The ROCK

On January 30 at 7:30 p.m., we will kick off The ROCK, a young adult’s ministry at New Covenant Bible Church.

Prior to my formal commitment to church membership in November 2014, I was a regular attender at NCBC for over a year. I always enjoyed the loving environment and passionate teaching on Sunday mornings, and I pondered the possibility of providing a similar experience through a supplementary ministry exclusively for young adults.

Because I had been involved with high school and college groups in the past, I knew that there was a unique joy and growing experience that came out of worshipping God and fellowshipping with believers of similar age.

I discussed the ministry idea with David Sunday; he approved of it and encouraged me to pursue making the idea a reality. So, I composed a proposal and submitted it to the elder team. The proposal included goals and objectives for the ministry, as well as the intended structure of the gatherings.

After I received the green light from the elders, I sought to find a team of young leaders that could help organize the ministry and help lead worship. God provided generously in this area and I was encouraged to discover a similar excitement and united mission in believers around me.

I am extremely thankful to everyone who stepped up to help, because this wasn’t and isn’t something I could do by myself.

Once the leadership team was established, we met to discuss ideas and submit to what we felt were God’s standards and purposes for the ministry. Predominantly, our mission is to provide a place for believers and unbelievers to come to learn about God, be encouraged through fellowship with one another, and fuel a flame of passion for the gospel.
We decided to name the ministry The ROCK  because our faith is grounded in Christ, who is the only firm foundation that this life has to offer. Even as shaky foundations collapse in the world around us, we can still confidently exclaim, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand!”
Fittingly with the title of our ministry, I will spend the first several weeks teaching through Ecclesiastes, which describes the ultimate bankruptcy of trying to build a foundation on anything other than God. In a world that constantly tells us that we need to do something, be something, or get something in order to find happiness, Ecclesiastes shows us that such an attitude leads only to slavery and emptiness.

I am confident the content of this book will change the way people look at life; it certainly has changed my perspective as I’ve studied it in depth.

The group will convene every Friday night from 7:30-9:00 p.m. and will meet in the youth room. Gatherings will begin with a time of worship, followed by a lesson and small group discussion. There will be other various activities depending on the week, but the basic structure will remain pretty consistent.

Kickoff night on January 30 will be a great opportunity for interested young adults to come and get a feel for what the ministry will be like, as well as to get to know some of the other members. The night will include worship, games, and fellowship. We will also provide scheduling updates and other announcements that night.

This ministry is primarily for young men and women ages 18-29, but the age range is flexible within reason (Dad, if you’re reading this, you’re NOT within reason). Students and non-students are both welcome, and the ministry will primarily focus on singles and unmarried young adults. There is a separate ministry for young married couples through Lance and Brandy Byers; if you're interested in this, please contact the Byers at thebyersfamily5@yahoo.com.

I am excited to see what God does through this ministry. Since I became a believer at 17 years old, I have experienced the grace of God abundantly in my own life and I’ve seen Him work powerfully time and time again. I have been blessed to see lives transformed and chain links to sin broken. I have seen hard hearts become softened and indifferent hearts catch fire for God. I have seen evidences of sanctification in believers and I’ve witnessed unbelievers come to know the Lord. I’ve seen God mature friends, I’ve seen prayers answered, and I’ve beheld the living and piercing influence of the Word.

Although my skills are limited and my strength is bound for failure, I can’t put a ceiling on my expectations for this ministry. I have seen God work enough to know that He can use anything or anyone to accomplish His will, regardless of the odds.

I echo Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen!”
Of course, the reality of God’s power isn’t dependent on the performance of this ministry. He is sovereign and His plans will be accomplished with or without us; all I can do is willingly offer this up to Him. I would rather The ROCK be an encouragement for five people attending than for it to have no impact on fifty people attending.

While it’s easy to get sidetracked and caught up in the excitement of what’s to come, my prayer is that this ministry will exist entirely for God’s glory and for the uplifting of the body. If this is the attitude of everyone involved, I believe God will bless our efforts and give us the peace to take delight in being a small part of His plan.

Blake Glosson
Questions? Contact Blake at 630.945.5417