Trusting God in the Silence

For most people, awkward silence in a conversation is painful. It causes us to get nervous, fidgety, and uncomfortable and we begin to look for anything to fill the void. Sometimes we even want to scream, "Just make it stop!" If we feel that way in a conversation, imagine what it feels like when that silence seems to be coming from God. Have you felt that way before? Do you feel that way now? If so, you are not alone.

In the Old Testament book of Genesis almost 2,000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, there lived a man named Joseph whose life shows us how to trust God in seasons of silence. At Northwest Community Church over the next 9 weeks we are studying the life of Joseph in our Sunday morning worship gatherings, through daily quiet times, and with connect sheets in our community groups. In fact this is a perfect opportunity to jump into a community group in 2018! You can sign up and get more info HERE.

As we get to know Joseph and his family's heritage we will discover the damaging effects of passive leadership in the home and the destructive impact it can have on future generations. In contrast we will also see that God is the great promise keeper even when it feels as if He is silent. Be sure to follow along and stay connected to the weekly talks at Northwest by subscribing to the Northwest podcast.

United by Jesus

"All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had." - Acts 4:32

Unity and generosity are produced when the empowering presence of Jesus Christ is at work in the lives of people. We read about it in the book of Acts and we experience it today whenever we are connected to a healthy, local church. 

The Leadership Team at Northwest would like to say THANK YOU to Jesus Christ for both the unity and the generosity He has produced at Northwest Community Church. We remain extremely grateful to God for the sacrificial ways Northwest has invested in people, ministries, and service to others. In 2017 God provided Northwest with the following financial resources:

Giving           $313,678.54

Expenses      $308,208.91

              Net                   $5,469.63

In 2017 God continued to change lives and grow the impact of Northwest Community Church in NWA and around the globe. A few of the significant life-change opportunities included:      

• Weekly worship gatherings inside Cooper Elementary designed to point people to Jesus Christ

• Investing in future generations in Northwest Kids and Northwest Students

• Hosting community groups in homes across NWA

• Hosting an outdoor Adventure Camp for over 50 children at our office property   

• Support and encouragement of our missionaries BJ and Jill Sanders in Papua New Guinea

• Raising up a core group of leaders to prepare for a Celebrate Recovery Ministry in 2018

• Sending emergency financial support to Harvest Point Fellowship during floods in Houston, TX

• Leading over 325 people to worship Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve inside a horse barn

In 2018, the Leadership Team has set an operating budget of $350,000. In addition, we believe God is leading Northwest to locate a facility that we can utilize on a full-time basis for the next 2 – 5 years for worship, ministry, Serve the City partnerships, and the launch of Celebrate Recovery. As we search for potential facility options, we need to initially raise $100,000 to cover anticipated expenses. 

As a result, we ask that each member and partner of Northwest prayerfully consider giving above their normal tithes and offerings to the “Northwest Facility Fund” in 2018. Each of these strategic goals are BIG steps of faith for Northwest and yet we have confidence that God is going to provide and continue to produce unity and generosity. To learn more about the specific vision, needs, and future of Northwest be sure to listen to the United series on the Northwest podcast available on our website and iTunes on Sundays, January 14^th and 21^st. 

Finally, we invite you to begin praying Psalm 67:1 – 2 with us as we ask God to bless Northwest in such a way that we are able to make His saving power known to people EVERYWHERE!