April 2023
By Pastor Phil
Lead Pastor
“The resurrection does not happen for its own sake, and Matthew’s Gospel does not end, therefore with the resurrection; it ends with the Great Commission of world-wide mission.” - Dale Bruner
I am looking forward to our Easter celebration on April 9! This year we are looking at Matthew’s account of the resurrection. What Dale Bruner notices, in the quote above, is that in Matthew 28, the resurrection is a catalyst for mission in the world. None of the gospels actually describe the resurrection; instead, they describe people’s discovery, reaction, and encounter with the resurrection. As people encounter the resurrected Christ they are sent out on mission. His disciples are called to share the good news to others and make other disciples.
During the Easter season, we have a rhythm of focusing on mission and outreach as a church. We will be continuing this rhythm this year. On April 16, I will be interviewing Justin Mattix in our worship service. Justin has started a recovery ministry for men that meets at the Lighthouse mission every week. Our mission catalyst team recently provided funding for Justin and his team to be trained in the Genesis Process, which is a Christian based recovery program. Justin is going to share with us some of the things he has been learning about how God works to heal, liberate, and transform people who are dealing with addictions of all kinds. This month we are also going to begin preparing to bless our new refugee neighbors this summer. We will be hosting a summer literacy program and school readiness camp for refugee children (see Steven Shetterly’s write-up below for more info). Lastly, we are getting ready for our annual 6k for clean water in the Congo on May 21st. You can sign up here:
What I notice Matthew’s resurrection account, is that mission begins within. Before his disciples are equipped to live into the Great Commission, they need to encounter the good news of the resurrection first hand. The Great Commission begins by God reaching out to his once-believing disciples who have gone astray. We notice that Jesus graciously, and lovingly refers to the disciples who had betrayed him as his “brothers” (28:10). Dale Bruner writes:
“Jesus had promised his disciples, immediately after his prediction of their defection, “but after I have been raised, I will go on ahead of you to Galilee (25:31f). That promise itself was gracious enough; it meant, ‘Even your leaving me will not mean my leaving you. I will come back and resume fellowship.’ Now Jesus keeps that promise. The resumption of fellowship - in sum, the forgiveness of sins - is part of the resurrection message.”
What this means is that our commission to bring good news to the world begins by encountering this good news again for ourselves. Mission begins within and then compels us outward. My prayer is that this Easter season we might grasp again the wonder of the message of resurrection and that it would inspire and empower us to share that good news with others!
In Christ,
Pastor Phil
We have a wonderful challenge right now in our kids' ministry. We have grown significantly and our classrooms are bursting! Click here to see a video announcement from Children's Director, Megan Mattix.
By Steven Shetterly
BCC will once again be hosting summer programming for refugee youth and families! Plans are to host a family literacy class lasting several weeks, from late June to the end of July followed by a School Readiness Program (SRP) in early August. These programs are a vital point of connection for newly-arrived families, and we’ll need a variety of volunteers, particularly for the SRP. If you’re interested in connecting with our new neighbors in this way, sign up at the Welcome Kiosk or fill out a short online form here and World Relief staff will contact you when an informational session has been planned.
To catch the vision of what this ministry will look like, check out this video from last years summer program:
Three Upcoming Life Together Classes Beginning Sunday, April 16th at 10:45am
Sabbath – Do you long for rest from the busy pace of our current culture? Join us for a video and discussion series on Sabbath from Practicing the Way for practical steps to incorporate this ancient practice into your weekly rhythm. We will explore Sabbath over four weeks with the themes of Stop, Rest, Delight, and Worship. For more information contact Rachel Gulleson at rgulleson@gmail.com
Financial Basics: God, Money, and Mammon – Managing our financial resources can be a blessing and a curse. In this class we will explore together how to navigate the joys and challenges of budgeting, tithing, managing purchases big and small, saving for retirement, unpacking the “gift” of retirement, and planning for our eventual departure from this earth. We’ll provide plenty of practical tools and encourage sharing of our common experiences.
New To BCC? – A couple times a year we host a group for those who are new to BCC. This is a great chance to connect with others, learn about the vision, mission, and values of BCC, and discover ways that you can engage in mission and ministry. At the end of the class you will have the opportunity to become a member of BCC if you would like. Pastor Phil will be hosting our next newcomer group during our life together hour on April 16, April 23, May 7 and May 14. If you can’t make all four that is ok, please join us when you can. If you are interested you can sign up at the next step kiosk or RSVP to phil@bellinghamcov.org
By Kathy Sellereit
BCC Friends,
When you donate, walk or run the Global 6K, you’ll do it for kids like Maggie. Imagine walking six times a day for water — every day — and even missing school because of it.
“The water was heavy for me and … I would reach home tired,” says the 12-year-old. She also had to work extra hard to keep up in class. “I would find most of my friends had already done subjects when I reached school.”
So when World Vision and community members worked together to install a water system close by, everything changed for Maggie and her family. Cooking, washing, cleaning, playing, studying…the basics Maggie needed to succeed in life flowed.
“The day that we had water, we played a lot of drums,” says Maggie. “We are grateful.” Her entire community sang praise songs to God out of pure joy.
Your participation in the Global 6K is helping write stories like Maggie’s. Want to make a bigger impact? Share these stories with a friend and ask them to join your 6K in honor of Maggie!
Date: Sunday May 21, 2023
Time: Following the worship service
Location: On site at Bellingham Covenant
Holy Week Events
Sunday, April 2 - Sunday, April 9
Various Times, Various Locations
Click HERE for a complete schedule