Dinner - 1/20/17 Women s Conference - 2/18/17 D-Now Youth Conference - 3/31-4/2 or 4/7-9 to be determined Metamorphosis Men s Retreat - 5/6-8/17 @ Young Life Camp Williams
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Arizona Tax Credit Churches can Scholarship Your Families at NO cost! We congratulate Joni & Friends for their success as an approved organization for the AZ Tax Credit! What does that mean for churches who have special needs families who want to go to camp but have limited funds? Pastors need to encourage people in the congregation, not just the special needs families, to give now to the J&F Camp fund to be used by your special families. I have seen and heard the results from individuals that have experienced camp; their lives will change forever. Invest Now, Gary Dodrill Jesus shines His light Everywhere Late yesterday afternoon I wheeled into our boardroom at the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, a little weary from the day's work, and in need of refreshment for my heart. Immediately, I looked through the glass wall and saw the Luke 14 mural down in the lobby -- I was struck by the brightness of Jesus' figure. Right then, I sensed Him whisper, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." Your everyday life is filled with evidences of God's presence everywhere, and at any time, He longs to speak refreshment to you. Just keep your eyes open, and enjoy the blessing! The above article is a blog entry by Joni Erikson Tada on June 23, 2106, for more of her inspirational writings or info about the Joni & Friends Ministry check out the website www.joniandfriends.org
EBA Ministry Resource Network All who believed were together and had all things in common. - Acts 2:44 Who has a snow cone machine? Where can I rent equipment? What Bible studies does the Association already have? We know it takes resources to make ministry work. We need people, finances and stuff. Here are a few resources available to your church: EBA Block Party Trailer - Tables, chairs, shades, coolers, games, snow cone machine, popcorn machine, cotton candy machine, mini bouncy house, etc. Call 623-936-4481 for list of items and to reserve trailer Let the EBA office know what resources you have or vendors you recommend to add to our ongoing Resource Network. Thank you and God bless. Grand View Camp If your church is looking for an affordable camp / retreat site, check this place out! Grand View Camp has reasonable rates for youth, women and custom camp needs. Located8 miles into the National Forest near Eager, Arizona this facility has a great atmosphere and offers a variety of activities and amenities. Contact Camp Director Matt Wilson for more information (864)561-9147 or matt@grandviewcamp.org check them out online at www.grandviewcamp.org
The EBA has used copies of the threeyear 2012-15 Curriculum for the Gospel Project for both Children and Preschool age classes. These can be used by churches for FREE! There is enough material for: Children: 2-3 classes of older, 2-3 classes of younger; with posters, CD's, and leader kits Preschool: 2 classes of each age 3yr through 5-K; with CD s, leader kits, and supplies Please notify Twila immediately if you would like to use these materials for your church; they are undated so they can be started ANY time, (i.e, the beginning in January). This is a wonderful opportunity for churches who love their children but have limited resources to have high quality teaching materials. An unsolicited promotion by a satisfied church At The Way Fellowship Church, we have been using The Gospel Project curriculum for our elementary aged children's ministry and found it to be well suited to teaching school aged children. Our elementary age children's workers have also expressed a desire to continue using this material in years to come. Two elements of The Gospel Project curriculum that are particularly beneficial: (1)The material is aligned to teach the major stories of the bible over a three year period. It starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation, attempting to be as comprehensive as is possible in three years. This helps children to see an overarching view of scripture and not simply stick to one portion of the Bible. (2)The Gospel Project points children toward Jesus no matter what the text of scripture. The authors are intentional about showing how Old Testament events and figures foreshadow Christ. If you are searching for elementary aged teaching material, I would recommend trying The Gospel Project. Kyle M. Hall - Evangelism Catalyst The Way Fellowship Church, Cell: 623-308-6412