Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,
Not many years after accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I came to a realization and understanding about why I needed to be actively involved in the local church.  For me, this did not happen immediately, and I sometimes regret that because now I can honestly say, “I get it.”, I understand why now.  While thinking about local church involvement, I am reminded of an encounter I had with gentlemen about the time I began to realize that I needed to be involved in the local church.  I had traveled to White Lake, NC to spend the weekend at my parents’ camper.  The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather, so I decided to play golf, which happens to be something I thoroughly enjoy although I have not played in over two years!  I drove out to the golf course to play a round of golf all by myself.  However, in my round of golf I came across a group of three other players.  They asked if I would like to join them, so I did.  Although I can’t recall how the discussion of church came up, the one thing I do remember is a comment made by one of the gentlemen.  He said, “I am a Christian, but I don’t go to church. I don’t need to go to church.”  As we continued to play, that comment kept running through my mind.  Even today, I am reminded of that comment.  Looking back, I wish I would have said something to counter his non-Scriptural comment, but at the time I didn’t have an answer to give. This encounter was a perfect example of why it is important for all Christians to know what Scripture says.

While thinking about this encounter, I recently came across a survey conducted by Barna Research Group on New Statistics on Church Attendance and Avoidance.  As I was reading this article, one of the things I noticed most was the comparison between individuals who are actively involved in church, verses those who are unattached.

Compared to regular churchgoers, the Unattached are:

• more likely to feel stressed out
• less likely to be concerned about the moral condition of the nation
• much less likely to believe that they are making a positive difference in the world
• less optimistic about the future
• far less likely to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in its principles
• substantially more likely to believe that Satan and the Holy Spirit are symbolic
  figures, but are not real
• more likely to believe that Jesus Christ sinned while He was on earth
• much more likely to believe that the holy literature of the major faiths all teach
  the same principles even though they use different stories
• less likely to believe that a person can be under demonic influence
• more likely to describe their sociopolitical views as “mostly liberal” than “mostly
  conservative”

I am reminded of the words from the writer of Hebrews, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). The moral of the story is that as a Christian, YOU NEED TO GO TO CHURCH! You need fellowship and encouragement from other believers.  When Christians work together in unity, the body of Christ is built up!  The Apostle Paul said, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (I Corinthians 12:27). This makes perfect sense.  My challenge is for each person who reads this, to ask themselves the questions, “Am I plugged in and serving in my local church?”  If not, the question is simple, “Why not?”  There is no better time to start than right now.  Attend church this week and use the gifts and talents God has given you for His service.

In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Upcoming Events

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,
Summer time, SUMMER time, SUMMER TIME!   Yeah!  That’s what I’m talking about!  It’s here!  Can you believe it?  For many people, summer time means vacation and freedom.  Especially for students and teachers.  However,  summer seems to be a time w hen our plates become full.  During the summer months priorities get shifted, church attendance drops, and the sole focus becomes ME rather than God.  We become so busy, tired and overbooked that we do not have time to do another thing.  The sad fact is that many of us are so busy during these months that our commitment to God is simply neglected.  I am thankful today that Jesus did not adhere to the same pattern we typically follow.  I am reminded of Jesus’ example and His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.   From His human perspective, Jesus was busy, Jesus was tired.  Does that sound familiar? However, He remained entirely committed!  As He fell on His knees, He prayed to His Heavenly Father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).  Did you catch the last part of that verse?  In other words, Jesus was saying that my commitment to the Father and His will is most important.  This is my challenge for each of us – that we remain committed to the Father’s will.  Say it with me, “Father, as much as I would like to vacate this summer (from my commitment), help me to remember, that it’s not about me, its all about You!”  Praise His Holy Name!
In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Have you ever stopped to count the number of choices we have to make each day?  You know, life is filled with choices.  Each day we have important choices to make.  Sometimes we make good choices and unfortunately many times we make bad choices.  You know what I am referring to.  Sometimes we say, “I wish I could go back and do that all over again” or “Next time I would do this instead of that.” When it comes time to make a choice who or what do we consult?  Where do we go to receive advice?  Most of the time we make choices based on our feelings.

However, I would urge each of us to approach your choice making from a different perspective.  I want to challenge us to make choices from a biblical perspective.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “I don’t want to bother God with something that small.”  There is nothing to small too talk with God about.  He desires to hear your prayers.  Have you consulted Him today and asked Him for guidance with the choices you must make?

In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Everyone had a wonderful time at the 2009 Spring Lock-in. Praise the Lord! We had 23 students attend this event. The night was filled with great food, music, interactive games, bowling, board games, and video games. Bonding was this year’s theme. Bonding is defined as the formation of a close friendship. Students learned what it means to establish close friendships by examining the Scripture and learning through the example of David and Jonathan. Scripture explains that David and Jonathan became one in spirit and David loved Jonathan as himself (I Sam. 18:1). Wow! This means they actually put others before themselves. What a great biblical pattern to follow! It reminds me of the JOY principle, J-esus first, O-thers second, and Y-ourself last. My challenge throughout the night was for each student to bond by forming closer friendships with other students.

At 9:30 pm we headed to Cardinal Lanes for Rock ‘n’ Bowl, where we stayed until midnight. One chaperone was heard commenting, “I have never seen so many teenagers drinking energy drinks and coffee!” No wonder they were wired all night. From 1:00 am to 3:00 am everyone played video games, card games, board games. There were some who used this time to chill out. I thought video games would receive the most attention, but to my surprise, BOARD GAMES were a hit! Entering the 3:00 am hour, the group gathered to play Balloon Hugs.

This was a lot of fun. Students had to pick a partner and each pair was given 5 balloons. The object of the game was to be the first pair to burst all five balloons. This could be done one of two ways, hip-to-hip, or back-to-back, but the use of hands was against the rules. Check out the pictures online. Following Balloon Hugs, we watched “Left Behind: Tribulation Force.” Although this is not a new movie, it is worth watching if you have not seen it! The next few hours were designated as cool down time. As the sun began to rise, it was hard to believe that we had been together for nearly thirteen hours. Nearly everyone stayed awake all night! Thanks to each student who attended. In order for youth ministry to function, volunteers are a must! Therefore, I would like to say a special Thank You to each adult who helped make this event possible.

Thank you to: Brian Cessna, Charles Turner, Lisa Watts, and Kansas and Tracy Johnston.

Following the lock-in, everyone had one day to rest before Youth Sunday. You’ve probably heard it said, “Our young people are the church of tomorrow.” I beg to differ. Our young people are the church of today! For too long students, (youth ministry in general) has been isolated. We must incorporate our young people into the life of the church! We, (Pastors, Parents, Christians) have a great responsibility, to teach and instill in them, the Word of God. Yes, I said we. Contrary to what many people believe this is not the sole responsibility of a youth pastor.

With that said, it truly blessed my heart to see our young people integrated and leading worship on March 15, 2009. Thanks to each student who lead worship and participated in the service. Each one of you really stepped up to the plate! I encourage you to continue to do this! Take a stand for the Lord! Serve Him and always give Him your very best! I would like to say a special thank you to those students who did an outstanding job performing Lifehouse’s Everything Skit. Thanks to Brad Harris, Grant Harris, Alexa Mahan, Morgan Mahan, Allyson Mojica, Mark Cessna, and Daniel Richards. I knew you could do it! Your hard work paid off. Don’t forget your parts, because we will be performing the skit again.

Although some members of my youth ministry council had prior engagements, I would also like to say thank you to Victoria Reilly, Lori Batson, Frank Pharr, and my lovely bride and partner in ministry, Heather Lee.

In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Can you believe it? Spring is just around the corner. Before long we will put away the long pants / sweaters and break out the shorts and flip flops. I can’t wait! I am really looking forward to the spring and summer months. Like me, do you have the tendency to plan ahead and look forward? There is nothing wrong with planning ahead and looking toward the future, but how often you pause and thank God for today? Scripture says in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” As you are reading this article, ask yourself the following questions and be honest with yourself. “Do I recognize and thank the Lord that this is the His day, and not mine?” “Have I rejoiced in the fact that God has granted me another day?” “Am I glad that the Lord has blessed me with another day?” If you answered no to any one of the three questions, what better time to recognize, rejoice, and be glad than right now. Take a few minutes and thank Him for this day. ……(I’ll wait here)….. Lord, we thank you for this day and recognize it is your day and not our own. Please help us to be mindful of you. May we seek to do your will and not our own. We rejoice in this day and are thankful for the breath of life you give our mortal bodies. Help us to not get so consumed by the things of this world that we fail to do that which is most important. We Thank and Praise You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

As we enter February, the Month of Love, take a minute to let these words of love sink into your heart. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostle John penned these words many years ago. “7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” The true source of love is God. As Christians, we are commanded to love one another. In order to do so, we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. When we allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our life, we can truly love others in a way that pleases God. The greatest act of love ever shown was the love that God displayed in sending His Son to die as a sacrifice for our sins. My challenge this Valentine’s Day is that all Christians ponder the true meaning of love and allow our lives to display the love of God to others. May the Lord bless you as you seek to serve Him.

In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Wow! Christmas is over and the New Year has just begun. Where did 2008 go? Time sure goes by fast. As I write this newsletter article, I am reminded of one word. It’s word that many people really don’t like to hear. I suppose some people would even consider it a dirty word. You are probably exerting extra brain power to figure out what the word is, right? The word is commitment. Commitment is simply a pledge or promise. It is the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself. Why then is it a dirty word? Perhaps it is because commitment involves action. It involves responsibility. Think about all the commitments you have made. Let’s examine this a bit closer. As teenagers, you may make a commitment to play sports. Once the commitment has been made and you join the team, responsibilities follow. You are required to attend practice. Practice is necessary, because it’s through practice that you grow and develop as a player. You are also required to attend the games. Games are really fun! This is where you display and use what you have learned during practice. Likewise, adults and parents also have commitments. As adult, you have many commitments. A job is the first thing that comes to mind. Most everyone has a job of some sort. You have pledged to your employer to uphold the job you have taken. With your job comes responsibility. With your job comes commitment. If your job requires you to arrive at work at 8:30 am, then that is what you do. You do everything in your power to be there, on time! Why? Because you are committed to your job. One day you will be too old to play sports and there will come a point in your life when it is time to retire. In other words, your commitment to sports and jobs will one day cease to exist.

Should it be any different with our commitment to the Lord? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, our commitment to the Lord should be first and foremost. Now this is where the word commitment becomes personal. If there is one thing of which Christians should be ashamed, it is our lack of commitment to serving God Almighty. Too many people believe that Christianity is a one time thing, been there, done that. Some think that Christianity simply involves warming a pew every now and then. You know, when it’s convenient, when I don’t need the extra sleep. When there is nothing else more important to do. Dear friends, Christianity involves so much more. When you study the Scriptures, you find that Jesus displayed complete and total commitment to His heavenly Father. Jesus was committed to following His Father’s will. Regardless of the cost He made the sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice. When you commit your life to following Jesus, it’s a life long commitment! God has blessed each of us with gifts and talents and He expects us to use them for His honor and glory. Are you committed to Him today? Are you actively involved and serving Him? You may ask, how do I do this? Attending worship, Sunday school, Bible study, and discipleship classes is a great starting place! Just like the sports player needs practice to grow and develop, Christians need to immerse themselves in the teaching and study of God’s Word. Your commitment to the Lord involves sacrifice.

Instead of making those silly new years resolutions that seem to only last a month or two, my prayer and challenge for 2009 is that each of us will recommit our lives to serving the Lord and focusing on Him. Why not make a resolution this year to recommit your life to Jesus Christ and digging into real truth, found only in the Bible. You can rest assured that He will not break the commitment He has made to you. Jesus gave us His all, should we give Him any less?

In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Have you ever stopped and wondered what the Christmas season truly means?  Years ago we would hear “Merry Christmas” mentioned this time of year. However, it seems more and more like the words “Merry Christmas” are becoming less noticeable.  When we approach the fall months the words you often hear touted are Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays to sum up all of them.  While thinking about this, I am reminded of a shirt I recently saw that said “Keep Christ in Christmas.”  Truth be told, without Jesus Christ there is nothing Happy about any of the Holidays.  Not only is Christ the central figure of Christmas, He is the essence of life.  All things were created by Him and for Him and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17).  This Christmas we will celebrate what happened nearly two thousand years ago “As the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8-11).  The true meaning of Christmas is about a Savior being born, living a perfect sinless life, being crucified for your sins, physically being raised to life on the third day and paying a debt that you cannot pay.  This Christmas, be sure to stop and praise Christ Jesus, the Lord!  Oh, and don’t forget to tell everyone you see, “Merry Christmas!”

In Christ,

Pastor Brad

Dear Young Adults and Parents of Young Adults,

Pastor Brad

It is hard to believe the summer is gone and school is back in session. Our students recently concluded our summer events with a trip to Kings Dominion. We had a blast! I am not a big roller coaster fan, but I was actually talked into getting on the Dominator which happens to be the world’s longest floorless coaster at 4,210 feet. Did I mention that by diameter, the Dominator also has the world’s largest vertical loop? What in the world was I thinking? Needless to say, everyone had a wonderful time. Over the next few months, some exciting new things will be taking place. First, our Youth Ministry Council will be heading to Fort Caswell September 19^{th –} 21^st. We will spend the weekend evaluating our youth ministry, discussing our vision, plans, and goals for the future. This will be an exciting time.

Other exciting news pertains to Fifth Quarter’s which we have hosted the past few years following the Topsail High School home football games. This year we have other churches that will be participating with us to help reach the students of the Hampstead area.

Please continue to pray for our children, student, and young adult ministries as we seek to glorify God. If you feel lead to help in any way, please contact me.

Pastor Brad

Fifth Quarter

See You At The Pole 2008