M AY 2 0 1 5

We all hear those whispers of

fear, but being brave is choosing
to stop listening to them.

Annie F. Downs, Oasis womens retreat speaker

WHY ARE WE HERE?

IBC is a community that exists

because we believe Jesus Christ
transforms lives. We want to be fully
alive as followers of Jesus, and we
hope youll join us on this journey.

HOW DO WE DO THIS?
GROWING IN CHRIST At the
heart of our journey is the gospel of
Jesus. We trust Christ as our Savior
and find ourselves becoming more
like him as we deepen our relationship with him.
CONNECTING IN COMMUNITY

The way of following Jesus is not a

path we walk alone. The gospel story
draws us into a community of people
whose lives are being transformed
by Jesus.

JOINING THE MISSION Followers

of Jesus arent just saved, theyre also

sent. Believers become witnesses to
the grace of God as they take part in
his mission to rescue and redeem the
lost and broken.

The Women at IBC Oasis Retreat.

Worship led by Jeff and Sarah Taylor.
Celebration at the conclusion of the
Congo conference.

For more about growing in Christ,

connecting in community, and joining the mission at IBC, please contact
info@irvingbible.org.
CONTACT IBC
2435 Kinwest Pkwy
Irving, TX 75063
(972) 560-4600
irvingbible.org
FACEBOOK irvingbible
TWITTER @ibcvoice
ELETTER irvingbible.org/eletter
WEB

New to IBC? Turn to page 18.

OASIS RETREAT &

D.R. CONGO MISSION

Women at IBC enjoyed the

Oasis retreat with speaker/author Annie F. Downs at Camp
Copass (Denton, TX). On April
10, an IBC team left for D.R.
Congo to present a conference
on trauma and healing for local
women.

a letter from Chatter

Chatter is
Editor Julie Rhodes
Art Direction, Design & Goodness
Josh Wiese, Lindsey Sobolik, JD Lemming
Admin Extraordinaire
Victoria Andrews
Pastor to Hashtags
Scott McClellan, Communications Pastor
Photography
Dieula Previlon (Photo Update)*
Evan Chavez (Sukhwant)*
Katherine Ivey (ESL)*
Patty Thompson (Easter Eggsperience)*
Stephanie Suire (Photo Update)*
Writers
Beth Robb (Senior Spotlights)*
Brent McKinney (South Sudan)**
Megan Foreman (Chatter Facts)*
Nat Pugh (Next Steps)**
Ryan The Colonel Sanders
(Synergy in Mission)**
Shannon Miller (ESL)**
Editorial Assistance/Proofing
Summer Alexander*, Annie Stone*
Thoughts, comments, ideas?
Contact Chatter at chatter@irvingbible.org.

YESTERDAY, MY FOUR-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER MADELINE WAS ASKING ABOUT SIN. This is be-

cause she is exceptionally bright, spiritually advanced, and concerned with acquiring justice for her brother
who had been ignoring her.

Is sin like a bad bug in your body? she asked.

Except she said, YIKE a bad bug, because she
cannot yet say her ls.
Yes, I said, Sin is like a bad bug. But Jesus died to
take away your sins.
She thought about that for a second.
Well, it didnt WORK.
It just so happens that Madeline has a complicated
relationship with bugs. Not just sin bugs. ACTUAL
bugs. She delights in them; she despises them. She
is obsessed with the horrible shapes of their legs
and eyes and wings; with the fascinating sounds
they make; their unpredictable, dangerous behavior, and the way they do not ask her permission to
EXIST, how they go right along their bug-gy way despite the fact that she has so many questions to ask
them. She has an overwhelming desire to welcome
them and rejoice in her co-existence with them, but
the truth is, there are just some BAD BUGS. Even
the nice ones are sort of awful.
Ladybugs, with their haphazard, sudden departures.
Butterflies, with their spider-like, hairy legs.

Need Chatter Digitally?

Chatter is on the web at
irvingbible.org/chatter.
Are you a media socialite?
Like Chatter on Facebook. Its so likeable.
*Most beloved and indispensable
Chatter Volunteer.
**Most beloved and indispensable
IBC staff member.

C HAT TE R FA C T I CON K EY
CULTURE

LANGUAGE

FOOD

LIFE

GENERAL

SCIENCE

GEOGRAPHY

TEXAS

HISTORY

TOMFOOLERY

Bugs are either bad or just a LITTLE BIT bad. She

wants to like them, she really does. Theres just a lot
of unresolved tension. She pushes her hair behind
her perfect, tiny ears, and soldiers on through the
dying St. Augustine.
Theres tension inside of me, too. Tension with
myself, with other people, with the world. The tension of living in a not-yet life where Jesus has taken
away my sin fully but not yet.
Sure, I say, Jesus paid it all, and when he looks
at me, he sees perfection and a white robe and
childlike innocence. But when I look at me, I see a
six-eyed Sort-of-Awful who maybe deserves to be
crushed by a plastic princess shoe. Like what Jesus
did for me didnt work. It didnt take. Even if Im not
bad, Im at least a little bit bad. And even a little bit
bad can be bad enough to feel useless and defeated,
especially if my issues SHOULD be relatively easy
to overcome or avoid; easily shattered like inconsequential nothings-at-all over the bedrock of Gods
real-ness and grace.

The Monarch butterfly became

the Texas State Insect in 1995.

How on earth will God ever really use me in this life

when all I want to do is shop online?
How will I ever really leave a legacy for my kids
when, day in and day out, when Ive spent more
emotional energy being concerned about how I look
in these jeans?
These are tame compared to the dark, actually Bad
parts of me I could share.
Brother Lawrence, that potato-peeling monk of old,
said this:
I regard myself as the most wretched of all men,
stinking and covered with sores, and as one who
has committed all sorts of crimes against his King.
Overcome by remorse, I confess all my wickedness
to Him, ask His pardon and abandon myself entirely
to Him to do with as He will. But this King, filled
with goodness and mercy, far from chastising me,
lovingly embraces me, makes me eat at His table,
serves me with His own hands, gives me the keys of
His treasures and treats me as His favorite. He talks
with me and is delighted with me in a thousand and
one ways; He forgives me and relieves me of my
principle bad habits without talking about them;
I beg Him to make me according to His heart and
always the more weak and despicable I see myself
to be, the more beloved I am of God (Practicing
the Presence of God).
God outdoes our determination to wallow with
his own brand of stubbornness: his determination
to delight.
Actually, now that I think about it, Im not being
totally honest about Madeline. There IS one bug for
which she has true agape love, and thats a roly-poly.
She is uncannily in tune with his/her whereabouts
assuming there are roly-poly hims and hers. In
her mind, there is nothing to condemn in a rolypoly, except perhaps its tendency to die without the
proper permits.
She pinches it gently and lets it crawl all up and
down her arm, its disease-y little legs whipping
back and forth across the pristine plane of skin.
She laughs and thrills and tries to find another
one, and then another; collecting them like jewels
for a crown.

Chatter | 3

Chatter
Chats with
Sukhwant
Bhatia

Photo props: Evan Chavez

This month, IBC partner Sukhwant Bhatia of

Seek Partners International (seekpartners.
org) will be paying a visit to the IBC family.
And hes got a lot to report.

Chatter | 4

The Indian name Sukhwant

means full of happiness.

Photos from
Left to Right
NIITS presents the
newly translated
Hindi Study Bible
(New Testament).
Dr. Bahatia explains
program requirements to NIITS
Master of Divinity
candidates.
NIITS Bible
translation in process.

First, a little background...

IN
Our graduates
become church
planters, starters
of women
and childrens
ministries, and
work as teachers/
trainers with other
organizations that
have non-formal
training programs.

1981, Sukhwant Bhatia

came to Jesus from a
Sikh background in
Punjab, India, after an
exhaustive 4+ years of comparative study
of other religions with the Bible. He is the
first Sikh convert to have graduated from
Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) with
a ThM degree. Coming from a background where the number of Christian
converts was only in the hundreds (out of
40 million followers of Sikhism), Sukhwant felt challenged to take the Gospel to
unreached people in Northwest India
Sikhs in particular. Sukhwant earned his
PhD in Higher Education Administration
at the University of North Texas, in collaboration with DTS, to prepare for a lifetime ministry of teaching faithful men
who will also be qualified to teach others
(2 Tim. 2:2). Sukhwant has been pastoring and planting churches since 1984. He
has also been involved with formal and
non-formal theological education and
ministry training since 2001.
Today, Dr. Bhatia is a teacher, preacher,
and trainer. Dr. Bhatias responsibilities
as President and CEO of Seek Partners
International include teaching at higher
Christian education institutions in the
least Christian region of the world, providing consultation to various ministry
projects, training Bible translators, and
leading Bible translation projects in the
Hindi and Punjabi languages. He also recruits and develops team leaders sourced
both internationally and domestically,
and provides consultation and working
partnerships to international organizations seeking large-scale ministry in Asia.
He is currently the President of the North
India Institute of Theological Studies
(NIITS) in Chandigarh, India.

The number of language groups without any portion of the Bible translated
is around 2,000.

IBC has partnered with Sukhwant at

Seek Partners International since 2006,
and has been instrumental in training
church leaders at NIITS and supporting
the Bible translation works in the Hindi
and Punjabi languages.
Lets chat a little with Dr. Bhatia.
NORTH INDIA INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES ACCOMMODATES
60 STUDENTS, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY HALF ARE WOMEN. WHAT
ARE MOST OF THESE STUDENTS
TRAINING TO DO?

We do not take independent students, so

all our students go back to the ministries
that initially sent them to us for theological education and ministry training. Our
graduates become church planters, starters of women and childrens ministries,
and work as teachers/trainers with other
organizations that have non-formal training programs.
ONE OF THE THINGS THE SCHOOL
HAS UNDERTAKEN IS THE TRANSLATION OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE FROM
GREEK/HEBREW INTO HINDI AND
PUNJABI. TELL US ABOUT YOUR
PROGRESS SO FAR.

The work on the entire Hindi Bible is

completed and it has been handed over
to Biblica for testing and then publishing. The New Testament was released a
few years ago, and the full Bible will be
released by the end of this year (or early
next year). Work on the Punjabi New
Testament is over, and it has been
handed over to the Asia Bible Society
for publishing.

It costs NIITS $5,000 per year

to support, equip, and train one
church planter.

ANY OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE

NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART
RIGHT NOW?

NIITS is the only theological institution

that offers accredited training with bachelors and masters degrees, so we would
like to expand our program to include
more students. We are in the process of
raising a total of 50 annual scholarships
of US $1,200 each (total: $60,000) for the
academic year 2015-16.
We are also heavily focused on church
planting in these days. This year we will
take on two new church planters for a
two-year commitment. At any given time,
we have four church plants happening at
once. When they become self-reliant, we
help them become independent.
HOW CAN THE IBC FAMILY PRAY FOR
YOU AND YOUR MINISTRY?

As my wife and I come to the end of our

sabbatical year in a few months, we are
seeking the Lords direction for greater
involvement in his Kingdom. We have a
staff of 24 in India and we are blessed to
have each one of them. Now it is time for
the organization to become a blessing to
them, so we would like to significantly
increase their salaries. However, we
are limited by the funds. It is a constant
struggle to find quality students without compromising on our standards in
any way. Pray for Gods grace, wisdom,
strength, focus, and blessings on all that
we attempt to do for his glory and for the
extension of his Kingdom.

Chatter | 5

I BC S E N I O R

SPOTLIGHTS
Bring on the Pomp and Circumstance! Here
are just a few of the 30 IBC seniors graduating this month. They have a lot to say about
what the IBC family has meant to them
during their time as students especially
Life Groups and their Life Group leaders.

JACOB

Coppell High School senior, Jacob Pierce,

who will attend Abilene Christian University in the fall, says the best part of Life Group is spending time
with his leader, Joey Goodwin, outside of church. Joey made
a point to be a part of my life. As an example, he picked me up
from work one day, and took me out for a Sonic drink because
he knew I had a rough day...He made it so much better. Jacob is
excited about making new friends in college who are not afraid
to show their faith. Life Group has taught me what accountability looks like. Jacob believes the theme for Life Groups is
found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one, because
they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls
down, one can help the other up...Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not
quickly broken.

PIERCE

Chatter | 6

Texas A&M University enrollment stands at a record 58,809.

(Editors note: WHOOP fightin
Texas Aggie Class of 03!)

Abbie Adkins, senior at Ranchview High School, will attend Baylor University and plans to major in Communication Studies and then attend Law School. She has
been involved in Student Ministry Life Groups for seven years through middle school and high school. She is
closely connected with her friends at IBC and thankful
for the adult leaders who have invested in her and helped
her walk in her faith through her teenage years. She described leader, Jennifer Durrett, as caring, genuine and
faithful. Life Groups have helped her become more serious about following Christ, and the accountability of
community with other believers has encouraged her to
dive deeper into her faith. Although she is sad to leave
her tight-knit community behind as
she heads to college, she is looking
ADKINS forward to making new friends and
has learned the importance of looking for a community that shares a
similar passion for Christ.

ABBIE

Shelby Pate will graduate from Coppell High School in June and attend
Texas A&M where she plans to study
Biomedical Science. She is excited
about the opportunities to meet new
people in the vastly diverse population of a large university like Texas
A&M. Life Group has taught me to
push myself to be open to friendships
I may not have normally gravitated
towards. We have gotten to know
each other over the years as we have
walked through many good and bad
times. We have grown up together.
Shelby is thankful for the accountability her IBC friends have provided
her and feels that her Life Group has
challenged her to be open and vulnerable. She has developed honest
and open relationships with her coleaders Liz Goodwin and Atala Brandao. According to Shelby, Atala is
supportive, intelligent, and spicy (!).
Liz is motherly, genuine, and wise.
The Goodwins, Joey and Liz, each
lead a Life Group of seniors and have
opened
their
home to share
their lives with
PATE
these students.
They are the best couple EVER. Not
perfect, but the BEST, says Shelby.

SHELBY

In 2014, Sacramento homeschool

prodigy Tanishq Abraham graduated
from high school at the age of 10.

Tarik Whitmore, from Irving High School, has

not yet decided which school he will attend in
the fall, but knows he wants to study Psychology. Tarik will look for a community to connect
with when he gets to college that is lively, fun,
and full of charisma. Mostly, he wants the kind of
authentic community he has developed with his
Life Group. Life Group sets you up with people
you can confide in. When you confess your sins
to others, healing takes place. I feel prepared to
go to college, and I think I will be able to connect
with people better. I know how to be vulnerable
and develop real relationships. The adult leaders in IBCs Student Ministry have also made a
huge impact on Tarik. Hanging out with Joey
(Goodwin) is always
fun! He is REAL, wise,
and compassionate.
WHITMORE

Francis Cooper, from Ranchview High

School, looks forward to attending the U.S.
Air Force Academy and plans to study Chemistry. He has been connected with other
students and leaders in Student Ministry at
IBC throughout middle and high school. Life
Group has been a safe place for him to share
life and everyday problems. Francis group at
IBC has really been a support group for him.
They will always be people I can trust and
who will be there for me, even after I go off to
college. Francis is especially thankful for his
leader, Peter Cott, and describes him as loving, helpful, and persistent. Peter has been
leading this group of boys since they were in
third grade, faithfully serving in Student and
Childrens Ministries
for many years.

TA R I K

FRANCIS
COOPER

Coppell High School senior, Maggie Hohfeler,

who will attend Samford University in the fall,
loves the authentic, real relationships she has
developed with her peers in the six years she
has been involved in Life Groups at IBC. They
have shown me that I am not alone in my walk
with Christ. I know I have people I can rely on
who will walk through life together with me.
She is excited for the new adventure she will
embark on in college with her studies,
and the prospect of HOHFELER
meeting new people
and making new friends. I now know what to
look for in friends and the value of authentic
community because of the experiences I have
had in Life Groups with my friends and leaders.
Maggie describes her leader, Victoria Andrews,
as invested, bubbly and authentic. (Chatter can
vouch for this. Victoria is the IBC Communications Admin Extraordinaire.)

MAGGIE

Life

GROUPS

Special thanks to Beth Robb for her work

on this article. Beth volunteers as the Junior Grade

Director, overseeing five Life Group Leaders. She is
also a Life Group Leader herself, and has been with
her current group of girls for five years.

WHAT IS A LIFE GROUP?

IBCs high school small groups (Life

Groups) are made up of 5-7 students led
by adults who love to pour into students
and guide them along as they explore
spiritual matters. Students get to hang
out, make new friends, laugh a lot and
explore the truths of the Bible. We meet
each Sunday in the Student Ministries
Area of IBC at 6:45 p.m.

Gene Roddenberry, creator of

Star Trek, flew combat missions
in the Pacific during World War II.

MORE INFO

For up-to-the-minute information about

whats going on with Students at IBC,
please join our Facebook Group (IBC
High School) or contact Matt Hamilton at
mhamilton@irvingbible.org.

MEN NEEDED

Student Ministry is currently looking for

male Life Group leaders. Contact Matt at
mhamilton@irvingbible.org.

Chatter | 7

in

SYNERGY
MISSION
DAMON ARTHUR IS NOT A LINEAR THINKER. Neither his conver-

Nutrition and Agriculture Programs Administrator for Mercy Ships, which means
he runs the programs that train locals in sustainable, nutritional farming that stay
behind when the hospital ship leaves port. A farmer himself, Winebark feels right
at home in rural East Texas. He said he felt right at home with Damon as well.

AN EXAMPLE: I sat down to lunch with Damon and IBC Director of Global
Partnerships, Lauren Moussa to talk about aquaponics and Damons nascent ministry in Africa. But Damon wasnt sure about that verbiage.

Damon has the right ideas. We had considered aquaponics before and I thought the
concept made a lot of sense, but I couldnt quite grasp how to make it work in Africa,
with the materials I knew were available there, Winebark explained. But Damon
solved those problems by using stone and other replacement materials we could
source locally. I just felt like it was the right partnership. We just said, Alright, lets
give it a try. It has already been a successful marriage for the two organizations.

sations nor his incredible journey to make history in Madagascar follow a straight
line. They loop and whirl, stop and start, chase rabbits only to bring them back in a
way that reveals that rabbit was an essential ingredient in the story all along.

I have had a hard time even using that word, ministry. Im a rancher, he said, his
country accent undeterred by the meatless menu at the salad place where we
agreed to meet. He took a few minutes to joke about the difference between farmers and ranchers, explain why ranchers are superior, issue disclaimers about his
African trip only technically being agricultural in nature, and then, finally, try to
pull the reins back to the word ministry. I rodeod for a while in my life. Thats a
pretty hard lifestyle. Theres plenty in the closet. For me to be doing this well ...
there are grandparents who would probably jump up and down in their graves and
others who would roll over to think of me in ministry.
Point made. Colorfully.

Damons organization is called TAG Targeted Aquaponic Growth. Like its

founder and its partnership with one of the worlds leading relief organizations,
TAG thrives on synergy.
SYNERGY At the core of TAGs ministry is something called aquaponics. Its
a symbiotic micro-farm in which plants grow in water taken from, and then
returned to, fish tanks. The fishs waste provides bacteria and nutrients the plants
need to grow, and the plants purify the water so it can be recycled into the fish
tanks. In this way, the system grows both fish and plants (usually vegetables) in
a closed-loop, sustainable system that uses 95 percent less water and half the
germination time as traditional farming, while yielding as much as three times the
produce. Its right down Damons alley.

Damon is part Texas ranch hand and part suburban businessman. He wears boots,
but no hat. A short-sleeved cotton shirt and leathercraft bracelet. In a muted Texas
accent he can slip effortlessly between talk of agriculture and NGOs, fish effluent
to geopolitics. A conversation with Damon is at the same time expansive and rigorous. He can hit the nail on the head while swinging the hammer in wild arcs. And
its only after reflecting on such a conversation that you realize Damons genius is
in his rangy-ness. He thinks in possibilities and, more importantly, in synergies.

Almost always in an orphanage setting, the kids are hungry, Winebark said. Food
is almost always an orphanages biggest cost. And protein is a limiting factor. They
eat a lot of rice and virtually no protein.

One of the most important synergies Damon has created is with Mercy Ships, a
Christian aid organization with global reach and name recognition. Mercy Ships
operates a shipboard hospital that has delivered acute medical care for 2.48 million people in 57 nations in the developing world, mostly in Africa.

TAG could change that. Its vision is to equip orphanages and schools with aquaponics systems that produce enough fish and vegetables to feed the children under
their care. But in typical Damon fashion, he sees more possibilities than just a
source of food.

This is the first time weve ever had a partnership, Ken Winebark said in a phone
interview from Mercy Ships headquarters in Lindale, Texas. Winebark is the

Ideally, well get to a system that can exceed the consumption of the kids and then
produce goods for market, he said. I asked the director of an orphanage this
summer, What if you could grow tomatoes in the rainy season?
and she said, I could sell them for twice as much as we normally
get! If they can make more money, they can buy other things they
need like vaccines and books.

A boot-less Damon (right) stands in front of an aquaponics system with Ken Winebark
(of Mercy Ships) and Christine Dummann, TAGs Director of Nutrition, Education and Out-search.

Such a system could extend to education too. Most of the upkeep

is simple enough for students to help with, so its presence could
teach both agriculture and entrepreneurism. You can talk about
agriculture in the classroom and then step right outside the door

The system in Madagascar after a little more than one month of growth.

Chatter | 8

Madagascar is the only place

where the lemur can be found
living in the wild.

and learn a vocational skill. A first-grader can plant a seed. A third-grader can cut
heads off lettuce, Damon said.
And there are deeper lessons. Mercy Shipss Food For Life program teaches theology as well as agriculture. We start in Genesis, Winebark said. We start with
Gods plan for the world and for the farmer. What does God think of the farmer? In
many places where we serve, farmers are looked down upon. We read about Eden
and we tell them God was the first gardener. There is dignity there.
CALLING Damon and his wife Loretta have attended IBC for more than a
decade. They live in Grapevine with their daughter, Alex. And, appropriately,
they attend the Synergy Bible Community. Like his mash-up of suburban savvy
and cowboy logic, Damons involvement in missions is an admixture of faith and
adventure. He reads National Geographic cover-to-cover every month, and has
done so since his grandmother bought him a subscription at age eight. And he sees
the developing world as a proving ground for obedience to Jesus command to care
for the least of these.
Ive always said those words in red are the ones you better pay special attention to,
he said.
This latest synergy between third-world orphanages and aquaponics came as
a surprise even to Damon, and it started at Rudys Barbecue in Denton. In January
2014, he was standing in line there, waiting for a chopped beef sandwich, when he
overheard a conversation about aquaponics. Already involved with orphanages
from South Sudan to Nicaragua, Damon wondered if such a system would be a
useful tool in the developing world. The next mornings mail brought a FarmTek
catalog, part of the usual junk mail pile around the Arthur home. And there, on
Page 42, was a commercial aquaponics system. This was a sign.
Damon dug into more research, started looking for a place to test an aquaponics
system, and started to pray in earnest about his idea. He attended workshops, met
with professors, and read all he could on the subject. But he was hesitant. This was
a high-risk project and a terrible profit venture. He was reluctant to pursue it too far.
I was reading something about tilapia because thats a breed commonly used in
aquaponics, and the article called them St. Peters fish, Damon said. I looked it
up. You know that story where Jesus tells Peter to go catch a fish and get a coin out
of its mouth for the tax? They think that was a tilapia. So its called St. Peters fish.
This was another sign.
I remember sitting there, just dumbstruck. I had been fighting this thing the whole
way. I would pray those back-ended prayers, Lord, if you dont want me to go
forward, just shut those doors and Ill know. And then Id get up off my knees and
two more doors would open up. That night with St. Peters fish, I was like, Ok God.
Thats it. I give up. Im not going to fight you any more.
Within weeks, Damon and cofounder Dr. Richard Palmer were creating a 501(c)3
organization for the use of aquaponics in third world orphanages. TAG was born.
PARTNERS Damon would eventually visit Africa to field test this idea. Because
aquaponics systems could be disrupted by vandalism or neglect, he needed a protected environment to build one. He also needed funding.
I was still thinking about this as another business and I couldnt make the numbers work, he explained. Damon had already launched and still operates several
companies in the agriculture, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Another
IBC mission partner, My Refuge House in the Philippines, uses an aquaponics
system. IBCer Mike Gwartney had seen a picture of that system and suggested that
Damon apply for IBC funding.

In 1997, Rodeo was designated the

official state sport of Texas. Yeehaw.

I wasnt even thinking about IBC as a source of funding, Damon said. I dont know
why in the world. I was thinking about how to make this profitable, and thats when
God turned the tables and said, Ive got a different plan than making more money.
On January 22, IBC committed funds to help establish TAGs first aquaponics system in Africa. Mercy Ships was headed there in March. Damon had found the last
piece of his big, symbiotic partnership. He was ready to go to Africa. All he would
have to do is survive the trip.
AFRICA Damons three-person team landed at the island nation of Madagascar
on February 6 where they met the crew of the Africa Mercy. The plan was for Damon to train 31 people, including staff from Mercy Ships and a local orphanage, in
how to construct and maintain an aquaponics system.
But Damon fell ill, and when he visited a local pharmacy, they gave him a drug that
conflicted with his malaria medication. His illness accelerated, with vomiting and
crushing abdominal pain. Theres a scene Damon remembers, lying in bed with the
sheets soaked with sweat. Hes doubled over in pain and the Mercy Ships team has
gathered around to pray for him.
I said, God, if your point is to turn up the heat, Partner, its cooking. I dont know
what you want and I dont want to die in Madagascar, but if this is what you choose,
Im ready to go.
Damon didnt go, at least not to glory. A Mercy Ships doctor eventually discovered
the conflicting medications and Damon started to recover. He managed to finish
the course with the 31 trainees and install the first aquaponics system ever on the
shores of Madagascar. He landed back in Texas on March 2.
NEXT STEPS TAGs North Texas R&D facility is in process, and Damon has
recently employed two staff to work there. Hes also making adjustments to
implementation plans for other African deployments and hes made contact with
organizations who are interested in installing aquaponics systems for orphanages
in Nicaragua and the Rio Grande Valley.
Theres always a way to make it smarter, more efficient, Damon said, shoving a
folded napkin under the leg of an uneven cafe table as if to prove his point. Thats
what gets me going finding a better way. Making it better.
Winebark said TAGs R&D facility is a key step in maximizing aquaponics impact.
Having that facility in Texas is a masterful plan. It will be a place to come up with
better ways of doing things that are just hard to negotiate in country. Getting that
facility off the ground will be a massive boost.
Its a boost that will cost about $250,000, but Winebark says the upside is much
bigger. Once we figure out how to adapt these systems to each setting where
theyre installed like we adapted the one in Madagascar this could have an
enormous impact in the worlds poorest places. Were talking about hundreds of
thousands of lives effected.
Damons aspirations are more personal. When I think about where Id love to be in
20 years, its in the bush of wherever putting in a system for 50 little kids and knowing that its going to change their families for generations.
Ryan Sanderss bowel-shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse assail him, impale
him with monster truck force.
Ryan is IBCs Small Groups Pastor. He also serves on the IBC Lead Team.

In Africa, there are more

than 90,000 new orphans
every month.

Chatter | 9

one simple prayer.

THREE
AMAZING
ANSWERS.
God is moving in the lives of ESL students at IBC.

I was terrified that God wouldnt do it, and that him not answering my prayer
would cause me to doubt. But I reminded myself that 2435 was his vision and
that he wants people to know him even more than I do!
Every year, I choose something to emphasize an area of my life
where I will actively seek growth and allow God to work. This year, my

emphasis is on prayer since I feel like its a weak point in my walk. A fellow IBC
staff member recommended a book to me called The Circle Maker, which
was recommended to her by another IBCer. The author, Mark Batterson, has
some amazing stories about the power of prayer and suggests that we need to
focus on what God has already promised in his Word and expect him to keep
those promises. He calls this circling the promise. He talks quite a bit about
the story of Jericho falling, and has literally circled physical places where he
wants to see God work, with amazing results.

I popped in at the beginning of class and discovered only three students were
present. I was so disappointed. I thought, Well, there goes that! I had a bunch
of work to do because of the recent snow days, so I ended up working in the
Fine Arts room until about 8 p.m. I wasnt praying or anything by that point;
Id already written the evening off as a fail, but my earlier prayer was still in
the back of my mind. Once I finished my work, I headed down to ask if anyone
had happened to ask about Jesus. I was totally expecting a no. Even though
our ESL takes place on campus, Jesus isnt a regular or expected topic of
discussion. Little did I know I wouldnt even make it back down to class before
getting a big surprise.

So I decided to circle IBC on Wednesday nights before 2435 Kinwest, asking

God to work in the lives of everyone who comes through the doors. (2435 Kinwest is IBCs Wednesday night community outreach event where we offer a
free citizenship class, medical clinic, ESL class, and a job transition workshop,
among other things. I serve as the 2435 coordinator.) As I made my loops, I realized I wasnt praying very specifically in other words, I would have no idea
at the end of the night if God had answered or not. So I asked God for something specific and measurable: that one ESL student would ask about
Jesus. Im not sure why that was what popped in my head, but it did. Honestly,

I was almost to class when I saw one of our advanced students, Leticia, sitting
in the Haven. Leticia is from Honduras and has been in the U.S. since 1992. I
hadnt seen her in a while and didnt even know she was there that night. She
attends IBC, and even attended the womens Bible study last semester. But
shes struggled a lot with depression and anxiety, and has been very open about
that and is happy for me to share this now. I sat down and asked how she had
been doing. Leticia told me she had been having a hard time. But then she
started sharing about an experience she had at the Ash Wednesday service at
IBC the week before. When Pastor Andy was putting the ashes on her forehead,

Chatter | 10

Jericho may be the oldest

continuously occupied city
in the world.

Pray, and let God worry.

Martin Luther

Melissa

Shannon

ESL Volunteer

2435 Kinwest Director

Summer

ESL Volunteer

she became dizzy and shaky and felt like crying for joy, but she didnt know
why. Then, while Andy was preaching, it was like someone ELSE was speaking.
Leticia said her husband told her it was the Holy Spirit, but she didnt understand what that meant.
What is the Holy Spirit? She asked me. A direct question, posed to me. An ESL
student was asking ME about the Spirit of Jesus. Amazing.
So I began to explain about the Holy Spirit and Pentecost and how God lives inside of us when we believe in him and what the Holy Spirit can do. Leticia was
absolutely shocked. She started saying theres no way God loves her that much
because she has made so many mistakes and had been so angry with him. So
I explained grace to her and that all we have to do is believe that no one can
be perfect except God. I could tell she was having a hard time believing that, so
I stopped and prayed with her right then and there. We were both crying, and
when I finished my prayer, she started asking me all kinds of other questions.
God is inside of me?, and Hes not mad at me? Leticias whole countenance
began to change. I was rich and I didnt know it! she finally exclaimed. She
said she felt like she got a new car and wanted to tell everyone!
I was beyond amazed at how God had so miraculously answered my prayer
that night. An ESL student had asked about Jesus, and FOUND Jesus. And I
was the one honored to intercept the question.
Unbelievable.
But the night wasnt over.
As Leticia and I were finishing our conversation, our ESL leader, Melissa came
up, apologized for interrupting, and told me one of the students in the class
was requesting a Bible. Did we have a Bible to give her? This was only the second time in the history of our ESL class when a student has made this request.
Crazy things have been happening tonight at ESL, Melissa added. Leticia and

How has Leticia's life been different since that fateful night at ESL?

I were amazed. We told Melissa about our incredible conversation, and I told
both of them what I had prayed earlier while circling the IBC building.
I gave Leticia a hug and said goodbye, then went down to the ESL rooms where
I caught back up with Melissa. She and our beginner teacher, Summer, were
there. The three of us shared our stories. Turns out, Summer only had two
beginner students that night (one from Kyrgyzstan* and one from Vietnam*),
so she scrapped her lesson plan and went looking for a childrens book to use
by way of instruction. She found a book about Noah and decided to use it. In
the middle of the story of the ark, Summer realized she had chosen the difficult
subject matter about God wiping out all of humankind. But just as she started
kicking herself, the student from Vietnam began asking lots of questions about
why and how. Questions, questions, and more questions.
So Summer got a Bible. She looked up Noahs story in Genesis 6, and described
how the rest of the Bible is about God redeeming his people. The lady kept asking questions, so finally Summer just told the whole story of the Bible beginning to end! When she got to the part where Jesus rises from the dead, the
woman actually gasped. After hearing the story, she asked for a Bible and said
she had never heard ANY of this before.
Then our Kyrgyzstani student piped up and began sharing an amazing story of
her own. There had been a stillborn birth in her family, and her grandmother
had prayed to Jesus that the baby would be healed. It didnt sound like the
grandmother was a believer in Jesus at the time, but sure enough, the baby
came back to life and the whole family came to Christ! I wonder what work
God was doing in her life to remind her of his powerful work in her family. On
this night, of all nights.
And so, instead of learning conjugations, nouns, sentence structure, and
conversation skills, our little ESL class was asking questions, sharing miracles,
and coming to know God in a real way. One tiny prayer, sent up with a mustard
seed of faith, was all it took. One prayer, three students, and three amazing
miracles! I had asked God for one student to ask about Jesus, and three students had asked multiple questions about Jesus, the Bible, the story of grace,
and the power of God.
We were all blown away.

Since my experience, Ive felt a calmness

Ive never felt before. I find myself no
longer angry with God for the multitude of bad experiences in my life.
I want to talk to everyone about
the love of God, and let them
know how Ive been blessed.

Shannon Miller regularly purchases shells on Amazon for her hermit crab, who
prefers a mother-of-pearl lining.
Shannon Miller is the Director of 2435 Kinwest and the Special Needs Coordinator.

*Country names have been changed to protect the privacy of our students.

Leticia
ESL Student

Vietnamese is the third most

commonly spoken language
in Texas (as of 2014).

Chatter | 11

Snapshots
of South Sudan
Sometimes a picture is NOT worth a thousand
words. On a recent trip to Africa, IBC Mission Pastor
Brent McKinney discovered the partnership behind
the pictures.

If I were to show you a few photos from my childhood, they might not mean a whole lot
to you. A basketball goal in the driveway. A large gap in an old chain-link fence. A rocking chair on a porch. At first glance, they are all ordinary images of ordinary places.
But if you walked along with me and heard a few stories, you might begin to understand more about me and who I am. Like how my blue-collar, shift-working dad
would take off his hard hat and play one-on-one or H-O-R-S-E with me for hours
after school. Like how my moms dad would take me by the hand and walk through the
woods for what seemed like miles to a waterfall, telling stories about our family all the
way. Like how my dads mom would tell me to get a soda from the rack of 6 oz. bottles
she kept in the laundry room, and wed rock until the sun set, her asking about me and
what was going on in my life.
Youd see pretty quickly that I had a pretty happy childhood, surrounded by extended
family that valued being close-knit. If we had even more time together, you might
even see how I carried those values into my own family relationships. No matter how
ordinary my childhood photos might appear, the reality is that there were deeply held
values behind each one.
This principle was certainly highlighted on my recent trip to South Sudan. Id seen a
lot of photos. Id heard a few stories here and there. Id had coffees with the chairman
of the board and the director of Water is Basic. I even had the chance to meet Bishop
Taban when he was in the U.S. to receive an award. At first glance, the work IBC had
been doing simply seemed like another good ministry wed been involved in for years.

Villagers in Yei line up their cans for clean water.

But in January, things changed. I got on a plane and went to see for myself. I walked
alongside the director and the board chairman and the award-winner, and I heard
the stories. I heard about the improvements to the EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian
Church) compound wed invested in years ago. I heard about the roof on the EPC
church building that our IBC family provided funds for and the impact that it had,
physically, spiritually and emotionally on their church family. I stood beside the first
water well that had given people their first source of clean water (built by IBC partner
Water is Basic), and I stood beside the most recent well that was giving a school and
yet another community (over 500 wells and counting) a clean-water source. I saw
another community well that spawned a brick-making operation next to it as well
as a small market on the other side, providing economic opportunity to the village. I
listened to an IBC-sponsored radio station that was giving South Sudan the chance to
hear music and sermons.

At a recently repaired well that had been broken

for two years. Water is Basic fixed it in two days.

And I met people who had their lives changed by God and were now living for him.
Hearing the words, We are so thankful for IBC in a South Sudanese accent is something I dont think Ill ever get tired of hearing.

Mike Gwartney hands out solar radios to the congregation of EPC with
Bishop Taban. (IBC also provided funds for the roof of this building.)

What I saw were the deeply held values of the IBC family: To love God and have him
lead us where he wants us to go; to serve the poor and the oppressed wherever we have
the opportunity; to empower local leaders to do the work of the ministry; to support
creativity and innovation as the Spirit leads those local leaders; and to not only present
the Gospel message in words, but also in our deeds. There are certainly other values I
saw up close and personal, but there is a word-limit on this article.
My hope is that the next time you see photos of water wells, or Bishop Taban and those
that worship at EPC, or see a yellow water can in our Town Square or hear about solarpowered radios and all the other ways IBC is involved in South Sudan, that youll take
the time to remember that those seemingly ordinary snapshots are evidence of the
extraordinary work IBC is doing to show the world his love.
Brent McKinney has traveled 52,686 sky miles in two months, and has since become an
aficionado of pil-pil sauce.

Brent is finding out he will have to dance

in the upcoming church service. (He did.)

Chatter | 12

A school building about to be

built. Water is Basic will drill
a well for its students to use.

Basketball was created in 1891

by James Naismith at a YMCA in
Springfield, Massachusetts.

Brent is IBCs Mission Pastor. He blogs regularly at mckinneydiner.wordpress.com.

In Africa, about 358 million

people are without access to
safe drinking water.

Next Steps:
SOUL CARE

Chatter asked IBC pastors to weigh in on their next steps for

the year personally, spiritually, or ministry-wise. Heres Nat.

IT

was the first morning of sabbatical for me. It was still dark
outside as I plopped in my favorite chair with a steaming cup of coffee, ready to begin the first of many books
I planned to read. The book was Soul Keeping by John
Ortberg. I hadnt even gotten through the first chapter
before I put the book down, grabbed my journal and a pen. This sabbatical is
going to be nothing like I planned, I wrote.

As I was preparing for my three months away from normal ministerial duties,
I had very specific goals of what I wanted to accomplish. I was going to come
back with new ideas and laser clarity while being totally refreshed and ready
to hit the ground running. The book arrested my thoughts and derailed my
plans. It pointed out that the best thing I could do for IBC, my family and me,
was to focus on the condition and care of my soul.
I learned that the
biggest enemy of soul
care is hurry. Burn
out is another term
that describes a soul
nearing drought
conditions. For the
soul to be properly nourished, it
requires a deliberate
slowing down. It
means intentionally
quieting the mind,
eliminating distractions, and being still.
Seriously? Who has
time to be still? Being
still means not being
productive. Right?

Actually, I find it much easier to frenetically cram more and more into an already overstuffed life than to be quiet. Im starting to buy into the thought that
my best ideas and most creative work spring from a well-nourished soul. This
means creating space for quiet.
For me, this looks like getting up early while the house is still quiet, making
my coffee and getting comfortable. I grab my favorite fountain pen (a gift from
my wife) and my Bible and my journal with the really good paper. I read some
Scripture and look for any application to my life. Then, I just write. What I
write is more of a conversation between God and me. I guess its my way of
praying. What it does is slow me down. I need that. The discipline of writing
gives me time to process my thoughts, and, more importantly, my heart. It
waters my soul.
Ive been back from sabbatical for three months now. I wish I could say I am
living daily from a well-stocked soul, but that would be a stretch. I can tell
when its starting to get a little parched when I feel my anxiety level tick up a
bit having to stand too long in a line or wait at a red light. Thats when I realize
Im in a hurry and its sucking my soul dry.
Im working on slowing the pace down a bit. Its a challenge. Im coming to
agree with Ortberg that increased pace doesnt guarantee increased effectiveness. Im also coming to understand that replenishment doesnt happen overnight, just as droughts arent eliminated with one rainfall. Im trying to accept
the invitation of my soul to build in more margin; to linger a little longer and to
experience more times of quiet and stillness. I think this is the best thing I can
do for IBC, my family and for myself.

Nat Pugh has recently discovered that adding generous portions of salt to
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (as well as to cinnamon rolls) increases their
flavor dramatically.
Nat is IBCs Mens Pastor and serves on Lead Team.

Our soul is like a stream of water,

which gives strength, direction,
and harmony to every other area
of our life. - Dallas Willard

Chatter | 13

UPC O M I N G

May

June

MAY 3

MAY 17

JUNE 9

KidVenture Food Pantry Fill-up

Tapestry: Fostering Hope

Support Group

Womens Summer Bible Study Begins

6:30 p.m.

For parents of foster children. Contact Ryan at

See ad, pg. 17.

See ad, pg. 17.

Tapestry Book Club 5 p.m.

rnorth@irvingbible.org for more info.

We will be discussing No-Drama Discipline together in 2015. Contact rnorth@irvingbible.org.

MAY 20
MAY 7
National Day of Prayer
7 p.m. The Chapel

JUNE 22
VBS at IBC begins

Cancer Care Support Groups

Monthly beginning on Wednesday
May 20 at 6:30 p.m.

This summer, kids will go on an exciting expedi-

Caregivers meet in West A, cancer patients meet in

Register at irvingbible.org/vbs.

Come together with IBCers to pray for our leaders

Mens Conference Room. Contact Sherri at ssharp@

and nation. Contact jstein@irvingbible.org.

irvingbible.org.

MAY 8-9

MAY 24

The Big Questions: A Conference

on Life and Faith

Pentecost Sunday Celebration

See ad, pg. 16.

(irvingbible.org) for more info.

MAY 9

MAY 31

Writers Workshop 10 a.m.

Safety Team Lunch 12:30 p.m.

Join a community of people honing their writing

Interested in joining the safety team on Sundays?

skills. Contact Donna at doreilly@irvingbible.org.

Join us for a lunch at 12:30 p.m. in the Training Cen-

tion to Mount Everest where they will discover they

can conquer challenges with Gods mighty power!

See ad, this page. Watch the IBC web page

ter. RSVP to Sherri at ssharp@irvingbible.org.

Summer Growth Groups Begin

See ad, pg. 17.

PENTECOST
Sunday, May 24

Celebrate the gift of our IBC family and the birth of Gods (big-C) Church!
Chatter | 4

ON G OI N G

BIBLE COMMUNITIES

Groups on Sunday

Synergy
9 a.m. The Alcove
Multi-generational
The Tree
9 a.m. West D
20s & 30s, married & young families
Crossroads
10:45 a.m. West C
Couples & Families late 20s to 40s
Journey
10:45 a.m. The Alcove
All Welcome
On Track
10:45 a.m. Conference Room
Single Parents
Thrive
10:45 a.m. West D
Singles in their 30s & 40s
Renew
10:45 a.m. Training Center
All Welcome
Legacy Builders
6:45 p.m. West A All Welcome

CHILDREN

Infants Through 5th Grade

Childrens Sunday Services

9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 5 p.m.
MyZone
Wednesdays, 6:308:15 p.m.
The Zone K-5th grade
Activities, friends, conversations,
and slime. No registration required.

HOPE & HEALING

Community Care

Abortion Recovery Counseling

Contact Kym at (972) 560-4632 or
kyeichner@irvingbible.org.
Recovery at IBC
Thursdays, 6:308:30 p.m.
West Wing Youth Lounge
A group for hurts, habits, and
hangups. irvingbible.org/recovery.

MEALS

Stephen Ministry at IBC

One-on-one ministry for hurting
people. Contact stephenministry@
irvingbible.org or call (972) 560-4636.
Spousal Abuse Recovery
Contact kyeichner@irvingbible.org.

MARRIAGE

Growing Together
Marriage at IBC
Contact bmassey@irvingbible.org.
Pre-Marriage Mentoring
Visit irvingbible.org/marriage.

MEN

Community and Resources

SINGLE PARENT

Community and Resources

SUNDAY
COMMUNITY MEALS

Sit with us on Sunday!

9 a.m. service, lowest right-hand
section, Rows 5 & 6, facing the stage.
Visit irvingbible.org/singleparents.

6 p.m. Town Square

5/3

Awesome pizza and

bread sticks, salad bar

SPECIAL NEEDS

5/10

No meal.
Happy Mothers Day!

Small Group for Moms

Sundays, 10:45 a.m.12 p.m.

5/17

Burgers and Brats, salad bar

5/24

No Meal. Pentecost Sunday

In His Image Bible Study

Sundays, 6:307:45 p.m

5/31

Giant baked potatoes and

all the fixins, salad bar

Small Group for Parents

Wednesdays, 6:308:15 p.m.

If youd like to serve on a Sunday night meal team, contact Pat

OReilly at (214) 289-6176 or sundaynightmeal@irvingbible.org.

Community & Care

SonShine Pals and Room

Care during Sunday ministry.

First Watch
Fridays, 6:22 a.m. The Commons
Contact Nat at npugh@irvingbible.org.

Contact specialneeds@irvingbible.org.

First Watch Replay

Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.
Training Center
Contact brianarrington1@yahoo.com.

STUDENTS

First Watch Xtra

Wednesday, 6:30 a.m.
Training Center
Contact bcope@huntoil.com.

Visit irvingbible.org/men.

MISSION

Local and Global

Prayer Meeting
2nd and 4th Wednesdays
6:45-8 p.m. The Chapel
Laundry Love
First Saturday of the month
9 a.m.12 p.m.
Contact laundrylove@irvingbible.org.
New Friends New Life
Serve dinner to women healing
from exploitation in the commercial
sex industry every third Wednesday.
Contact Christine at newfriendsnewlife@irvingbible.org.

Middle/High School and College

WEDNESDAY
MIDWEEK MEALS
56:20 P.M.

Middle School Sundays

Life on Life Sundays
10:30 a.m.12:20 p.m.
Student Ministries area

Cost is $3/meal or $10 max./

family. PB&J sandwiches are
also available.

High School Sundays

Life Groups Sundays, 6:458 p.m.
Student Ministries area

5/6

Lasagna, bread sticks,

salad, dessert. Hosted by
Mike Gwartneys team.

IBC College Ministry

Sundays, 3:30 p.m.
The Commons Annex
Contact college@irvingbible.org.

5/13

Chopped beef sandwiches,

baked beans, chips, cole
slaw, pickle spears, dessert.
Hosted by Marlene
Brittons team.

5/20

Honey baked ham, scalloped potatoes, mixed

veggies, salad, rolls,
dessert. Hosted by Pat
Downeys team.

5/27

Enchiladas, tacos, beans,

chips and salsa, home
baked cookies. Hosted by
Barbara Wittes team.

2435 KINWEST

Wednesday Nights at IBC

IBC Choir
Wednesdays, 78:30 p.m.
IBC Worship Center
Contact Crystal at celwell@irvingbible.org.
ESL: English as a Second Language
Wednesdays, 6:308:30 p.m.
AZ17, 18 and 19
FREE Citizenship Class
Wednesdays, 6:308 p.m.
IBC Conference Room

Shelter from the Storm

Sexual abuse support group. Contact shelterfromthestormibc@gmail.
com or (214) 725-0898

YOUNG ADULTS

IBC Career Transition Ministry

Wednesdays, 6:308 p.m.

The Living Grace Group

For those with mental illness. Contact
Heath at heathmurry@yahoo.com.

The Gathering Thursdays, 7 p.m.

Join other young adults for a time
of teaching and community. More
info at irvingbible.org/youngadults.

Visit 2435kinwest.org.

Family Grace Group

For families/caregivers of those with
mental illness. Contact Buzz Moody
at myrabuzz@gmail.com.
NAMI Family-to-Family Class
Contact Joey at joey@netbreezeinc.
com or Debra at eumoore@yahoo.com.

Events and Resources

Meals are $3 per person or $10

max./family.

Changes to the menu may be made

depending on food cost, availability,
and Bob Downeys whim.
If youd like to serve on a Wednesday night meal team, please email
bdowney@irvingbible.org.

THE BIG
QUESTIONS
A CONFERENCE ON LIFE AND FAITH

MAY 89
IS THERE A GOD?
IS THE BIBLE RELIABLE?
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW
EVIL AND SUFFERING?
DO SCIENCE AND FAITH
CONTRADICT ONE ANOTHER?

Day One: Friday from 7 p.m.9:30 p.m.

Day Two: Saturday from 9 a.m.12:30 p.m.
Cost: $30
Register: http://bit.ly/1AdQkkY
Whether you consider yourself a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, youre invited to
thoughtfully engage these vital topics with us.
Well hear from Craig Hazen, J.P. Moreland, Sean
McDowell, and Clay Jones, all of whom have dedicated their lives to exploring the answers to lifes
ultimate questions.
Although the registration cost for The Big Questions
represents a great value, please dont let the cost prohibit
you from attending. Scholarships for this event are available based on need, so contact us to find out more. Please
note: Childcare will not be provided for this event.

Have questions about The Big Questions:

A Conference on Life and Faith? Contact
info@irvingbible.org.

M
Groups
Summer Growth

brought to you by Small Groups at IBC

U
c

grow in Christ
A unique opportunity to
ity at IBC.
and connect in commun

The only thing that should stop

during summer is SCHOOL.

KidVenture provides regular service projects

for the whole family at IBC.

MAY =MISSION
This month, we need you and your family to help
re-stock the IBC Food Pantry.

If youre looking to take your next step in discipleship

this year, this is your chance to connect with others
and deepen your faith over the summer months.

When children are out of school for the summer, many families
need a little extra help to have enough food around the house. You
can help! For the month of May, simply pick up the list of needed
items and then donate food at the collection stations in each of the
Childrens Ministry areas at IBC.

Register at irvingbible.org/smallgroups.

Collection Schedule:

When: May 31 Aug. 8 (10 weeks)

Where: Groups will meet weekly in homes throughout the summer, and will use a discipleship-focused
video curriculum from RightNow Media.

5/3: Peanut butter, jelly, pancake mix, syrup, cereal

5/10: Canned tuna, chicken, other meat, hamburger
helper/tuna helper
5/17: Canned veggies, fruit, beans, and soups
5/24: Pasta, pasta sauce, mac & cheese, rice, beans (dry)
5/31: Kidventure/packing day everyone is welcome to join us in
the Haven after the morning services to divide up and pack the food.

Unlike the usual small groups system, these groups

will be expected to disband after the summer session.

T H I S S U M M E R AT W O M E N S B I B L E S T U DY

FIGHT BACK WITH JOY

by Margaret Feinberg

What if joy is better than you imagined? The cherished

virtue has been wrapped in clichs, stamped on coffee
mugs, and sewn onto decorative pillows. Fight Back
With Joy declares that joy is more than whimsyits
a weapon we can use to fight lifes greatest battles.
Join us for this six-week Bible study where together
well learn that no matter our circumstances, we can
practice defiant joy.

DATE: Tuesday, June 9

July 21 (not meeting June
23 due to VBS)

For more information

and to register visit
irvingbible.org/women.

TIME: 6:308:30 p.m.

KidZone registration is also

available at a cost of $10
per child, with a family max
of $30 (the fee covers all
six weeks of Bible study).
Registration closes on
June 2 at noon.

LOCATION:

The Commons, IBC

COST: $15
(includes workbook)

HOW DO I GIVE?
My Time, Talents & Skills

HOW DO I GET
CONNECTED AT IBC?

Find Your Spot

Each Sunday, IBC helps about 800 kids grow in
Christ and connect in community. We are in need of
people of all ages to invest in the next generation
of nursery, preschool, and elementary kids. We have
opportunities for all skill sets. Contact Melody at
mparlett@irvingbible.org.

Were glad you asked. Here are the steps to take for
having your questions answered, guring out the
IBC story, and, if youre feeling ready, plugging in.

Family Promise Day Center Volunteers

The FP Day Center is where the adults go to develop a plan for housing and jobs while their kids are
in school. If you could give a few hours a week or a
month to spend helping at the Day Center, contact
Merlyn at (469) 586-5374, or ma-n-me@msn.com.

Start

JOIN IN WORSHIP

Meal Team Volunteers

IBC makes meals available both Sunday and
Wednesday nights. These fun teams could use
some additional volunteers to serve together. For
Sundays, contact sundaynightmeal@irvingbible.org.
For Wednesdays, contact bdowney@irvingbible.org.

So you found the address, a place to park, and a breath

mint on the way in. Good work! If youre reading this,
youve probably already taken the first step attending a
worship service. This is the first and most important place
to start, so keep coming. Become a regular. Make sure to
fill out a Newcomer Card. Tell us a little about yourself and
let us know how we can engage with you. Somebody will
reach out to you this week. Visit irvingbible.org/connect.

Medical Professionals Needed

Our weekly medical clinic needs professional health
care providers (MD, PA, FNP) to provide treatment
for our patients. Volunteers serve on a rotating
basis and do not need to serve every week. Contact
Charles at cpierce@2435clinic.org.
Mentor Kids in Single-Parent Families
Men and women are needed for gender-specific
mentoring of children from single-parent families.
Contact Marsha at mtribbett@irvingbible.org.
New Friends New Life
Serve dinner to women healing from exploitation in
the commercial sex industry every third Wednesday.
Please contact Christine at newfriendsnewlife@
irvingbible.org.
Senior Citizen Volunteers
Do you have a heart for our assisted living neighbors? Mac Arthur Hills and Ashford Hall need loving
volunteers and visitors for those who dont have
family nearby. For more info contact Mike at
seniorcare@irvingbible.org.

My Resources

CHECK OUT THE NEWCOMER GATHERING

So youre kicking the IBC tires? Good! Were so glad youre
here. The Newcomer Gathering is a great opportunity to
meet church leadership, learn what IBC is all about, and
connect with other newbies in a fun, relaxed environment.
Next Newcomer Gathering: Fall 2015

SIGN UP FOR PROPEL

All right! Youre feeling the IBC vibe and want to see
where you might get involved. Propel is a 4-week class that
explores the IBC calling and culture, and how your unique
personality and passions fit in. Meet many of our pastors
and directors of ministries at IBC. Next Propel: Fall 2015

JOIN A COMMUNITY

Online Giving Option

If you would find it more convenient to donate to
the ministries of Irving Bible Church online, visit
irvingbible.org/give.

Youre firing on all cylinders but something is missing. And

that something is a someone, or a group of someones.
Enter sermon-based Small Groups, Womens Bible Study,
First Watch, and more. We encourage you to find a group
and connect authentically with others.
Visit irvingbible.org/adults.

FIND A PLACE TO SERVE

Youve come a long way since that first breath mint. Youve
been busy worshipping, learning, relating, and committing.
And its at this point that you might start looking around
at all the people who help create those events ushers,
greeters, meal team members, table hosts, small group
leaders, and the like. Your next step now is to join them!
Consider your passions, talents and spiritual gifts and then
ask about a place to serve. Visit irvingbible.org/serve.

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT IRVINGBIBLE.ORG/CONNECT OR LOOK

FOR THE NEWCOMER GUIDES AT THE INFORMATION DESK.

Chatter | 18

Till We Have Faces was

C.S. Lewis last novel. It was
also his favorite.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO

THE FARM: EGGSPERIENCE CAPTION CONTEST

Last month, IBCers great and small converged

for eggs and excitement. Eggcitement, if you
will. If youve had-it-up-to-here with egg puns,
never fear May is here. But first: send us a
caption for each pic from the IBC Eggsperience
below and you could win Marble Scramble.
SLAB. You could win Marble SLAB

Send your captions to chatter@irvingbible.org.

Sheep have
excellent hearing.

Chatter | 19

Stephanie Sloane and Kimberly Head

(L to R) take a break from frying chicken over a
wood fire to mug with Chatter. They were part
of the Next Gen mission trip to Honduras.

Chatteryou CAN take it with you. Send us

your Chatter photos on location, and you may
see yourself in an upcoming issue. Email us
at chatter@irvingbible.org.