themagazine

March 2012 | Issue 1

2 | March 2012 |

Table of ConTenTs

Mission/Vision ...........What’s in a name? ............

staff Highlight ............easter ............

2012 Mission Trips ............night of Impact ............

bilD ............Preparing for spring ............

scripture ............Caroline McIntyre ............

Vision for Your family ............Celebrate Recovery ............

steve Cox ............Q&a with the Veliquettes ............

The Village ............Honduras ............

letter from lamar steiger ............

page 3page 4page 5pages 6-7page 8page 9pages 10-11pages 12-13pages 14-15pages 16-19page 20page 21pages 22-23pages 24-25pages 26-27page 28page 29

themagazine

NOTE * available to read on the iPad... However, interactive links are not accessible.

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To produce and release spiritual leaders who know and express the authentic Christ to Northwest Arkansas

and the world.

To change the heart and soul of Northwest Arkansas and the world.

To produce and release spiritual leaders who know and express the authentic Christ to Northwest Arkansas

and the world.

To change the heart and soul of Northwest Arkansas and the world.

Our Vision

To produce and release spiritual leaders who know and express the authentic Christ to Northwest Arkansas

and the world.

To produce and release spiritual leaders who know and express the authentic Christ to Northwest Arkansas

and the world.

Our MissionTo produce and release spiritual leaders who know and

express the authentic Christ to Northwest Arkansas and the world.

NOTE * available to read on the iPad... However, interactive links are not accessible.

4 | March 2012 |

What’s in a name?The Fellowship Communication team has the opportunity to work with all the ministries and

serve the congregations in our church. There are so many changed life stories that we’ve

heard that aren’t being shared with all of our congregations. This is what prompted the

creation of “the thread.” Our team discussed the idea of how we could share these stories

with the entire Fellowship body and our best solution is an online magazine where you can

read how God is working in the hearts of our people. One of the main goals at Fellowship

is to encourage our members to utilize their spiritual gifts and talents. We sent out an

email asking for volunteer writers and photographers and within 24 hours, several of you

responded offering to share those gifts. Praise to God for the talents He has given each of

us and we are thankful for how He has helped weave together “the thread”. Special thanks

to Fellowship graphic designer, Ashley Cox who designed the magazine. It is our hope to

bring you a new issue of “the thread” every other month, so be looking for issue 2 in May.

Through this online magazine, our “woven tapestry” of unique and God-inspiring stories, we

hope you enjoy the threads that brought Issue 1 together.

In His Name,The Fellowship Communication Teamcommteam@fellowshipnwa.org

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• Bekah is the Administrative Support to NES & FSM Sunday morning Student Ministries.• Bekah handles the paperwork for all Student Ministry camps & retreats throughout the year. • Bekah supports 7 full-time staff members & 4 residents• She processes almost 2000 documents alone for students & leaders that go on Spring Break short-term mission trips!• Spring Break teams have to use two airports (XNA & Tulsa) to accommodate all the students & leaders from Fellowship that are traveling on mission trips.• Most Mission teams provide/make their sack lunches each day while on their trip. Some teams do have families that travel with them & their job is to cook/prepare meals for the team.

• Bekah loves Pinterest , cooking & creative adventures, whether it’s scrapbooking or working on school projects with her kids. • To help support students ::: go to your myFellowship account & click on the missions tab

• Moved to AR from Smithfield, VA at the age of 11• Graduated from Bentonville High School, 2001; attended the U of A for 2 years• On staff at Fellowship since 2003 (8.5 years) • Married to Thommy Greer; They have a 7 year old son, Ethan & a 23 month old daughter, Afton • Lives in Bella Vista & loves it• Blessed beyond measure!

:

staff highlight:

Thanks Bekah for your work, your heart to serve, your love for the kids & this ministry!

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easterweekend schedule

April 6th - Good Friday Celebrate Recovery ServiceApril 7th - Mosaic | 5 & 6:45pmApril 8th - Outdoor Sunrise Service | 7am Sunday Morning Worship Center | 8, 9, 10, & 11am Community Worship Springdale | 9, 10, & 11am Family Service Student Center West | 9, 10, & 11am

{ }bring your lawn chairs

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easterweekend schedule

April 6th - Good Friday Celebrate Recovery ServiceApril 7th - Mosaic | 5 & 6:45pmApril 8th - Outdoor Sunrise Service | 7am Sunday Morning Worship Center | 8, 9, 10, & 11am Community Worship Springdale | 9, 10, & 11am Family Service Student Center West | 9, 10, & 11am

{ }bring your lawn chairs

8 | March 2012 |Click here for the full list of the 2012 Mission trips

Night of impact

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Night of impactNearly one thousand Fellowship

students and parents gathered for

worship and prayer at Night of

Impact, 2012. The celebration for

NES/FSM Sunday morning students

is held annually and is a night

where students are inspired to “do

something now.” This year, parents

were invited and the celebration was

moved to the Main Worship Center.

Students brought items for non-profits

like diapers, shampoo, toothbrushes

and pants for people in Guatemala.

Messages of thanks and details from

fellow students who were part of

past mission trips, along with worship,

and extended prayer time were all

part of this incredible evening.

february 29, 2012

photos by Loralie Johnson

10 | March 2012 |

Classes currently being offered:

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The BiLD (Biblical Institute of Leadership Development) Training Center is a major ministry division of Fellowship Bible Church of NWA. This Training Center is the tangible expression of one of the three guiding metaphors that best describes the mission and vision of Fellowship NWA; namely, that Fellowship is a “greenhouse,” a “launching pad,” and a “training center.”

For more information or to register for classes click here for the BiLD website: bild.fellowshipnwa.org

Small Group Experiences currently available

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David Turner and Alfredo Rivera, part of Fellowship’s grounds crew, works year round to keep our 60 acre plus

campus looking beautiful.

Preparing for Spring

“He has made everything beautiful in its time...”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

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Photo by Alex Fougerousse

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“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:2-5

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The Road To Club NeoNOne of Fellowship’s own takes her love for children’s ministry to Mexico

by Jennifer Ford

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Pulse-pounding praise music washes over 35 squirming, grinning children ages 6-11. Amid the chaos an occasional adult can be seen acting just as silly and excited to be there. Just a typical day in the Fellowship children’s ministry, right? Wrong. Oh, it’s a Bible church, but this is “Club Neon”, the children’s ministry of Iglesia El Biblica El Camino (El Camino Bible Church) in Puebla, Mexico. At the heart of the activity on this Sunday morning is Caroline McIntyre, one of Fellowship’s own. An irrepressible smile framed by long dark hair, Caroline’s enthusiasm for her current “mission” is unmistakable. “Hi, Fellowship,” she bubbles from her side of the video chat. “My name’s Caroline McIntyre and I currently serve in….Puebla, Mexico.” (See her video from Puebla) Little did Caroline dream when her family moved to Northwest Arkansas from Nashville in 2000, that she would end up working with children in Mexico a dozen years later. As a 7th grader, Caroline discovered a new kind of experience at church. “I was introduced to the idea of community, cell groups, service, fellowship among believers and discipleship,” she says. From the beginning, opportunities to experience the core values of Fellowship surrounded Caroline. Because her parents embraced the “worship one, serve one” philosophy, she found herself with “a bunch of crazy junior high kids...[piled] in a nursery room to cut out and prepare materials for the preschool rooms the next week.” It was a foundation for where the Lord would lead her. “This was my first real opportunity of service....and really building relationships.”

During her high school years, Caroline traveled on spring break mission trips to Chihuahua, Mexico. “This is where God opened my eyes to His love for the whole world,” she says. “For the first time I began to see outside my own world and see how big God really is.”

This is also the time when Caroline began work with “F45”, the Fellowship Sunday morning ministry for 4th and 5th graders. She embraced the leadership opportunities and by her first year at the University of Arkansas, she was leading a cell group of 8th grade girls. “How fun it has been to see those girls grow up...and see what God is doing in their lives!” Through her college years, Caroline traveled on mission trips to Thailand, Guatemala and back to Mexico. “These trips changed my world view and opened my eyes and heart to how missions could play a part in my life,” she says. After graduation from the U of A, Caroline applied for a residency with Fellowship and spent a year working with the elementary age ministry and missions. At one point she temporarily stepped into the role as K2 Town Large Group Coordinator. The opportunities to use her leadership skills, her experience with elementary age students and her love of foreign missions began to converge. “I was invited to join a mission trip to Guadalajara, Mexico....and plan a VBS for kids,” Caroline recalls. Missions’ Pastor, Dick Nelson, and Beth Kenyon, Elementary

“...For the first time I began to see outside my own world and see how

big God really is.”

by Jennifer Ford

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Team Leader and Family Ministries Director, asked Caroline to consider spending time in Mexico training churches in children’s ministry. “By the time I came back from Guadalajara it had been decided that I would come and spend a year at El Camino.” Caroline sees her current ministry as an example of the Fellowship Mission and Vision Statement: “…producing and releasing spiritual leaders who know and express the authentic Christ and (glorifying God through) changing the heart and soul of Northwest Arkansas and the world. Caroline has been working with two of the founders of “El Camino”, Hiram and Cati Ramirez, since August of 2011. After nearly 16 years, this church body has nearly 300 who attend. Caroline leads the children’s ministry with Diana Torres, whose husband is the youth pastor. A small groups pastor, Raul Dessavre, completes the staff which according to Caroline is “huge for Mexico, where most churches only have one pastor on staff.” Caroline’s role is to help El Camino discover how to adapt the Fellowship paradigm of “cell-celebration” to the Mexican culture. “What I am doing here is helping them figure out what that looks like for kids.” “The idea of ‘children’s church’ is spreading throughout Mexico,” says Caroline, “but it’s still not the norm.” The format for “Club Neon” is essentially the same as any of the Fellowship elementary ministries: a time of worship, large group teaching and then small groups by age.

Caroline sees her current ministry as an example of the Fellowship Mission and Vision Statement: “…producing and releasing spiritual leaders who know and express the authentic Christ and (glorifying God through) changing the heart and soul of Northwest Arkansas and the world.”

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“El Camino and Fellowship are a lot alike in theory,” Caroline explains. “[They] just look different because of size, location (Club Neon meets outdoors), number of staff, [etc].” The work that Caroline does during her stay in Mexico will no doubt be reproduced in other areas of the country since El Camino is seriously involved in church planting. “In its 16 years, four churches have been planted in the Sierra mountains, one in Guadalajara and two locally here in Puebla,” says Caroline. “They continue to raise up leaders and send them out.” From the beginning, the vision for Fellowship’s partnership with El Camino by sending Caroline has been that she also extends her work with children’s ministries to some of these sister churches. Fellowship and El Camino have had a relationship for 10 years. From her early years cutting out preschool artwork to training leaders in Mexico, Caroline McIntyre’s journey has been an example of God at work in Northwest Arkansas one life at a time. In Caroline’s words, “Through these experiences my life and love for Jesus has been shaped…Growing up at Fellowship changed the course of my spiritual walk with God and, in turn, my entire life.”

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Are we all in recovery?This is a question that comes up often when I am meeting with pastors across the nation to discuss starting Celebrate Recovery in their church. Great question. When we reflect on when God created us, we realize that He created us in the image of Himself. Then something happened. We refer to it as “the fall”, when Adam and Eve pretty much messed everything up for us. From that point on, the image that was initially created was broken and we have been trying to “recover” that image ever since. The fact of the matter is, we will continue to work toward that until the day we die; that is what sanctification is all about.

So, when we look at it in this light, we know for certain we are all in recovery for the rest of our lives. In Celebrate Recovery, we are seeing men, women, teenagers and yes, even kids, deal with hurt in their lives as they recover from a broken image. As a result of this brokenness, we see marriages falling apart, our need for control, anger, low self-esteem and other unhealthy coping mechanisms. All which can even lead to unhealthy addictions and choices. The hope though is that Jesus Christ is changing lives through Celebrate Recovery! And CR is a tool that helps us deal with the recovery process. Praise God that Jesus’ grace forgives us of our sins (1 John 1:9). We as Christians rest on this truth. However, I believe some have gotten their theology a little messed up in believing that His grace removes the consequences, too. The fact of the matter is that, while He does show us mercy in dealing with the consequences, He doesn’t necessarily remove them. It is His grace that gives us the strength to deal with the damage done through our poor choices in life.

Celebrate Recovery has made me a better dad, husband, leader, servant, communicator, listener, and follower of Christ. We are seeing lives changed across the world with CR now being in more than 48 different countries. Most recently in Egypt, 8 new groups have been planted to help the Middle East deal with life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups. Amazing huh?! No matter where we are, we all face life on life’s terms. We all need a tool like CR to deal with the consequences of sin, through hurt either we have caused or that has been caused to us, that has left its damaging mark. CR provides another chance to “recover” what has been broken, while pointing us to Christ for healing.

Rodney HolmstromClick here to visit the Celebrate Recovery website

22 | March 2012 |

Perspectives from a Missionary Kid by Steve Cox

There is a question often asked when people are meeting for the first time. It is a simple question, “Where are you from?” I’ve asked this question countless times and the answers I get are quite simple: California, Chicago, Portland, Florida, Little Rock, the East Coast, Mexico, etc… When I am asked this however, I have a surprising answer that often leads to further conversation. “I was raised in Virginia, but I grew up in the Philippine Islands.” I give this unusual answer because I am a former missionary kid who had the opportunity of living and experiencing life in two vastly different countries and cultures.

I spent the first 11 years of my life living in middle class America. My family consisted of my parents, Mark and Euletta, my sister Debra, myself, a dog, two birds, a rabbit, and a fish (my sister has a thing for animals). One day my parents set Deb and me down and told us they had been praying about something and felt God leading them to become missionaries. But if we weren’t comfortable, they wouldn’t go. I will never forget that conversation and the respect my

parents showed their children. They were willing to give up on their calling just so we wouldn’t have to be taken out of our comfort zone. I don’t remember my exact response, but it was something like, “If you say God is telling you to do this, who am I to tell God no?” After my parents trained for a few years and raised financial support, I got on a plane for the first time in my life and flew away from all I had ever known. I don’t have the space needed to share about the amazing experiences I had while living in Manila, the life-long friendships I formed, the work my parents did, or even the work I helped in. I can tell you how being a missionary kid shaped my life and why I say I was raised one place, but grew up in another. My thoughts always were that to be a missionary, I would have to live in an African jungle and eat things like snake and termites. While I did eat some strange foods, I gained first-hand knowledge that ministry can be done just by walking with Christ. I remember being overseas at a wrestling tournament my senior year of high school and helping lead people to Christ, simply because other teams saw my teammates and I walking around. They said there was something different about us. We didn’t go out seeking to minister, it just happened by being us. I grew so much in my walk during that time and I see the impact it has on my life today. As I reflect, I can honestly say that my current involvement with the tech team

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at Fellowship, the Cobblestone Project, and becoming a foster parent are a direct result of my time on the mission field as a child. But here’s the thing, that was the path my life took, and your life doesn’t need to look like mine. Local ministry opportunities are all around and it’s important to get children involved. Take your kids with you when your community group does a project, encourage your children to stay involved with student ministries and go on mission trips-- whether they are to Memphis, Mexico, or even the mall. By getting your children involved at an early age, you are making an impact today, but you will have a greater impact on the future by planting seeds that will be harvested years down the road.

24 | March 2012 |

Q&A with Volunteers Steve & Pam Veliquette

Q: Tell me about your family. (spouse, kids, where you live)

A:

Q: When did you start attending Fellowship?A:

Q: Why do you serve?

A:

Q: What joy do you get from serving?

A:

Steve and Pam

Veliquette have

been attending

Fellowship for many

years. Together

they serve in a

number of places

including Rogers

Community Worship

every month.

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Q&A with Volunteers Steve & Pam Veliquette

Q: What joy do you get from serving? A:

Q: Tell me about your family. (spouse, kids, where you live)

A:

Q: When did you start attending Fellowship?A:

Q: Why do you serve?

A:

26 | March 2012 |

IT TAKES A VILLAGEAfter over a decade of waiting, Fellowship provides a place to call “home.”

By: Jennifer Ford

Nestled along the northbound exit from the Fellowship Bible Church campus, a cozy circle of homes provides peace, refuge and shelter for missionaries, interns and other servants of Fellowship ministries. Like a silent guardian, a sign in the entry drive warns, “Children at Play.” Evidence of those who live there, basketball goals, abandoned bicycles and scattered toys, litters the grounds of this little community known as “The Village.” “The vision (for The Village) is to provide interim housing for those whose ministry is supported by Fellowship,” says Missions’ Pastor Dick Nelson. “It may be before they leave for their destination, during their term, or even after they return as they seek to re-establish themselves in the US.” In early 1991, as the Fellowship campus was in development, Pastor

Robert Cupp shared his vision for a place to house missionaries who were home on furlough and ministry interns (now known as “residents”). The seeds for this dream were the portable buildings used as offices for nearly 15 years. Each addition to the office complex was designed with its future destiny as a “home” in mind. In 2006, the Training Center was constructed providing new office space, which freed up these buildings for their new use as The Village. Community groups helped move the buildings, landscape the area and even provide furnishings for each home. The first Village families took residence in 2007. “What makes [The Village] amazing is that the home is completely equipped with everything we need,” says Kathleen (not her real name), whose family currently lives there. “It has a full kitchen,

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washer and dryer, and great furniture we can feel comfortable using.” Each home has three or four bedrooms and includes dishes, bedding, linens, etc. Homes are provided with wifi, telephone service, and utilities. When missionaries leave the foreign country where they minister, housing for their time in the States is always a major obstacle. The Village meets this need for those returning, but also relieves the stress on their families who might try to provide a home not designed for more than one family. “It’s such a relief to have our own space while we are home,” says another “Villager”, Paula (not her real name). “The time in The Village has enabled us to transition from living overseas and being on a small salary to living in the States again,” Paula continues. “We [came] with no jobs and no furniture…..as soon as we arrived, [a house] and a vehicle waited for us.” In addition to housing, part of The Village vision includes providing reliable transportation (including car seats for children, as needed.) Over the years since The Village was established, there have been residents from all over the globe: The Philippines, Singapore, China, Mexico and many other countries. “Living in the community with other international workers is refreshing,” says Kathleen. “[It’s so important] knowing that others here understand your life, what you do and how important time back home is. We are constantly encouraged by the other [Village] families, getting to share ideas and hear what God is doing in other parts of the world.” It’s a simple blessing: a house where families can rest, be together, host friends and make memories. It’s a simple ministry: providing a

peaceful place for those ministering in the name of Jesus to call “home.” Kathleen sums it up, “We are so thankful for all that has been donated to make the Village such a great place to be. We don’t know any other church that takes care of their international workers like Fellowship does.”

“It’s a simple ministry: providing a peaceful

place for those ministering in the name of Jesus to

call ‘home.’”

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“...the spirit is alive in Honduras.”

Click here to watch the video to see how God is changing lives locally and in Honduras.

“Watching those lives transform before my eyes… the light turned on in their eyes.” That’s how eric Pate, described part of his experience during a mission trip to honduras last Fall. Thirteen people from the Mosaic congregation traveled to the honduran village of Tegucigalpa. Thousands of people from the village received professional medical, dental, vision and general care from the Mosaic team. This group shared the gospel with each person who received care. 117 honduran people prayed to receive Christ and over 150 rededicated themselves to the lord.

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“...the spirit is alive in Honduras.”

Click here to watch the video to see how God is changing lives locally and in Honduras.

Long range planning and strategic thinking are important elements of our Elder Board and Senior Leadership Team’s responsibilities. Sometimes our ‘best human thinking’ and our most strategic plans are altered by circumstances and new opportunities. Last spring, two brand-new possibilities ultimately changed our land use plan and our long range property ideas.

First, the ability to acquire the land between our campus and old Hwy 71 (8th Street in Rogers) at a “fire sale” price and second, learning that the city of Rogers has plans to extend 13th street south through our church campus presented both an opportunity and a challenge! After much praying, seeking counsel and extensive research, your Elder Board unanimously decided to purchase the 33 acres between the campus and old Hwy 71 (or 71B).

This purchase and a much needed driveway to exit to 71B is being funded through special gifts designated for the purchase of the land. In addition to the money already given through “The Gift, 2011”, several families have made multi-year commitments toward this. Our prayer is that the cost involved with the purchase of this land and the addition of the very important driveway will be behind us soon!

Although this purchase is not a part of the Release Campaign, it does not change the Elder’s commitment to the Release Campaign, the BiLD Training Center initiatives or the vision to be outwardly focused. It was simply a wise decision for taking care of the future health (and development) of this church body and its facilities.

The Leadership Team and the Elder Board want to thank you for your generosity to Fellowship and for your investment in the long-term health of our church.

Lamar Steiger, Pastor of Resource Development at Fellowshiplasteiger@fellowshipnwa.org 479-659-3628 | 479.531.0127

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