Brentwood Baptist News: Station Hill http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com en-us Wed, 08 May 2013 19:27:12 GMT This story was written in response to the church-wide vision-casting sermon by Pastor Mike Glenn on Sunday, January 13. In it, he mentioned first impressions made by those who serve on our campus each week—parking lot attendants, ushers, preschool teachers, and others.

Preschool teachers Bobby and Janet Waters are where our connection to Jesus began through Brentwood Baptist.

Our story begins by prefacing that neither Scott nor I were raised in Christian homes. We both had minimal exposure to church through a few friends growing up. Scott remembers pizza at a friend’s youth group.

More than eight years ago, the Holy Spirit put on Scott's heart that we should go to church. There wasn’t a catalyst or crisis that caused that feeling. It seemed like we were living the American dream—a good marriage, two beautiful, healthy boys, and a successful business.

But despite that seemingly perfect life, there was emptiness and something missing. So the Spirit led Scott to think going to church might be part of the answer.

Our marriage was selfish. It was more about who could keep the boys next so each of us could pursue our own hobbies and interests. Our child rearing was more accomplishment- and milestone-based than character-based. Of course, we adored our boys, but the foundation for our good parenting was worldly-based.

So when Scott wanted to go to church, I didn't mind. We thought we might try different churches for a while. We began with Brentwood Baptist because Jim (a deacon at Brentwood Baptist) and Gail Owens are our sister-in-law’s parents, and also because Scott didn't want to be conspicuous as a visitor.

So we went and signed our son Austin in the 4-year-old preschool class. Janet and Bobby Waters were our first impression of church. The service was fine—nothing earth shattering happened at that point.

But here’s where Mike’s sermon on January 13 applies to our story. We’re that family he talked about. We kept going back to Brentwood Baptist because Austin wanted to see Mr. Bobby.

At Christmas, the Waters gave Austin a book called Jesus for Little Ones. We attended for about six more months, and the Spirit was teaching us through the sermons, worship, and that precious children’s book about Jesus.

I also began reading the Bible on my own. We slowly developed an understanding about Jesus and God. Our quest for the American Dream hadn't changed though, and we were about to move into a new home.

One Monday night before the move, Scott had a divine appointment with our painter over at the new house. This painter, Dan, has the gift of evangelism and asked Scott about his relationship with God.

Scott told him we’d been going to Brentwood Baptist. He said “Big Mike” talked about a salvation experience but he didn't really understand what that meant.

Dan explained John 3 and God showed Scott, in that moment, about the need for forgiveness—that accepting Jesus as Savior is a choice. Scott made that choice, told me, and I did also.

About 5 months later, the guy that didn't want to be noticed in the church crowd decided we should be baptized in the 9:15 a.m. worship service. He wanted other adults to hear our story so they could come to know Jesus—even as an adult.

Our professions of faith anniversary will be eight years in June with our baptisms following in October.

We’ve made sure Bobby and Janet know about the impact they’ve made in our lives.

A couple summers after I decided to follow Christ, I served with their VBS team and have loved teaching VBS ever since. Austin chose to follow Jesus and was baptized when he was 8. And our younger son, Connor, was blessed to be in their class when he was four.

Both boys’ Sunday school and Kid Life teachers have made a difference for them but none quite so much as the Waters. We’re humbled and in awe of God’s mercy on our family to know Him as the center of our lives.

Scott and I have served in different capacities at church over these years. But after hearing Mike’s sermon in January, Scott was moved that we need to be the "Bobby and Janet" for other families. We’d like to serve in the Preschool and Children’s Ministries.

We want to be that same connection for other families because we were once that family.

Become a Preschool or Children's Ministry volunteer. Get details here.]]> Thu, 02 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/05-02/my-story--the-kasick-family http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/05-02/my-story--the-kasick-family "Championing the church-home partnership" is one of our main church objectives. And "advocating orphan care" is its close companion goal.

What are these two things and what do they have to do with you? They work hand-in-hand as a part of our Five-Year Acts 1:8 Ministry Plan at Brentwood Baptist—a plan we really want our members to be on board with.

For that reason, we've offered up our campus to host Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) Summit 9 next week, from May 2-3.

Christian Alliance for Orphans: Summit 9
CAFO unites more than 100 respected Christian organizations and a national network of churches to inspire, equip, and connect Christians to adoption, foster care, and global orphan care.

Last year's CAFO Summit took place at Saddleback Church in California, led by Pastor Rick Warren. They welcomed more than 2,000 pastors, grassroots advocates, leaders, and ministers from all over the country and world to attend.

This year, it's expected to be bigger and better. We'll welcome speakers and musicians such as Michele Bachmann (U.S. House of Representatives), David Platt (author of Radical), Steven Curtis Chapman, Nicole C. Mullen, and more.

Orphan Care at Brentwood Baptist
It's no secret that the church in North America has ramped up efforts in defending the fatherless in the last decade. Look around Brentwood Baptist and you'll see numerous families who've taken up the cause.

From a past Sunday morning service, you've probably heard the story of the Joneses. This Brentwood campus-based family recently adopted and welcomed home eight siblings from Sierra Leone—adding to their four already-established members. (See their full story here.)

Another family from The Church At Station Hill—the Fowlers, including Scott, Ashley, Grant, and Will—are currently in the process of adoption. Ashley serves on our Staff Resource Team and Scott is a deacon. (Read their incredible adoption story here.)

These families and many more at Brentwood Baptist have signed on to help us champion the church-home partnership by advocating orphan care—even through the upcoming Summit. Even if you've never adopted, you can help in this cause right now. Sign up to volunteer and represent our church family.

Follow CAFO on Twitter. #Summit9

Take a peek at the CAFO program.

Check out the speakers.]]> Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-25/christian-alliance-for-orphans-summit-9-comes-to-brentwood-campus http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-25/christian-alliance-for-orphans-summit-9-comes-to-brentwood-campus Written by Ashley Fowler

After seven years of marriage and several unsuccessful rounds of infertility treatment, Scott and I decided to stop seeing our specialist and began investigating the possibility of adoption. But within weeks, we discovered I was pregnant—without any drugs, treatments, or procedures.

Nine months later, Grant was born! We were overjoyed to be parents and felt like Grant was the miracle baby the doctors told us we couldn’t have. Thinking we might not have even one child, we weren’t considering trying for more. We were happy and blessed and couldn’t imagine life being any better. But when Grant was two, God told me He had another child for us.

As clearly as I’ve ever heard anything, I heard Him tell me we were to adopt. I hesitated to mention it to Scott. I almost felt selfish thinking of having another child when we thought for so long we couldn’t even have one!

But the Lord’s voice was clear, so I couldn’t ignore Him. One night, I went into Scott’s office and poured all this out to him. He began weeping and said God had been telling him the same thing for several weeks—and he was afraid to mention it to me!

That was it. We began praying together and researching and talking to close friends who had adopted. One step at a time, things fell into place as we were led to a specific country, a specific adoption agency, and months later, a specific child.

It’s been 18 months since we began the process. Now, we’re traveling to China for 17 days to meet and welcome home our new son, Will. I never knew I could love someone so much I’ve never even met. I never knew I could miss somebody I don’t even know. But Will is mine, and I am his, and any fear I had early on about this child is long gone.

We know nothing of Will’s birth parents or his story before he was abandoned. But while he may not have been knit together in my womb (Psalm 139), God called me to be the one to hold him when he cries, say prayers with him at night, and show him what it means to love and be loved.

This has been one of the greatest journeys of our lives. I’ve seen God’s hand at work at every point along the way as He’s provided, protected, guided, and grown us. We’re counting down the days to meet Will. And we believe God has great things in store for him and our whole family!]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-24/our-adoption-story-the-fowlers http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-24/our-adoption-story-the-fowlers

On April 7 & 14, a vote was put before Brentwood Baptist regarding land purchase for The Church At Station Hill, the regional south campus.

When everything was tallied, a record number of votes were submitted. More than 1,900 yeses affirmed the purchase of the land in Spring Hill to give Station Hill a permanent home.

The 90-day feasibility period ends on April 24, which means closing will take place within 30 days. Per the resolution, Trustees are now seeking out architecture and design. Once this has taken place, recommendations will be brought back to the church for approval.

Please pray for our Trustees, leadership, and Station Hill staff as we continue on this journey and follow where God leads next.]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-19/record-votes-submitted-for-station-hill-land-purchase http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-19/record-votes-submitted-for-station-hill-land-purchase If we were to say "Training Union" or "Sunday Night Service" or "GAs and RAs" or "Churchwide Fellowship" to some people at Brentwood Baptist, they'd immediately reminisce on the days of old. That was when those events were regularly-scheduled occurrences in Southern Baptist churches across the nation.

As we've ebbed and flowed along with current culture, some of those things have fallen by the wayside—never to be heard from again. But one event, in particular, has recently resurfaced at Brentwood Baptist in light of discussions, strategies, planning, and such regarding our 5-Year Objectives.

What are these 5-Year Objectives we speak of? They're the key things we're focusing on as a church until 2016 (which we're in the middle of now). One of those priorities is this: "Make our big church function and feel smaller."

For that reason, we're bringing back the Churchwide Fellowship. Except this time, we've given it a shot in the arm—21st-century-style—and we've invited everyone from all our campuses and congregations, moved it outdoors, and named it the "Celebration Festival."

This Sunday, April 21, from 4:00-7:00 p.m., on the Brentwood Campus Grounds at the back of the property, we'll host the biggest picnic/fellowship/carnival/music/game/food fest this church has ever seen. And it's completely free to attend.

Jim Jenkins, Stewardship Minister, said, "At our old location on 409 Franklin Road, we used to have regular events that everyone was involved in. The last time we did one was in 2000 when our current building was under construction. Now, with our growth, different worship hours, and campuses spread out, we want to regenerate that intergenerational togetherness again. It's something we've been missing, so our goal is to unite our campuses and congregations."

In a nutshell, here's what you need to know about it:

• Our friends and family from the Brentwood Campus, Station Hill campus, Kairos, Deaf Church, Chinese congregation, and Hispanic Ministry will all be there.


• Bring your lawn chairs, quilts, friends, and family. We're going to relax, meet new people, visit with old friends, laugh, and have fun.


• We'll have food. Lots of food. We've invited several food trucks to show up, including The Connection Cafe, The Bean & Tater, Bradley's Curbside Creamery, Corky's BBQ, Franklin Shave Ice, Sum Yum Yum, and The Waffle Boss. If those don't tempt your tastebuds, feel free to bring your own food.


• We'll have games. All ages can enjoy inflatables and a dunking booth. And the Student Ministry will set up Gaga Ball (we don't know exactly what it is either, but you can find out more here).


• We'll have music. Throughout the afternoon, you can enjoy performances from the Deaf Church Choir, Young String Orchestra, Kairos Worship Leader Michael Boggs, and a surprise guest. In addition, Brentwood Baptist Senior Pastor Mike Glenn and Station Hill Campus & Teaching Pastor Jay Strother will take the stage to share a quick word.


• The Nurture Team will host a special bake sale to benefit the new Medical Dental Unit. Bring your money and score a sweet treat in the process! Speaking of our new Medical Dental Unit, it will be on site for you and your family to tour.


• The Brentwood Fire Department will be here with their big red truck. Kids can take tours and talk to the firemen.

This is a celebration, so bring your party hats! We want to recognize what God's doing in and through Brentwood Baptist, its campuses, and its congregations—and what He's going to do in the days ahead. See you there.]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-17/this-weeks-celebration-festivalmdashmaking-a-big-church-feel-smaller http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-17/this-weeks-celebration-festivalmdashmaking-a-big-church-feel-smaller Written by Alex Fisher

“I was sitting in a church parking lot one night after helping with the youth group. The youth pastor had said something that resonated with me. At 21, I knew I was wasting my life. The sky was overcast and the clouds were hanging low. The steeple was lit from the ground, so that the shadow could be seen on the clouds. I saw the image and I didn’t know what to say and I just said, ‘Yes.’”

Parker Bradley describes the moment he accepted Christ as his Savior.

If you’ve never met Parker, you probably need to make it a point to do so, especially if you have questions about biblical history. Not only does he attend Brentwood Baptist, he’s also helped to teach the Growing Deeper class as they searched for a new leader.

But Parker isn’t a teacher by trade—he’s a filmmaker. Currently, he’s working on a documentary called DIG, a series about biblical history that incorporates interviews from leading evangelical Bible scholars.

In 2004, Parker started his own production company, Clockwork Films, after a short stint trying to write for Hollywood. He said, “I had a script. I’d been flown out to Hollywood. They liked it, but didn’t want to pay me for it. They said, ‘It should be enough for you to have your 12 points to get into the Writer’s Guild and see your name on the screen.’ And I was like, ‘But there are these things called bills.’”

He decided his dream wasn’t worth selling out, so Parker decided to remain an independent writer. “I’ve built up a client base and they keep coming back to me, so I guess its going good,” he says of his current success as an independent filmmaker.

So, how did Parker find his calling?

“When I was growing up, I went to church all the time—Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night. I was active in youth choir and youth group,” he recalls. “Being from the deep South, you’re expected to do and say certain things certain ways. As long as you do that, then much can be overlooked.”

Parker knew he was playing a charade, similar to what many young boys do.

“Most of the kids in my youth group, I partied with on the weekends. I knew where the party was and I did dumb things to make people laugh. I remember driving down the road with a girlfriend and I crawled out of the driver’s side window and I surfed the hood of the car. I did things like that to gain some kind if acceptance by the world around me.”

Parker shakes his head as remembers his youthful follies. He said, “In college, it got to unhealthy levels. I was doing damage to myself. All those years of going to church…I still knew very little about scripture.”

After Parker accepted Christ at 21, his life began to change radically and quickly. “Some addictions…I felt those things leaving me. [Alcohol] didn’t even smell good anymore. It turned my stomach,” he said.

Parker says he prayed to God to take away the allure of drinking and He did! But there were other secular markers on Parker’s life that he’d to rid himself of as well. “The music I listened to was an identity. I thought: This isn’t going to help me. So I called some buddies over to my parents’ house and we built a fire in the backyard and we lit up all that stuff.”

To some, Parker admits that might seem a dramatic gesture, but he needed to do it.

When asked if any of his friends were affected by this symbolic moment, he nodded and said, “One buddy was moved and went home and brought back his pornography collection to burn. My friends saw something evident. They were like, ‘You look different.’ And I had the words, ‘I’m a Christian now.’ Being accepted by Christ Jesus, warts and all, meant no more jockeying for the world's affections. I could see through all that with Christ's help and lived only to satisfy God in what I did and said to others.”

After college, Parker knew he wanted to go to film school, but first he decided to go on a month-long mission trip to Russia. The trip, he said, “put God in a global context. We were telling people who didn’t speak our language about Jesus.”

And as far as the unusual or surprising that happened when he was there, he laughed and said, “I had a prostitute come up to me and she’d heard us talking. She had her hand on her hip and she said, ‘If I slap you on the face, will you really turn the other cheek?’ And I had to think about it. I told her yes, and she turned to the interpreter and said, ‘Do you believe what you are telling (these people about Christ)?’ We had a chance to talk to her. It’s just amazing that Jesus speaks into the lives of people across cultures, across geography, across ideologies.”

But even then, Parker knew he wasn’t meant to be a missionary or in the traditional form of ministry. He was meant to make films. Christian films. Not Hollywood glitz-and-glamour, but films of substance.

“Biblical literacy is low. Part of the reason is that the Bible has a sentimental, devotional value. But as far as the entirety of the scripture, [people don’t know it.] Maybe if we knew a little bit about where the Bible came from and how archaeology is supporting scripture. It speaks! I want people to get fired up about it.”

It’s evident where Parker’s heart lies—it’s with Christ and God’s calling on his life. You can hear it in the excitement in his voice when he discusses obscure characters in the Bible and the historical and cultural context most Christians never think about.

He said, “When I talk about God or the Bible, I’m talking from the perspective of someone who has been rescued from some dark place. If I have doubts, they aren’t about Christ. He’s sufficient.”

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him.
—Colossians 1:13 ]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-15/my-story-parker-bradley http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-15/my-story-parker-bradley Ruth and Naomi (Ruth).
David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18).
The two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24).

All of the above had something very important in common—friendship. And not just any friendship, but a spiritual one. They've become our examples in the launch of our Spiritual Friends Ministry under the JourneyOn Discipleship Strategy.

What does that mean for you? That means we want to be intentional about building community and relationships among our members.

Tim Holcomb, Adult Minister – Mentor Relationships at Brentwood Baptist, said, "Most conversations are about casual things. But there's a key ingredient to a spiritual friendship—nurturing. It moves people toward Christ-likeness."

According to Tim, there are several different intentional relationship initiatives beginning to take flight among Brentwood Baptist members. "Mentoring drives people toward something. Coaching is pulling something out of people. And spiritual friendship is a mutual relationship," he said.

The first thing you do is dig around your everyday conversations with other believers. Then, you figure out who in life you talk with about more than just the weather, politics, and general well-being.

"You probably automatically become aware of the people you're currently friends with, but we want you to see those relationships as spiritual friendships," Tim said. "They're distinctly different. In those relationships, you hold each other accountable, you pray for each other, you do life together."

Several Brentwood Baptist members have already recognized these kinds of relationships in their own lives. Tammy Bullock and her friend Michelle Skype regularly and encourage each other in their walks with God.

Even Tim has mentioned his friendship with another Kairos counselor on Tuesday nights. He said, "It's not formalized. It's very fluid. But we meet before Kairos and our conversations are about what God's doing in our vocations and how He's moving. That's spiritual friendship."

Beginning Wednesday, May 1, Tim will lead a Focus Study called "How to be a Jonathan to David," studying the skills of spiritual friendship. Get more details here.

Also, go here to learn more about spiritual friendship.]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-12/spiritual-friends-ministry-takes-off-among-members http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/04-12/spiritual-friends-ministry-takes-off-among-members "This is an exciting day in the life of our church."

That's how Pastor Mike Glenn began his annual vision-casting sermon on Sunday, January 13.

All campuses were present—some in person and others via simulcast—including the 11:11 Worship Service, Station Hill, Deaf Church, Chinese Church, and Hispanic congregation.

"It's a time for all of our campuses to come together and talk about what God is unfolding for us in 2013 and remind ourselves: this is who we are, this is who we're called to be, and this is where we're going. Just to make sure…that we're all on the same page."

Based out of Acts 13:1-3, the sermon he delivered was called "To Infinity…And Beyond."

"We have come on a huge journey and a lot of things have gone very, very well for us. God has unfolded His will for us and has answered our prayers again and again. We moved into this facility 2002. We paid it off in 2012. We have gone through this year debt-free. And He's brought us to a place where we can dream and consider those things that we always wanted to do."

Just like Paul and Barnabas were sent out from the church in Antioch, Pastor Mike reminded congregants that this building is a base—a place where people come to be enlisted, trained, and deployed, then come back from time to time to be cared for.

"That's the reason God put us next to an exit ramp. We're supposed to go somewhere. We want to celebrate the number of people God brings to us—yes. But we also want to celebrate the people who are sent out from us."

Mike said member-driven ministry is what makes us different—with a staff here to train, disciple, and support. He then laid out the five 5-year objectives for 2012-2016 of what we're about as a church family:
1. Engage a diversity of people with the gospel.
2. Go deeper in every aspect of our mission.
3. Equip and empower a growing number of leaders.
4. Champion the church-home partnership.
5. Make our big church function and feel smaller.

"We do this through the three legs of the stool: worship, discipleship, and service. We believe it all starts with worship. Worship drives everything. Worship is not 11 o'clock on Sunday morning. Worship is an encounter with the living God. This encounter then drives you to discipleship. … We believe then that discipleship drives you to service. … Then it drives you back to worship."

According to Mike, these three things reinforce one another, meaning the stool can't stand if one of these legs is missing. Authentic biblical worship, discipleship, and service is about actual life change.

Mike emphasized that the DNA of Brentwood Baptist and its campuses is to: know Jesus; know why you believe what you do; know your gifts; and become trained and empowered to serve.

In 2013, he said Brentwood Baptist will strategically reengage the issues of poverty, education, and healthcare in our community.

"You and I—the church cares for people. It's what we do. You saw the testimony a few weeks ago when the lady came to Living Hope dying of AIDS. They cared for her and ministered to her, and she was baptized six days before she died. That's what the church does. You're called to be a part of that."

At the end of his sermon, Mike challenged the congregation to ask these basic questions: do you know Jesus Christ? Do you know your spiritual gift? Are you empowered and trained?

"In 2013, we have a lot to celebrate. Let's not be shy about praising our God at all. But this is the end of the first phase—not the end of the journey. And, honestly, it's time for us to go."

Watch or listen to Sunday's sermon.]]> Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/01-14/pastor-mike-glenn-announces-vision-for-2013 http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2013/01-14/pastor-mike-glenn-announces-vision-for-2013 In late October, Station Hill took a team of 14—plus six from local Tennessee churches and six more from Guatemalan churches—to Guatemala for a week-long mission journey.

According to Station Hill Pastor Jay Strother, it was a "multi-national team with great chemistry." Perfect for the job.

Partnering with The Shalom Foundation, the team entered Las Conchas to help build a road, paint a medical clinic, participate in several home improvement projects, build steps at a school, and distribute food and Bibles.

"I'm always asking, 'Where's God already at work?'" Jay said. "There's no doubt God's at work through our partners at Shalom. Their team did an outstanding job of thinking through every detail, making a challenging trip one of the smoothest I've ever participated in."

In Las Conchas, Shalom has helped the village form an association that identifies what projects need the most priority—giving the people ownership. And when it's time for the hammer to meet the nail, the villagers show up to help. More than 50 showed up to help complete projects while the Station Hill team was in town.

One of the best parts of every day was "evangelism time." Small teams visited homes already picked out by Shalom Church's Pastor Carlos as those who need food and the gospel.

"Through those conversations and the work of the medical team, we saw more than 20 people respond to the gospel," Jay said. "Then Shalom Church took contact information on each one so they could follow up."

Throughout the week, the team toured the Moore Surgery Center and two orphanages, and they participated in Charlie's Lunch, a feeding program for children who live under the "Bridge of Despair" in Guatemala City.

A highlight for the team was the closing rally led by Pastor Carlos on the school playground before they came home.

"Our entire team and many people in the village came together to sing, hear the gospel proclaimed, and celebrate a great week," Jay said. "It was a great image to see all of us standing together in celebration of what God did."]]> Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/11-29/station-hill-takes-team-to-guatemala-partnering-with-the-shalom-foundation http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/11-29/station-hill-takes-team-to-guatemala-partnering-with-the-shalom-foundation He's a common name in most U.S. households—especially in the south. We sing songs of His glory and majesty every year around this time. Homes are decorated with overcrowded manger scenes where He's displayed in the center. However, the misconceptions surrounding Jesus' birth run rampant.

For instance, most people don't know that: Mary probably didn't rush into Bethlehem under the stress of labor pains; she and Joseph weren't turned away from an inn keeper; Jesus wasn't born in a barn or in December; and He was around two years old when the magi ("wise men") came to visit Him.

But the biggest misconception of all lies in knowing who the real Jesus is. Who was the child born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago? Who was the God that took on flesh and humbled Himself to leave His throne and join humanity? Most people don't know the real Him.

You can learn the truth and more at the upcoming two-day Immersion Conference on November 30 and December 1 in Hudson Hall on Brentwood Baptist's campus. Called "What Child Is This?," Dr. Ben Witherington III, noted Jesus scholar, will be the key speaker at the event.

Ben is the Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. He's a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the University of Durham in England (Ph.D.).

Touted as one of the top evangelical scholars globally, Ben is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS (Studiorum Novi Testament Societas) society for New Testament Studies. He's a popular lecturer all over the world and has written more than 40 books, including The Jesus Quest. And he's become a personal friend of our Pastor Mike Glenn over the past few years.

"Several years ago, when all the Jesus seminar stuff was coming out about what we could know about the historical Jesus, I spent my sabbatical reading Christology, learning about the study of Christ and how we understand Him," Mike said. "That was when I started reading books by Ben Witherington. Ben has written extensively on the issue of Christology—who Jesus is, how we know Him, how He expresses that, how He lives that out, what that means for us."

Along with speaking engagements, Ben has interviewed on radio networks across the country and has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and more.

Mike said, "He's one of the smartest people about Christology that you will ever have the opportunity to talk with. He's one of the most humble servants of the Church that you'll every have the opportunity to meet. What better gift can you give to you and your family than a deeper understanding of who Jesus Christ is—to understand the importance and significance of the person we celebrate on Christmas Day?"

Click here to register for the Immersion Conference.]]> Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/11-15/noted-jesus-scholar-leads-immersion-conference http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/11-15/noted-jesus-scholar-leads-immersion-conference Last Thursday night, you sat down on your couch and settled in to watch the CMA Awards. You enjoyed performances from country superstars like Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, and others.

Then Brad Paisley took the stage. And, during his guitar solo, 100 choir members, wearing familiar-looking robes, filled the aisles at Bridgestone Arena to accompany the country superstar.

Wait—was that the Brentwood Baptist Worship Choir? It sure was.

It was the first time the choir has been put in the national spotlight, but not the first time Paisley has asked them to sing with him.

Dennis Worley, Music & Worship Minister, said, "It started back in May when Brad contacted us. He was making a new record and there were two songs he wanted to know if the choir would sing with him on. So we came in and recorded two songs."

One of those songs was "Southern Comfort Zone," his newly-released single from the album due out next year, which was also the one he performed at the CMA Awards.

"That was pretty much it," Dennis said. "We were excited to be a part of it. He was thrilled with what we did. And we didn't think there was anymore to it."

However, in September, Paisley contacted them again to create a video of the choir singing backup to be used at his concerts during his performance of "Southern Comfort Zone."

Then came the invitation recently to perform with him at the CMA Awards. Dennis said, "I told Doug, Brad's dad, that we'd love to be a part of whatever they wanted and we were just here to serve them."

Brad is no stranger to Brentwood Baptist. He and his family are actually members of the church. And since his days as a student at Belmont University, Brad's been a long-time friend of Senior Pastor Mike Glenn.

The relationship continues on. Now, Brad and his crew have asked the Worship Choir to be involved in production of the music video for "Southern Comfort Zone"—coming out soon.

"It's been a wild run and fun," Dennis said. "Our guys and gals were real troopers and I'm really proud of them. And the folks who've participated have loved it. The feedback we've gotten from this has been exciting."

Click here to see coverage on the event by WKRN News 2.]]> Fri, 02 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/11-02/worship-choir-performs-with-brad-paisley-at-cma-awards http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/11-02/worship-choir-performs-with-brad-paisley-at-cma-awards Last week, Faith Radio host Susie Larson welcomed Pastor Mike Glenn to her mid-afternoon show, "Live the Promise," to discuss his new book, The Gospel of Yes. Together, they talk about God's "yes" in life and how you can find yours. Listen here.

Click Here to Listen

]]> Tue, 18 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/09-18/faith-radio-host-talks-with-pastor-mike-glenn-about-the-gospel-of-yes http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/09-18/faith-radio-host-talks-with-pastor-mike-glenn-about-the-gospel-of-yes Written by Diane Woerner

For some families, the crisis comes on quickly. For others, their trials are long and drawn out. For the Saffell family in Prosper, Texas, it was both.

In July of 2010, 15-year-old Morgan was riding with her friends in a 4-wheeler through a field of tall grass. Suddenly, the vehicle hit a small ditch, and Morgan was thrown up against the roll-bar, then flipped out the back into the ditch.

After a few moments of frantic searching, her friends found her lying there and barely conscious. The boy who’d been driving wasn’t hurt, so he carried her to a nearby house, they called 9-1-1, and she was taken to the emergency room at the nearest hospital.

While Morgan had several minor injuries, the one that caused the most concern was a shattering of the suborbital bone below her right eye. But the examining physician eventually decided to release her, telling them she’d need surgery to repair the bone once the swelling went down. He referred them to a surgeon, but never mentioned following up with a physician.

The next week, the surgeon said she was “lucky” and he could repair the orbit without plates or screws. In her follow-up two weeks later, he held up five fingers, she told him there were five, and he dismissed her as being well on her way to recovery.

In all of this, none of the doctors seemed concerned that Morgan had also suffered a concussion in the accident. But her mom Kelly and her dad Aron weren’t so sure.

As a paramedic, Aron knows concussions can bring lingering damage. Kelly also called her mother, Kathy Fambro, who’s a Station Hill member and speech pathologist with some medical training. She agreed that post-concussive syndrome was something they needed to watch for.

At first, Morgan seemed fine. A sophomore in high school, her primary love was volleyball. She began the fall practices with plenty of enthusiasm. But, for some reason, she wasn’t the star player she used to be. In fact, she was getting hit in the head with the ball too many times for it to be accidental.

In the classroom, there were problems as well. She began to struggle with reading and multiplying, somehow unable to concentrate on her schoolwork. Her normal straight A’s began to slip.

Concerned, Kelly decided to consult her personal ophthalmologist.

You see, when Kelly was pregnant with Morgan she’d developed a strange problem with her eyes that was diagnosed as blepharospasm. Essentially, the muscles around her eyes would contract, causing the eyes to close. It was a genetic disorder that was treated partially with botox injections, but it prevented Kelly from continuing her work as a CPA and she was told she should never drive more than two miles from home.

A visit to this ophthalmologist confirmed Kelly’s concerns. Morgan had no peripheral vision. She was also having trouble focusing—the words seemed to dance around the page. These and other vision problems were beginning to create frequent nausea as well.

By December, Morgan developed severe migraine headaches. One of these, which doctors labeled a “hemiplegic migraine,” put her in the hospital for five days. It became clear that her normal school situation would have to change.

After searching, they found a special therapy center in Irving, Texas, called the Centre for Neuro Skills (CNS), to which Morgan was admitted. They also were able to set her up with a homebound tutor.

However, her therapy represented a new challenge, since Irving is about 40 miles from Prosper—well outside of Kelly’s permitted driving range. But Kelly was determined to help her daughter, so for 10 months she drove through the intimidating Dallas traffic to take Morgan to therapy.

By this time, Morgan could only walk using a walker. Finally, a pediatric neurologist determined that she’d suffered a stroke as a result of that particularly intense migraine, which actually caused her to lose the use of the left side of her body.

As the months went by, Kelly faithfully sought out different treatments, and eventually Morgan began to improve. Botox injections in her arm and leg allowed much of her mobility to return. Special glasses improved her peripheral vision and ability to focus. She was transferred to a rehab facility much closer to home. And by the time her senior year began, she was actually able to run.

But the toll on Morgan was more than just physical. As a result of her extended disabilities, many of her close friends moved on to other friendships. She also had a lot to make up with her schooling. So, once again, Kelly did the research and finally got Morgan admitted to a Christian school.

At the time of her accident, Morgan’s family attended a large church in Prosper. Shortly after the accident, Kelly went to the church leadership to see if they might help somehow with the severe mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial strain that Morgan’s accident was placing on the whole family. To Kelly’s great dismay, the church offered her no support.

However, word of Morgan’s situation reached Station Hill Church. Her Papa and Nana, Harold and Kathy Fambro, are members of the Reid LIFE Group. Dozens of people were soon praying for their family.

LIFE Group member Susan Babb rallied the Nurture Team’s card-writing volunteers, and a steady stream of encouraging thoughts and scripture travelled from Tennessee to Texas to warm the hearts of a young girl and her parents over the months. When Morgan turned 16, they sent her birthday cards as well.

Meanwhile, Morgan’s family found a new church to attend, one that was committed to serving its members. It occurred to Kelly that their church could also build a team to ensure that no one who needed ministry was overlooked. She discussed the idea with her pastor and he agreed.

Now, the Station Hill Nurture Team has a new daughter, the “Prayer and Care Team” in Prosper, Texas. Kelly and Morgan started by sending cards to two people they knew could use the encouragement. Then they found two more. Slowly, the “newborn” began to grow. And Morgan’s younger sister, Cory, is also getting involved.

Kelly said, “I was struggling to find the right scripture for a teen girl who suffers from depression. When I mentioned my problem to Cory, she pulled out her phone, hit a button, and began reading the scriptures she uses to help through her own anxieties. Together, we found just the right verses.”

When the small groups and Women’s Bible Study at the Saffell’s church start up this fall, the “Prayer and Care” ministry will also be presented to the leadership staff and other church members. Kelly and Morgan pray it will result in the changed lives of many families as they too receive tangible spiritual, emotional, and practical support when trials and suffering come their way.]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/08-20/station-hill-nurture-team-influences-birth-of-a-similar-ministry-in-texas-after-tragic-accident http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/08-20/station-hill-nurture-team-influences-birth-of-a-similar-ministry-in-texas-after-tragic-accident They're on their way to giving a well-known shout-out to the popular radio host on The Dave Ramsey Show: "We're debt free!"

In a 10-week course this past spring, members of Station Hill participated in Financial Peace University and paid off around $111,000 in debt—give or take a little.

Allen Harris, an employee at The Dave Ramsey Show and Station Hill member who led the class, said, "Our FPU class had a huge financial turnaround. …The average family paid off 21% of their total non-mortgage debt."

In addition to this, Station Hill was one of nine congregations chosen by Dave Ramsey's team to be part of filming a new 9-week financial course that will roll out this fall.

Jay Strother, Teaching Pastor, said, "It's a pretty powerful testimony to not only FPU and stewardship, but also what happens when you have people leading in their areas of strength."]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/06-26/members-pay-off-111000-in-debt-through-10-week-financial-peace-university-class http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/06-26/members-pay-off-111000-in-debt-through-10-week-financial-peace-university-class The Trustees and Staff Resource Team recently called Brian Dodridge to serve as Brentwood Baptist's first Associate Executive Pastor.

Brian officially began his role on Monday, June 18. On staff, he'll work alongside Executive Pastor Jim Baker to manage and oversee day-to-day church operations, including current and future regional campuses, Kairos, the Business Office and the Communications Ministry.

Originally from Arizona, he graduated in 1998 from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education. While in college, he served a total of four years as the Student Ministry Intern and later the Junior High Minister at North Phoenix Baptist Church.

In 1999, he went to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas where he graduated with his Master of Arts in Christian Education in 2003.

For the last 13 years, he's served on staff at First Baptist Church in Lewisville, Texas as Associate Minister to Students (1999-2001), Associate/Discipleship Pastor (2001-2008), and Executive Pastor (2009-2012).

Brian has been married to his high school sweetheart, Dee, since 1997. They have three children under the age of seven years old: Dakota, Jernie, and Davis. Their fourth child, a baby girl, is expected to arrive in July.

Our church family welcomes Brian and his family as they begin a new adventure here in Middle Tennessee.]]> Thu, 21 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/06-21/brian-dodridge-called-as-brentwood-baptists-first-associate-executive-pastor http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/06-21/brian-dodridge-called-as-brentwood-baptists-first-associate-executive-pastor

On Sunday evening, June 3, Senior Pastor Mike Glenn introduced his new book, The Gospel of Yes, to more than 600 at a church- and community-wide event in Hudson Hall, just two days before the official release to the public on Tuesday, June 5.

Jim Baker, Executive Pastor, was one in the lineup who spoke on the significance of Pastor Mike Glenn's second release, published by Waterbrook/Multnomah Press.

"My first personal experience with observing…Mike's passion for the 'gospel of yes' occurred in my very first conversation with him when I was interviewing for my current position some eight and a half years ago. I remember, during that conversation, Mike said something to this effect: 'Jim, I can see Z. I can see the vision. I can see the end product. I can see where we're going. But what I need is someone who can see A to Y—how to get us there.'"

Jim recalls how he brought the A to Y to the ministry partnership and they've made a good team since. He said, "My wife said, 'When I look at your [personality] and compare it to Mike's, you guys are virtually opposites of one another. Together you make a pretty good person.' So it's been a running joke since then—that we make a pretty good person when we're both living in our 'yes,' God's 'yes' for our lives."

Ron Lee, Senior Editor from Waterbrook Press, stood before the crowd and explained the internal workings of editors—that they tend to be jaded, skeptical, and hard to impress. But he was pleasantly surprised one morning last year when he received a book proposal for The Gospel of Yes in his e-mail inbox.

"Page 1—I really liked what I saw. I kept scrolling down to page 2 and I liked it even more. After pages 3, 4, and 5, I was looking for someone I could high-five. By pages 8, 9, and 10, I was wishing I was coordinated enough to do a cartwheel. I got to page 14 and I was ready to respond to the altar call," he said.

By the time Mike took the stage, the stage had been set. He was able to recall, from the beginning of his life, what sparked this revolution called "the gospel of yes."

"I grew up in a church where I was told what not to do," Mike said. "Every Sunday we were given a long list of things we were to avoid… And so every Sunday, we would get together and we would praise God we hadn't done anything. … I knew what I wasn't supposed to do, but nobody every told me what I was for."

He explained that the church in North America is known for what we're against—and thereby even what they think God is against. And that mentality caught up with him when he was still a new pastor at Brentwood Baptist nearly 20 years ago.

"I had reached my end. I went down to my mom and dad's lake house and I was telling Jesus, in no uncertain terms, that I couldn't go on this way. Something had to change. So I made a deal. I said, 'I'm not going to go anywhere until I hear from God.' So I sat on the back porch of my dad's lake house…and I sat there all day long. … At sunset, things changed. All of a sudden, I went from utter defiance to being scared out of my mind. … In that moment, I heard two [questions]: 'Why don't you relax and be who I made you to be?' And 'why don't you relax and let the church be who I made her to be?'" he said.

"Besides my salvation, I'd never heard anything more liberating than that. I didn't know I had a 'yes.' Just like most things with Jesus it was hiding in plain sight. Right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, there's a verse, chapter 5, verse 37. And Jesus says, 'Let your YES be YES, and your NO be NO. Anything else is of the evil one.' If you grew up Southern Baptist, that was the proof text used against cursing. … But what if we put emphasis on the wrong word? What if it should be on 'yes' instead of 'no.'"

Mike says God's "yes" is His purpose, His mission, His calling in a person's life. According to him, you can look back at Brentwood Baptist's history and pinpoint when things really began to change and grow. It was when the congregation began asking: "Why did Jesus bring me here?" and "What does He want to do in my life here?"

Since that time, nearly 3,000 people have discovered God's "yes" for their lives through the PLACE Ministry and are actively pursuing their God-driven callings and kingdom assignments according to their personalities and gifts. And it's also been the foundation for Mike's new book.

The premier also included "yesisodes," or short video episodes, of Mike's interviews with Brad Paisley, country music artist and Brentwood Baptist member, and Les Steckle, Fellowship of Christian Athletes President. They shared about the "yes" they've discovered in their own lives.

"When you find your yes, then everything else is no," he said. "It's the banks of the river that gives the river its power. … That's why I wrote the book. More than anything else, I would love to have the conversation with as many people as I can to help them find their 'yes.' [I would love] to help them ask the questions 'Who am I in Christ?', 'For what purpose did He create me?', and 'If I find that, can I line it up with this great work of salvation that God is doing?', so that their 'yes' lines up with the 'yes' of God himself."

After the program, Pastor Mike signed copies of the book and engaged church members in conversation about the content—garnering positive feedback from church members, area pastors, and those in the community.

Visit the book site
Purchase a copy.*
Follow on Twitter.
Like on Facebook.

*All proceeds benefit the ministry of Brentwood Baptist Church.]]> Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/06-05/pastor-mike-glenn-introduces-new-book-the-gospel-of-yes-at-recent-event http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/06-05/pastor-mike-glenn-introduces-new-book-the-gospel-of-yes-at-recent-event Beginning last Sunday, May 20, we welcomed 101 missionaries and their families onto our campus.

Throughout the morning, they joined our worship services and shared their stories with nearly 50 children, student, and adult LIFE Groups—including those at The Church At Station Hill. The feedback and impact they made was overwhelming.

This was leading up to the International Mission Board's Missionary Appointment Service that took place on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Worship Center, which turned out to be the fourth largest group to be commissioned in IMB's 167-year history.

Before the service, Brentwood Baptist hosted a dinner for IMB employees and the missionary appointees. At that time, the Brentwood Baptist Missions Seekers, a group of 20-30 families in our church that are exploring full-time missions, got to sit down and pick the brains of those who've gone before them.

Scott Harris, Brentwood Baptist Missions Minister, said, "I'll be following up with several of our church members who approached me about full-time missions after the service. I believe that some from our church might be called out as a result of this catalytic event."

Nearly 1,500 people came to witness the service as the Brentwood Baptist Worship Choir & Orchestra led the congregation in worship, IMB President Tom Elliff shared a message, and the missionary appointees shared their testimonies, including where they've been and where they're going.

Being sent out all over the world—from Asia to South America and from Europe to Africa—the missionaries were left with this question from Elliff: "What does the cross mean to you?" He challenged them, and those attending, to be obedient then and there to God's call in doing the next thing in their lives.

Scott Harris, Missions Minister at Brentwood Baptist, said, "The choir and orchestra were especially anointed. Several IMB staffers shared with me that it was, by far, the most powerful worship experience they've ever experienced at one of these services. I believe them!"]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/05-25/brentwood-baptist-hosts-imb-service-to-send-out-101-missionaries http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/05-25/brentwood-baptist-hosts-imb-service-to-send-out-101-missionaries Last fall, 180 people showed up in the Spring Hill area to come together for the very first Spring Hill Area City Prayer Gathering. That launch was just the beginning. The second event will take place on Thursday, February 2 from 6:30–8:00 p.m., hosted by the Church At Station Hill.

The event is tagged "One Church, Many Congregations," according to Jay Strother, Pastor at Station Hill Church. He said, "The pastors of 12 local congregations will facilitate a time of worship and focused prayer for our families, churches, community, nation, and world."

The area pastors' prayer group focuses on three major areas that they believe will positively affect their community with the gospel:

• Authentic Relationships – Area pastors and churches working shoulder-to-shoulder.


• Intentional Prayer – The reason why they decided to host a second prayer gathering.


• Service to Spring Hill – For example, working with the Parks and Recreation Department, their combined congregations provided the manpower, food, entertainment, inflatable games, and more for City Fest so families could have free, safe entertainment one Saturday a month this past summer.

"A unifying Scripture for us is Psalm 133:1: 'How blessed it is when brothers walk together in unity,'" Jay said. "We're blessed and excited to see churches working together instead of apart."]]> Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/02-02/station-hill-hosts-spring-hill-area-city-prayer-gathering http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2012/02-02/station-hill-hosts-spring-hill-area-city-prayer-gathering Sixth graders are unique. Everyone knows that—especially the Brentwood Baptist and Station Hill Student Ministries. That's why they combine groups to create their very own winter retreat every year.

From December 2-3, 60 sixth grade students and leaders—including high school leaders—went in the opposite direction that the students in grades 7-12 did two weeks before. Just 20 miles south of Brentwood Baptist, they stopped to stay at the scenic, wooded hideaway called Deer Run Retreat in Thompson's Station.

Like the rest of the students, they also participated in their own time of worship, small group Bible study, and recreation. According to Amy-Jo Girardier, this is a "transitional" retreat for them from the Children's Ministry to Student Ministry.

"A developmental shift happens after Christmas for sixth graders. They start taking more responsibility," she said. "They're obviously the youngest group and feel a little intimidated around the older kids at the retreat. So we've created a place for them to feel safe, but still experience what student retreat is and ease into what next year will be like."

This year, before they closed out the weekend, the Student Ministry inaugurated the Dole Survivor Competition that put four teams to task with the potassium-packed fruit we all know and love. The two girls teams and two boys teams—Comet, Dasher, Prancer, and Blitzen—participated in four rounds: 1) free throws; 2) relay-style olympics; 3) surgery, which required skilled student surgeons, plastic knives, and duck tape; and 4) banana peel, that highlighted the bare feet of some contestants in a contest to unwrap the fruit from its natural casing.

At the end, the team with the most banana cards was to be named the "Dole Survivor Champion." As it happened, there was a four-way tie. And you know what that meant? Everyone left the retreat a winner.]]> Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/12-09/brentwood-and-station-hill-sixth-graders-escape-to-deer-run-retreat http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/12-09/brentwood-and-station-hill-sixth-graders-escape-to-deer-run-retreat Who doesn't love a good, long, relaxing pre-break break before the real break?

The weekend before students took time off for the Thanksgiving holiday, more than 300 Brentwood Baptist and Station Hill seventh through twelfth graders (including leaders) traveled to Jonathan Creek Camp in Hardin, Kentucky—the Land Between the Lakes—for the Student Winter Retreat.

This annual event stands by its namesake. It's a retreat from life for students struggling to stay afloat in the midst of jam-packed semesters, unruly schedules, and overwhelming exams. And this year's theme steered them back toward the basics—"The Message of the Cross"—based on 1 Corinthians 1:18.

According to Linc Taylor, Brentwood Baptist Student Minister, many students who claim to be Christ-followers are still living as though they're condemned, which is why this year's message was crucial to convey.

"I've had countless conversations expressing this," Linc said. "Students feel weighted, bogged down in their forward progress toward embracing life to the fullest. I believe this is one of the reasons they often only celebrate the things they didn't do instead of living in the unimaginable joy that freedom in Christ brings."

Before the retreat, Linc prepped the leaders attending for what was to come, saying, "Many of us know the foundational truths of the gospel, but we may not truly grasp the full measure of an altered nature. When we come to faith in Christ, we have a new identity and literally pass from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive. It's a pretty deep truth for our students—and many of them are more than ready to grasp it."

Surrounding this central theme throughout the weekend, the students participated in activities, games, small group Bible study, and worship. Worship was led by Chris White, former student minister and founder of Mobilizing Students, and Chad Childress, Team Leader for Missionary Mobilization with the North American Missions Board, took the stage as guest speaker.

Chad led the students through principles found in Romans—how to engage sin, respond to grace, and view themselves in light of sin when grace covers it.

He said, "They don't have to be slaves to that any longer. This message is important for students simply because of their stage of life. They have so much potential that's not been called out. Calling them out and raising the standard for them is critical."

Chris White, who's passion is creating authentic worship encounters with God and opportunities for students to take the gospel internationally, led the students in worship all three days—featuring a unique prayer experience on Saturday night.

"My goal was to help students encounter the Lord in a real way—not in a religious way," Chris said. "We've got enough religion in the south. Religion kills. Jesus sets people free. I wanted to take the luster off of what it means to be in the worship moment. It's not about the band. It's not about your favorite song or style. It has everything to do with the presence of God. We have the appearance of an awesome setting, but so many students walk away not having experienced God's presence or power. That only comes when hearts are humbled before Him. I tried to peel all that back and make it as authentic as possible so these students could feel the freedom to let their guards down, be themselves, and really worship."

Small group Bible study broke out all over the camp grounds in scheduled sessions. And leaders didn't just consist of parents and adult volunteers—some former students returned from college to teach and discuss.

Evan Kunz, a freshman at Union University and long-time member of Brentwood Baptist, led a group of seventh graders.

"I came back to lead because I really love what the Brentwood Baptist Student Ministry does every year and I love their passion. I wanted to be able to give back to it, and encourage and uplift students who are here now."

Another former student, David Morris, who's a freshman at Columbia State University, leads a LIFE Group of seventh grade guys during the school year and followed them to camp.

"The LIFE Group has opened my eyes and given me a heart for middle schoolers," he said. "This was a chance for me to experience camp with them—something I always came to as a student."

Clay Huddleston, a freshman at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, graduated in May and didn't get involved in the Student Ministry until the end of his senior year.

"When I finally started going, I realized I'd missed out because it's not every day there's a Student Ministry like this that gears students so much toward worship and God," he said. "I fell in love with the ministry and my friends there. I wanted to come back, not to replay what I'd missed, but to try and help people see what I saw."

Current students like high school senior Derek Cressman came for the community he's developed within the ministry over the last seven years. According to him, God has been teaching him about the importance of biblical community and accountability with his friends at church this year—and camp rounded it out. He said, "You can't live the Christian life by yourself. We're better together."

On Saturday, many of the students formed teams and participated in the traditional boys-versus-boys and girls-versus-girls Brentwood Bowl. The massive event featured junior high and high school teams with names like: Team Lethal, D.O.R.K. (aka Daughters of the Risen King), Sparkly Unicorns, The Flock, and others. In the end, this year's trophies went to The Disciples (the girls) and Team Carol (the guys).

Those who didn't participate in the football mania played sand volleyball and basketball, walked the campgrounds, and huddled inside the Wilderness Cafe for card and board games while enjoying snacks and caffeinated goodness.

The Winter Retreat is like killing two birds with one stone for most students. They get to hang out with their friends and learn about who God is at the same time. For ninth-grader Kirby Bennett, this is her favorite Student Ministry event of the year.

"It's right in the middle of the school year and I can just get away and focus on the important stuff in life," she said. "I can get so caught up in school and friends and stress. This is a weekend for me to bond with my LIFE Group friends and hear from God. This year, He taught me to trust Him with whatever happens. He's Lord of everything in my life anyway, so my future and life is in His hands."

The retreat will remain faithful to do its job for the students year after year—giving them a place to escape, develop new and current friendships, have fun in community, and spend time with God. Linc said, "We take full advantage of this to place the truths of God right in front of their faces—and then challenge them to respond."

Story by Kaylan Christopher, Staff Writer]]> Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/12-02/students-go-north-for-annual-winter-retreat http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/12-02/students-go-north-for-annual-winter-retreat For the second year, members of Station Hill migrated to Deer Run Retreat after church on Sunday, August 28 for the annual Picnic & Lake Baptism Service.

From 1:00–5:00 p.m., those who gathered at the lake enjoyed: eating lunch under the "big tent;" participating in open recreation, including a climbing wall, soccer, sand volleyball, Wiffle ball, and more; watching the baptisms of 31 adults and children in the lake; and participating in lake activities on canoes, a zip line, water slides, and a water trampoline.

Brandon Abbott, a Station Hill member, said, "Everyone brought their own food. It was a very relaxed environment. The weather was great and we ate, played, laughed, sang, swam, and baptized. We just got to be around people we don't normally get to talk with."
 
While the Brentwood Baptist campus hosted their annual Graceworks Food Drive, bringing in more than 30,000 pounds of food and supplies, the Station Hill campus also gathered food The Well in Spring Hill during the combo picnic/baptism festivity.

Brandon said, "So many of the people who are now coming to Station Hill are new, so while this is a good family time for those who are members, it's also a chance to learn about the new folks and realize these are people who have their own stories. It's a great way to do life."

Pictures taken by Leigh Ann Moore
Story by Kaylan Christopher, Staff Writer]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/09-01/31-adults-and-children-baptized-at-churchs-annual-lakeside-picnic http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/09-01/31-adults-and-children-baptized-at-churchs-annual-lakeside-picnic In November 2008, Pastor Mike Glenn preached a message from Acts 13 called "A Great Church Runs Members Off." That day, he cast a vision for our church: we would be a church that would multiply and reach more people, starting new works, campuses, and venues.

Fast forward to January 2010. That's exactly what Brentwood Baptist did, running off 51 families to start a new work 30 minutes south in the Spring Hill and Thompson's Station area, a community that's 83 percent unreached. The new work, which is still going strong today, is called The Church At Station Hill.

Jay Strother, Station Hill's Campus and Teaching Pastor, said, "We're excited to say that this young work is thriving and growing, and we're blessing every day to see new people walk through our doors. From the beginning, we knew that one of our dreams would be to be a work that started more new works."

Enter Jason Swain. Years ago, God connected Jason and Jay in friendship. They knew immediately they'd be great partners in ministry, but were unsure how that would play out. As it happened, God provided the much-needed resources so Jason could join the Station Hill team and be a part of the new work.

"Jason came on board as the Discipleship and Care Pastor. He had the opportunity to help for our LIFE Group Ministry and gave us a healthy balance for biblical relationships," Jay said.

For almost two years Jason served the Station Hill Church family in this role. He said, "It was a privilege for me to jump in and be a part of this team and the initial launch of Station Hill."

Since starting new works was built into the DNA of Station Hill, it came as no surprise to the church family to hear that Jason and his family were called to start a new work in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Jay said, "The whole time he was with us, we knew Jason had a gift and that God had wired him to be a lead pastor. So, on June 26, our church body did what Brentwood Baptist had done for us. We ran them off and released them to go start this new work for the kingdom."

"Jay knew, and I knew, that God had called and put a desire in my heart to be a church planter one day," Jason said. "The opportunity came this spring in Fort Collins, a town of more than 100,000 people with less than 15 percent connected to an evangelical church."

With the support of their church family in Tennessee, Jason, Lindsay, and their four children have packed up and headed northwest—but not without leaving with a few invaluable lessons and experiences that were given to them through their time at Station Hill.

"I'm so much more equipped to go and start a church in Fort Collins today than I was two years ago," Jason said. "I'm so grateful, not only for the experience, but, even more than that, the relationships God has given my family here at Station Hill and to be a part of a church culture that gets it, that understands the kingdom is advanced through planting and starting new churches."

Just like their mother church, Station Hill is passing on its legacy to its new daughter church. Generations of church families are still being birthed from a vision and passion for reaching people that was conceived long ago in the hearts, minds, and prayers of Brentwood Baptist charter members.

"We know the best way to reach new people is to start new works," Jay said. "So now, our prayers go with Jason and Lindsay as they go to Fort Collins with many of the things they've learned with us that they'll take with them and implement there. We pray that, as Brentwood Baptist continues to grow, as we continue to find ways to reach people, God will continue to build in us a passion for the lost and planting new works."

Story by Kaylan Christopher, Staff Writer]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-25/jason-swain-discipleship-and-care-pastor-leaves-to-start-new-work-in-colorado http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-25/jason-swain-discipleship-and-care-pastor-leaves-to-start-new-work-in-colorado Bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi Big Apple Adventure.
Bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi Big Apple Adventure.
Where faith and life connect, Jesus directs my future.
Bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi Big Apple Adventure.

That particular tune could be heard sung by more than 1,300 voices, from toddlers to fifth graders, throughout the Worship Center and halls of Brentwood Baptist during Vacation Bible School last week.

Taxis, bright lights, mini Statue of Liberties, hot dog vendors, and other symbols of The Big Apple were splashed up and down the halls of our church.

If you would've walked through the doors of this building any time from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. during July 11-15, you would've thought you'd stepped into a pseudo-New York City. And we even had the crowds to prove it—boasting our biggest VBS crowd yet and the largest first day ever. Amy Carter, Children's Minister, called it OMC, or "Organized Mass Chaos."

"Everything was just bigger this year," Amy said. "We had at least 200 more kids than we had last year. But all of our volunteers were so excited and positive about it. About two weeks before VBS, we realized our registration was larger that what we'd expected. There wasn't enough time to add new classes, so we told our teachers they were going to have bigger classes. That news could frustrate some people, but our volunteers embraced it. They said, 'Bring it on!'"

At the height of the week, more than 2,000 kids had enrolled while we maintained an average of 1,300-plus and more than 450 adult volunteers each day, shuffling from worship to classrooms to recreation. And that included the kids from The Church At Station Hill, Brentwood Baptist's south campus.

During worship, kids learned a new batch of songs coupled with choreographed moves and sign language. They were also presented with a dramatic interpretation of that day's lesson, followed by a short message by Zach Van Gieson, Children's Minister at The Church At Station Hill.

In their classrooms, they dove deeper into the biblical lessons they learned in worship, taking away a new lesson for life each day:
• Day 1 - Connecting with Faith
• Day 2 - Connecting with Love
• Day 3 - Connecting with Trust
• Day 4 - Connecting with Others
• Day 5 - Connecting with Life

Interspersed throughout the day, various age groups also participated in segment called "Missions Central," hosted by Vinny, the hot dog vendor, and Nikki, the taxi cab driver—characters played by two of our high school students. Kids were introduced to church-supported, international missionaries, Brentwood Baptist teams going out to serve, and ministry partners.

At the end of the week, in the spirit of competition between boys versus girls versus volunteers, offering totals were revealed at the Friday night VBS Celebration Service. VBS participants gave a grand total of $7,585.87 to go toward missions. Amy said, "That was huge! It was more than double what we received last year."

On Thursday, two girls enrolled in VBS were inspired by the missions presentations and set up a lemonade stand in their neighborhood to raise money. After flagging down their neighbors and passersby, the dynamic duo had collected $69 at the end of the day to contribute to the missions offering total.

On Wednesday, Brentwood Baptist members were asked to pray as the gospel was presented during the message, which produced the most exciting results of all. After discussion with their teachers and VBS volunteers, 54 children made decisions to follow Jesus with their lives and many others expressed interest in learning more about what this means.

"We had one teenager volunteering in one of our rooms who started asking the classroom director questions about faith. She wanted to talk about baptism," Amy said. "Linc [Taylor, Student Minister,] wound up talking with her on Friday and she made a decision to become a Christian. The gospel went further than just the kids, so that was a cool story."

To wrap up one of the most intense, exciting weeks in our Preschool and Children's Ministry for 2011, many VBS attenders took the stage on Sunday during worship to lead in the 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. services alongside the VBS worship team.

"VBS brings together the whole church," Amy said. "We have all age groups participating—from senior adults to infants. People line up to work together who wouldn't normally cross paths or even serve in the Children's Ministry. They're able to use their gifts and talents for recreation, serving snacks, music, teaching, parking lot, security. It's a beautiful representation of the body of Christ functioning the way its supposed to."

The whole initiative was about connecting. It wasn't just a Lifeway-inspired lesson the kids learned through VBS curriculum every day. It also lined up with who we are as a church: "to connect people to Jesus Christ through worship, discipleship, and service." It was about us connecting with parents and the community, members connecting with other members, parents connecting with their children, and, through their children, parents connecting with God.

"More than half of the children who came aren't connected to our church, and 76 kids said they weren't connected to any church at all," Amy said. "This is one of the most effective ways for our church to reach so many families in our community with the gospel every year. It's not just for us, for our church family! It's because we believe in investing in our community."

Photos by Joe Hendricks
Story by Kaylan Christopher, Staff Writer]]> Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-22/vacation-bible-school-draws-biggest-crowd-of-kids-and-volunteers-to-date http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-22/vacation-bible-school-draws-biggest-crowd-of-kids-and-volunteers-to-date
By Amy Hill

Finding out I was pregnant was somewhat of a shock. We hadn’t planned to have another baby. My husband, Nick, was traveling with his job and I had just taken a new position with the church. But, God saw fit to bless us with a third child.

I was classified as pre-term labor in my first trimester. At 20 weeks, we had a routine ultrasound that identified I had a low-lying placenta and a single artery umbilical cord. We were told they would have to follow me closely to make sure our baby girl grew on schedule.

At 23 weeks, after a lot of contractions, I found myself having another ultrasound. The next day, my OB called and told me they had identified a problem with Emma’s heart and we needed to have an echocardiogram.

On September 16, 2010, at 27 weeks, we saw the pediatric cardiologist and had the first of many echocardiograms. The cardiologist told us our baby had a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. This is a condition of four abnormalities in the heart:
1. A hole in the septum that divides the right and left ventricle,
2. The aorta connects to the heart in the wrong place, not allowing the hole to grow together on its own,
3. The right ventricle wall thickens,
4. And there’s a narrowing in the pulmonary valve.

The cardiologist said Emma would need surgery sometime within the first three months of her life. We asked her if there was any chance this would heal without surgery and she said, “I’m not going to say that it can’t happen because I believe that God can do anything, but in my almost 30 years of practice I’ve never seen a condition like this heal on its own.”

So we started praying. Nick prayed for complete and total healing. I prayed for God to take care of her and for her to be OK. We shared with our family, friends, and church family, and they all joined us in prayer. The amount of faithful prayer that poured out for our sweet Emma was overwhelming!

Three weeks later, at 30 weeks, we had another echo with the same results. Again, we were told she would need surgery very soon after birth. We continued to pray.

A week later, at 31 weeks, I went into labor. They put me in the hospital for a week on magnesium sulfate, a medicine that helps stop labor. My OB decided to have another echo done in the hospital.

A group from the maternal-fetal medicine department came in to do the echo. They had read the reports from our cardiologist and knew they were looking for Tetralogy of Fallot. After a while, the doctor said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything wrong.”

Nick was looking at the screen and he looked at me and shook his head no and mouthed that he didn’t see anything. The doctor said, “This is a beautiful heart.”

The next day another team came in to check again, and again they said, “This is a perfectly healthy heart.” So, we asked for our cardiologist to come check for herself. She looked at the monitor and looked at us and said, “I don’t see anything wrong.”

She started to apologize and said she knew she saw the blood flowing through the hole just a week earlier. Nick stopped her and said, “It's OK if you want to call it a miracle, because that’s what it is.” And tears started flowing down her cheeks.

We were elated! We couldn’t wait to tell everyone who had joined us in prayer that God had given Emma a new heart. The aorta was in a different place, the hole was gone, and the thickening in the ventricle wall was gone. It was a completely different heart. God had performed an unbelievable miracle for our little girl!

Still rejoicing about this wonderful gift, we waited through the next few weeks. I was on total bed rest and we needed a lot of help. But, we knew that God had healed Emma and we just needed to make it five more weeks.

On November 28, 2010, three weeks before my due date, I went into labor. I knew almost immediately that something seemed wrong. The pain was so intense and never subsided between contractions. By the time we got to the hospital, my blood pressure was dangerously elevated due to the pain and they had to get it back down. They gave me an epidural and let me labor through the night.

At 6:00 a.m. the next morning, my OB came in to break my water and saw a lot of blood in the amniotic fluid. They lost Emma’s heartbeat immediately. He started calling for help, saying we’d had an abruption and people started flooding the room.

Nick, who’d just fallen asleep, was awakened by the confusion. Within seconds, they were wheeling my bed out to the OR for an emergency Cesarean Section. There wasn’t any time for them to explain to Nick. I took one last look at him as they wheeled me out of the room.

They put me under general anesthesia for the C-section to get Emma out as soon as possible. Emma and I both started bleeding out immediately when he broke my water, so she wasn’t breathing and had no heartbeat when they got her out.

For 15 minutes they performed CPR on her before her heart started to beat on its own. The doctor later told us they wouldn’t have worked on her any longer. After CPR, they listening one last time when he heard her heart beat.

Due to the lack of oxygen to her brain for such a long time, there was a great danger of swelling in the brain and ultimately severe brain damage. So, within the hour, they transported her within the hour to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital where she was put on head cooling for 72 hours. This treatment, which is fairly new and only works in 20 percent of cases, keeps the body temperature extremely low to keep the brain from swelling.

Later, we found out that most of our doctors expected Emma to either not make it or suffer severe brain damage. In fact, most children who suffer a brain insult like hers either don’t survive the initial trauma or don’t survive past the first week. Of the ones who do, a large percentage suffer debilitating disabilities.

For nine days, Emma was in the NICU before she was able to come home with us. Today, she’s six months old and perfectly normal. God performed another unbelievable miracle for Emma! Every doctor or specialist she sees is shocked and bewildered by her medical history and perfectly normal development. Many of them call her the “Miracle Baby.”

There’s no medical explanation for how she has survived so much in her young life, but we know without a doubt that God is big and there’s nothing He can’t do. He’s in control of every situation and He answers prayers. He’s a God of miracles and healing.

We thank him every day for Emma’s gifts. He gave her life in my womb and a new heart when her heart was broken. And when circumstances beyond our control took her life from us, He gave her life again.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-08/emmas-story-god-heals-the-miracle-baby http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-08/emmas-story-god-heals-the-miracle-baby Kids are a crucial part of the Station Hill Church family-oriented congregation. That's why the ministry to kids is growing at a rapid pace, taking a unique twist to what's already in place on the Brentwood campus.

Zach van Gieson, Children's Minister at Station Hill, said, "We don't have Kid's Praise or Marketplace here, so we decided to do KidLife last fall."

KidLife welcomes children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It takes place each Wednesday night during the school year from 6:30-8:00 p.m., including both discipleship and worship sessions. Zach said, "For the first hour, boys and girls break up into small groups and do Bible study. Then, the last 30 minutes, we do the worship portion."

For music and worship, Jeremy Busler, Music & Worship Minister at Station Hill, and Zach collaborated and asked what they could do differently on the south campus from what they knew was being done on the Brentwood Campus. The brainstorming session yielded a unique solution: Jeremy, who leads the adult choir, would recruit members to step out after practice and teach the kid's choir.

Most of the kids join their parents in the 11:00 a.m. worship service each week. While the adult choir takes the stage every other Sunday, the kids now join them once a month. The preschoolers are learning choruses and participate in the opening and welcome, then take their seats to allow the elementary kids to lead in worship.

"They're singing those songs they've been practicing every month, which gives them a chance to lead as well and not necessarily perform," Jeremy said. "This helps our kids be involved in the body of the church in a way that may not seem normal for a child. And the adults love it because it gives them a chance to pour into the kids and serve."

Story by Kaylan Christopher, Staff Writer]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-07/kidlife-and-adult-choirs-band-together-to-lead-in-worship http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/07-07/kidlife-and-adult-choirs-band-together-to-lead-in-worship On Wednesday, April 27, tornadoes slammed the South, destroying homes and taking lives across four states. Alabama, our sister state to the south, suffered incredible damage, and cried out for help in the aftermath of the deadly storms.

For the past month, we've been dedicated to helping them pick up the pieces of their lives. Brentwood Baptist members have journeyed south to provide supplies, help in clean-up, remove debris, and give food to those in need.

As a result, we're sending six more teams to the Rainsville area in Dekalb County throughout the summer for weekday and weekend mission journeys:
• June 9-12
• June 23-26*
• July 14-17
• July 18-23 (for college students)
• July 28-31
• August 18-21
*This trip will focus specifically on helping with Freedom Fest, a community festival sponsored by a local church, that will draw close to 10,000 people.

In that county alone, 35 fatalities were reported, 250 homes were completely wiped out, more than 500 homes were destroyed enough to be deemed inhabitable and will soon be demolished, and 1,500 homes, including the local schools, sustained significant damage.

The city of Rainsville has a population of nearly 5,000. The per capita income for the city is just over $14,000 and 14.4% of the population live below the poverty level. Many residents, unwilling to leave, have pitched tents on their property to start from scratch and rebuild their lives. It's an area in desperate need of our help, so our work has just begun.

Each journey's focus will be different as the needs change and progress is made from clean-up to recovery to rebuilding over the summer months. So far, a team has gone with chainsaws in tow to remove debris, and two cargo vans full of tents, cleaning supplies, Gatorade, charcoal grills, and more have been sent.

This summer, Brentwood Baptist team members will join with First Baptist Church in Rainsville to form a task force. Teams will stay at the church where meals will also be provided. The cost to participate (per person) will total $30 plus carpooling and gas expenses to and from the affected area. Ages 10 and older are invited to help.

Amidst the tragedy, the gospel of hope and love through Christ is spreading.

Kim said, "One of the deputy sheriffs, through all of this, has been saved through the response and how he's seen others come to help. … Our opportunity here in Rainsville is that we can impact…a whole community and show them what the love of Christ looks like. They might expect it from their neighbors, but they may not from people in a different state who don't even know them. That's why we're going."

If you'd like to join a mission journey team to Rainsville, Alabama this summer, please click here to find out more information and sign up. An information meeting for the first journey will take place on Sunday, June 5 at 5:00 p.m.]]> Fri, 27 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/05-27/six-teams-travel-to-rainsville-alabama-this-summer-to-continue-disaster-relief http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/05-27/six-teams-travel-to-rainsville-alabama-this-summer-to-continue-disaster-relief Cameron Powell, a 10-year-old in the fourth grade at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Antioch, recently proved you're never too young to be serious about your faith and add action to your belief.

Just this year, he started a Prayer Club at recess with several of his friends. His mom, Brandy, said, "Right after Christmas, they decided to meet once a week under the playground equipment. Everyone has an assigned responsibility: the president, vice president, someone who prays."

Cameron, the president of the fourth grade group, said, "I thought it would be neat to at least try it with my friends. We have a person who reads the Bible and we use a devotion book that we read Scripture from. We usually spend a few minutes praying for each other—like for one of my friend's dad or when I got hurt."

The Powell family—Robert, Brandy, Cameron, and Tate—have been attending Brentwood Baptist for a little more than a year. Each Sunday, Cameron's participates in Sunday school and has attended last summer's Vacation Bible School. And it came as no surprise to his parents, given his recent behavior, that he soon wanted to do something to help in the ministry of missions.

Sharon Fairchild, Mission Journey Coordinator for Brentwood Baptist, received him in the Parlor one Sunday morning. "He asked me what there was that he could do, so I told him we had three teams going to Brazil this summer and we needed help buying Bibles so we could give them out," she said.

With the permission of the administration at his school, Cameron took advantage of his school's "Jean Day Thursday" to raise money. Because they're required to wear the same uniforms every day, this luxury is unique for students. To participate, they're required to pay for the privilege and, in turn, help raise money for something that's important.

"Last year, they used the money from jean days to support the senior class mission trip. They haven't done any jean day fundraisers this year, but they let Cameron collect $2 a person at two different times—once at the end of April and another time at the beginning of May," his mom said.

Two months with no word went by after the first time Sharon met the dedicated 10-year-old who sought her out. You can imagine her surprise when, on Sunday, May 15, he showed up in the Parlor with his family to deliver a plastic bag containing $609.65 for the purchase of Portuguese Bibles.

"Cameron heard about the need and wanted to do something," Sharon said. "A lot of times, people think helping demands too much or it's too much trouble. But here you have a 10-year-old who went out of his way to be obedient. God called him to do something and he responded—he put feet to the calling. That can be an inspiration to all of us."]]> Mon, 16 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/05-16/10-year-old-cameron-powell-raises-money-to-purchase-portuguese-bibles-for-summer-mission-journeys http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/05-16/10-year-old-cameron-powell-raises-money-to-purchase-portuguese-bibles-for-summer-mission-journeys

If you've always wanted to get a good picture of what the Church (note: big C) looks like working together under the banner of Christ, then here it is.

After a series storms ripped through much of the southeast recently, leaving destruction behind in the rubble, churches in the Spring Hill and Thompson's Station areas came together and responded to the devastation.

Our own Church At Station Hill was among that group who acted out of love and generosity—being one of the many ways we're united with other churches in the community to make a difference.

Starting last Friday, April 29, trucks containing an array of supplies, including blankets, clothing, diapers, baby food, insulin and other meeds, toys, band-aids, socks, jackets, bottled water, chips, juice, packaged food, fruit cups, paper towels, kleenex, toilet paper, flash lights, and batteries, were shipped off to Alabama to provide relief for families who lost it all.

The trucks and trailers were provided by Conduit Mission, a non-profit organization based out of Franklin. Getting their start in 2007 as a Bible study, their goal was to be a "conduit" of God's power, love, and resources, providing donated items toward initiatives at home and around the world.

Since then, they've partnered with other organizations that feed the hungry, educate children, provide homes for orphans, and shelter for the homeless.

Darren Tyler of Conduit wrote in an e-mail to those involved: "I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart at your response. My back is still sore from your generous response. I'm overwhelmed by your generosity."

Video provided by Conduit Mission.]]> Fri, 06 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/05-06/station-hill-teams-up-with-area-churches-to-provide-items-for-storm-victims http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/05-06/station-hill-teams-up-with-area-churches-to-provide-items-for-storm-victims As of May 6, click here for the latest updates on how you can get involved.

Back in April 1974, a tornado frenzy occurred, touching down throughout 13 states in 16 hours. According to the National Weather Service, it was the worst outbreak in U.S. history. It covered more than 2,500 miles, killing 330 people and injuring more than 5,450.

After assessing damage from storms that tore through the south this past Tuesday and Wednesday, that 37-year-old record may be broken this month.

This week, tornadoes ravaged towns and communities throughout Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, and Virginia, then slowly moved up through the north. There were 39 tornadoes on Tuesday alone that touched down in the southeast.

So far, 280 deaths have been confirmed and that number continues to rise. Two of Alabama's major cities—Tuscaloosa and Birmingham—suffered major damage, tearing down a major nuclear plant and leaving people without power for an expected minimum of three days.

Homes were destroyed. Cars have vanished. Gasoline is no longer readily available. Food is running out. So, what are we doing about it?

Brentwood Baptist is currently partnering with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (TBC) and Westwood Baptist Church outside of Birmingham to aid in relief efforts, providing funds to help them purchase and transport water and non-perishable foods to areas in and around Tuscaloosa.

Westwood Baptist is also working with the Alabama Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Agency to assess the damaged areas and determine a coordinated relief effort—a process that can take hours and sometimes days to complete.

According to Kim Cox, Associate Missions Minister, members should not attempt to travel to the affected areas. Tennessee, Alabama, and other states have enacted their emergency relief plans, which include utilizing the National Guard to secure those particular areas. In addition, several Baptist state conventions are already setting up feeding programs for victims and volunteers.

We're currently accepting donations by check or online to support all relief efforts. As information becomes available, we'll post updated information for volunteering manpower or resources.

The Missions Ministry would like to remind our members: "Please remember to pray for those who were in the storm's path. In the midst of confusion and grief, pray that every individual would turn to the One who provides hope—our Comforter and Savior."

Click here for the latest information on TBC disaster relief.

Click here for up-to-date information on how you can volunteer, give, and pray.

If you have any questions regarding our response to this disaster, please call Kim Cox at 615.324.6150 or e-mail her.]]> Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/04-28/station-hill-responds-to-storm-and-tornado-victims-in-southeast http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/04-28/station-hill-responds-to-storm-and-tornado-victims-in-southeast Every other Sunday evening they show up. Some of them come alone; others arrive in small groups. Most of them have been here before, and they quickly head to their favorite spot in the rec room, or the basement, or the porch, or the back deck—but not before stopping in the kitchen for the home-cooked food they know will be waiting for them.

Who are they? They’re teenagers, guys and girls who live in the underworld inhabited by so many modern young people. Their lives are scarred by addictions—to drugs, alcohol, sex, and cutting—but even more, they live with the loneliness of no one to trust and no safe place to go.

But every other Sunday, life is a little different for them now.

Two years ago, Tim and Renee Faith had no idea God would lead them to open their home to dozens of these teens. The Faiths were part of a small church plant in Franklin. One day they realized the congregation included a handful of teenagers, but there was no class available for them.

The pastor agreed to let them start a class, which lasted for a couple months. But then the church had to leave the facility, and Tim and Renee decided to transfer their tiny class to their own living room in Spring Hill.

Soon the three “charter members” of the class began to bring along a few of their friends from school. For the most part, these guests had never gone to church—but this was different. They felt at home. They began to call it a “place of peace” or a “sane place.”

The Faiths made no effort to entertain them. They simply hung out with the kids, listened to their stories, and cared. They gave them food. And each evening Tim led the group in a short lesson from the Bible.

In October last year, Tim and Renee began to look for a church in their area that might be willing to welcome these students into their congregation. Somehow, God led them to Station Hill.

While most of the kids still aren’t ready for Sunday morning church, a few have begun to attend. The church has provided Bibles, something many of the students never had before and are now proud to own. The Wednesday Women’s Bible Study (of which Renee is a member) is also helping with the meals.

“This is the last group of people Tim and I ever thought we would work with,” Renee said. “We’re laid-back and boring people. We both scored as introverts on the Myers test. But somehow God has given us the ability to have conversations with these kids. It has definitely taken us beyond our normal personalities.”

As the group began to take shape, the Faiths had some concern for their young daughter and son. There have certainly been things they’ve had to explain to their children at an earlier age than they might have wished. But God hasn’t only given the children grace to understand what their parents are doing, He’s also put a love for the teenagers into their own young hearts.

How can Station Hill help with this ministry? The starting point of course is prayer.

Most of the kids who gather at the Faith home still don’t know Christ. Some of them have been put on house arrest or have even been sent to jail. But Renee bakes cookies for those who are confined to their homes, and Tim visits the jail. When one of the girls needs to talk, Renee finds time. Tim sends daily texts to the guys with an encouraging thought or Scripture.

Renee and Tim have come to realize that the kids ideally need individual conversations, and with 30-40 in attendance on Sunday evenings that usually isn’t possible. That’s why they need help from others. It also helps to have extra adults around to keep an eye on things.

“Sometimes it doesn’t seem that much is happening,” she said. “But there are small improvements. Some of the kids aren’t doing drugs quite as much as they were. It keeps driving us back to God. We know He is the answer these kids really need.”

If anyone has a heart for young people and is interested in walking alongside the Faith family, contact Renee at 615-870-7828.

Story written by Diane Woerner]]> Wed, 27 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/04-27/the-place-of-peace-tim-and-renee-faith-reach-out-to-troubled-teens-in-life-group http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/04-27/the-place-of-peace-tim-and-renee-faith-reach-out-to-troubled-teens-in-life-group Written by Carol Stuart, this story was the third in a special holiday series recently published on Brentwood Home Page. The Hammon family are members of Brentwood Baptist, attend the Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church, and participate in Brentwood Young Christian School (BYCS). Click here to read the story on Brentwood Home Page.

Family conquers flood of issues to grow from two to four

To say this has been an eventful year for Brentwood residents Courtney and Kenneth Hammons is an understatement.

Courtney, a wedding and event planner, had 60-something weddings moved or canceled when the Gaylord Opryland Hotel was flooded in May. Kenneth’s job there has also been affected. Then, they adopted their 5-year-old son Tariku from Ethiopia in August. Soon they’re going back—to adopt his best friend Teddy.

“Tariku has the most amazing heart,” said Courtney, who owns A Magical Affair. “The first month he was here I was down in the office and he was upstairs and I heard him moving something. He was moving his toy shelf and I was like ‘What are you doing?’ And he was telling us he was moving them to make room for Teddy's bed.

“Then a couple of weeks later, he had moved all of his clothing onto one rack in his closet,  and called me into this bedroom to tell me the other rack was for Teddy's clothes and we needed to go get clothes for Teddy.

“We had been telling him Teddy lives in Africa, Teddy doesn't live here, but to Tariku, Teddy was always coming home and living with him.”

So the Hammons prayed and prayed about making Tariku’s wish come true. For one thing, she had lost at least $20,000 in work when some brides moved their weddings to their hometowns since they couldn’t have the Opryland hotel experience. International adoptions are expensive, costing $24,000-$36,000, including two trips required back and forth to Ethiopia.

“We had been prepared for the first one and then four weeks later, I went to my husband and said ‘OK, can I have another $30,000?’ I know that I've been without work six months, but …. ”

And there were other considerations, too.

“It's one thing to adopt one 5-year-old; it's another thing to go back for a special needs 5-year-old and all of sudden become a family of four.”

Teddy is deaf, losing his hearing at age 3 due to meningitis.

“So we prayed a lot about it,” Courtney said.  “We found that there are phenomenal, phenomenal resources in the Williamson County-Brentwood area. We had been looking for a church and last spring we officially joined Brentwood Baptist, not knowing that there was a deaf church there. So, when we look back on it, we're like, ‘OK God, we got the billboard—got it.’ It took a little longer to get there.”

Second adoption for him, too

To adopt again in Ethiopia in less than a year, the Hammons had to be approved for exceptions and they were because of other unique circumstances. 

Teddy was adopted in June 2009 by an American family who had wanted a deaf child, Courtney said. But that family chose not to take him home, “which was part of the reason why we really had to pray we were the right family for him.”

At the time Teddy, whose mother gave him up in hopes to get help for his hearing, had not yet learned sign language skills and was unable to communicate.

“Here was this 3- or 4-year-old little boy, and all of sudden he wakes up one morning and he can't hear, then shortly after that not only can't he hear but he's no longer with his mom, he's with 45 other kids, (and) no one can talk to him,” Courtney said.

“Is he a little wild and angry? Yeah. The family took that to be that he was unteachable and that he would forever be in need of care. That's not the case, he just was so confused.”

Since then, Teddy has been attending a school for the deaf in Ethiopia (Tariku had even offered to go with him when his friend was initially scared to go). The Hammons also all are taking sign language classes with Franklin’s Gate Communications, an organization recommended to them by the deaf church at Brentwood Baptist.

“They have been sharing our fundraising efforts to bring Teddy home with the deaf community,” Courtney said. “I can't say enough wonderful things about either the deaf church or Gate Communications because they're really making it not so scary.”

Courtney and Kenneth weren’t expecting to bring Teddy home until spring since the Ethiopian courts close 45 days during the rainy season. But because of his previous situation, the adoption was moved up and the Hammons went to visit him at Thanksgiving and will get Teddy just after New Year’s. 

“It seems like every day is just another change,” said Kenneth, a group reservations manager at Gaylord Opryland. “You never know what's going to happen.

“It's kind of crazy how it all worked out. Our church is all set up for the deaf; they have their own wing. One of our neighbors does sign language, which we didn't know until after the fact. … I mean it's a great change. It's an awesome feeling to be able to help these kids out.”

Faith and flooding

The Hammons, who both worked for Disney World before moving to Tennessee 3½ years ago, had developed a love for the people and culture of Africa when they were on the team that opened Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After battling infertility for 10 years, they opted to pursue international adoption due to their faith.

“We knew that we weren't going to go the IVF (in vitro fertility) route or any of those knowing that there were over 147 million orphans in the world,” Courtney said. “We felt we would better be served by going for one of those.”

They originally sought a younger child, from birth up to 3 years old, but one day Courtney decided to open an e-mail from their adoption agency America World. She normally didn’t look at this “waiting child list” since it mostly features children who are sibling sets, are older, have special needs or are HIV-positive.

“For whatever reason, last October I opened it, and there was the most adorable little 4-year-old,” Courtney said. “And there were no medical issues or anything with him. I forwarded the whole waiting child list to my husband at work and I said I really think our son is on here, tell me what you think.

But she didn’t say who, and they picked the same child. “We both kinda fell in love with Tariku as soon as we saw him,” Kenneth said.

The process took until this August before the Hammons could bring home Tariku, the boy in the photo. But the holdups now seem a blessing of sorts, too, since May brought major difficulties to their lives.

At 3 a.m.—a morning after Courtney had worked three Opryland weddings—Kenneth received a call to come into work because the hotel was flooding.

“I was like, ‘What? What? I have weddings this weekend, what do you mean the hotel's flooding?’ ” Courtney recalled.

Their lives were chaotic day by day. Courtney, whose company is contracted for all the Opryland weddings, not only had to find new venues but also vendors for cakes, catering and floral since they were done by the hotel.

Hermitage Hotel, as well as Sheraton Music City, made space available and Cakes by Shara came through, too, Courtney said.

“Nashville wedding vendors really stepped up and were phenomenal, when we would say ‘OK and this wedding is in four days,’ ” she said.

The hotel is back open, but Kenneth’s call center is still working out of its second temporary office in the AT&T “Batman” building downtown. After the flood, he had to help out with packing up guests’ left-behind belongings, cleaning rooms and acting as night watchman. Now there are new processes and employees, plus the hotel reopened right before the busy holiday season.

Transition takes time

Tariku, who could have gone to kindergarten this year, loves attending Brentwood Baptist’s Young Christians School five days a week while he transitions into his new life and learns English, his mom said. He played for the Williamson County Soccer Association in the fall, “and everyone wanted him to be on their team,” Courtney noted.

And he’s got an incredible palate: “He hates kids’ meals. We went to that new restaurant Mack & Kate's, and he ordered Tilapia Fish Tacos with Black Beans and Mango Salsa. What 5-year-old does that? He ate it all.”

But there have been trying times in the transition. While they were told a child usually prefers one parent over the other, Courtney wasn’t quite expecting Tariku’s reactions to her – which have included biting, hitting, kicking and avoiding hugs and kisses.

“We think it's just because all the women in his life have just kind of left,” Kenneth said. After Tariku’s dad died, due to poverty his mom left him and his two sisters with her husband’s sister, who also had children. The aunt kept the girls but left Tariku with the orphanage. There have been nannies in and out of his life, too.

“But he's definitely improving, and Mommy's finally getting some bigger hugs which is wonderful, and he's getting a little bit more touchy, feely,” Kenneth said.

Tariku has really bonded with Dad from the very beginning, though. 

“Right now work is just absolutely crazy,” Kenneth said. “The other morning he got up with me at 5 o’clock in the morning, he came in there and tapped me on the shoulder, and he's like, ‘Daddy, no work today.’ “

While the Hammons were waiting to adopt Tariku, they would get monthly updates. “At one point, he was saying how he was learning sign language, and he wanted to keep learning sign language when he came to America,” Courtney said. “When we got there to see him and pick him up, he, of course, right away wanted to introduce us to this other little boy who was his best friend. His best friend was Teddy.”

Tariku wasn’t able to go back and see his buddy when the Hammons made their visit last month because he has a single-entry visa until his re-adoption in the U.S. He spent time with his new grandparents in Wisconsin instead.

“He's very, very excited,” Courtney said. “We called him when we got back in the States, and the first thing he asked was if Teddy was with us. We said, ‘No, Mommy's got to go back’ and he understands that.”

“Little Teddy was mostly Tariku's big push,” Kenneth said. “…I think it's kinda cool to keep two best friends together like that."

Click here to find out more about Brentwood Baptist's OrphanCare Ministry.]]> Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/01-05/adoption-angels-first-tariku-now-its-time-for-his-best-friend http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2011/01-05/adoption-angels-first-tariku-now-its-time-for-his-best-friend At least 450 families (and counting) will have a very Merry Christmas this year without worrying about their financial situations and tough economic times.

The annual missions initiative at Brentwood Baptist—better known around here as "Christmas Food Baskets"—was undoubtedly a hit once again this year.

For several weeks in November and December, Brentwood Baptist members purchased the $45 baskets to provide these struggling families with food, a Brentwood Baptist Christmas CD, a Bible, and a personalized invitation to come to our Christmas Eve services.

On Friday, December 10, the Brentwood Baptist Homeschool Group came together to unload the food off the trucks and set up the boxes. The next morning, volunteers poured into the Atrium to form an assembly line and pack the boxes with the goodies. Then a whole new crew showed up to deliver them to homes across Middle Tennessee.

Below are some highlights from the experience:

• Members took baskets to families in Fairview, Brentwood, Franklin, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, Eagleville, Thompson's Station, Antioch, Columbia, Madison, Smyrna, Hendersonville, and Cottontown.
• A young girl named Savanna made bracelets and sold them to raise money for a basket. In the end, she was able to purchase one food basket with her earnings.
• The Children's Ministry made 450 dessert jars to go in the baskets.
• One church member purchased 30 baskets in honor of her children for their Christmas gifts.
• One volunteer, who called many recipients to confirm the delivery date and time of their basket, also prayed for each person before she called.
• Extra food items (provided by Publix) were delivered to The Well, a food pantry in Spring Hill supported by The Church at Station Hill.
• One member delivered a food basket and had the opportunity to pray for the recipient and his struggle with diabetes.
• Another member delivered her basket to a Sudanese refugee family. The husband/father was killed in a war and the wife/mother and her six children came to the U.S. The family expressed their gratitude for the basket.
• One member drove all the way to Cottontown in Sumner County to deliver a basket to a wounded U.S. soldier who had served in Afghanistan.
• Kairos members delivered baskets to the homeless and addicted at Set Free Nashville. They were provided with oatmeal, bread, eggs, milk, turkey, ham, rice, potatoes, flour, butter, sugar, bologna, peanut butter, green beans, corn, coffee, and more. Derek Evans, who attends Kairos, said, "They were literally down to bare bones. Some guys pulled their food stamps together to get a few meals rounded up for the weekend. I let them know it was a Christmas gift from Brentwood Baptist. They were very, very thankful. A few guys cried joyfully."
• One member is going beyond delivering food baskets to the families she was assigned to and is now also providing gifts for their kids this Christmas.

Pat and Wayne Webber, new members of Brentwood Baptist, experienced Christmas Food Baskets for the first time this year. They said, "The enthusiasm of the staff at Brentwood Baptist about missions is the reason we enjoy the privilege of participating… The excitement and joy in the faces of everyone from the young ones to the older like us was very noticeable."

As usual, Brentwood Baptist members went above and beyond and provided an abundance for hungry families this Christmas. Becky Gross, Community Ministries Minister, said, "My week after the Food Baskets has been spent finding hundreds more people in need that we're going to help. We've helped more people in our Hispanic Ministry, refugees through World Relief, shut-ins, women receiving care at Hope Clinic, and more."

So much came in for this year's effort that Becky immediately went to find gift cards to purchase for hungry families. At the store, an employee noticed her purchasing a large amount of gift cards and commented that it must be for the employees that work at her "organization."

Becky went on to explain that her church was purchasing food to help people in our city this Christmas. She said, "He stared at me and smiled, blown away by the generosity of our congregation. Then he asked, 'How do I become a member of your church?'"

Click here for a look at all the photos from the weekend event.

Photos by Joe Hendricks
Story by Kaylan Christopher]]> Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/12-21/more-than-800-volunteers-provide-food-for-local-ministries-and-450-families-in-middle-tennessee http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/12-21/more-than-800-volunteers-provide-food-for-local-ministries-and-450-families-in-middle-tennessee You may have heard about the Lankford from friends. Maybe you saw them on stage a few months ago in our worship services. Perhaps you, like many, have walked alongside them for many years at Brentwood Baptist through Kairos, Bible studies, service opportunities, and more.

If you don't know them from Adam, you should. Their spiritual story has raced from 0-100 mph in a matter of months—all because of their surrender and obedience to God's call on their lives.

Both Joey and Courtney were fortunate to grow up in Christian homes where they learned about Christ and His love. In high school and college, they followed the same path—wandering away from their faith and searching for their purpose.

"When we got married, we recognized the importance and value of our upbringing and wanted to make that the foundation of our home," Joey said.

Fresh out of college, Joey began working in a family-owned healthcare business at 22 years old. He was extremely successful, later building a home for their family and buying most everything their hearts desired. But it wasn't enough.

"In 2008, the comfort of this began to cause us to ask questions," he said. "I could see myself working in this wonderful environment for 25-30 years. But the thought of it began to plague me. If this were to happen, would I be satisfied that it was all I'd done in my life?"

God does what He does best—He stirred things up in their hearts and lives. Soon, they desperately wanted to "break free from the clutches of the materialistic sewage" they'd been drowning in. The desire to obey His call on their lives began to take control.

"In early 2008, we began discussing adoption and knew God was calling us to walk this journey with Him," Joey said. "As we surrendered to this call, we realized how much God could do with a simple willingness to obey. There were so many questions that surrounded our adoption. And, many days, we would go to God in prayer and confess our lack of faith and ask Him for direction. He began to reveal His faithfulness as we walked the adoption journey, which created in us the desire to seek more desperately His complete will for our lives."

One step after another, the kept walking the path of obedience.

Last year, the growing family prayed about moving to Cape Town, South Africa. They would act as Brentwood Baptist missionaries with Living Hope Community Center, a clinic that treats and offers prevention education to HIV/AIDs patients and is also a Brentwood Baptist Hope for the World Missions Offering partner.

Then, this past summer, they completed the adoption process, welcoming home a baby girl, Bristol, from Africa. She became the catalyst they needed to finalize their decision to move their family around the world. They sold their belongings and packed for a new chapter.

Joey, Courtney, and their children—Briley, Braxton, Barron, and Bristol—are now living out God's calling in Cape Town. Joey said, "We've been adjusting well to our move. We have tough moments when we miss our family, friends, and country, but we have a prevailing peace that only comes from knowing we're where God wants us."

In South Africa, Joey is working with a branch of Living Hope called Living Way, which economically empowers people from poor, under-resourced communities in Cape Town.

Courtney is enrolling their children in school and settling the family in their new home. As a licensed nurse, she'll begin looking for opportunities to minister using her gifts after the new year. Eager to find her place, she'll likely be helping AIDS and HIV patients in some capacity.

"We hope and pray our lives and ministry will bring glory to our Lord," Joey said. "God has put us in an amazing place and has given us an opportunity to minister to the 'least of these'. May He find us faithful as we build relationships and love the people that He brings us to."

How you can pray for the Lankfords:
• Protection
• Health
• Diligence in seeking God with all their hearts
• Faithfulness to respond to His calling in obedience

How you can support the Lankfords:
• Give to the Hope for the World Missions Offering, which supports our missionaries.

Follow the Lankford family's journey in South Africa on their blog.]]> Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/12-06/family-of-six-leave-comfort-and-materialism-behind-in-us-to-live-and-serve-in-south-africa http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/12-06/family-of-six-leave-comfort-and-materialism-behind-in-us-to-live-and-serve-in-south-africa In 2009, Brentwood Baptist members purchased, packed, and delivered more than 450 food baskets to needy families in Middle Tennessee. Every year, hundreds of men, women, and children don't just go without presents and the warmth of a home—they go without the basic necessity of food.

"The demand is even greater this holiday season," said Becky Gross, Community Ministries Minister. "One hundred food baskets have been purchased so far, but we've once again committed to 450 families."

This year, food baskets are only $45. On Sunday, December 5, members will have their last chance to purchase a basket at the Missions Center in the Atrium. And, as always, baskets can be purchased online.

On Saturday, December 11, beginning at 9:00 a.m., volunteers will pack and deliver the baskets donated.

"All across Middle Tennessee, there are families who have lost their jobs, whom the economy has hit hard, and are struggling with financial difficulties. There are newly arriving refugees trying to find a place to live and work, and they don't have any extras for Christmas dinner. These people come from all walks of life," Becky said.

The recipients of the boxes come to Brentwood Baptist through Christian Women's Job Corp, Graceworks, Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church, Brentwood Baptist Hispanic Church, Iglesias De Las Americas, Welcome Home Ministries, Youth Encouragement Services, and more.

"People have volunteered to give financially, form assembly lines and pack baskets, deliver baskets, and pray over them," Becky said. "We don't leave any baskets on doorsteps. They are knocking on their doors, meeting them face-to-face, and giving them baskets on behalf of Brentwood Baptist."

The baskets will contain turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, non-perishable items, perishable items, canned foods, fresh fruit, a Brentwood Baptist Christmas CD, a Bible, an invitation to Brentwood Baptist's Christmas Eve services, and a homemade Christmas card made by the Brentwood Baptist homeschooling group.

Last year, after receiving a Christmas Food Basket, one woman named Rose wrote in: "I would like to thank you and all who took part in making my Christmas complete. Without you all, my Christmas dinner wouldn't be as good as Thanksgiving."

Becky said, "I look forward to the stories I'll hear as a result of the volunteer's delivering food baskets this year. It's not just a time for our members to deliver food—but also hope and love. It's a time for our congregation to listen, love, and share. On December 11, the good news of Jesus Christ will be seen and heard across our communities."

Click here to purchase a Christmas Food Basket.]]> Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/12-03/members-prepare-to-pack-and-deliver-christmas-food-baskets-next-week http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/12-03/members-prepare-to-pack-and-deliver-christmas-food-baskets-next-week The Advertiser News recently published a story about several Habitat for Humanity homes in Williamson County that were dedicated last week. Fifteen Brentwood Baptist and Station Hill women helped build Tina's home while multiple LIFE Groups provided meals for the crews. Habitat is one of our many community service partners. Below is the story they published.

There’s no place like home for the holidays, or so goes one popular song of the season. This year, three area women and their families have new places to call home, just in time for the holidays.

Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County handed over keys to three new Spring Hill houses last weekend.

Mount Pleasant native Tina Gilbert is the new resident of 630 Alex Drive, the first Women Build home in Spring Hill—a project that involved the collaborative efforts of more than 60 local women, including Gilbert, who raised $60,000 to help build the home and contributed their own labor.

Gilbert, a Certified Teacher’s Assistant, has two daughters in their 20s.

“I am so looking forward to having a place to invite friends and family over to enjoy special holidays,” Gilbert said. “I haven’t had that opportunity before, and this is a true blessing to see so many women helping me to realize this dream.”

Her new home is ENERGY STAR and N.A.H.B. Green Building Program certified, designed to make the house more environmentally friendly and reduce utility costs.

“Each home currently built by HFHWC meets these specifications,” says Gregg Elliott, director of construction and land development.

Gilbert’s home was dedicated at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 21.

Andrea Williams and her daughters Ayannah, 6, and Saniyah, 4, also celebrated their new home's dedication this weekend, as well as mother of three Yolanda Johnson and her sons: Quintavious (Quinn), 8, Kani, 4, and Gavin, 2.

It was a big weekend for the new homeowners as well as Habitat For Humanity staff. Resource Development Director Kathi Johnson said, “the best part about Habitat is being able to see the homeowners get their keys at the dedication.”

Click here for more information on how you can help with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County through Brentwood Baptist.

Story and photo courtesy of The Advertiser News.]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/11-29/new-habitat-home-in-station-hill-built-by-brentwood-baptist-and-station-hill-women http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/11-29/new-habitat-home-in-station-hill-built-by-brentwood-baptist-and-station-hill-women On Saturday, November 13, the Caldwell Class—in conjunction with the Cain Class—organized an effort in just two weeks to encourage troops overseas through Stockings for Soldiers.

Captain Wayne Stiles, son-in-law of Dwayne and Floy Omark, who are long-time members of Brentwood Baptist Church and the Caldwell Class, is currently stationed in Afghanistan. The initiative started with him in mind.

"When you're a soldier overseas—and I've been there—it helps a lot to know that the people at home support you and care about you," Jack Risley, a Caldwell Class member, said.

At home at Fort Campbell, the Omark's daughter and wife of Captain Stiles, Jill, awaits with their four children. This past weekend, she temporarily abandoned her post and brought her family to participate in the festivities.

At the end of the day, the group had packed 230 stockings into 27 boxes.

Inside the stockings, which will be delivered between Thanksgiving and December 1, soldiers can expect to find essentials they may need while living in rough terrain: wipes, razors, body wash, Purell, lip balm, and more. Also included were sweet treats and snacks from home.

The classes donated the much-needed items along with CVS Pharmacy and Wal-Mart. In addition, Brentwood Baptist kicked in $250 to help out with the cause and donated Christmas CDs recorded by our Worship Choir and Orchestra.

"We just put a list out to our classes asking for help," Jack said. "When you turn a bunch of good Christian people loose on something like this, you get back buckets full. People dug deep into their pockets to help."

The soldiers don't know what's coming their way. The stockings are an early Christmas surprise. Jack said, "Sometimes just a small token of appreciate shows the soldiers we care about them and we're thinking about them while they're away."

By Kaylan Christopher]]> Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/11-22/caldwell-and-cain-adult-bible-study-classes-pack-stockings-for-soldiers http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/11-22/caldwell-and-cain-adult-bible-study-classes-pack-stockings-for-soldiers The author's name has been withheld for security reasons.

I grew up in a broken home in Franklin with my mom and two older brothers. I was in church from the time I was a week old. My mom became a Christian late in life, but she was the greatest example of a Christian woman I could’ve had. We were in church every time the doors were open.

My mom worked hard to give us the best life she could. We didn't have many extra luxuries in life, but we had everything we needed.

When I was in the fourth grade, she married a man I refer to as my dad. Through much struggle, I came to love him as a father. He's done so much for my family and helped us grow together. But, no matter how much he loved me, there was still a difference there. I still wanted to know my own dad.

I was never able to be the daddy's girl I so wanted to be. As a child, I struggled with my worth and importance in this world. And growing up without my father still permeates some areas of my life today. But, for the most part, I learned long ago to accept my life for what it was and that my worth in Jesus Christ is more important than the worth any earthly father could have given me.

I didn't meet my biological father until February of this year. When I did, it was completely a God thing. One night, I was really struggling with wanting to know my dad. I prayed and asked God that if meeting my father was something in His plan, to make it happen. If not, please take away that desire from my heart.

After a few weeks, I received a completely random e-mail from my biological father. He'd been searching for me and finally found the strength to contact me. We spent a short six months talking, meeting, and getting to know each other at a safe and comfortable distance for me.

Then, on July 4, he was in an accident and died.

Today, I grieve not only for his death, but also for the life I never got to have with him. But I know God brought us together in His time, and I'm so grateful I got to know him an his family before his untimely death.

Back at the age of nine, I walked down the aisle and accepted Christ and said "the prayer." I had gone to several summer youth camps where I rededicated my life to Jesus. But it wasn't until 2009 that I truly began to understand what a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ is.

When I moved out of the house and got married, my life began to go down a long, spiraling path to destruction. I had married a soldier in the Army. Two deployments later, I was completely broken. Through the stress of my own life and life as a military wife, I found myself very far from God and hadn't even realized it until everything was taken from me.

Before, I thought I had to put my husband first in my life in order to be a good wife. And that's exactly what I did.

My husband and I had only been married four months when I found myself taking three pregnancy tests, unbelieving the little positive signs I kept seeing. Our plan had always been to wait about five years before we started a family, so this twist in our path was a complete surprise.

However, once we got past the initial shock, we were very excited. Then two weeks later, I had a miscarriage. Back then, my faith wasn't as strong as it should have been and it was a very hard ordeal.

A month later, we were blessed to be pregnant with our now almost 4-year-old son. He was perfect and healthy, and our son moved in the top spot for me. All the while, I had slowly and steadily moved God back to an insignificant place in the file cabinet of my mind and heart.

Everything came crashing down when my husband and I went through some struggles in our marriage. I was left alone, scared, and crushed when what had been the thought of losing him actually became a reality.

That's when I started attending Kairos. During that time, my husband was halfway around the world in Afghanistan. I had no control over when I got to talk with him, so I found God to be the only constant in my life. I realized when I placed Him at the center of my life it seemed complete. And even when it didn’t seem complete, God took my shattered life and miraculously made it seem whole.

My husband and I both realized our own mistakes in our marriage and decided to try again. With God at the center, instead of each other and ourselves, He gave us a second chance.

Through the love of my Father, that time by myself, the reconciliation process in our marriage, and the teaching of Mike Glenn, I've found myself in such a close relationship with my Creator. My life has a whole new meaning.

That's why I never imagined my newfound faith—something I thought was unshakable—would be tested so soon and so horrifically.

My husband and I had felt it was time for another addition in our family when our son was about 18 months old, but my husband deployed. When he got home, we saw our son talking to himself at the playground one day and knew it was time to give him a sibling.

We got pregnant the first month we tried. We just knew this was what God wanted for us. But, once again, our hearts dropped with another miscarriage. I didn't understand how that could happen again! We had a healthy son. Why in the world would this be happening?

I knew God was sovereign and I had to trust Him—whatever the reason. For five months, I prayed and waited. And for five months I continually got a negative sign. Though I had weak, unsure faith, I knew He would give me the desire of my heart when I delighted in Him.

On December 14, 2009, I received the best Christmas present I could have asked for—a positive pregnancy test. I ran outside to meet my husband, who was halfway down the street headed to work. It didn't take long for the excitement to fade, though, as I realized the grim reality of what this could possibly mean.

For the next 12 weeks, I held onto every breath just praying this baby would live. And even after the 12-week mark, I still had a hard time relaxing. You see, when that innocence of pregnancy is taken away, it's just never the same. I'll never again be able to joyfully announce to the whole world that I'm pregnant. I'll always be cautious at every pain and moment of question.

It wasn't until about 20 weeks when I found out the gender that I was able to connect to my baby. It was a girl. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her on the ultrasound. From that moment on, every doubt, fear, or dreaded thought disappeared.

At 30 weeks, I went in for another ultrasound and we found out we were, in fact, having a boy instead. I'd become so attached to the thought of a little girl that it was hard at first, but it didn't take long for me to become enthused about having another boy. Two brothers! It would be so much fun.

He was a great baby in the womb. He had a personality of his own. He had certain foods I would eat that he loved, and some he didn't love so much. He always let me know.

We decided to name him Kristopher Noble. Kristopher was in memory of one of our family friends in my husband's unit who died in combat in Afghanistan. Noble was my sweet grandfather's name. He passed in September 2007.

At 37 weeks, I went in for my weekly appointment on a Tuesday. I'd noticed his movement had decreased over the last week, but when we heard that sweet little heartbeat on the Doppler, I didn't think to say anything else about it.

By the following Saturday, I'd become keenly aware of my baby's movements, and I had felt nothing that day. I tried to tell myself that everything was OK, that he was just running out of room, but as I laid down to sleep that night I couldn't find any rest.

My husband finally convinced me to go to the hospital to calm my fears. We got there at 1:00 a.m. Within 30 minutes, the nurse informed me of what I'd dreaded and yet somehow already knew. There was no heartbeat. Kristopher was gone. And it was agonizingly confirmed on two following ultrasounds.

I was scheduled to have a Cesarean Section just two weeks later. I gave birth to my precious baby at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, August 1. I got to see his perfect face and hold him all day long.

The next three days in the hospital were the most agonizing of my life. I was shoved into a room on a completely different floor than Labor & Delivery. In a way, it was good because it was like a knife in my stomach every time I heard a newborn baby crying down the hall. At the same time, I was so lonely.

The day we left the hospital was horrific. As I was wheeled down the corridors of the hospital, I should've been beaming with a newborn in my arms. Instead I was a crumpled up mess of tears. And the worst part was nobody from the outside world knew why. I wanted to scream what had happened. I was so mad and frustrated at my situation.

When I got home, as if my child's death wasn't bad enough, I was faced with the many decisions awaiting my approval. Did I want to have a service? If I did, what kind?

We decided to have a small memorial service with close friends and family. As I sat and thought about how I felt, and how I wanted to honor my son, the only answer I could find was worship.

I kept remembering one of Mike's sermons in the Revelation series at Kairos. He talked about how the Book of Revelation began and ended with worship. No matter the situation, we're called to worship God because He's the author and perfector of each of our stories. The Lord gives and He takes away. And whatever He chooses to do with my life, I trust His decision, because I trust that He knows what's best for me.

As I thought about worship, I knew that to just play some music over the sound system wouldn't be personal enough for me. I wanted someone to lead. And I wouldn't want anybody else to lead worship except Michael Boggs (Kairos Worship Leader).

I told my husband and he chuckled. Then, he realized I was serious. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to ask. So I sent him a message on Facebook and God's divine plan was already in motion.

Michael is usually out of town most weekends. He has so many obligations, but this one weekend, the weekend of my son's funeral, he was going to be home. And he was more than willing to come and lead my family and friends in worship.

I can't describe to you the peace that flooded that room after it was all said and done. I can't explain that, even through tragedy in my life, my heart was at rest. It truly was the peace that passes all understanding. In that room, while we worshipped the Father, we stood on holy ground.

The days and weeks and months that have followed that day haven't been easy. I've had horrible days of what feels like unending grief. But, though it all, I'm constantly reminded of the communion that I not only had with God that day, but also with my son.

Kristopher is in heaven, singing sweet praises to our King. And when I worship, it's the one time I'm in fellowship with my sweet little boy.

Every day, I make a choice as to what kind of attitude I'm going to have. Some days, I don't make the right choice. And some days, I don't make a choice at all. But my heart is beginning to heal and God is taking the broken pieces and mending them back together. I get up and start over each morning, and I remember to start it with worship.

My reaction to the situation life has put me in is a direct witness to my faith in the Lord. If I can use this to somehow reach someone for the sake of Christ, I'm honored to be chosen to help others who are hurting the same way I have. There's hope in the Lord. I'm proof of that.

Worship is my response to what I value most. What I value most is God. I was made by Him and for Him. He is awesome beyond comprehension. I exist for the purpose of reflecting back to God His matchless glory. I will exalt Him with my mouth and with my life, for He is my hope, my joy, my strength, and my salvation.
—Worshipper's Creed]]> Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/11-15/young-mother-loses-child-and-learns-true-worship http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/11-15/young-mother-loses-child-and-learns-true-worship When fall comes every year, new changes come with it—especially at Brentwood Baptist. In the area of discipleship, there are new young adult LifeGroups for couples that have sprouted up on Sunday mornings. This is the first in a series of feature stories on a few new LifeGroups including who they are, what they're about, and what they're studying:

Every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., Todd and Laura Ramey welcome couples—engaged, newlyweds, and young marrieds—into Room 2006 in the Connection Center at the Brentwood campus to build community and a solid foundation for their marriages.

Laura is very familiar with the Brentwood Baptist family, not only because she and her husband have been members since 2003, but because she previously worked on our staff as the Congregational Care Associate before she left last year to complete her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Both the Rameys have been involved as decision counselors at Kairos and Laura had taught several semesters of "Building Blocks for Marriage," but since earlier this year they had also been praying about a LifeGroup to attend. Still new to marriage themselves, having said their vows in 2006, they were "hungry for community with other couples starting their lives together and encountering the joys and beautiful confusion of getting married."

That's when Ken Corr, Congregational Care Minister, and Steve Layton, Discipleship minister, approached them.

"[They] identified us as a couple who loves mentoring other young adults and newlyweds," Laura said. "The idea was to provide a group for couples who had just attended the premarital seminar 'Building Blocks for Marriage.' Our group would be a place for them to continue to ask questions and learn more about their marriage."

Laura graduated last year and is now well into her own counseling practice. Both she and her husband are convinced now more than ever that God wants them using their knowledge and passion for this demographic. She said, "It's such an important stage of the marital life cycle to help couples learn how to become one and join as a new family in Christ."

Since they began their new LifeGroup in September, they've welcomed in new couples each week. Currently, they're using a workbook called Before You Say I Do, a study guide that couples can work on together outside of class. And together on Sundays, they highlight key Bible verses and questions from the workbook to discuss, which gets some "honest marriage conversation going."

"God is showing us how, as leaders, we still have the capacity to learn and grow in our own relationship," Laura said. "We made a commitment when we signed up to lead that we wanted to be totally transparent with our group about our struggles, faults, and messiness, and how we rely on God in each of those places. We're learning that 'leader' doesn't mean we're perfect—we're just willing to guide and instruct out of places we ourselves have been led."

Those in the class have bonded quickly—even sharing in some nearly-wed couples showers and wedding days.

Laura said, "One of the most encouraging things we've been able to do in this group is to have a special prayer time for the couple who's getting married the next week. It's so important to surround each couple with love and support as they approach, not only a big day, but a big life together."

Todd and Laura are in the process of adoption right now and have seen the new members of their class rally around and support them on the "long, confusing road." Even in this life-altering situation, they've used it as a way to mentor and encourage the couples about the "surprises" in marriage that can't be foreseen on the wedding day.

"Who knew that four years after we were married, we'd be trying to adopt?" Laura said. "Many of our group members have rallied around us offering love, support, and donations. Our prayer is that we all continue to place our marriages and everything about our lives into God's perfect plan. We pray to see these couples grow even more in love with Christ and, in turn, more in love with each other."

By Kaylan Christopher]]> Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-22/lifegroup-feature-todd-and-laura-ramey-start-class-for-nearly-and-newlyweds http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-22/lifegroup-feature-todd-and-laura-ramey-start-class-for-nearly-and-newlyweds We don't hear much about the Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church (BBDC). But that's not because they're inactive or silent. They do a lot behind the scenes that most of us don't even know about.

Recently, Brian Sims, BBDC pastor, and Brian Kingsbury, a Brentwood Baptist deacon and BBDC member, went to Hong Kong for a unique conference targeting the Deaf Affinity group and Deaf missionaries serving around the world. At the conference, they led workshops and taught the children who attended.

Sims said, "Before, when any deaf person was on the field, they were under the hearing group. Now, the Deaf Affinity group is global. We went to develop a communications strategy for the Deaf. E-mail has always been text-based, but now you can send video e-mail. We went to work on those aspects and how they can develop a system where they can communicate with others serving across the globe."

The average deaf person graduates on a third grade reading level. And, according to Sims, the written language is difficult to learn. "For instance, we'd be able to understand the phrase 'there's nothing my God can't do.' But the average deaf person reads that phrase as 'God can't do anything,'" he said. "Video e-mail would be an easier way for them to communicate."

The International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention has a goal of dispatching 300 missionaries to work specifically with the deaf. Currently, there are 49.

Vesta Sauter (with the IMB) wrote about Brian Sims: "He gave of himself tirelessly. He facilitated communication—ever availing himself to interpret. He gave a challenge, inspiring them to connect with their constituents. He shared his heart and life with many. It was so good to have a pastor with a mission heart among them. We have been so encouraged by Brentwood Baptist—deaf and hearing. The way you have reached out to partner with the Deaf Affinity and have advocated for efforts to reach the Deaf worldwide both blesses and encourages all of us."]]> Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-20/brentwood-baptist-deaf-church-member-and-pastor-lead-at-deaf-conference-in-hong-kong http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-20/brentwood-baptist-deaf-church-member-and-pastor-lead-at-deaf-conference-in-hong-kong Recently, we posted a story about Brentwood Baptist member Joe Hendricks, and he could also be seen him on stage in yesterday's services at Brentwood Baptist's main campus. If you missed it, the Nashville-based photographer blessed families affected by the flood, some of whom lost everything, with a complimentary photo shoot.

After his first encounters with devastated flood victims, who are still picking up the pieces of their lives, he found another new way to reach out to them. Last Sunday, Joe, along with four other area photographers, set up in Wilson Hall from 2:00-7:00 p.m., offering free 20-30-minute photo shoots for 25 local families (only one of which goes to Brentwood Baptist).

According to his blog, he wrote: "Some of the e-mails I received made me cry, from people who really needed new pictures or someone who had lost every picture they had in the flood. The strength and the heart of all the people here in Nashville is amazing. They are the very reason that I [was} motivated to give back to my community with this little project."

Other area photographers involved in the process included Kristen Steele Photography, Allan Williams Photography, Bryan Fay Photography, and Justin Wright Photography, along with five extra volunteers who assisted them. On top of all that, Otter's Chicken provided free food for the volunteers and families while Dury's offered to donate more than 500 prints to the cause.

"After I shot the first families, I got to know their stories and see their surroundings and everything that still needed to be done and it just really got to me," Joe said. "I thought, here God has given me this gift and the least I can do is to help out more people. I knew I had to put this kind of day together to help more people out."

However, this initiative was met with some resistance. According to Joe, he received several e-mails from people who didn't support his efforts, which kept him up at night. "They asked, 'How is photography going to help them?' But I knew I needed to reach out to them. It's one of the things I have to offer," he said.

About half of the families who showed up on Sunday lost all their pictures. Joe said, "You can tell the ones who did because they were crying when they left on Sunday. They were so grateful we did this. I can't imagine losing all those pictures—all your mom's wedding photos, your baby photos. That's what these people went through."

Photography is Joe's ministry as well as his full-time job. His unique idea wasn't a waste of time and effort (like some thought). No, it blessed, encouraged, and sparked hope in these families who've lost so much. He said, "We've already gotten e-mails from families who have their walls ready and they can't wait to see the prints and hang them up. We're trying to help them start some new memories."

Brentwood Baptist Flood Update:

• 29 Brentwood Baptist households helped (volunteer work and/or financially)
• 50 non-members households helped
• 7 churches helped: Lockland Baptist, Greater Pleasant View, El Shaddai, Dalewood Baptist, Northwood Baptist, Harmony Fellowship, Mill Creek Baptist
• Assisted Red Cross with meals
• $3,700 distributed in Kroger cards
• $50,000 distributed in Lowe's cards
• $5,000 given to Graceworks Ministries
• $15,000 given to Southeast Nashville Recovery
• More than $6,000 in gift cards given to Y.E.S. (Youth Encouragement Services)
• Household, clothing, and food items given to Graceworks Ministries and Christ Church
• Hosted nearly 700 volunteers from Kentucky, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio, and more to work on Brentwood Baptist flood-related projects

On Sunday evening, WSMV-TV Channel 4 in Nashville aired a segment about this event. Click here to watch it.

Follow Joe's blog and check out the photos from the family photo shoots.

By Kaylan Christopher]]> Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-18/nashville-photographers-offer-free-photos-shoots-to-flood-families-at-brentwood-baptists-main-campus http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-18/nashville-photographers-offer-free-photos-shoots-to-flood-families-at-brentwood-baptists-main-campus Did you know it may be possible to give generously to the work of God’s kingdom at no cost to yourself? Did you know you may be able to arrange for funds to be donated after you die without any decrease in the amount of your children’s inheritance?

The RockBridge Foundation, created in 1999 and originally called the Brentwood Baptist Missions Foundation, was part of Pastor Bill Wilson’s dream to fund missions efforts through a self-sustaining foundation. It was also designed to help families discover the many ways they could increase their support of the ministries of Brentwood Baptist Church through estate planning and other legal giving channels.

The Rockbridge Foundation now provides a source of income for a number of ministries not covered in the Brentwood Baptist annual budget. Ministry projects that receive funding include:

• Adoption expenses
• Brentwood Baptist Deaf Church needs
• Scholarships for students attending seminary, provided through the Gayle Haywood Educational Fund
• Future church start-ups similar to the Church At Station Hill, our south campus
• Other specific projects as determined by Brentwood Baptist and the RockBridge board of trustees

Jim Jenkins, Stewardship Minister and the Executive Director of the RockBridge Foundation, emphasizes that this kind of giving is not limited to wealthy individuals or families, but instead can play a part in nearly everyone’s personal stewardship program. RockBridge offers assistance in determining the opportunities which best suit each person’s unique financial situation.

For example, one circumstance that would particularly benefit from RockBridge’s services would be a sudden increase in income—through an inheritance, the highly profitable sale of a business or property, or stock market windfalls. Strategic donations in these cases can actually reduce taxation, thereby increasing the total income that can be kept.

Another scenario for giving is the establishment of a life insurance policy, which is owned by the RockBridge Foundation. An individual can pay the premiums for the policy through tax-deductible contributions to Brentwood Baptist, and the Foundation will receive the policy benefits following the insured’s death. This arrangement can greatly multiply a small monthly offering.

The RockBridge Foundation encourages all adults to take the responsible and caring steps of preparing both an adequate will and a living will, along with designating the power of attorney, in order to simplify for their family those life transitions that are either possible or inevitable. While the Foundation personnel do not actually create these documents for you, they can provide wise and helpful counsel in what can be confusing or difficult decisions. They also offer legal or accounting referrals as needed.

But even in the long season of life God grants to most of us, there are important choices to make regarding the wealth with which He entrusts us. Of primary importance is the care of our own families. Often we may not be aware of today’s options for education and retirement funding, investments, and estate management. While God is our ultimate provider and protector, He normally gives us tangible resources as part of those processes. Ideally these resources are to be a blessing to our families, to others in His kingdom, and to the needy who might thereby be drawn into His kingdom.

When financial contributions are channeled through the RockBridge Foundation, the donor is encouraged to designate the specific type of ministry he or she prefers to support. For example, one couple recently requested that their gift, through a surviving trust fund, be used specifically for family-related ministries such as children’s ministry, premarital counseling, and divorce care.

As a 501(c)(3) charity, the RockBridge Foundation is legally separate from Brentwood Baptist Church. It is, however, managed by a board of trustees who are not only nominated and approved by the church, but who are also given strong spiritual oversight and accountability by the Brentwood Baptist trustees.

For more details on this ministry and how you can support God’s kingdom with the wealth He’s given you, click here. Or contact Jim Jenkins by e-mail or phone at 615.324.6116.

Story by Diane Woerner]]> Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-01/rockbridge-foundation-expands-offering-more-ways-to-leave-a-legacy-today-and-tomorrow http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/10-01/rockbridge-foundation-expands-offering-more-ways-to-leave-a-legacy-today-and-tomorrow Isaiah 58:10 (NLT) says, “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”

The Church At Station Hill, Brentwood Baptist’s south campus, may be a small church, but it’s definitely not small when it comes to giving. The church was recently called to do ministry exactly the way Jesus did.

On Sunday, September 19, Campus Teaching Pastor Jay Strother challenged members to meet the needs of the community in a tangible way through a spontaneous mission project. Members were asked to go to the grocery store, fill up their baskets, and support The Well, a local non-profit food pantry.

That same day, 79 families showed up with 350 bags of groceries to provide the single largest donation this year for this ministry. Located in Spring Hill, this ministry provides food, utilities, and additional assistance to struggling families within the communities of Thompson’s Station and Spring Hill.

The need for food assistance is rapidly rising in the area as ten percent of Spring Hill residents are currently unemployed. In August, The Well assisted 90 families and handed out 594 bags of groceries to those in need. This wasn't the first time Station Hill members fed the hungry in their community through this ministry and it won't be the last.

To find out more about The Well and how you can get involved, click here.]]> Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/09-29/members-provide-largest-donation-this-year-to-the-well-ministry http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/09-29/members-provide-largest-donation-this-year-to-the-well-ministry Last Friday, Harriet Vaughn, writer for The Tennessean, wrote a story on the Missions Ministry at Brentwood Baptist and their recent efforts to reach our community and world. Vaughn touched on flood relief, outreach in Haiti, community service, mission journeys, and more.

In the article, she said, "Whether it is a natural disaster or a smaller-scale request, such as cleaning up the yard of an elderly person, Brentwood Baptist members say they're ready to respond. The church is just as much a house of faith as it is a full-run outreach missions center. The church has an eight-person department focused on outreach in Middle Tennessee, across the country and around the world. It has partnered with more than 10 local outreach resource agencies and groups in the area to maximize help for those in need."

To read the full story online, click here.]]> Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/09-10/tennessean-covers-brentwood-baptist-missions-ministry-outreach http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/09-10/tennessean-covers-brentwood-baptist-missions-ministry-outreach Members of Brentwood Baptist's Choir and Orchestra don't just come together in the loft on Sundays at the main campus. They retreat together as well. On Saturday, August 21, 80 of them took a short vacation down to Spring Hill to view the new facilities of our sister campus to the south, The Church At Station Hill, and get away.

Jeremy Busler, Station Hill Worship Pastor who also led worship at the retreat, said, "The idea was that the choir would come down because many of them haven't even seen the campus yet. It was a chance for them to take in the multisite facility and see first-hand what we're doing."

The one-day, three-hour retreat began at 9:00 a.m. with a buffet table full of breakfast foods. Until noon, they fellowshipped over the spread, experienced a time of praise led by the Station Hill worship band, Dennis Worley (Brentwood Baptist Music & Worship Minister), and Jim Hammerly (Brentwood Baptist Associate Music & Worship Minister), got a crash course on new music coming up for the fall, and discussed upcoming Christmas program plans.

The brand-new Station Hill Worship Choir begins this fall, so their Brentwood Baptist brothers and sisters were able to encourage them in this new adventure. But these choir members aren't new.

Jeremy said, "One of the reasons why Station Hill has such a strong connection with Brentwood Baptist—besides the campus itself—is that so many of the people who launched this campus (approximately 30) were Brentwood Baptist Choir and Orchestra members. They came down here to see us, and Dennis and the choir led a really neat prayer time over those of us serving at Station Hill and our campus."

In addition to the items on their agenda, the choir members were introduced to the upcoming choir recruitment program that will take place this month. Jay and Alice Conner are heading up the team within the choir to launch and maintain this program through fall 2011.

"It was a wonderful fellowship time and church family time because those in attendance got to experience what it's like to be a part of a multisite campus," Jeremy said. "We're in a separate location, but we're all the same church family so we should always be encouraging each other and praying for one another."]]> Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/09-03/choir-members-retreat-to-station-hill-campus http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/09-03/choir-members-retreat-to-station-hill-campus On Sunday, August 22, Station Hill Church hosted their first family picnic—complete with watermelon for dessert—and baptism celebration at Deer Run Retreat from 1:00–5:00 p.m.

The baptism celebration in the lake took place at 3:15 p.m. where they baptized 14 people.

Jason Swain, Station Hill Community and Discipleship Pastor, said, "We had a number of people getting baptized—both children and adults. The reason we planted here was to reach out to this community, so we're thrilled that God is bringing those people from our neighborhoods in. It was a huge celebration."

After that, until 5:00 p.m, families swam in the lake and participated in games of whiffle ball, horseshoes, volleyball, soccer, flag football, and more, and lined up for the climbing wall.

"This was just a great opportunity for us to play together," Jason said. "One of our distinctives is 'fun.' That means we don't apologize for enjoying community and life together. This was exactly that—a chance for our church family to laugh and hang out."]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-23/station-hill-hosts-first-family-style-picnic-and-lakeside-baptism-celebration http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-23/station-hill-hosts-first-family-style-picnic-and-lakeside-baptism-celebration Formerly a Brentwood Baptist Student Ministry intern, Brian Coates has returned to join the Station Hill team after a recent two-year adventure and subsequent graduation from Southeastern Seminary. As of June, he's assumed the role of Station Hill Student Minister.

The message he wants to get across to Station Hill members: "There are so many unconnected people in this area. The student ministry is full of potential to grow—and the students want to connect their friends to Christ."

With some 30 students who regularly attend, they still team up for big events with Brentwood Baptist's main campus, but are also planning their own schedule for the fall. Brian said, "We have a big crop of sixth graders coming up. Since it's a younger congregation anyway, having that many in middle school is great."

This Wednesday, August 18, the ministry will host an "End of Summer/Fall Kick-Off Party" for junior high and high school students from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the home of David and Diane Carpenter. The cookout and pool party will celebrate a great summer and the start of a new fall semester.

So far, he's spent the last two months getting to know the parents and students and developing a tight-knit community. "We have a lot of students at Station Hill who are coming to worship, but they haven't realized there's a place for them to connect on Sunday mornings," Brian said.

Because of this, he's already implementing changes and adding options for the good of those in this budding ministry. Just this last Sunday he launched an 11:00 a.m. Bible study for high schoolers to match the junior high Bible study at the same time.

And, when "Big Wednesdays" roll around on September 1, all students in grades 6-12 will have a place to also connect in LifeGroups. Five LifeGroup options will be offered: 1) sixth grade girls; 2) seventh and eighth grade girls; 3) middle school guys; 4) high school girls; and 5) high school guys.

"It's been really encouraging to see this many committed students and leaders to start off with," Brian said. "With the students we already have coming, we also have 10 leaders who will be there. There are some really good churches in this area, but most of them aren't doing small groups like we are. This is where students can invite their friends. We have a lot of potential to reach people here."

To sign up for the End of Summer Party or LifeGroups each Wednesday, contact Brian Coates at 324.6287 or click here to e-mail him.]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-16/station-hill-student-ministry-takes-off-in-area-full-of-potential http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-16/station-hill-student-ministry-takes-off-in-area-full-of-potential On August 25, Station Hill will introduce "Big Wednesdays." The mid-week event will introduce KidLife, Student LifeGroups, Adult LifeGroups, and Worship Choir rehearsal—all worship and discipleship opportunities that will take place each Wednesday thereafter.

At 5:45 p.m., the fun, informative night of fellowship will begin with a hot dog fellowship followed by a presentation from Station Hill leadership about opportunities and registration until 7:30 p.m.

Big Wednesday won't meet on September 1 due to the Labor Day holiday, but will instead officially begin with a regular schedule the next week on September 8. Each Wednesday will begin with a bring-your-own-brown-bag-dinner at 5:45 p.m. and continue with activities at 6:30 p.m.

Jason Swain, Station Hill Community and Discipleship Pastor, said, "This is a way for our members and new people to connect to our church. There's a number of options for people to get involved. Stuff is happening both on and off campus."

KidLife, for children three years old to fifth grade, will include four components: music, small group time, large group time, and missions. Student LifeGroups, for junior high and high schoolers, will meet off campus. Adults will be introduced and begin new LifeGroups. And those interested in joining the worship choir can sign up.

Why "Big" Wednesday? Because it's a big night for the church. And because it's Wednesday. Zach Van Gieson, Station Hill Children's Minister, said, "On the kick-off day, everybody will come together to register, see what's going on, and gear up for what we've got in store for the fall."]]> Sun, 15 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-15/big-wednesdays-kick-off-next-week http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-15/big-wednesdays-kick-off-next-week More than 300 church leaders, including Bible Study teachers, deacons, worship leaders, hospitality team members, and many others gathered last night in Hudson Hall for the second of two annual “Leadership Summits” for 2010. The first Summit takes place in January each year.

The Summit is an opportunity to gather key church leaders to report on some metrics of church life, hear from staff ministers on upcoming strategies and initiatives, and for Pastor Mike Glenn to cast vision for the future.

One of the featured presentations in the meeting was "JourneyOn," the new discipleship strategy unveiled by Steve Layton, Brentwood Baptist Discipleship Minister. Following an 8-minute video overview, Steve and members of the Discipleship Team outlined key features of the new strategy.

"As we thought about JourneyOn, God gave us a very simple and concise statement we could share with others: 'Connect people of all ages to Jesus Christ,'" Layton said. "It's a spiritual formation journey that will help each individual embrace an intentional growth plan where they are inwardly transformed so that the personality and works of jesus Christ will flow out where they live, work, and play."

One of the unique features of the JourneyOn strategy is its alignment throughout all areas of discipleship, from preschool through senior adults. The new plan is undergoing a soft launch this fall in several areas, with the full launch planned for January 2011.

In addition, Pastor Mike Glenn shared updates on church initiatives, including a new bell tower for Baskin Chapel, a church-wide survey to be administered this fall, and a new fall sermon series called Enough, which he'll present beginning in October.

The Summit was concluded with an opportunity for questions and answers and a time of guided prayer.

By Steve Smith]]> Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-05/church-leaders-gather-for-bi-annual-leadership-summit http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/08-05/church-leaders-gather-for-bi-annual-leadership-summit Last week, more than 1,200 children and 500 volunteers saddled up their horses and rode out to Saddle Ridge Ranch at Brentwood Baptist for Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2010.

This year, our six-month-old congregation partnered with the Brentwood Baptist's main campus to conduct VBS.

Zach Van Gieson, our Children's Minister, said, "We again saw the value of being a regional campus. We were able to plug into the existing infrastructure of Brentwood Baptist and allow our people to serve and use their gifts for the Kingdom."

During the week, children from both campuses—four years old to fifth grade—rounded up questions like: Who am I? Does God care about me? What is God's plan for me? How can I be like Jesus? What do I do now? And each day at noon, they road off into the sunset with answers straight from the Bible.

In addition to daily Bible study, the children participated in recreation, worship, arts and crafts, and more. Each day, they learned about missionaries around the world and ultimately gave more than $1,100 in offerings for missions.

School children in kindergarten through fifth grade attended an opening worship rally every day where Van Gieson shared the day's lesson with the whole group. Back in their classrooms, the teachers went in-depth, explaining the Bible story and verse.

Wednesday was "ABC Day" for kindergarten through fifth graders. Van Gieson presented the plan of salvation, explaining how to believe in Jesus, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life with God in heaven. More than 70 children were counseled and 38 kids made the decision to follow Jesus.

The week wrapped up with a Family Celebration Night on Friday with highlights from the week and a time of worship led by the children.

"Several Station Hill members served in key roles during VBS, thereby allowing our Brentwood campus friends to see the ministry potential of their Station Hill brothers and sisters," Van Gieson said. "It's our hope that we can again partner with the Brentwood Campus in 2011 as well as provide a local VBS opportunity in our own community.”

Photos by Joe Hendricks
Story by Kaylan Christopher]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/07-19/more-than-1200-brentwood-baptist-and-station-hill-kids-saddled-up-for-vacation-bible-school-2010 http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/07-19/more-than-1200-brentwood-baptist-and-station-hill-kids-saddled-up-for-vacation-bible-school-2010 Fire trucks, ice cream, snacks, bicycles—what more could a kid ask for?

On the morning of Saturday, July 3, Spring Hill hosted their eighth annual Fourth of July Parade for Children that catered specifically to hundreds of the community's children and benefited the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Elizabeth Shipps, a Station Hill Church member, said, "It was actually started by a family who did this in their hometown. They said, 'Why doesn't Spring Hill do something like this?'"

Kids and families are featured in the parade, along with decorated bikes and wagons, fire trucks, and the high school marching band. And, each year, the turnout is high.

Station Hill Church members were also represented at the event as a newer part of the community. Their goal was to have a presence, introduce themselves, and connect with the people where they live and play.

"Almost every year, my husband gets to see people who live in our community that he hardly ever sees any other time," Elizabeth said. "Just the other day, he went and had lunch with a guy he saw at the parade just to connect again."

By Kaylan Christopher]]> Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/07-09/members-participate-in-annual-fourth-of-july-parade-for-children http://www.brentwoodbaptist.com/station_hill/news/2010/07-09/members-participate-in-annual-fourth-of-july-parade-for-children