Christmas STUFF coming on us at FBC & Bay West

Christmas is here and it's crazy, because another year has just flown by.  When we look back at this year, we've been
- "radical" in new ways, serving in ways we've never served before.
- started new directions in our lives, studied God's Word differently, expecting a difference in our lives.
- started a partnership in another country to reach an unreached people group, and help support the building of a clean water system in Nicaragua that has been instrumental in leading over 30 people to Christ.

So far, good year, but it's not over...and there are lots of Christmas things to benefit us this year.

Our Christmas Schedule at Bay West will be as follows.

We'll meet at Heritage High School on Sunday, Dec. 4, 11, 18 and then on the 25th and January 1st, we'll meet in combined services at the Melbourne Campus...returning to Heritage the next week on January 8th with a GREAT new series, so be ready.

For the "Who is Jesus" series at Bay West, we have some interesting and impacting services planned, so do not miss them.  If you have someone who battles with Who Jesus is, this is a good series to invite them to come...we'll tackle that question.

On December 10-11, we have the Adult Christmas Concert at the Melbourne Campus...it's a great FREE Christmas offering of music and fun.  You will need a ticket and they are GOING fast.  There are only a few left and they are at Bay West this Sunday.  After that, it's overflow and hope someone doesn't show up.  These are tickets, not just invite cards, so only take them for your immediate family and someone that you've already invited and know they are coming.

On December 18, we'll be having the Children's Choirs Christmas Concert at the Melbourne Campus.  Our little ones are always cute and talented and it's a fun time for all...I'm there with the video camera to watch mine!

As you know, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, so we get to celebrate Christ's birth at church this year!  As awesome as this is, we realize that it does present challenges for those with large family traditions, and we are trying to be sensitive to that.  God ordained that His name be praised always, but each church picks the times under His guidance and we feel we've done so this year as well.  We will be offering two services this weekend at our Melbourne Campus...a Christmas Eve service at 5pm and a Christmas Day service at 11am.  Both services will be identical in construction, so you can choose to come to one or both, whatever God leads you to do...no guilt from us.  :)  Childcare is preschool only.

New Year's Day will be a very special time with our two campuses.  Randy and I will be working with Scott on leading the service time...  It will be a special time, very laid back and a time for people to share what God's doing in their lives.  It's called a "Catacomb service" at FBC.  We put the chairs "in the round" on the floor and we lead worship and speak from the floor.  It's really interesting and a special time.

Looking forward to what's going on at Bay West and FBC Melbourne.

Please continue to pray for us as we attempt to be a Jesus- following church in Palm Bay, Florida as a the Bay West Campus of FBC Melbourne.

Holy Radical T-shirts, Batman! Pray for the work of the Water Project in Nicaragua!

When last we left our caped crusader...sorry, couldn't resist that, but seriously, wanted to pass along an update from Daniel Richeson at Viera Water Network on the work on getting a clean water system to Las Lajas, a village in the mountains in Nicaragua.  If you remember, we are helping to sponsor this project with the sales of our Bay West T-shirts.

Daniel emailed me and sent some pictures and I'm going to copy the email report from Maynor Curtis, who works with us in Nicaragua as a translator when we go.  Maynor is heading up the project onsite with the Mennonite Church that is working with the villagers to build the water system AND sharing Christ with them as they work on the project side by side.  GREAT NEWS and GREAT needs of prayer for the people and for Maynor personally.  You can read it below.

"Hello Brother Daniel! I return to Grenada on Thursday afternoon and Friday at 4:00 am, I was taken to hospital because I had high fever, cough, body aches and my blood pressure was down, 90/70. I was in the hospital until Sunday afternoon. I am serving as his interpreter, but with some difficulty, because I still coughing. For the last 5 weeks we could not work on the water project, but we had advanced a little, and the reason is the heavy rains in Nicaragua.

The rivers have plenty of water and we have to stay in Panama for 37 days, without returning to our homes because we could not cross the river that is on route to Los Panama and the Caribe.

On October 18 collapsed part of the hill, where we were and the water entered into the house at night, when we were sleeping, but thank God, we suffer losses of 20 bag of cement. The Mennonite church, going to buy others 20 bag of cement, (100 pound per bag); but the owner of the house, he lost some rabbits and some chickens. Next week, I returned to finish the work of the water tanks and then I will send the full report.

In Christ,

Maynor Curtis

The unprofitable bondservant of our Lord Jesus Christ"

 Our job is not through with the sending of the money to Nicaruagua...we need to PRAY! 

Here is specifically what I am charging you personally to pray with every day.

1)  For Maynor's health as he continues to try to run the project at far less than 100%

2)  For the weather to be conducive to finishing the project

3)  Praise God for the many who have accepted Christ in working on the project (over 23 at last count)

4)  Praise God the loss due to the damage of the hill collapsing was minor, but also pray for the owner who had losses, that God will bless him for helping with this project.

4 things...pray every day...this is part of our Radical Experiment and it's not done yet!

Pictures from the "T-shirts for Nicaragua" project with Viera Water Network!