Missions at RBC: FAQ, Part 5
WHAT IS A SHORT TERM MISSION TEAM?
Short Term Mission Teams used to be called Summer Mission Teams because they almost always occurred in the summer months. Now these type teams occur year-round. The purpose of RBC Short Term Mission Teams is 3-fold:
1. To assist and bless a missionary that RBC supports currently.
2. To introduce RBC attendees to mission work first hand.
3. To educate the RBC congregation about missions.
HOW ARE SHORT TERM MISSION TEAMS FUNDED?
Short Term Mission Teams are primarily funded by the individuals who make up the team. If there are individuals who cannot fund their portion of the team cost, the Missions committee will consider their shortage. The Missions Committee also considers material costs the team may have in areas such as printed materials, construction materials etc.
HOW ARE SHORT TERM MISSION TEAMS FORMED?
Most teams are developed out of a desire of a someone in the congregation to meet a need they see in a particular ministry or from a gift that person may have such as evangelism or working with children etc. All team proposals must first go through the Missions Committee for approval and if the Missions Committee approves the team then it goes to the Council of Elders for final approval. All teams have a team leader who is responsible for the team’s organization, administration and oversight. RBC has a policy that you must be 16 years old to be on a team unless you have a parent on the team with you and the team leader approves of the youth (Youth ministry teams are the exception to this rule).
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part one)
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part two)
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part three)
TAKE TWO: Superstition
Is there anything to superstition?
Take Two is a series of videos from Pastor Mike Minter of Reston Bible Church. Drawing on over three decades of pastoral experience, Pastor Mike answers various questions often asked in life with a two-minute response.
Parking Update
NEW PARKING LOT CONSTRUCTION: We are happy to announce that construction for the 150 additional parking spaces (between the Main Building and Cascades Parkway) has officially begun! During the next 2-3 months of construction, we may lose up to 25 of our current parking spots. Please consider carpooling, parking in the RBC Overflow Lot, or attending the 8:15am or 11:45am services during this time to alleviate some of the parking congestion.
WEEKDAY PARKING: The area to the right of the main building (next to Cascades) is considered a construction zone while the lots are being put in. If you are on the RBC campus during the weekdays, for your safety, please do not park in the side lot or in the lot behind the building. (While some of these spots will be lost during the new parking lot construction, but these areas are open for parking during weekend services.) Please take extra precaution – particularly with children – while in the building vicinity as construction traffic will be going on during the week.
WEEKEND TOWING: Effective immediately, we ask that you park ONLY in the RBC Parking Lot or in the designated RBC Overflow Lot. All other lots off Oakbrook Court will start towing this Sunday morning (2/13/2011). The towing is being enforced by some of the neighboring firms who have lost their parking spots on Sundays. We want to be good neighbors, so please limit your parking only to our lot or the designated overflow lots. Again, please consider carpooling or attending the 8:15am or 11:45am services during this time to alleviate some of the parking congestion.
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While we know parking has been a bit of a pain at RBC lately, we are thankful to God to have a church home where so many people desire to engage. As far as church issues go, I hope you’ll agree that “not enough parking spots for all the people who want to attend” is not necessarily a bad one to have. It can be annoying, yes – but it is a tolerable inconvenience.
As my family and I walked in from the Overflow Lot a couple Sundays ago, I was telling my kids about what Pastor Minter shared after his recent Brazil trip, how many pastors there traveled for days to be taught from the Word of God. Although my young’uns thought it sounded kind of fun, I personally was glad I didn’t have to paddle a canoe down the Amazon to get to my church home. It struck me then that walking a few hundred feet to worship the God who has blessed us so abundantly – in ways far greater than parking lots and nice facilities – didn’t seem like such a big deal.
Find yourself grumbling about the inconvenience of the parking situation? It takes a little extra time to get in and out of RBC on Sundays, but even that is time we should steward well. Ask God, then, to help you use that time for His glory. What might this look like for you and your family?
One practical idea for a great use of this time is prayer. As you drive in on Sunday morning, pray aloud for the people leaving who have heard the Word, that they would take its light back to their families, their neighborhoods and their workplaces. As you walk across the parking lot, pray for your pastors and leaders. As you drive out, pray aloud for others coming in to worship and hear from the Word of God, that their hearts would be made ready to engage with Jesus in fresh ways.
May God grant us the grace to steward even parking lots for His great glory.
TAKE TWO: Crutches
Is religion a crutch?
Take Two is a series of videos from Pastor Mike Minter of Reston Bible Church. Drawing on over three decades of pastoral experience, Pastor Mike answers various questions often asked in life with a two-minute response.
TAKE TWO: Introduction
Take Two is a series of videos from Pastor Mike Minter of Reston Bible Church. Drawing on over three decades of pastoral experience, Pastor Mike answers various questions often asked in life with a two-minute response.
Running Scared: Resources for Dealing With Worry, Fear, & Anxiety
Thanks again to all who were able to attend the RE:NEW 2011 Conference featuring Ed Welch. The leadership of Reston Bible was greatly encouraged by the turnout and we pray that the conference content would be of great benefit to all of us in our walks with Christ. We hope you have been able to process and implement some of the things God brought before you during that time.
Since fear and anxiety are things we all deal with, let us recommend some reading resources that will help strengthen you for the battle. Included here are several books and studies that were mentioned during RE:NEW, as well as others that have been hand-picked by RBC staff. These resources are available in the RBC Bookstore. (Our bookstore is not-for-profit and open between Sunday services.)
Missions at RBC: FAQ, Part 4
WHAT IS THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA MISSIONS CONSORTIUM?
The NOVA Missions Consortium is a consortium of five local churches – Reston Bible Church, Chantilly Bible Church, Immanuel Bible Church, Cherrydale Baptist Church and Grace Bible Church – whose goal is to cooperatively help missionaries from these five churches get to the field more quickly. Each year, one of the five churches is allowed to put a missionary from their congregation before the consortium for potential support. This rotates each year so each church has the opportunity to put a missionary before the consortium once every five years. If a church’s turn to put a missionary before the consortium arrives and that church does not have a missionary in the pipeline, they are simply skipped over and the next church in line gets the opportunity.
WHY A CONSORTIUM?
The goal of the consortium is to have these five local churches get to know the consortium missionaries very well and be able to support them at at least 75% of their need. This accomplishes several goals: First, when a consortium missionary is home on furlough they will not have to travel around the country visiting their supporters as most of their support is coming from these five local churches – they can stay locally and get more involved at each church during their furlough versus just visiting for a weekend or a conference, Secondly, it allows the missionary to focus less on support raising and more on preparing themselves to get to the field.
Currently there are 10 consortium missionaries. Three of these ten consortium missionaries are “home grown” RBCers. $25,900.00 is collectively given in monthly support by the consortium churches to these ten missionaries. 2011 is RBC’s turn to present a missionary.
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part one)
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part two)
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part three)
2010 Ministry Year in Review
As we continue into 2011, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on some of what we saw God do here at Reston Bible Church in 2010. I do pray this will be an encouragement to you, and while we don’t want to focus too much on numbers, it can be helpful to quantify some of what we have observed in 2010.
Guests:
- From January-July 2010, at the old campus, we received completed Visitor Cards from 145 guests.
- From August- December 2010, as we’ve been in the new facility, we have received completed Visitor Cards from over 300 guests.
- Since August 2010, at least 100 of the guests who have completed Visitor Cards have become regular attendees and involved in ministry at RBC.
- We have had 50 guests from our new surrounding neighborhood since we moved into this facility in August.
- Since August, we have added 333 regularly-attending adults to our database.
Host Team:
- Since the beginning of 2010, we have 100 new volunteers on the Host Team (almost 200% more volunteers than we had 12 months ago).
- Since August 2010, we have added 2 areas of service under the umbrella of the Host Team – the Parking Team and Coffee Ministry.
Transition:
- Since August, our Welcome Desk Attendants give information to an average of 14 guests each weekend.
- In the old building, our Greeters were greeting and Ushers passing out bulletins to an average of 1650 people each weekend.
- In the new building, our Greeters have been greeting and Ushers passing out bulletins to an average of 2042 people each weekend.
- Our Coffee Attendants serve an average of 27 gallons of coffee each weekend – about 400 cups.
- Our Parking Attendants manage traffic for about 1050 vehicles each weekend – this is just our traffic alone (not including traffic for other businesses off Oakbrook Ct.)!
- During the transition of buildings, we have had volunteers serving more frequently. Some Ushers serve for up to 3-4 months straight to assist with the flow of people. We have two Parking Attendants who serve almost every week (and in all kinds of weather)!
Ministries:
- Our Children’s Ministry has jumped 31% in attendance since moving into our new facility – from an average of 231 children to 303 children each weekend. Our AWANA ministry has seen significant growth as well.
- Our Junior High Ministry has increased 69% since our move in August – from an average of 49 to 83 students attending each weekend.
- Our Senior High Ministry has increased 26% since the move in August – from an average of 75 to 95 students attending each weekend.
- Ladies Bible Studies have increased about 72% in the past year in attendance.
2010 was a dynamic year, and we are thankful for the blessing of seeing God work in significant ways. It is a joy to be a part of what God is doing here at Reston Bible Church!
Running Scared: Memory Verses for Dealing With Worry, Fear, & Anxiety
The RBC leadership is thankful for the many who were able to attend last weekend’s RE:NEW conference with Ed Welch. As a help to you were (and were not) able to attend, here is a list of most of the Scriptures Dr. Welch referenced in his sessions. The beauty and power of the Word of God cannot be overstated, so great is the power of committing Scripture to memory. We pray you will commit these to memory; they are vital tools in our battles with fear, worry, and anxiety.
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” (Genesis 26:24)
“Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you where ever you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10).
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 43:1)
But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” (Isaiah 49:14-16)
“Peace be with you.” (John 20:19, 21)
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper (alongside of one), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth. …He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans.” (John 14:16ff.)
The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7)
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:32-34)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
Missions at RBC: FAQ, Part 3
HOW DOES THE COMMITTEE OPERATE?
The Missions Committee meets monthly and operates mostly by consensus and discussion. The committee does not use the Roberts Rules of Order (a widely-used set of procedures for deliberative assemblies). The Missions Director develops the agenda and the Financial Secretary, Ray Baldwin, presents the financial report at each meeting. Typically, we have at least one and as many as four missionaries attend each meeting to give a report on their ministry. Only those missionaries who happen to be in our area when a meeting is scheduled attends the meeting to give a report. We typically do not bring in a missionary just to attend a meeting. Periodically, we have an actual vote on an issue. There are three issues that must be decided by an unanimous vote; taking on a new missionary, stopping the support of a missionary and making a change to the Missions Policy. These three decisions must go to the RBC Council of Elders for final approval.
WHAT IS THE RBC MISSIONS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM?
RBC has had the privilege of sending out numerous people from our congregation over the years to be full-time missionaries. In order for RBC to be the “sending church” for a missionary, that family or individual must attend RBC and go through the RBC Internship Program. This program is designed to help one get from a desire to be a full time missionary to actually getting on the foreign mission field. It is customized to tailor each applicant’s individual place in their walk with the Lord and their desired type of service, such as church planting or support work. The Missions Committee and the Council of Elders must approve all those who enter the Internship Program. Entering the program does not bind the person or the committee to any final decision and it does not guarantee future financial support. Upon successful completion of the Internship Program, the Council of Elders must give their final approval on the person becoming a full-time missionary. Each intern is assigned a personal counselor that walks through the program with them individually, makes periodic reports to the Missions Committee and holds the intern accountable for completion.
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part one)
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part two)
(RBC MISSIONS FAQ: click here for part three)