Baptism BBQ Bash - Part 4

Life change centered on Jesus Christ never gets old. Watching someone encounter the forgiveness and grace of God is amazing. Then to see that person's heart transformed by Jesus Christ is exciting. Finally, being able to encourage someone to get involved in serving others is simply inspiring. Check out what Christ is doing in the life of my good friend, Tim.

Growing up almost entirely unchurched, I’m not entirely sure what led me to seek out religion and God at 40. I went to church for a year or two in late adolescence, but it was for the fun of it and not the message. After not going to church or following God for almost 30 years, I think it may have been me wanting to validate what little beliefs I did have. I believed that there was a “higher power” because this miraculous world didn’t just happen by accident. But I didn’t believe in Christianity or religion at all for that matter. I read books thinking they would reassure me in my beliefs, but the more I read, the more I questioned. So I thought I would test drive a few churches. They were good and the people were nice, but they didn’t speak to my heart. Then I attended my sister and brother-in-law’s church in Iowa, for my niece’s dedication. It was like a breath of fresh air, the whole thing spoke to me, but I still had my doubts. I set out to find a similar church here in Arkansas.

Two different people led me to Northwest and it was more than just a coincidence. First, my massage therapist and friend, Veronica, was gracious enough to let me ask her questions about Christianity during our massage sessions. I told her what kind of Church I was looking for and she mentioned her previous church that met at the Boys and Girls Club. She told me the name, but I couldn’t remember it. I spent a couple of Sunday mornings driving by, looking for signs of a church, but didn’t see any. Then I reached out to my brother-in-law, Justin to ask his advice on finding a church similar to his in Iowa. Out of all of the churches in Northwest Arkansas, he randomly sent me to Northwest’s website. It was the same church that I had just been looking for. Once I visited the church, I knew it would be the place to help me find the answers I was seeking.

Then I met Will and right away he started giving me the answers I needed. He helped me realize that everything I thought I knew about Christianity was wrong. I thought God was a vengeful God from the stories I remembered from the Old Testament. Will explained the grace that God showed by giving His son to die for our sins and imperfections. That we only needed to seek out Christ’s love and try to live the perfect life that He did. He continued to explain that we can never obtain this perfection, but that Christ’s sacrifice would make us whole with God. These were the answers I needed in order to believe and ask Jesus Christ to be my personal Lord and Savior.

I am far from perfect and my life is a mess. I think this is the real reason I started down this path. Not growing up churched, it has been hard for me to be consistent with my faith. When I have rough times I withdrawal inward. I turn away from relationships and that includes my relationship with Christ. Will and others at Northwest have always been there and reach out to me when I’m at my lowest. They remind me that when in tough times is when I need to reach out for Christ’s love and guidance the most and also the love and guidance of the community here at Northwest.

Baptism BBQ Bash - Part 3

God transforms. We obey and celebrate. Read about how God has transformed the life of Kent and how he has responded to the work of Jesus Christ in his life. Baptizing Kent with his son, Cole, was such a thrill. God is Good!

I was raised in a loving, caring Christian home in a town and neighborhood that I pictured as perfect. We attended a United Methodist Church. In my teenage years I had removed myself from church and Jesus, and started my agenda. However, being brought up in a loving and Christian home my conscience would always speak to me. Over the next 25 years or so I lived according to my plan. As a teen and into adulthood, I was either lucky or angels were looking over me. I am so thankful that I did not cause serious harm to others from my lifestyle; I would later receive a clear wakeup call to start a new chapter in my life. I would marry, have two children, work and do what I thought was right. Be a provider, buy a home, cars, boat, and spend money and then divorce, of course still living according to my plan. As I write, I am certain that I did in fact did cause harm to family and friends.

Then I met my lifetime friend, companion, and wife, Cathy, the one who has supported me in my journey. We would have a son Cole, and then receive custody of my older children Evan & Jordan. My life did not change until we decided to make a significant change together, we moved to Castle Rock, CO. Within a few months I had realized I was an irritated, unloving and greedy person one who was not treating my wife or my children proper. We would then find our first regular Church together, CastIe Rock Methodist. We attended regularly, made many friends some of whom remain our best friends today. It was at this church where I quietly asked Jesus to come into my life and become my Lord and Savior.

I am so thankful for the change that Jesus Christ has made since coming into my life. He has healed my relationships with my wife and children, changed me into a more kind and generous person who enjoys helping and is grateful for all that He gave for me. Since our first Sunday at Northwest, it has just felt good. We have felt like we fit here. Everyone at Northwest has been a part of helping us fit by greeting us and sharing life with us. We enjoy the time of worship, the teaching, the community groups, and the opportunities to serve that God has provided our family here at Northwest. 

Baptism BBQ Bash - Part 2

Some exciting things are happening in the life of a 14 year old student named Cole. Check out Cole's story which he recently shared at Northwest just before his baptism. God is at work in this guy's life!  

Before my relationship with Jesus Christ, I was getting called out on my sins and I knew I needed to change. I thought church was the most boring place to be…just one hour of boredom. But, I DID know that God should be an important part of your life. I tried to understand but all I was doing was thinking about myself and my plans instead of the Lord and His plans. One Sunday morning we went to church and one of the pastors talked about baptism and that got my attention. For the first time church wasn’t boring. I paid attention and after church I thought hard about my life and man was that a serious time. And man I needed to make some changes about my life. Once I began to “a hunger for the Lord” as Will says my relationship with God just kept getting stronger and stronger. I became excited about church and eventually I brought my sin to the cross and started anew.

After that many changes happened in my life. My relationship with Christ changed the way I looked at the world and my life was filled with joy, hope, and love.  Here is a little story to prove it. At my school there were four kids. Three of them did not care much about the Lord and one of them had just moved from Africa and had never been introduced to the Lord. Then, three weeks later the kid from Africa and two of the other guys became Christ followers and I was surprised at the difference God made in their lives. Since then I have been telling my dad I want to be baptized to show the world that I am a follower of Jesus too.  One Sunday our pastor made a good point.  Will said that “Baptism is just a symbol. It does not make you go to heaven or make you right with God. Baptism simply shows people that you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart. Baptism is a lot like a wedding ring. Even if you take a ring off you are still married.” That was the coolest concept I had ever heard. So here I am today telling you that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and I hope that I can wear this symbol of baptism with pride and show the world my love for the Lord.

Baptism BBQ Bash - Part 1

On Labor Day weekend Northwest celebrated the life change Jesus Christ has been producing in the lives of four men connected with our church. We called it the Baptism BBQ Bash.  It was obvious to us that if a group of people wanted to have a party and celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ has restored our relationship with God and is making us into a new person that some smoked meat should be involved!    

Over the next 4 blog posts, I want to share with you the stories of the 4 men who made recent commitments to Jesus Christ and followed Him in baptism. Their stories testify of God's goodness, mercy, grace, and ability to restore what was once broken and lost.

Jason W. Story...

My parents raised me in what can honestly be described as a dying church. The sermons began to focus too frequently on tithing, so we stopped going. In junior high two positive influences, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Fellowship Bible Church, rekindled my spiritual interests. I invited Christ into my life at a Newsboys concert in the autumn of 9^th grade. At the time I thought I knew exactly what it all meant, but it would be another fourteen years until I understood the full gravity of that decision.

In my later teen years I made a cascade of poor decisions that led to a life of addiction and pursuit of pleasure. Literally everyday started with thoughts and actions that did nothing to exemplify Christ’s ways and focused entirely on myself. Thankfully and perhaps luckily these choices did not lead me to the grave or jail, but looking back now the world I was living in was depressing to say the least.

Fast forward several years, the setting was in a garage working on a old beat up Jeep. A friend named Tyler asked me what my thoughts were on religion and if I saw myself as a Christian. I admitted my questions and doubts I had at that time and truly felt it was God’s way of asking “Where’s your heart at, Jason?”

Jaclynn and I began regularly coming to church and joined a community group shortly after that experience. In a short time here at Northwest, I’ve had many examples of what being a Christ follower genuinely looks like. Will, Greg and Dr. Sanders have been more than generous with their knowledge and time. My co-worker Kam Ghomghani, an Iranian Muslim turned born again Christian, has likewise been a great resource to discuss all things faith related. And Chris Cantwell, an all-around great guy as long as you can get past the fact he’s a Cardinals fan. All have played an integral part in getting my life pointed in the right direction. 

And that’s basically my story, a story of a man who isn’t worthy but in total need God’s grace. I am eternally thankful for Christ’s love and forgiveness and for the opportunity for life change through Christ here at Northwest.  

   

Life Change

At Northwest it is all about life change centered on Jesus Christ. You see Northwest Community Church exists to lead people to experience a new life in Jesus Christ. We do what we do because Jesus has changed and is changing our lives and we simply want to share this experience with as many people as possible.  So at Northwest we don't just talk about life change. We celebrate life change. We celebrate when people serve for the first time, give generously, begin to pray and read their Bible, lead their families in a Christ-centered way, establish healthy relationships, live in community, and worship God consistently and passionately. We also celebrate when people give their lives to Jesus Christ and accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior.  

This coming Sunday, Northwest will continue to celebrate life change as we baptize 4 men who have had their lives changed by Jesus Christ.  In our worship service at 10am we will have the opportunity to hear personal stories of salvation and transformation. Then, immediately following the worship service everyone is invited to join us for a baptism bbq bash at our office building along Spanker Creek.

The church office is located at 8250 West McNelly Rd Bentonville, AR 72712. We will gather there at 12pm for the baptisms and then eat outside along the creek. We will have plenty of bbq for everyone and encourage people to bring a side item to share with others. Don't forget to bring a blanket for your family to spread on the ground for a picnic style lunch.

As always we encourage you this Sunday to invite your friends, family, and neighbors who may be unchurched. Invite them to come see what life change centered on Jesus Christ is all about.  

The Volunteers At Northwest Are Amazing

The volunteers at Northwest are amazing. Over the past few weeks I have witnessed several of our volunteers serve in ways that not only honors God but show others how much we value people.

I've watched as a team of ladies led by Ashley S. served 70 Firehouse Subs to all the teachers at Cooper Elementary and took the time to help the teachers prepare their rooms for the new school year. I've seen people like Kent, Cathy, and Cole D. along with Haley S. show up at Cooper Elementary during Open House to help serve and direct families. I've watched students like Spencer H. assist in the children's ministry even when he was not on the rotation simply because there was a need. But wait there's more. On that same Sunday I also watched Spencer come back into the cafeteria after the worship service and tell a new family how much he enjoyed teaching their child in children's church! I've watched couples like VJ and Brittany W. serve back to back Sundays on the A-team with amazing attitudes and show people how excited we are to have them come to church! I've seen Jeff and Jennifer P. step up in big ways and encourage others to get involved. I got to see Keslyn E. and Tom H. serve as point people for our setup process this past Sunday and do amazing jobs. I've watched as Tim B. and Dan F. have started using their gifts to help lead our church in worship. I watched Bynum, Sarah, and Andrew overcome technical difficulties and focus our people on worshipping God. I've seen Kurt and Rebecca S. and Becky G. serve faithfully and invite new families to join us at Northwest. And these are just a fraction of the ways our volunteers have served over the last two weeks!

The example of our volunteers reminds me of how crucial it is for each member at Northwest to feel valued and needed. In my humble opinion there are two things that will bring people back to Northwest and allow us to serve and invest in their lives:

1. Meaningful relationships with people who genuinely care for them.
2. Encounter with the living and personal God who loves them. 

It is our job as leaders to equip others and solve problems so that more and more people are able to experience BOTH! If you attend Northwest and have ideas for how Sundays could flow more smoothly, engage more volunteers, or focus people on Jesus Christ, please let us know. If you know of someone at Northwest with unused gifts and talents, then together let's find a way to get them involved. When we give our best efforts God is honored and other people are inspired to get involved. May we always give our best as an act of worship to the God who saves us.

Restored By God

On Easter Sunday and EVERY Sunday Northwest Community Church celebrated the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Why? Because we believe it is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that restores our relationship with God. We celebrated the fact that God does not want nor expect us to clean up our own mess.  God allows us to exchange our mess for the forgiveness, hope, and bright future found in Jesus Christ when we profess Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.  We discovered in Romans that once this exchange occurs, God begins to restore our lives from the inside out. And then as if you are watching a Ginsu Knife commercial the story gets even better... As God restores our lives he invites us to share the story of life-change with others. It's truly an amazing journey!

At Northwest, we believe it is our responsibility and privilege to reflect God's character and share the message of restoration with everyone we meet. In the weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, I could not have been more proud at the way Northwest lived out this incredible responsibility and privilege.  I continue to hear stories from Northwesters who have recently stepped out of their comfort zone to serve a neighbor, reach out to a coworker, invite a family member, and open up their home to develop new friendships in order to earn the right to share the message of Christ with people who may be far from God.  As a young church we are learning that discipleship (showing people how to follow Jesus Christ) requires conversation, modeling, encouragement, debriefing, and practice, all of which happen in the context of relationship.

As we continue to build relationships and invest in other people, we are reminded that there are 3 moving parts in the discipleship process:

1. God’s Part (John 6:44)
• Draws people to Himself
• Justification and sanctification
2. Our Part (Colossians 4:2-6)
• Pray for others
• Live wisely
• Make the most of every relationship God gives us
3. Their Part (Matthew 19:16-22)
• Each person is responsible for either accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ
• Individuals must make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ; You can't do it for them

It is my prayer Northwest will remained focused on trusting God to do his part while at the same time doing our part in a way that points people to the only God who is capable of restoring lives.

Restored

Come join us for Week 1 of Restored at Northwest on Easter Sunday, March 31 at 10am. Together we will learn that God is a restoration expert specializing in restoring people.  If you have never experienced life at Northwest you will discover that we are a group of imperfect people who have encountered the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. God is knocking off our rough edges, giving us hope, and allowing us to live with purpose, meaning, and excitement. Along the way, we want to share this experience with an many people as possible.

Easter Sunday will be an opportunity for you to gather with others for worship and teaching designed to help you connect with God. Northwest will be a place where you can come as you are, meet new people, and pick up a fresh cup of coffee. The environment will be casual, friendly, and contemporary. As you enter Cooper Elementary, you will have the opportunity to check in your children ages birth – preschool at Northwest Kids. For parents of children ages K-5th grade, we encourage families to worship together until the children are directed to a separate time of Bible teaching during the service. Basically Sunday mornings at Northwest will help you and your family focus on the things in life that are the most important...your relationship with God and your relationships with other people. 

For more information check our website or on Facebook.

Northwest Kids

From the start Northwest has been modeled after the basic blueprint for the Church given to us in the Bible.  We believe that the New Testament not only describes how the early church got started, but it also prescribes how we are to function and operate today. For example, in 1 Cor. 12, the human body is used as an analogy to describe how each member of a healthy church is to be valued and needed.  In addition, Acts 2 describes the attitude of the early church as members made great sacrifices to serve each other and meet the needs of a growing church.  Likewise, we want to duplicate a similar culture so that every member feels valued, needed, and personally responsible for the health and growth of Northwest.  As the needs of a growing church fluctuate, we anticipate sharing specific needs with you and then watching as God uses our individual gifts and talents to meet those needs. 

Recently Cassi Luka, our Children’s Director, sent a letter out to all the parents with children involved in Northwest Kids. Cassi reminded us that over the past three years the children’s ministry has grown from only 1 child when we first launched to now averaging 20 – 25 children each Sunday morning.  Cassi and her team of leaders who consist of Keslyn Erb, Michelle Sanders, and Jennifer Powers have done an amazing job at adapting to the growth and staying focused on the vision of discipling children and equipping parents.   

Ideally a growing ministry of this size requires 23 adult volunteers each serving one Sunday per month. However, Northwest Kids currently has only 15 adult volunteers on the rotation.  Beginning on Sunday, May 5 the key areas of need for the children’s ministry will be:

• Nursery (Birth - Walking)
• Toddler (1 - 3 Year Olds)
• Early Elementary (PreK - 2nd Grade)
• Hall Monitors

As you can see, Northwest Kids needs 8 additional volunteers in order to meet the needs of a growing children’s ministry.  Over the next few days, please prayerfully consider if you would be willing to serve in this important area in the life of Northwest. Feel free to contact Cassi Luka at cmluka01@gmail.com or 502-939-8281 for further information and questions about how to become involved in what God is doing through Northwest Kids.

Happy Birthday Northwest

This coming Sunday Northwest Community Church will celebrate 3 years since we officially launched in Bella Vista, AR.  As we celebrate together we are going to focus our lives on God's faithfulness and the life-change He has produced in us.  During the worship service we will wrap up our teaching series Stretched as we continue to see how being stretched causes us to depend more on God and less on ourselves.

     
This week we will continue to study God's character as revealed through the life of Moses. In Exodus 18 we will see how God was stretching Moses' leadership ability to accomplish a significant movement of God. In the midst of being stretched, Moses's father-in-law, Jethro, showed Moses how to setup a produce and release culture and shared with him the benefits it would have on his leadership, the well-being of people, and the overall movement of God. In addition, we are going to see how a P&R culture has heavily influenced the culture of Northwest.  In fact, mission and vision are directly linked to the principle of produce and release.

The mission God has given us at Northwest is to produce and release leaders who are fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Our mission comes right out of the Great Commission as Jesus gave his followers their final instructions.  As a result, Northwest is setup to be a leadership factory that cranks out leaders (disciples) who are willing to devote their lives towards making the name of Jesus Christ famous in their community, workplace, school, circles of influence, and around the globe. Produce and release is who we are. It defines why, how, and what we do. And of course our mission is closely tied to our vision which is to lead people to experience a new life in Christ. We want to see people's lives transformed by Jesus Christ. Our mission and vision are the driving reasons we launched Northwest three years ago.

In light of this milestone, we recently asked ourselves a challenging question. What would it take for us to lead 200 people in worship on Easter Sunday, March 31? Our answer had two components:

1. Intentional Obedience on our part to invited unchurched friends, family members, and neighbors.
2. Prayerful Dependence upon God as we ask God to move and stretch us to reach more people. 

But, here's the deal. This is not just a gimmicky church growth strategy. Rather it is our attempt as a young church to allow God to stretch us. We want to live out our mission, vision, and the lessons God has been teaching us in His Word. We want God to continually stretch us out of our comfort zones and cause us to depend more on Him and less on ourselves because we are serious about our mission and vision.

Happy Birthday Northwest! May God stretch us in new ways as we follow Him with total abandonment and obedience this next year.  

Oh yeah, and we will have a big lunch after the worship service on Sunday. There will be a huge cake and a ton of smoked meat. Bring a side to share and come ready to meet new people. 

Look What God Did Through Northwest in 2012

Below is a recent letter our Leadership Team sent to all the financial contributors to Northwest Community Church in 2012. We wanted to posted it on our blog so others could celebrate all that God accomplished over the span of the last 12 months.

Dear Northwest Community Church:
The Leadership Team would like to say thank you for your generous giving into the life of Northwest Community Church. We realize generous giving is much more than a financial decision or even simply a tax deduction. In fact, generous giving is the appropriate response for what Jesus Christ has done for us and serves as a genuine act of worship. On behalf of all those who have had their lives changed by Northwest, we are incredibly grateful you have chosen to contribute to the Christ-focused ministry of Northwest Community Church. It is a privilege to partner together in order to produce and release leaders in Northwest Arkansas who are fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Below is a list of highlights that helped lead people to experience a new life in Christ in 2012:

• We hosted 53 worship services in Cooper Elementary.
• We hosted 15 Community Groups over the course of 3 semesters.
• We taught 23 children each week on avg. in our children’s ministry.
• We baptized two individuals who gave their lives to Jesus Christ. 
• We dedicated 6 new babies who will be raised in homes centered upon Christ. 
• We have 3 families serving as either adoptive or foster families.
• We hosted 2 movie nights in the park to connect with unchurched families.
• We gave out 50 boxes of brownie mix for our church to get to know their neighbors.
• We served at Cooper Elementary with events, festivals, and movie nights. 

Keep in mind that we now have 4 convenient ways to give generously:

1. Mail a check to P.O. Box 5128 Bella Vista, AR 72714. 
2. Online through our website at www.lifeatnorthwest.org. 
3. Automatic bank draft by submitting the form on our website. 
4. Sunday mornings at our worship services. 

Join us on Sunday, February 24th at 10:00 a.m. as Northwest celebrates our 3rd birthday and gives thanks to God for his continual leadership and provision.

In Christ,
Will, Greg, Rob, and Kevin