The follow article is intended to be a source of encouragement to those of us who may need some direction on dealing with the unexpected lost of our Pastor. Because everyone one does not deal with death the same way, it is important for us to know that some need more help than others. God’s word declares we are to bear up one another in love (Eph. 4:2). So as we all process through this time, let us be supportive of the body of Christ and as encouraging as we can so God can be glorified and the people of God can be blessed specifically at New Berean.
If you need or would like someone to share your feeling or emotions, contact your Deacon and Flock Leader:
Leroy E. Ricks, Sr – Founder New Berean Baptist Church
On Tuesday, June 23, 2020, Pastor Leroy Edward Ricks, Sr. was called to his eternal rest in the Heavenly realm by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Leroy Ricks, Sr. was born on August 12, 1951 in Norfolk County, VA (South Norfolk section of Chesapeake) to the late Doris Bell Ricks. He graduated from Crestwood High School in 1971. While at Crestwood, he excelled at drafting and mechanical drawing. He loved the game of basketball. His work-ethic, tenacity, and dogged perseverance was forged on the hardwood. He championed the position of point guard for the Bombers earning All-City honors. Basketball was his second love, next to his love for his high school sweetheart, Vanessa Hinton.
After graduation, he work at Norfolk Dredging Company, GFM, and Norfolk Naval Air Station as an inside machinist. It was at the Air Station where he encountered Jesus Christ via a bible study. After he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior, he joined Calvary Evangelical Baptist Church under the leadership of Wilbur Jones and then under the guidance of Dr. Allen R. McFarland. While at Calvary, Pastor Ricks served as Sunday school teacher and then Sunday School Superintendent, Deacon and Associate Minister. In September of 1989, he and a few faithful men founded New Berean Baptist Church where he faithfully and tirelessly served as the Senior Pastor for 31 years. Great will be his reward!
In preparation for the calling, he attended Washington Bible College, Luther Rice College and Seminary, and later he graduated with a Bachelor of Biblical Education degree from Tabernacle Baptist College & Theological. His favorite scripture that related to his calling to preach was Galatians 1:15-16, which states: “ But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.”
He was predeceased by his grandmother, Cora Ricks, mother, Doris Bell Ricks-Hargrove, and eldest sister, Dorothy Jean Parker. He leaves to cherish his beloved memory his high school sweetheart and wife of 49 years, Vanessa Ricks, three adult sons and daughters-in-love, Leroy (Nuke) E. Ricks, Jr. (Felicia) of Suffolk; VA., Dr. Lamont. E. Ricks (Tracey) of Suffolk, VA., and Lance E. Ricks (Ericka) of Suffolk, VA.; four granddaughters, Destini Ricks, Aniyah Ricks, McKenzie Ricks, Areyah Ricks ;a sister, Mary Clayton and brother, Percell Ricks (Selma); New Berean Baptist Church family, pastoral co-laborers in the ministry, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Fathers are uniquely fashioned by the hand of God. All men have not been given this blessed role to father children and influence them for the Kingdom of God. Fathering children is an extremely demanding and integrated process beginning with procreating. It involves caring, nurturing, knowing, instructing, and maturing the child placed in your world of influence.
Fathers are to accept the role God has assigned to them by subjecting themselves to the authority of God over their lives. Fathers are to constantly and consistently seek, desire and reach out to their heavenly Father the same things he has been assigned. It is an honorable and blessed experience to be assigned this role. God wants fathers to use this opportunity to reflect Him, in the lives of young people. The fulfillment of God’s glory is for a father to be an earthly example for him and his kingdom.
Our heavenly Father has assigned us this role and he will give us everything we need to accomplish this assignment. He will begin working on us when we deliberately submit our will to his will. For us to be the fathers He wants, he will use the influence of his word, his Holy Spirit, and the examples of other godly men, assembled around us. He will mold us and shape us into the person we need to be with the tools necessary to be a blessing to our children. No matter the age of or time spent with our children, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think according to power that now works in us. Be of good courage.
Join the Prayer Warriors of New Berean Baptist Church for our monthly Corporate Prayer time. It is a time for us to come together collectively, having all things in common as we consult the Lord our God for his wisdom and direction, blessings and instructions.
We’re asking as many as can and will come out for the special time to pray for among many other things:
Our Pastor’s health to improve, for healing and restoration
The Ricks family, hope, peace and comfort in the lives during this time
Sister Ricks to be healed and delivered physically and mentally
For the entire New Berean Church family to be grow in the things of God and honor him with our lives, our time, service and respective ministries. Let us be about our Father’s business in every aspect of our lives.
For salvation for those we know and love in our extended families, co-workers, friends and acquaintances.
For our Country and all the social, economical and political ills that we have and our role as preachers of the gospel and ministers of righteousness to the people in our area of influences.
Pulpit Points – In today’s message, we will examine the scriptures to uncover 7 things that we have in Christ. When our world encroaches upon our peace and sanity, we can encourage one another with the certainty of what we have in Christ, regardless of the circumstances. Rather than succumb to the daily challenges assaulting our faith, we can turn to the truths of who we are and what we have in Christ.
Let us remember the “7 Things We Have In Christ” (pdf) and be encouraged by His Word, for His Grace is sufficient, and His Word is true.
Be Thankful , in today’s Pulpit Points message, Pastor Ricks shares three reasons why we should maintain an attitude of gratitude. With so many things and events happening in our world, we can develop an attitude of ingratitude. God wants us to stay focused on Him the Author and Finisher of our faith more than the circumstances around us. As real as they can be at times, we are encouraged to know that our God is worthy to be praise for the things we now in Him.
For the Believer, everyday is a day of thanksgiving. Although we have Thanksgiving as a national holiday, we are not limited to being thanks for the God of our salvation and the things we have in Him. Let us take the time everyday to count some of our many blessing and see what God has done.
David had A Thirst, A Praise and A Mind to Remember God
Learning from David focuses on the examples that David left for us in the word of God. People have said in times past that “experience is the best teacher.” As true as that may be, the reality is we do not have to have to personally experience everything if we can can from someone else’s experience. There are so many people who have experienced so many things we can learn from.
In today Pulpit Points message from I Samuel 15:22, 23 – 16:1-10, Leroy Ricks shares three things from the life experience of David, a man after God’s own heart , that we can learn from. When we find ourselves in a dry and thirsty land, we rest in the all-sufficiency of our God.
God’s sufficiency and provisions for his children begin with his sovereign will and wisdom in choosing us in Him and should a motivation why we love and serve him independently of what others may or may not do. God’s are to rejoice in these truths:
John 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Acts 13:48 – “Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed”
Romans 8:29 – “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Romans 9:11 – “For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls”
I Thess. 1:3, 4 – “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.“
II Thess. 2:13 – “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth”
II Thess. 2:10 – “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
Intercessory Prayer Time – Join the Prayer Warrior’s this Sunday morning for prayer in the parking lot at New Berean. We will be interceding on behalf of our Pastor, his wife and extend family along with our church and their extended families. We want you to pull up, park and pray for our nation, and leaders. As Paul encouraged Timothy to pray (I Tim. 2:1-6), so are we are encouraging one another to join together in prayer.
Praise and Preaching Service – Following our parking lot prayer time, join us for a time to corporately encourage each other through praise and the preaching of God word. We are already that in times like these we are able to come together. Our world is in a very challenging time and God has called his people to impact and influence that world. In order to be about our Father’s business, we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some, but we will give ourselves to his word of God, and fellowship with the Saints (Acts 2:42-47).
Prayer
Preaching
Praise and Fellowship
Prayer and Fellowship
Parking Lot Prayer, Praise & Preaching Service
All will be done in compliance with the guidelines of our current State Governor’s Executive Order #61 regarding “gatherings” and Executive Order #63 regarding face coverings/masks. There will be no gathering inside the building facility at this time. We want to ensure your safety while on the property, so please read and familiarize yourself with the instructions in the link as well as those listed below and bring your mask to wear.
Guidelines for Religious Gatherings:
1. Religious services must be limited to no more than 50% of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy of the room or facility in which the religious services are conducted (NOT APPLICABLE) 2. Individuals attending religious services must be at least six feet apart when seated and must practice proper physical distancing at all times. Family members, as defined above, may be seated together. 3. Mark seating in six-foot increments and in common areas where attendees may congregate (NOT APPLICABLE). 4. Persons attending religious services must strongly consider wearing face coverings over their nose and mouth at all times. 5. No items can be passed to or between attendees, who are not family members, as defined above. 6. Any items used to distribute food or beverages must be disposable, used only once, and discarded. 7. A thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently contacted surfaces must be conducted prior to and following any religious service. 8. Post signage at the entrance that states that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19 is permitted in the establishment. 9. Post signage to provide public health reminders regarding social distancing, gatherings, options for high risk individuals, and staying home if sick. 10. If religious services cannot be conducted in compliance with the above requirements, they must not be held in-person.
Lessons From The Valley – Part I – Dr. Lamont shares some points on the things God wants us to learn when we are in our valleys. Valleys can be lonely and dark times of spiritual, emotions or financial drought. They are often times when we hear less from the Lord than we would like of need. But we are encouraged to know that God cares and loves us.
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord. As we all anticipate the day in which we could resume our corporate worship services and in preparation for coming back together in corporate fellowship and worship, we the Trustees of New Berean, with counsel and guidance from Pastor Cason are working to establish a plan for our safe return. Although we accept the reality, what we once shared as a church family will be different we are even more so confident in the direction the Lord is taking us. We are asking for the Lord to give us wisdom and understanding in this process.
The link below contains a short survey for you fill out and complete so we may know what concerns or issues you and your family:
CDC Guidelines for Resuming Faith Gatherings – CDC offers the following general considerations to help communities of faith discern how best to practice their beliefs while keeping their staff and congregations safe. Millions of Americans embrace worship as an essential part of life.
The Officials (Trustees and Deacons) are working together to educate themselves on the guidelines and recommendations from our local health department, Virginia Governor’s Executive Order #61 for reopening “churches and places of faith” and the CDC. Thank you for your prayers and feedback.
If you have any additional comment or questions, minimize confusion by speaking with your respective Deacon, or the Trustees and be responsible in sharing information not founded in love or accuracy.
New Berean Baptist Church Commissioned by the Commissioner
