Life Change

Life change is huge at Northwest Community Church. We celebrate life change. Promote life change. Preach about life change. And we even pray for life change. Why? Because life change is the byproduct of our vision…To lead people to experience a new life in Christ.   

Check out Crystal's story below. Give thanks to God for His ability to restore us. And then consider getting involved in the life of Northwest Community Church. 

Crystal's Story of Life Change

I was born and raised here in beautiful Northwest Arkansas along with an older sister and a younger brother.  My parents divorced when I was really little so it was just mom and us. We didn’t regularly attend any kind of church service so I never knew much about the bible or Christianity. During high school I did try out a few churches, but for the wrong reasons, and none of them seemed to fit. I found them boring and unrelatable, and I just couldn’t understand why someone would want to wake up on a Sunday and go to church when they could do something else with their time. After high school I married my high school sweetheart and we had 4 amazing kids. We would send the kids to bible school during the summer to keep them busy and occupied, but still we never attended ourselves. Again, I was too busy or too tired, or one of a million different excuses. There just wasn’t time for church in my life.

Just before Thanksgiving we became a family in need. There was no money for food and definitely no money for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Amy from Cooper Elementary School called me one day, out of the blue, and said that there was a local church who wanted to sponsor my family during the holiday season. I was shocked because I hadn’t even reached out to anyone asking for help. This was the best thing that could have happened for my family. Because of the generosity of Northwest Community Church and Cathy, Kent, and Cole Doughty our family was able to enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal, as well as some other needed groceries.  Because of the church and the Doughtys we were able to celebrate Christmas.  And believe me the kids had a blast! But most importantly they embraced me and my family when we were broken and desperate. They laid the groundwork on my heart to change my life. God knew my needs more than I even knew. He knew my heart was aching and I needed direction in my life. 

Cathy and Kent invited me to church and this was a new turning point in my life because I truly felt the love that this church had for me, and I felt a new hunger to grow with the Lord. From the moment I walked in I could feel that I was at home. The message was amazing; and all I could think was “thank you Jesus, I need you in my life”. Since I started coming to church I’ve gained so much. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior, I’ve become ransomed, my relationship with Jesus is getting stronger each day, and I am striving daily to learn and develop and lay my roots as a proud Christian wife and mother for my family.

To read more stories of life change check out the Stories link on our website. 

Amplify Begins This Sunday

 
Join us on Sunday, March 9 as we begin the Amplify series at Northwest. Over the next 6 weeks we will discover how God is able to amplify the things in our life that bring Him glory.  As followers of Jesus Christ our greatest privilege in life is to bring glory and fame to God. Our lives were literally designed to be like mini billboards for God.  Come see how your obedience, trust, resources, blessings, impact, and reliance can all be amplified by God and used to point others to Him.

Don't forget all of our talks are are available to download for FREE through our website and on iTunes.  Now you can easily share what God is teaching you and stay better connected to Northwest when you are traveling.              

Worship With Your Family

Well I am super bummed to cancel our worship gathering this morning at Cooper Elementary. Gathering with Northwest to worship Jesus on a weekly basis is truly the highlight of my week. Even though we are not gathering at Cooper, we can still worship Jesus all over Bella Vista this morning.  Here is a simple plan for you to gather your family together. Grab your Bible and your laptop or tablet and gather your family around the kitchen table or living room. Explain to your family that you are going to worship God together in your pjs!  Remember the church is made of people not a specific building!

Open with prayer. Ask God to teach you today and help you focus on Him this morning.  

Sing the following songs with your family to God. Focus on the words, the commitments you are making to God, and the reminders of God's character as you sing to Him:

• Lay Me Down 
• Your Great Name  

Make it a point to talk about generosity with your family. Explain that the reason we give our tithes and offerings as an act of obedience and worship is because of how generous God has been to us. Talk with your family about all the ways God has blessed you and been generous to your family. Hint: This is a great place to eventually direct the conversation towards Jesus Christ. You may even want to allow your family to see you write out your tithe check and drop in the mail or go online and give directly through the Northwest website.  Giving is an act of worship.    

Next go to the Northwest website and listen to one of our previous talks during the Who Series. Open your Bibles together. Take some notes. And don't forget you can also listen to our messages and subscribe through iTunes too. 

Finally, close in a time of conversation and prayer. 

Let's worship God together!

Will

Northwest Birthday BBQ Bash

On Sunday, February 23 Northwest Community Church will celebrate our 4th birthday.  We will be celebrating 4 years of God's faithfulness, 4 years of  life change, and 4 years of producing and releasing leaders who are fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  In many ways Northwest as an organization is like a toddler with lots of underdeveloped systems and potential for growth.  As we grow and develop, God is at work in the life of this toddler church. God is teaching us valuable lessons, helping us grow, and shaping His Church according to His plans.

Here is a snapshot of what God has accomplished through Northwest this past year:

• Northwest hosted 52 worship services in Cooper Elementary on Sunday mornings.
• Northwest led 21 Community Groups over the course of 3 semesters. 
• Northwest served and taught dozens of children each week in our children's ministry.
• Northwest baptized 5 men who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ.
• Northwest hosted 2 movie nights in Metfield Park in order to serve new families.
• Northwest began to support our first missionaries and commissioned them to PNG. 
• Northwest adopted and served 15 hurting families from Cooper Elementary and the Boys and Girls Club during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Northwest served and led over 130 people to worship Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve in the unique setting of a rustic barn in Bentonville. 

As we look towards our 5th year of ministry, we believe God will continue to transform lives and grow the impact of Northwest. Specifically we believe God is going to give us more opportunities to invest in families and allow us to grow in the areas of creative arts and worship. We want to encourage everyone  to get involved, to anticipate mighty works of God, and to share their experience with others.

Be sure to join us on Sunday, February 23 at 10am for worship at Cooper Elementary followed by a FREE BBQ lunch immediately following the service. Be sure to bring a side or dessert to share and invite your friends and neighbors.  

Check out the new Northwest podcast on iTunes to stay connected and listen to the latest talks.