LOVE
PRAY
SHARE
INVITE
J U N E 2 0 1 5 l V O L 2
The most exciting week in Children’s Ministry, Vacation Bible School is just around the corner and is offered to all kids who have completed Kindergarten through 5th grade. Kids will experience the love of Jesus and learn that God has a special plan just for them.
Each day about 200 kids will go to “The Stadium” to hear a lesson from God’s Word, play games on “The Practice Field”, get creative at “The Fan Club” and eat snacks at “The Concession Stand”. This is a great community outreach and an opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to church. On Friday all the parents are invited to our closing ceremony and to the family picnic immediately following; featuring a bounce house, games and lunch on us!
Want to be a part of the fun? You can help in many ways:
• Prayforthisweek–forthekidstocomeandhearGod’sWord
• Donations–manyitemsareneeded
• Volunteer–mustbeKidsSafebutittakesmanyvolunteerstoexecuteVBS
Contact Janet Miller at [email protected] or Kim Rhoades at [email protected] for more information or how you can help.
Registration is open and can be done online at bfchurch.net or forms are available downstairs and in the church office.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLJuly 13 – 17, 2015 9:00am – 12:00pm
ANNUAL CHURCH PICNICAugust 30, 2015 10:30am – 1:30pm
Mark your calendars now for the Bible Fellowship Annual Church Picnic!
All ages are invited to come for food, fun and fellowship right here on our church grounds after both services.
We hope to see everyone come out and join in the fun with your church family!
In this issue:Youth Ministries .............. 2
Men’s Retreat ................... 2
Our Missionary ............... 3
Kentucky Mission Trip ...................... 3
Advancing the Gospel Update ................ 4
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.”JEREMIAH 29:11
ADVANCING THE GOSPEL BY MAKING DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLESSUMMER
AT BFC Newsletter
June 27 – Beach Trip
June 27th is a beach trip to Ocean City, NJ. This day trip is open to all students in the youth group.
July 6-8 – Ocean City Retreat (just finished grades 9th-12th)
This is Bible Fellowship Youth Ministry’s first retreat to Ocean City. We will be located at the Ocean City Tabernacle just a few blocks from the boardwalk. The students will be challenged to pursue a life of sacrifice. They will learn the cost of pursuing a relationship with
Jesus Christ. We will have teachings from the Word of God and intentional time alone with God. Since we will be in Ocean City, the students will also have access to the beach and boardwalk throughout the three day retreat. We encourage the Senior High students to consider this retreat as an opportunity to be challenged in their faith and also enjoy time with friends.
July 13-17 – VBS
The youth have the opportunity to serve alongside other members from BFC. They will lead younger children through a faith-based, gospel-centered week.
August 7 – 7th Grade Welcome
All students going into 7th grade are invited to a night of games at my house (43 Redwood Lane, Newtown, PA). We will introduce the youth leaders and give a special time for the new youth to get to know each other. Plus we will have ice cream sundaes!
August 10-12 – Hershey Park Trip
The Hershey Park Trip is our summer finale. We will be camping on the Hershey Park Campgrounds for two nights. During the day, the youth group will be in the park with the leaders. In addition to all of the roller coasters, Hershey Park also has a giant water park. So bring your bathing suit and be prepared for a splash!
Please note: There will not be youth group on August 18th or 25th.
YOUTH MINISTRYSchool will be out, warmer weather is on its way and the Youth Ministry at Bible Fellowship Church will be full of life! We invite you to come and be a part of what is happening here at BFC. If you have never come to youth group, the summer is a great time to start to get involved with the youth ministry because of all of the exciting activities.
You can get more information or register for all of the events online at bfchurch.net or contact Pastor Jeremy McAlack at jmcalack@bfchurch.
MEN’S RETREATOctober 9-11, 2015
This year’s retreat theme is “The Marks of a Missional Man”. Dr. Celestin Musekura, president of African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry, will be leading us as we discover what it means to live missionally as men for Jesus Christ in all areas of our lives.
LOCATION: Tuscarora Inn & Conference Center 3300 River Road Mount Bethel, PA 18343 www.tuscarora.org
COST: Deposit only: $50 Cottage: $185 Hillside Manor: $217 Riverside Manor: $229
REGISTER: Register online through September 27 at www.bfchurch.net or contact Bert Bath at [email protected] or (267) 981-0424.
2 / S U M M E R A T B F C
* TUES., JUNE 23
We will be welcoming the students who just finished 6th grade to their first ever youth
group night!
What is Worship?Join us Tuesday nights for youth group from 6:45-8:45 pm at BFC. We will be learning how worship is a lifestyle and not something we only do Sunday morning.
* June 23 ..................Fellowship June 30 .................Scripture July 14 ....................Service July 21 ....................Prayer August 4 ................Giving
S U M M E R Y O U T H E V E N T S
KENTUCKY MISSIONS TRIP UPDATE
July 25th – August 1st
A team of 16 from BFC will be partnering with World Servants this summer in Wheelwright, Kentucky to carry out their ministry to the community. Their focus this year will be on home repairs, holding community outreaches and conducting various children’s programs.
The pre-field training has been going well with training in Discipleship, Evangelism, Church Interdependency, and Cross-Cultural Ministry. We have recently been focusing on specific ministry preparations and just finished a fun and fruitful 2-day retreat!
Financial Update - Thank you for all of your prayers and financial support for our Team! We are happy to announce that all of the costs for our trip have been covered by your generous contributions! All of our supporters are essential participants of this missions trip and we are so very grateful for you.
Prayer Requests - Please pray that our Lord will prepare our hearts for humble and faithful service alongside the World Servants team. Please also pray for continued unity within the team and that our efforts in Kentucky would leave a lasting impact on the community and host missionaries.
OUR MISSIONARY IN THE CANARY ISLANDS
Hola a todos! I’m Tori Winn, BFC’s missionary serving in Spain’s Canary Islands. It has been an honor to be sent out from Bible Fellowship to serve internationally here where there are so many who have yet to hear about Christ and where there are few workers. I am a part of a team with Crossworld, and we work in the town of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a region of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands), where there are over 100,000 people and no evangelical church. Our greatest desire is that by living in this community and being intentional in our relationships with local Spaniards--in sharing our lives and sharing Christ — we can make disciples who in turn make disciples. We see huge open doors in ministry here to the many university students, connecting through English as many want opportunities to improve their “speaking” and sports. For example, in the area of sports, a huge way to be in the lives of local athletes is to: train and compete with them! In short, going out and being a part of the lives of those we are trying to reach. Being intenational. Thank you for your love for missions and for being a part of what God is doing here!
Would you like to participate in this mission for Christ? We provide:
• Internshipsforyoungadults (Disciple-making university student)
• Missionsmarathontrips
If you’d like to contact Tori, or receive email updates you can email her at [email protected], and she’d love to add you to her list.
S U M M E R A T B F C / 3
TORI WINN
LOVE
PRAY
SHARE
INVITE
ADVANCING THE GOSPEL BY MAKING DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES
S U M M E R A T B F C / 4
UPDATEM I N I S T R Y E X P A N S I O N P R O J E C T By vote on May 3, 2015, the Bible Fellowship Church
family overwhelmingly approved the Advancing
the Gospel Ministry Expansion Project. Financial intentions
received as of June 14, 2015, are $1,185,133. We believe that with the sacrificial giving and prayerful support of our church
family, we can carry out our planned ministry expansion while minimizing our long-term financing.
For those who have been faithfully giving, we would like to thank you for your sacrifice and support. If you have not yet given financial support, we invite you to partner with us. We encourage everyone to prayerfully consider God’s leading as we raise the funds for our ministry and facility expansion.
I drove through the tunnel,
under the Yardley train tracks, and
onto Oxford Valley Road. I have my
Bible. I’m on time. I’m almost there.
I’m almost to church. But wait. No,
that’s not quite right.
725 Oxford Valley Road is church. Yet,
my mind flashed to many additional
locations where Christ’s people-His
Church-have cared for our family
in the last year as my husband Tom
battled cancer.
Church happened on the Delaware
Canal path. Thank you to the men
who walked and talked with Tom
there in all kinds of weather. Thank
you to the women, who walked the
canal path with me, listened, allowed
my tears and prayed for me.
Church happened around Yardley.
Thank you, men, for understanding
that a smart guy on medical leave
from work gets cabin fever at home.
Thank you for taking Tom out
for a drive, to get a burger at The
Continental or Charcoal, and to troll
the aisles at Home Depot.
Church happened in our home.
Thank you for visiting Tom to play
chess, to listen to his riddles or
explanations of satellites and to read
the Bible or newspaper to him. Thank
you Care Ring for blessing us with
your cheerful presence and prayer.
Tom looked forward to your arrival
and set out extra chairs for you.
Church happened in your grocery
stores and kitchens. Thank you for
shopping and cooking for us--and
for accommodating our ever-
changing nutritional approaches.
Church happened in the emergency
room, waiting room, oncology treat-
ment center. Thank you for standing
with us in these difficult places.
Church happened in Chandler Hall.
Thank you for showing Christ’s
love in the hospice facility. The staff
remarked on Tom’s numerous and
warm friends. Thank you, Pastor Tom,
for meeting with our family to study
scriptures on death and our sure hope
of eternal life.
Church happened by the grave. Thank
you, Pastor Bob, for showing loving
care to our extended family. Your
words, “You are standing on resurrec-
tion ground,” filled us with hope.
The Church is here and elsewhere.
The Church is you. Thank you.
CHURCH HAPPENEDby Linda Milbourne
SHINE LIKE STARSAs Bible Fellowship works to
Advance the Gospel and expand the walls of our church, Children’s Ministry kicks off ‘Shine Like Stars’. At BFC, we want kids to be a Light for Jesus and Shine Like Stars. On May 31st and June 7th, Janet and Kim visited each Sunday Kids Worship class to tell the kids what it means to be a light in a dark world. They were encouraged to:
Love their friends and family
Pray for someone they know
Share the Good News
Invite someone to VBS Kids received a STAR to express how they are a ‘Light’ for Jesus and hung it downstairs in the Children’s Ministry ‘Shine Like Stars’ hallway.
In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify
your Father in heaven.
- Matthew 5:16
RECIEVED AS OF 6/14/15
$212,310
STILL NEEDED
$1,687,690
OUR GOAL $1.9 M