By DC
**NEW WORSHIP TIMES**
Tomorrow morning, several of our people will come together to become Hands for the Kingdom.
We will be canvassing our community telling of things that are going within the body of Christ here at BACC, specifially the launch of two services. It is my prayer that God opens doors during this effort for people to find a Hope and a Peace that they never knew existed. This is about impacting people for HIM. I hope you’ll join us in the worship center at 9am tomorrow to be HIS Hands…
“Not to us oh Lord, Not to us, but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness..” Psalms 115:1
By DC
This week, we decided to to an interview for the local paper on the season of change that is going on at BACC. In case you don’t read the paper much, I’ve decided to share with you that interview.
1) What is the new change at Bedford Acres Christian Church The new physical change is that we are going to 2 worship hours and 2 LifeGroup hours. What’s equally exciting is the spiritual thing that’s happening. I’m not sure if I could define it except to say that whatever “it” is, it’s alive. It’s definitely not of man and nothing that anyone of us could produce. When God shows up, it’s unmistakable.
2) Why change to two worship service times on Sunday morning? Why not keep it the way it was? We felt like both our worship and LifeGroup space had grown to the point where it was necessary to create more room. This has been a season of growth and it’s time to move. We also feel like that we need to not only plan for where we are, but where God is taking us. We are preparing for what He’s going to do in the life of this Body.
3) What is your goal with this transition? Our goal is simple… To create more room. Almost all of our classes were having space issues and moving to dual service and class times, we doubled our capacity for existing classes and it allowed us to create two new offerings.
4) Who is Bedford Acres trying to reach with the new dual worship services? We are trying to reach everyone who doesn’t know our God. We are trying to reach those who have never experienced a deep intimacy with God and incredible community with other believers.
5) How will the two services be different from each other? The services will be identical.
6) Will you have Sunday School or Bible study classes? Yes, we call them LifeGroups, but they will meet during the same hours. (9am and 10:30am). There will also be LifeGroups that meet on Wednesday evenings at 7pm after a meal at 6pm.
7) What will there be for the children during the two services? The Youth (middle school and high school) will have their lifegroups at 9am. The children’s programming will meet during both hours. Their schedule will not change from what it currently is now. They have Sunday School first, then kidz praise. They won’t see any difference in their programming.
This will run in next week’s edition of the Citizen.
What do you think God has in store for us next?? Are you ready for it?
By bjacobs
I read an interesting quote a while back from “Built to Last” by Jim Collins.
“Rule #1: In all situations, use good judgment.
There will be no additional rules.”
This quote caught my eye, mainly because I think it does a good job of summarizing the philosophy of the New Testament regarding rules and the law. We’re not to be strictly legalistic, nor to have an obsessive focus on rules and regulations, since those things can distract us from what’s really important in our relationship with God and others.
In the days of Jesus the people were overburdened by the government’s laws and regulations, and then the religious leaders added to that burden with their own rules and regulations. And Jesus had quite a few words with those leaders. We live in a society today where they try to improve by adding more laws and regulations. “Caution: this can of peanuts contains peanuts.” Have we really lost the ability to exercise good judgment that we need to be told every little detail? And unfortunately, even in the Church we can sometimes fall into the same trap.
The question then becomes; what is good judgment?
The great thing about the Bible is that it’s basically God telling us to use good judgment, and then proceeding to equip us with it by telling us to conform our minds to his way of thinking. So good judgment would be Godly judgment.
If we have love like God shows us, if we can see others the way God sees them, then we don’t need anyone to tell us not to steal or cheat or be hateful. Let’s not be people who need to mindlessly follow this or that, but let’s train our hearts and minds with God’s Word, and let’s remember that it’s all summed up in loving God and loving others. If we can get that mindset first, then all the rest will more easily fall into place.
In Alexander Kjerulf’s blog “A note from the boss”, he is writing about a note that a boss gives to a new employee that says, “I will not burden you with endless rules and regulations. You’re an adult – I trust you to use your best judgment.”
By DC
We are in a season of change, make no mistake about it. The life of our church has led us to the place where we believe God has called us to shift our thinking and step out in faith. He has called us to do an uncomfortable and sometimes unpopular thing; change. Nothing seems to stir things up in any organization quite like change does. By nature, we don’t like change. It’s unfamiliar and causes us to face uncertainty.
An ancient philosopher, Heraclitus said “Nothing endures but change.” It’s all around us.
What I have learned is that the Kingdom of God is always moving forward and that movement is often cloaked and labeled as “change”. In fact, Matthew wrote it this way ”…From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” The power and significance of the Kingdom never changes but it is constantly moving.
That’s what my hope is for this season of life at our church. That it would be viewed, not as a change, but as a method to move the Kingdom forward. Believe me when I say that this change isn’t easy for any of us. It will involve more work, more sacrifice, more teachers, more greeters, more musicians, more tech specialists, more planning and more communication, but I can’t tell you how excited I am for this church to be a part of the movement of God’s Kingdom. My friends, it’s the most powerful thing on earth… The kingdom is moving and advancing and we are a part of it! Let’s shift our perspective from things “changing” to things “moving”.
Will you join me in this movement?
By David Casey
Having to do a funeral is one of the most honorable things that one gets to experience when you serve in the local church. Being involved in those moments of grief, memory and celebration is something that is taken very seriously.
Recently, being involved in a funeral led me to a little city nestled in a picturesque location between a mountain and a river. It’s the kind of place that you see in movies about small-town america. It was definitely a place that left an impression on me. I loved the pace of the town. I love the fact that waves were common when you passed another car on the road. The friendliness was obvious. What I like most about it was something else…
Above this little town is a state park that allows for excellent views of the entire city. From up on top of that mountian you can see, in great detail, the entire layout of the town. From there you can see, that the town is protected from flooding of the nearby river by a large levy that runs the length of the town. At either end is an interesting sight. Two enourmous gates at either end of the town can remain open to allow flow in and out of the city, but then close if rising waters threaten the city.
From high atop the city, it was clear how necessary these floodgates were. Without them there would be nothing to keep the town from being destroyed by a flood. They were absolutely essential to keep out a potential destructive force.
God sets up those same flood “gates” in our own lives. He gives us instruction and sets standards for us. He builds walls around our lives and hearts. He does this, not to keep us in, but to keep the dangers out. Often times we don’t understand why but God has been intentional in his design. He knows where the floods will come from and constructs a system of protection for us. He really does know what’s best for us. I’m thankful for that protection. Aren’t you?
By David Casey
Recently I was standing by the bedside of a friend who was dying from cancer. The disease had progressed so quickly in the previous days that I felt a little in shock as I remember her seemingly strong demeanor and appearance just a few weeks ago. As I stood there, among her family and friends in that dimly lit bedroom, I was reminded of how quickly things can change. I also was reminded, at that moment, that this is something that I will have to face too. It is inescapable… (until Jesus returns)
We will all have to face what she was facing. We all will have to cross this river. We all stand on level ground facing death. It doesn’t matter what your past looks like, or whatever success or failures you had in life. It wont matter about your possessions or relationships on earth. All that becomes irrelevant when you face death. Suddenly, the only thing that becomes relevant is Christ and your relationship with Him. It’s all that really matters.
Have you ever had a similar revelation?
By David Casey
If you’ve seen the movie that has this title, then you already know what a great picture it paints. Not only of captivity, but of deliverance.
I love the picture of pursuit that it illustrated by the father who will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing, to get his child back. It reminds me of Jesus telling us in Matthew 18:13 “…What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off”. Don’t you just love this picture?
The truth is, God is pursing you… Sometimes He is because you are running from Him and other times because you are so ensnared by the enemy that you can’t seem to get to Him. Either way, He will stop at nothing to get you back. Have you ever looked at your life like that? Have you ever seen yourself that valuable to the creator of the universe?
By David Casey
I heard a new song recently and I have to share it with you. It’s called “How He loves” by David Crowder. You need to check this song out. If you can’t find it, google it.
It reminds me of the simplicity of the Gospel. It reminds me that, at the heart of all we do, is a relationship with a God who loves us with a love that we can’t even imagine. Sometimes that truth just slips by me and other times, like today, I stand in awe of it.
What does that simple truth produce in you?
By David Casey
If someone were to ask me what I’ve learned in the past year, one of the first thing that comes to mind is that everyone is replaceable. Sometimes God moves people out into new directions in life and ministry away from the role and area that we are used to seeing them in and that is a difficult thing to deal with sometimes. God made us relational, and the fluid nature of our relationships can cause heartache and lead us to do things in response to that heartache, that we wouldn’t normally do. We might complain, fight, or get angry. The fact is, as is often reminded to me by a close friend, that we are all just servants of the King. We will go where He wants, do what He wants, and do it when He asks us to. The next time God moves someone out of your life remember that fact. Also, remember that when God moves someone out, He will most certainly move someone else in. We are servants of the King of Kings… None of us is as big as all of us… Have you ever felt like you were in a position where no one could do the job but you?
By David Casey
I am really excited about the next four weeks here as we begin our second annual series entitled “At the Movies”.
If you’re like me, you love movies. I love action, adventure, comedy and everything in between. I love getting lost in the story and characters. (I especially love the popcorn and all the chocolate-covered peanuts)
Mainly what I love is how hollywood tells a story about any number of things, and somehow, within the story line, God shows up. You know what I’m talking about? You’re watching a movie and then all of a sudden you see a picture of compassion or a dramatic display of forgiveness. You’re comfortably munching on some popcorn and then, out of nowhere, Jesus shows up. Maybe not in person, or in name, but his Truth definitely shines through.
Some of my favorite movies that “preach” are: Schindler’s List, Taken, The Power of One, The Bucket List, August Rush, and many more.
What are your favorite movies that speak to you?