A Night @ the FORGE - 05.29.12

The Chef... Camilo (son of Dan & Carol Ritchie)

 

The Chef's Assistants...

 

The Music by Dan & Paul...

The Meal & Fellowship...

The Speaker, Richard Smith...

Helping Hands

BVCC volunteers served the folks at Helping Hands in Bentonville on May 26.  The group assisted customers, cashiered, sorted & hung up clothes and accepted donations throughout the day.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

The preschoolers at Little Sprouts Learning Center had a full last week of school finishing projects and saying goodbye to their friends and teachers.  Have a great summer kids! 

 The Mighty Sprouts have one last class picture before going off to Kindergarten in the fall.

 Izzy and Molly say goodbye to Ms. Linda before they leave.

 

Ms. Sue helps the children gift wrap 27 wooden toy cars that will be given to the NWA Children's Shelter and other local ministries. (Thanks to Bill & Julie Flock for painting these for the kids.)

A BIG THANK YOU!!

 

We really appreciate those from various Life Groups that spent a recent Saturday morning washing all the windows in the church  and cleaning the pews in the worship center. It looks great.

Reflections from OCC President Matt Proctor

May 22, 2012

Dear Ozark Family,

Each one will be different.  Today, on the one-year anniversary of the Joplin tornado, each person will mark the day differently.  Some will join the city’s Walk of Unity, following the tornado’s path.  Some will return to the place where they took shelter, reliving the terrifying moments.  Others will visit a grave, remembering a loved one lost in the storm.  A few will simply distract themselves, seeking to forget.

The tornado’s destruction was tragic, and today we at Ozark remember those we lost—a student, a former professor, an employee, beloved friends.  But over the last year, God has been true to His promise that “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).  So I will also mark this day by counting God’s blessings that I personally experienced: 

• I saw God save my family.  In a life-threatening situation, as we unknowingly drove right into the tornado’s edge, God blocked our path with a falling tree and provided a kind older couple nearby to take us into their basement.  I praise God for walking with us through “the valley of the shadow of death.”
• I saw God protect the Ozark family.  As I walked through the rubble of OCC employees Bill and Glenda McCarty’s house, the only room left standing was the closet where they took shelter.  So many of our college family survived the full brunt of the storm that it can only be called miraculous. 
• I saw God pour donations into the college.  As we immediately opened our campus to the Red Cross and thousands of other volunteers, the administrator in me wondered how we would cover the extra expenses—especially given our own financially tight times as a college.  But God’s people generously sent thousands of dollars our way, and every one of our extra expenses was covered.
• I saw God bring volunteers into our city. Last summer I would often walk through the Multi-Purpose Building talking with folks who had given up vacation, family time, work time to come help our city.  I drove through our campus parking lots, counting states on the license plates—God literally sent people from all over the country to help us rebuild.
• I saw God teach my children about the Church.  My kids got to see the Church at its best.  In the days after the tornado, my 17-year-old son Luke went out every day with chainsaw and gloves to work alongside church volunteers, as they lived out the gospel.  In a 4-H speech three weeks after the tornado, he said, “The last three weeks have been the worst three weeks of my life and the best three weeks of my life.”  Luke had seen both the tornado’s terrible destruction and the Church’s incredible response.
• I saw God tear down denominational walls.  We have lived one of the mottoes of our Restoration Movement heritage: “We are Christians only, but not the only Christians.”  As St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Faith Full Gospel Church met on our campus, we’ve seen what the rest of Joplin saw—churches with different names over the door working together in the name of Christ.
• I saw God raise up unexpected leaders. I love watching good leaders in action, and in the wake of the tornado, I saw great leadership come from unexpected places.  Who would have guessed that a skateboard park and youth hangout would become a central nerve center in both the local and federal disaster response?  But Dan Mitchell and Nick Parsons led their team at The Bridge to become exactly that.  It was a joy to behold.
• I saw God introduce people to the work of OCC.  Thousands of people who knew little or nothing about the ministry of Ozark Christian College are now suddenly aware that God is at work training Christian leaders on a small college campus on the north edge of Joplin, and we’ve received so many notes and gifts thanking us for what we’re doing.
• I saw God deepen friendships.  We had two displaced families live with us during the summer after the tornado—the Kesslers and the Ratliffs (with their 9 kids!).  It was an incredible blessing to my family and a joy that my kids will always treasure.  We were already friends, but after walking together through a crisis, after sharing food and tears and laughter and a home, now we’re all family.
• I saw God cultivate gratitude.  It’s amazing what suddenly loses significance in the aftermath of a tragedy.  What once seemed so essential—the latest gadgets, the coolest clothes—quickly becomes irrelevant.  What once seemed like great hardships—the minor inconveniences of daily life—now assume their proper size, and we realize what is truly important.  If we have our family and our health and food on the table, we are thankful.

I could go on with other blessings, but let me close with a story:  We spent New Year’s Eve with our friends, the Ratliffs.  They were back in their own house, though still unfinished.  (No stove installed yet—they were cooking for 9 kids on a hot plate!)  But that evening, Tim Ratliff said something I’ll never forget.  He was reflecting on the blessings that had come their way after May 22 of last year, and this father—who had been through so much—remarked, “The tornado was the best thing that ever happened to this family.”   

In that moment, I was reminded of a song by Laura Story:  “What if Your blessings come through raindrops?  What if Your healing comes through tears?  What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?  And what if  trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”  In the midst of pain, it can be hard to see God’s gifts, but somewhere, in that moment last New Year’s Eve, God heard Tim Ratliff’s words and smiled.  So today, I will practice 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and I will mark this one-year anniversary by simply telling God:  thanks.

SERVING OUR MOPS MOMS

For the last MOPS meeting of the season, some of our students and sponsors gave our moms a much needed break, as they cooked and served "hot off the griddle" pancakes.

Following breakfast, the students headed out for an afternoon of bowling.

Singles Connect Party

Gary Devlin opened his home for a Singles Connect Cinco de Mayo party.  Even though it was a holiday weekend they still had almost 40 singles from the community.  Watch for more big summer bashes coming up!

Mother's Day Display

A Mother's Day display, for moms of all ages, adorned the office windows on Mothers Day weekend.  A big thanks to our Interior Decor Ministry for adding this extra touch that made Sunday even more special.  Watch for a patriotic display in the Atrium for the Fourth of July holiday.

Guess Who?

In the News

NEW HEIGHTS OPEN HOUSE

A WORD FROM OUR MISSIONARY

This letter is from Debbie Poore, Director of Global Outreach 

for TCM (Training Christians for Ministry) in Austria

 I have just returned from Haus Edelweiss, where Gary Johnson “hit it out of the park” with his graduation sermon for our 18^th graduating class (32 grads from 13 different nations). I think you will enjoy our photos from that weekend. They can be found at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/hausedelweiss/2012GraduationWEB?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJ_T483su9-KhgE&feat=directlink

The picture below paragraph was taken during the graduation worship. Those seated are the graduates and those standing are the TCM National Directors, faculty, support staff and partners. 

 As I reflect back on the last couple of weeks, it is truly easy to see the hand of God in the ministry of TCM. The subtle yet definite ways He illustrates He is in control amaze me. I find myself telling people how amazed I am with God’s ways. I give examples and sometimes wonder, why be amazed. He is faithful and true and He has promised He is with us always. Still, I am amazed.

Here are some reflections from my recent trip to Haus Edelweiss:

•  God is continuing to use TCM to develop international disciple makers in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and beyond.  The graduation punctuated this for me as I saw prepared men and women armed and ready to continue the battle for the Lord in the students’ countries.  Each one is a powerful servant of the Lord and a maturing disciple maker for Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:2).  I wish you could meet them.
•  The challenges facing believers in that part of the world are staggering.  They face financial and political challenges.  Communism has fallen, but is not forgotten.  During the communist days, people were private, closed, because they were afraid to open up.  Many remain closed…even to the gospel.  I wish you could meet them.
• The professors I have met (from the US and from the Eastern European and Central Asian countries) are mighty servants of the Lord.  These men and women are strong and excellent teachers, but even stronger in their faith.   You’d love them and understand what I am saying.  It’s a privilege to serve with them.  I wish you could meet them.
• The students are awesome.  I know “awesome” is an overused word, but it still is the best word to describe them.  Ages range from 30’s to 60’s.  They are not kids, but rather seasoned veterans of life.  They all are deeply grateful for the education provided for them.  I love these students, who teach me so much about commitment.  I wish you could meet them.
• The National Directors for TCM are powerful servant-leaders.  For example, Ukraine’s National Director reported on baptisms, church plants, thousands in church, and meeting needs of the homeless and hungry.  Most touching was his tribute to his wife, who died of cancer this year.  He loved her and misses her, but rejoices that she is with Jesus.  He was leaving Haus Edelweiss to be in America for a month ministering to Ukrainian people here.  I wish you could meet him. 
• “God is up to something.” We say this quite a lot at TCM. We look back over 55 years of ministry and ask, “Who would have dreamed that a church planting organization in Ontario Canada begun by a young preacher from Brownstown, Indiana would subsequently reach thousands of people in the former Soviet Union with the saving knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ and then become the premier equipping ministry of  indigenous missionaries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and beyond. A ministry blessed by God to reach at least 50,000 people annually with the Gospel of Christ?  God did not dream it, He did it. And He continues to be up to something!   Amazing………..!

 I would ask that you share this e-mail with your mission team as a way of our saying thank you for your partnership with TCM. Also, please share it with the high school group that I spoke to a few weeks ago. They were an impressive group of young people and I would like to keep them updated on TCM.

Hannah's Baptism

Mother's Day 2012 will be remembered as an extra special Sunday, as we shared in the joy of Hannah Foster's baptism with her entire family.  Pray for Hannah and her new life in Christ.  The Fosters: Glen & Angela and children, Taylor, Josh & Hannah joined the BVCC family on October 5, 2008.

Senior Ministry Trip

And they're off!  Our Senior Ministry enjoyed the nice weather as they loaded up the charter bus for a day trip to Branson on Fri. May 19.  They planned to visit shops, have lunch at McFarlain's Restaurant and attend the afternoon performance of "Joseph" at the Sight and Sound Theater.
Visit the website for more pictures at www.bellavistachristian.com