This Sunday is our “Missionary” Sunday which we celebrate, honor and recognize the efforts of our Missionaries and challenge one another to be about our Father’s business. The business of sharing the good news of God’s love and grace as extended through the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the good work for which we have been saved (Eph. 2:4-10).

New Berean’s vision is the same as “The Lord’s Commission“. We count it an honor and privilege to both share in his work and support it. To take the message of God’s eternal grace and love which has been extended through the person of his only begotten son, Jesus the Christ is why we exist. This month we celebrate the work of Christ through our Missionaries at home and abroad are doing.

You the members of New Berean support Missionaries in Costa Rico, India, Curacao, West Africa, The Philippines and well as some local agencies. Please remember them in your prayers and as you give support for the further success of the work God has called them and us into. Here are some of their praises and prayer requests:

• Stability in their financial support
• Growth in access to virtual meetings, internet access and tech support
• Safe protection and medical support for everyone
• Continue to pray for the Reynons (The Philippines) , whose son Nathan was killed in a car accident in September. He had been married only for a couple months. Prayer for her and the Reynons to fine grace in God’s love and comfort for them
• Pray for acceptance and softness of the people to receive the good news
• For the preparedness of the Saints as they are being trained
• The Kumars ask for us to pray for their daughter and new son-in-law’s marriage

May the Lord continually bless us as we share in the mission work He has called for us as a church.

If there are things we can do differently during the COVID enhanced times, share them with Ministry Leader Sister Gwen Reid or your Deacon. Thank you again for being the blessing you are for the cause of Christ.

Email: nbbcMinistry@yahoo.com

As we continue on our weekly Bible Study series (The Local Church and Why It Matters), the Lord is helping us to see the difference between fellowship and worship and the importance of both elements in membership at a local church.

Unity within the local church, as intended by the Lord is properly manifested in his children “gathering” together. The local assembly was the place where God’s people gathered or met to fellowship, to hear sound, accurate biblical teachings designed to feed them that they would grow up. The early church gathered to encourage one another while being persecuted by the various religious sects and Roman authorities. They met to ensure all their needs were being met since they couldn’t depend their various homes and communities (Acts 2:44). As outcasts, they felt obligated by the spirit of God to take care of their own brothers and sisters.

Fellowship in the local church is vital to the maturity and spiritual development of us all (Eph. 4:11-16). Fellowship in the local assemblies is what God desires and intended. Yes, they were scattered through persecution and other reasons, but God still wanted them to meet regularly and fellowship with one another.

Worship is one thing and fellowship is another. Worship can be done anywhere and should be done not just in a building or place. But fellowship as ordained by God is and should be done regularly and purposefully (Heb.10:25) in the presence of other like-minded saints. It created an atmosphere of accountability for both the Leaders and Believers (Heb. 13:17). Throughout the development and growth of the early church, the Acts of the Apostles chronicles God’s instructions to local assemblies in Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, Philippi and Titus in Crete and not so-called individuals deliberately detached from the local assembles.

We are encouraged to follow the model of the early church and glorify the Lord our God. It is intended that we look out for the spiritual welfare of our godly family as a means to honor the Lord. As Hebrews 10:25 states, do not adopt the ungodly mindset some had in deliberately not gathering to fellowship.

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus," Phil. 2:1-5

Every October, we take out and set aside this special time to honor, celebrate and recognize the gift God has given to the Ministry of New Berean

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:11-17

We are gifted with a pastor, teachers and leaders chosen by the Lord to lead this local assembly in love. Their purpose is for our edification and spiritual maturity that we would eventually grow closer together to the glory of God. We thank the Lord for our gifts and want to encourage them in the work they are doing for us.

Let them know, our Pastors, Teachers, Deacons and other ministry Leaders you are praying for them. Be accountable (Heb. 13:17), support them and are growing as a result of their efforts

On October 24th, we will acknowledge the these Leaders during our morning worship service. If you want to recognize a particular leader who has ministered God’s grace in your life, this will the time to do it publicly.