Summer Camp 2011 Prayer Requests
As you may have heard mentioned in services last weekend, our Junior and Senior High youth are away for our annual Youth Summer Camp. Thank you for praying for us this week. We desperately need your prayers as we desire to see God move an act in our teens’ lives this week. Below is are several specific requests and an overview of theme this week so you can pray specifically for our teens to understand the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and begin to live it out.
Specific Prayer Requests
1) Safety and Protection – as we travel and as we have fun white water rafting, water tubing, caving, riding a hot-air balloon, etc.
2) Logistics – we have over 200 people at camp this year. Pray that all would logistically work out with transportation, meetings, meals, etc.
3) Open Hearts – many of our teens are apathetic towards God. Pray that they would be open to what the Lord wants to teach them.
4) Listening Hearts – pray against any distraction and that the teens stay awake during the messages.
5) Small Groups to Connect – pray for the teens to connect with each other.
6) Salvation for the Unsaved – we have many friends and non-believers coming with us this year. Pray they would each accept Christ’s free gift of salvation this week.
7) Energy for Staff – pray for supernatural energy for the staff.
8) Spiritual Refreshment for the Staff – pray for the staff’s personal times with the Lord, that they would be refreshing, and that they would be able to minister out of the overflow of what God is doing in their lives.
9) Unity among the staff – pray that our entire team of over 40 staff would be united in Spirit to care for and lead out teens.
10) Discernment for the Staff – many teens come with significant issues (personal or at home). Pray that our staff would be able to discern how to care for and challenge each of our teens in a grace filled manner.
11) Below is an overview of our theme. Pray specifically that our teens would see the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and begin to walk in it.
Our Theme: SUPER:natural
As believers we have all heard of the Holy Spirit, but how many of us really understand who He is or what He practically does in our life? Christ Himself says it is for our benefit that Christ leaves and sends the promised Holy Spirit (John 16:7). We are told if we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify our sinful desires (Galatians 5:16). We hear about the Fruit the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) that should develop in our lives of love, joy, and peace and want some of those, but how do we get them? We hear about living in the power of the Spirit, but far too often tend to lead defeated Christian lives. We live for the next “spiritual high” but have no clue how to have a sustained walk with the Lord. We have heard so many truths about God and have so much knowledge, but do we have the basic skills of how to walk in step with the Spirit?
This year at camp, we will be learning about the Holy Spirit and what He does in our lives. With that in mind, our theme this year is SUPERnatural. Not supernatural in the Ghostbusters way of thinking, but as in SUPER (adj. – above, beyond, stronger than) natural (n. – the way things exist in nature without interference). This is about the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. On my own, I would not walk with God or honor Him, but thankfully He has not left me alone as an orphan (John 14:18). He gives us the power to live beyond our own natural abilities.
Saying Goodbye to Trinidad
We have had an awesome last couple days. We spent 2 days running a summer camp for the kids at the children’s home. Tuesday evening we did another street meeting and went to see the huge sea turtles! We even got to see baby turtles hatching! Wednesday we did our second day of summer camp and left for the team debrief in Port of Spain. Last night we heard from Ronnie and Meela. Today we spent the day on a boat swimming and fishing. Then we returned to the church for a farewell dinner with the church (A very touching experience). We will give you much more detail when we see you late on Saturday.
Our flight is scheduled to land at Dulles at 11:20 pm. We are planning on students being picked up at the airport.
Thank you for all your prayers! God has definitely answered them and many more.
Clothing Exchange Update
Last Saturday, June 25, RBC held our annual Clothing Exchange, which was a great success. Approximately 500 bags of clothes were donated, with less than 30 bags left at the end of the day. Six of the leftover bags will go to Lifeline Pregnancy Center, a Christ-based crisis pregnancy center in Landsdowne, VA. We were also able to supply clothing to multiple missionaries, our ESL families, people in the congregation, and many families in our local community. Families from Guilford Elementary were also well-represented.
This is a huge praise! Thank-you to the congregation for donating and the many volunteers who made this a wonderful outreach to our new community. We are grateful to God for what He did through this year’s Clothing Exchange.
Youth Summer Camp 2011: SUPERNATURAL
As believers we have all heard of the Holy Spirit, but how many of us really understand who He is or what He practically does in our life? Christ Himself says it is for our benefit that Christ leaves and sends the promised Holy Spirit (John 16:7). We are told if we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify our sinful desires (Galatians 5:16). We hear about the Fruit the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) should develop in our lives of love, joy, and peace and want some of those, but how do we get them? We hear about living in the power of the Spirit, but far too often tend to lead defeated Christian lives.
This year at our our annual Youth Summer Camp, we will be learning about the Holy Spirit and what He does in our lives. With that in mind, our theme this year is SUPERnatural. Not supernatural in the Ghostbusters way of thinking, but as in SUPER (adj. – above, beyond, stronger than) natural (n. – the way things exist in nature without interference). Thisis about the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. On my own, I would not walk with God or honor Him, but thankfully He has not left me alone as an orphan (John 14:18). He gives us the power to live beyond our own natural abilities. Please be in prayer that our teens would understand the role of the Spirit in their lives and experience His power to transform us.
Summer Camp is open to all current 6th graders through those who just graduated from High School. The regular registration deadline is this Sunday (6/19). For more information click here.
Conversations Recap
Conversations is the church-wide RBC production which takes place annually the week before Easter. All about stories, Conversations is a performance incorporating elements of music, drama, and real life testimonies – all interwoven into a unified production. The ultimate goal of Conversations is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly in a non-threatening environment to those who may otherwise not attend church.
This year, Conversations took place on a city street – complete with a billboard, café, movie theater, vendor cart, and an impressive street band. With a balance of humor and emotional intensity, the scenes told stories of scavenger hunts, forgotten anniversaries, blind dates, awkward meetings with “the in-laws”, and long days.
Our band performed a great mix of songs – from artists like U2, The Beatles, Coldplay, and Jackson Browne and others. And the real life stories were powerful accounts of God’s loving pursuit of individuals and families… through His provision, redemption, reconciliation, and satisfaction.
This year, about 3300 people attended Conversations throughout the week! There were well over 300 people who participated as volunteers, doing everything from baking, to serving coffee, to providing childcare!
As we reflect back on the week, we continually see the grace of God in every step of the process. He is faithful to remind us that we are overwhelmingly dependent on Him and that His word will not return void.
Thank you to everyone who participated in volunteering, attending, and inviting your friends and family to Conversations this year. We trust that God will use this production for His glory and look forward to seeing what He will accomplish with the seeds that were planted through this production!
(Photos by Mike Kelly. You can check out his gallery of Conversations photos here.)
Marriage Conference: Dinner Questions
It’s almost here! I’m excited about this year’s conference. It’s going to be great to just spend some time with my wife and focus on strengthening our marriage. A marriage conference is kind of like an oil change. Get one every 3000 miles and the car tends to run a lot better. Forget to change the oil and it’s just going to be a matter of time before there’s major engine damage. Of course, RBC marriage conference’s are a whole lot more fun than oil changes! To that end we want to get you started thinking about Friday’s dinner date and the overnight conference.
Remember that the plan is for you and your spouse to go out to dinner on Friday and arrive back in the RBC Sanctuary by 8pm. You’ll really want to get back to RBC around 7:45pm so that you can check in at the registration table and find your seat in the sanctuary. We want to mix the tables up with couples of different number of years married. So when you walk in the sanctuary you’ll see colored circles on each table in front of the chairs. Just find a colored circle that fits the number of years you’ve been married and have a seat. It’s really easy.
We have some discussion topics for your dinner date. The discussion is meant to open the lines of communication with your spouse and to help frame the conference for you as a whole. Take some time to think about your responses to the discussion items, particularly #1 and #3. Make sure your spouse has a chance to see them in advance of Friday as well. That way the two of you can make the most of your time together over dinner discussing your thoughts. Here are the discussion items:
1) Describe to your spouse how you feel about each of the below aspects of your marriage. Include your thoughts on things that are going well and why, and things that could be improved. Be honest and transparent. For things that could be improved, share how you feel without being judgmental (e.g. “I feel like…” instead of “You don’t do…) — Physical intimacy, including sex — Emotional, friendship bond between you two — Spiritual side of your relationship with your spouse
2) After hearing each other’s views, which area of your marriage do you feel there is the greatest difference of opinion between you and your spouse?
3) What do you hope happens as a result of this marriage conference?
One more thing. For the Ice Breaker time at your table, be prepared to tell one of your favorite local places to go, say within an hour’s drive, that others might not know about. It could be a restaurant, a park, a local activity, anything that might not be as well known. Each table will have a piece of paper to write these places down. We’ll collect them and e-mail them all out to everyone who attends after the conference.
That’s it! Get ready for a great time with your beloved! We have over 80 couples attending making this one of the largest marriage conferences at RBC yet.
See you there,
John & Jana Smith
Marriage Conference Coordinator
RBC Marriage Conference: The Power of One
It’s been a busy Spring so far hasn’t it? With so much to do, it’s easy to lose focus on the things that are really important. One of the biggest takeaways couples said they had from the last marriage booster was how important it was to make their marriage a priority in their life. That sounds so obvious but isn’t it the truth that in our busyness, we often take our spouse and our marriage for granted. My wife Jana and I have been married for almost 28 years, and I know I’ve been guilty of that several times.
On May 6-7, 2011, RBC is hosting our fifth annual Marriage Conference. This is going to be a great opportunity for you to take a break for the busyness and invest in your spouse and your marriage. It’s a time to really focus on improving your marriage and move closer to each other in “oneness.” In fact, that’s the theme of this year’s conference – “One in Body, Soul, and Spirit.”
On Friday night, Mike Minter is going to talk about the physical intimacy aspect of marriage. Saturday morning, Paul Goodnight will talk about the emotional/friendship aspects of marriage. Then Tony Pedroni will talk about the spiritual aspects of being a husband and wife. Then, based on your feedback, finish with an interactive Q&A session with Mike, Paul, and Tony. You’ll be able to text in your questions anonymously during the conference or ask away during the Q&A.
If you’ve been to a marriage booster or conference in the past, you know how great they are and how much fun they can be. Jana and I go to these every time they’re offered. Sign up online at www.restonbible.org/marriage.
As a veteran of many marriage conferences, I really encourage you to take advantage of the special arrangements at the DOUBLETREE by Hilton Hotel to make it a real overnight get-away. The hotel has extended the registration for guaranteed rate/rooms to Friday, April 29th.
See you there,
John Smith
Marriage Conference Coordinator
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.)
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)
Running Scared
From the book Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Ed Welch:
Edward T. Welch investigates the roots of fear in the human soul and the ramifications of living in the grips of anxiety, worry, and dread. Welch encourages readers to discover for themselves that the Bible is full of beautiful words of comfort for fearful people (and that every single person is afraid of something). Within the framework of thirty topical meditations, Welch offers sound biblical theology and moment-by-moment, thoughtful encouragement for life-saving rescue in the midst of the heart and mind battlefield of rampant panic-stricken responses.
This comprehensive primer on the topic of fear, worry, and the rest of God will have readers retreating to scripture for invariable constancy, stalwart care, and robust comfort, instead of as Welch terms it hitting the default switch by responding with characteristic human independence, control, and self-protectiveness. Running Scared affirms that, through Scripture, God speaks directly to our fears:
- On money and possessions
- On people and their judgments
- On death, pain, and punishment
Welch’s lively text provides convincing evidences that humanity’s struggle against active and dormant fears are countless. The good news is that God provides both the remedy and the cure for this malady in the person of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and through powerful, life-altering promises in Scripture. Far more than merely another psychology self-help guide, Running Scared serves as a biblical roadmap to a life of serenity and security.
From a review of Running Scared by author & blogger Tim Challies:
For someone who does not consider himself much of a worrier, I was surprised to find that this book offered me a lot to think about; it offered me a challenge to see where (not if) I worry. And as it offered the biblical diagnosis, it offered also the biblical cure. It showed me that worry, though usually a hidden sin and perhaps even a sin that most often seems harmless, is a sin that impacts my life and serves to distance me from the God who says time and time again, “Do not be afraid. Peace be with you. The Lord give you peace.” It showed me most clearly of all that the way I feel about fear and worry is a sure indication of what I believe about God.
Read Challies’ complete review here.
Running Scared is available in the RBC Bookstore as a staff-recommended resource for Christ-centered growth.
Please also consider joining us for our annual RE:NEW conference, featuring Dr. Welch. Click here for conference information.