If you haven’t heard by now, The Branch is the name of the new church start we are helping sponsor in Corvallis. In December Josh and Elizabeth Howeth, Josh and Chelsea Armentano, and Stephen and Lisa Brucker shared with the church God‘s call to begin a new church in Corvallis. At that time we just took a few minutes for Josh Howeth and I to share a little about what was going on.

Josh and I agreed we needed to set aside a time early this year for a presentation on the start of The Branch so the church family would have more information. Sunday, February 12th at 6 PM, The Branch leadership team is sharing their vision with Grant Avenue. They also want to answer your questions. I encourage everyone in our church family to come to this meeting. If you can’t we will record the meeting and I want you to watch it later.

Beginning a new church in the same town brings up a huge question: I love those who are starting the new church, and I love those who are staying with the old church, which one should I go to? It’s a great question. Before Carol and I came to Corvallis I pastored San Juan Baptist Church in Port Townsend, Washington. In one business meeting the church voted to build a new auditorium, add some Sunday School classrooms, remodel the current building and begin a new church. It took almost a year to do the building project then, just a few months later, we began Calvary Baptist Church, in Hadlock, Washington, just a few miles from San Juan.

We faced some of the same questions we face here:

Who should go start the new church? Will we have enough leaders to continue doing what we’ve been doing? Can we afford it financially? Why does God call our friends to leave our church? Starting a new church is a challenge and every church start is unique but let me try to answer these questions.

Who should go start the new church? The question isn’t easy but the answer is very simple: You should go if God leads you to go. Knowing if God is leading you may be difficult. Begin by asking God to help you know His will and commit to praying for His leadership. Come to the meeting February 12th and listen to the vision for the new church. Does it touch your heart? Does it resonate with what you want church to be? Some of us would hinder rather than help if we went. If you go, you must buy into the vision God is giving the leadership. Go if God is calling you to go and you share the vision of new church. Make sure both are true before you commit to helping plant The Branch. I share what I know of their vision but God isn’t calling me to go and He may not be calling you either. I will be involved in The Branch.  I will help where I can and I expect Grant Avenue to assist but not everyone is called to go.

Will we have enough leaders to continue doing what we’ve been doing? This is a great question with again a simple answer. God provides the people we need to accomplish the purposes He has for us. God gives us the people we need. The question is: How willing are we to accept the responsibilities God has for us? We also need to make sure Grant Avenue is doing what God wants us to do. God may want us to narrow the list of things we do. Beginning The Branch demands more from all of us. Those who go and those who stay need to commit to accepting leadership responsibilities and reaching out to people in the community.

Perhaps you’ve been letting others do what God has set aside for you to do. We need those going and those staying to step up and say, “Here am I, send me.”

Can we afford it financially? Birthing a new church is not cheap or easy. The old saying is: “If you wait to have children until you can afford them, you will never have them.” If we wait to birth a new church until we can afford it, we will never begin one. The answer is yes, we can afford it. God gifts each church with the people and the finances needed to accomplish His purposes. We have the resources we need for Grant Avenue and to begin The Branch. The problem is our obedience. If every member of Grant Avenue tithed finances would never be an issue. Many of our people do tithe and we have a few people who give more than a tithe but we also have a number who give very little. God expects us to at least tithe. For a few years The Branch will receive funds from the North American Mission Board, Grant Avenue, a couple other churches, and probably the Willamette Valley Baptist Association. Those funds will help immensely, but they will dry up and The Branch will need to raise its own funds. Grant Avenue and The Branch will both struggle financially if we do not give as God calls us to give; but both will flourish if we are obedient in our giving. If you go help start The Branch you need to commit to it financially. If you stay you need to commit financially as well.

Why does God call our friends to leave our church? Again, the answer is simple: God calls because He wants more people in His kingdom. The Branch is going to reach people Grant Avenue is not reaching. God is concerned about His kingdom and we need to be also. It wasn’t easy for us to go to two services because most of you don’t get to see some of our church family every week. We did it for the good of the kingdom; so we could reach more people. The same is true in starting The Branch; more people are going to be reached for the kingdom.

There are many questions Josh and I can’t answer. We are trying to be obedient to the leadership of God in our lives and in the lives of Grant Avenue and The Branch. We covet your prayers as we try to lead through this time of transition and birth. God has some amazing things ahead for ministry in Corvallis. Josh and I are praying for God’s leading in your life. Please join us in that prayer.

Hello Church Family!

I am a pretty simple person. Always have been and probably always will be. I appreciate simplicity…when at Yogurt Extreme, I choose vanilla. I do like to be challenged to think through concepts or dilemmas. But I think sometimes we take something simple and make it complicated (i.e. adding nuts to brownies) when it’s just not necessary and just confuses the intent.

I think this is why these verses from Colossians chapter one seemed so refreshing when I read them over in preparing for our winter retreat this month…

“The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.” – from Colossians Chapter 1 (The Message paraphrase)

Christ. No More, No Less. Now that’s a clear message. Simple. A maturing believer is one whose life is becoming more and more defined by Jesus. In a way, a mature believer is  simple. It’s all about one thing. Distractions are cleared. His/Her entire identity is in who   Jesus is and what He did for them on the cross. Every aspect of their life is radically altered.

Back to the basics. I believe that we easily complicate what a Christian should be all about. “It’s about living right.”, “A true believer doesn’t (fill in the blank)” or “A Christian has to (again, fill it in yourself)”… When really it is not a list of do’s and don’ts, it is simply Christ and letting Him define us. A single focus.

Now that is a message that even a simple guy like myself can understand. The challenge is in simply living it out.

Love You Guys….. Keep Chasin’ Jesus!

Pastor Rob

Parent Meeting in February!

I would like to invite all you parents & guardians to come and meet with me after the morning worship service on February 19th. We will be discussing the latest happening in the youth ministry, upcoming scheduled events and organizing the ministry for the future. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, questions and observations (although you can always share these with me personally too!). PLEASE plan on attending!

Winter Retreat Thank You!

We had a great time up in Government Camp! Thank you to everyone that provided snacks and meals for the group! You made the weekend just that much better (and less stressful for Elissa)!  And I also want to express a special thanks you to Beth Kowal and Daniel Sanchez for giving up their weekends to invest in the lives of our youth.

Upcoming Events:

Sunday, Feb. 5th – Super Bowl Party

Tuesday,  Feb. 7th – Stone Soup

Saturday, Feb. 18th  Youth Game Night

Fri., March 2nd The Rock & Worship Roadshow (concert in Portland)

Hello Church Family!

“For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven” -Ecclesiastes 3:1

It’s that time of that year again when we reflect on our past year and look to the new year. How has this past year been for you? Has it been easy and worry free or has it been filled with discouragement? Has it been a smooth ride or filled with bumps? Has it been joyful or sorrowful? Has it been full of laughter or full of crying?

For my family this past year there has been many times of joys and exciting times, but also times of sorrows and discouragement. But one thing that I have learned through the years is to keep my eyes on God. If I focus on the events in my life whether good or bad I either become too confident in my own ability and don’t trust God, or I start questioning God and ask Him, “Why me?”.

When we turn our lives over to God, it doesn’t mean that He will let our road become smooth. Jesus, in fact, said the complete opposite in John … “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

We are going to go through different seasons in our lives. Look back over those times and see how God did in fact “show up”. He is faithful, loving, and compassionate through the times.

“Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” – Habakkuk 3:17-19

Our job is to stay in fellowship and walk DAILY with God. So, what are your new year’s resolutions? Make sure if you have at least one it includes your walk with God. Spend time with Him this year. Don’t let homework, sports, Facebook, or even times with friends keep you away from meeting daily with YOUR Creator. When I ask people if they have been reading the Bible, the majority of the reasons why they don’t are because they say they are way too busy. Way too busy??? Way too busy to become more in tune with God? It would be a shame to look back at your year and realize that you could have been closer to God but for some reason you were just too busy.

I dislike making new year’s resolutions because I seem to break them the first day. But this is a worthy resolution. I am going to make this my resolution- to spend time with God. I want to look back at my year next year and see that I have grown closer to God.

How about doing this with me?

Keep Chasin’ Jesus!
Happy New Year!!
Love you guys,
Pastor Rob

Dear Church Family,

The days are quickly approaching for our March trip to Peru  (Saturday March 24th thru Sunday April 1st ).  Our church has committed to visiting the villages of Huamantanga, Quipan, and Marco three times a year for five years.  This will be our first trip of our second year.  The people of these villages need Christ just as we all do.  Airfare will be purchased the week of January 22nd.  If you plan to go, $1,250 will need to be turned in to the church by January 22nd.  The total trip cost will be about $1,750.  Mission assist funds are available to help offset the personal expense of the trip.  Forms are available in the office. 

The lost of our society are distracted with all the pleasures and stuff surrounding us.  The people of these villages are distracted by deep rooted religious teachings that are false. As Christians we are distracted, sadly enough, by the rich blessings of our heavenly father, e.g. families, jobs, talents, hobbies, homes & property, etc; we are just so busy.  If the enemy can keep the army of Christ busy with seemingly good activities and intentions long enough, our individual opportunities to do Christ’s work will pass us by. 
No matter how busy we get, the lost people’s need for Christ around us or in the villages doesn’t diminish.  Their spiritual situation doesn’t just get put on hold while the dust settles for us.
 
Psalm 46:10 says,
“Be still and know that I am God.” 

I challenge us as we move into 2012 that we will spend more moments of each day being still in spirit, thinking of God, listening to God, and thus seeing the opportunities around us to be Christ.  In some cases it may be as simple as holding the door open for someone with a smile saying, “Good morning.”  In other cases, it may mean asking someone how they are doing with God and end up sharing how to have a relationship with Him. 

You may hear God leading you to go to Peru. 

Doug Boddy
541-223-3484     

The end of a year naturally brings a time of reflection. What were the highs and lows of the past year, what didn’t I do that I wish I had and what did I do that I wish I hadn’t? Where did I live out my faith and where did I let God down? Where could I have made better use of my time, energy and gifts? I suspect all of us can think of things to fit each of these categories. It is easy to look back and become defeated and discouraged.

The Christian life is a process. We are encouraged in scripture to live out our faith. God knows our weaknesses and strengths. He knows the areas we struggle in and works in us to strengthen our walk with Him. He brought trials into your life in 2011 to help your grow, to teach you to depend on Him, to defeat pride and produce humility and strengthen you for the future.

I believe reflection is a great thing, as long as it doesn’t keep you from moving on. Take time to look honestly at your walk with God and your relationship with family, friends and co-workers. Take stock of your faithfulness to witness, pray, study the Bible and encourage others in their faith. Evaluate if you grew in your faith this year. Ask God to help you have an accurate assessment of who you are and where you are in your walk with Him and others.

When you’ve finished your assessment, it’s time to honestly talk with God: You may need to confess and repent; you may need to humbly give thanks; you may need to ask for His help and guidance to take care of some problems you face because of what you did or didn’t do. When you are finished talking the year over with God, it’s time to let it go. You confessed, repented, gave thanks and asked for guidance; now move on to 2012. Do not allow the failures or successes of 2011 keep you from being and doing what God desires in 2012.

A whole new year stretches out before you with its 366 days (leap year) of possibilities. This year is unstained by sin, failure or rebellion; it also has no record of accomplishment, success or praise. Every year is a totally blank tablet. Let me encourage you to set out to make this year an incredible journey of growth, accomplishment and service. Ask God to guide you. Read the Bible through, go on a mission trip, begin to tithe, identify some people you are going to witness to, volunteer to teach a Bible study or Sunday class, begin a small group at your home. God will amaze you with what He helps you do if you will give Him the opportunity.

If we, as a church family, commit to growth in discipleship in 2012, we will look back next December in amazement at what God has done through us in just one year.

The year 2012 begins on Sunday. It doesn’t happen that often, but what a great way to begin the year, at church with our church family.

I encourage you to bring some folks to church with you. I often hear comments about the friendliness of Grant Avenue, about how great the music is, or how the message spoke to you.
If you are being challenged and enjoy the Bible study and worship bring someone with you. Let’s make this the year we bring our friends to church. Bring them, help them get plugged in, and introduce them to others.

Make sure you greet our guests each week. It is intimidating to come to a new church, help them feel at home.

It’s going to be a great year. I love being your pastor.

Men’s Homeless Shelter Outreach

December 18-24
Two Shifts: Greeters from 6:30pm-11:00pm & Overnight supervisor from 11:00pm – 7:00am
Westside Community Church – 4000 SW Western Blvd Corvallis, OR 97333

Outreach Details

We will be helping with the men’s homeless shelter at Westside Community Church. We will need 2-3 people to greet the men from 6:30pm-11pm each evening and 1 man to spend the night at the shelter each night. The shelter has beds for 40 homeless men. This will be a great opportunity to build relationships and love the homeless community in our city.

How do I sign-up?

Sign-up up to help online now!

We need people to sign-up by December 11! If you have any questions, please contact Sarah or Steve Watson – 541.971.6849

I know most of you were surprised with the announcement that Josh and Elizabeth Howeth, Josh and Chelsea Armentano, and Stephen and Lisa Brucker are going to work together to begin a new church in Corvallis, especially targeting college students. I’m excited and sad at the same time. Let me give you a little background on all of this.

Grant Avenue Baptist Church was founded in 1956 with the goal of reaching and ministering to students who were attending the Oregon State Agricultural College. Through the years many students attended, accepted Christ, were discipled and moved on to minister and live for Christ around the world. While we have ministered to many students, in the last ten years there has been an increasing desire on the part of some to begin a new church, especially targeting the college community.

Wes Hughes and Petey Crowder, while BCM Directors at OSU, both wanted to establish a worship service geared to college students. In between Wes and Petey a student minister named Keith Weiser came to Corvallis to investigate the BCM position. When we met one of his questions was would the church be open to establishing a new church, targeting the college community. I told Keith yes. God led him to Pullman, Washington where he began Resonate, a college centered church.

Resonate is a success. They are reaching several hundred college students in Pullman and began a new church in Moscow, Idaho which is also reaching a large number of students. Increasingly, they are also reaching other adults in the community.

NWBC staff and I began talking about beginning a Resonate style church in Corvallis several years ago. Grant Avenue will never stop trying to reach college students but with 25,000 students at OSU and the reality that we are only impacting a handful, it seems prudent to attempt to expand our ministry to them with a church geared especially for them.

Two years ago a team of recent Texas Tech graduates toured Corvallis with the intent of starting a church. They spent one year working with Resonate in Pullman to learn and be trained. Convention staff worked to arrange funding and two Oklahoma churches committed to each fund one staff member for several years. We anticipated a church launch in September of this year. Last spring that group determined God was leading them to plant a church in Spokane, WA. So, for the last few months we have been searching for someone to lead a new church start.

Eighteen months ago I told one of our Convention Staff that Josh Howeth would be the right person to begin the church but the timing was all wrong. With the group from Texas Tech it didn’t seem it was a problem. When they decided to go to Spokane Josh came back to my mind but I didn’t say anything to him.

In July Josh and I began talking about the college church start. Through various people at various times God laid on his heart that he should be the lead pastor of this new church. Josh and Elizabeth took extensive evaluations, had a six hour interview with Bevin McWhirter, a church planting specialist, and spent three days at an intensive church planting seminar. They also asked a small group to pray with them about God’s leadership. God has confirmed through all of this that He wants Josh to start this church.

So, we have three couples who feel God is leading them to begin a new church in Corvallis, with the express intent of reaching college students for Christ. The great news is that I know and trust each one of them. I’m going to love working with them in the next few years. The difficult part is I’m also going to miss them. They are valued and loved leaders here.

We are working out the transition plans which we will present to you at the December 14th business meeting. Josh will lead our worship for the next few months. The proposed 2012 budget has him moving to part-time in January. We will continue to provide him an office for at least as long as he leads our worship. They will be worshipping with us for months before the new church launches later next year.

I’m excited about what God is going to do through this committed group of young adults. It is an exciting yet overwhelming challenge. Please commit to pray for them as they attempt great things for God. Pray for your church leadership as we pray and plan for the future. I know you have questions; so do I. We will work on answers together as we seek God’s leadership.

I can tell you now we have some needs. We need people to step into leadership roles these are holding. We need people who haven’t been to start tithing to make up the income that will be lost. We need a renewed effort to reach Corvallis for Christ.

Starting a new church is a great way to reach people for Christ. Our helping start this church is a part of our commitment to reach Corvallis but Grant Avenue must continue to find new ways to introduce people to Jesus. We must continue to disciple and grow new believers into fully developing followers of Christ. It’s going to be a challenge and exciting to see what God does.

Northwest Baptist Witness
For years the church provided all members with a copy of the Northwest Baptist Witness, the newsletter of the Northwest Baptist Convention. Beginning in January the Witness will only be available on-line or by email. Please let us know your email address if you want to receive it that way.

Thank you.

Hello Church Family!

International Missions has been a major focus for our church family, these past couple of years, especially. In 2010 we sent out 16 different people from our church family on international missions. This year we had 21 different people travel to our villages in Peru to proclaim the Gospel and meet needs of the people. We have committed to return to these villages three times a year for the next four years, in hopes of building up a church in each village. We have a long ways to go, but we are working on it. Apart from sending out our own short-term missionaries from our local church body, we are also part of a bigger network of churches that sends out long-term career missionaries.

Through the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Missions Board, we help support 4,887 missionaries all over the world. We have had the privilege of meeting and working with a handful of these missionaries through our efforts in Peru. Without these missionaries we would never have met the people of Huamantanga, Quipan and Marco. We would have no trained translators for our missions teams, no one to organize our vans, drivers and plan basic logistics for our teams coming into the country.

We have noticed something happening with the our career missionaries in Peru over the last couple years. There are less of them. Some have been re-assigned to a different area of the world and some have just been sent back home. There were over 400 more Southern Baptist missionaries in 2010 than we currently have. The IMB sent out 753 new missionaries in 2009 but that number was cut to to 381 in 2010. Why are we sending out and retaining less missionaries than in years past? It is not for a lack of people willing to dedicate their lives to spreading the Gospel.. There are plenty of individuals and families waiting for their assignment. It is because the IMB just doesn’t have the funds to support all these missionaries. We support the IMB through a percentage of out general offerings and also….

Each year in December we take up a special offering called the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Every penny from this offering goes directly to the IMB and provides funding and supplies for our missionaries.

The offering will go through the month of December, beginning with a week of prayer(look for the Prayer Guide in this week’s bulletin).

Our goal this year is the same as it was last year; $5500.

Last year we fell just short of meeting this goal. I am hoping this year we can meet and even exceed it!

I always feel a little awkward asking for money, but we need our missionaries and we need to help
provide for them…. Please be considering this throughout the month.

Love You Guys….. Keep Chasin’ Jesus! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! -
Pastor Rob !

For more information about the International Mission Board visit their website at: imb.org!

Jesus seemed to talk about food a lot.

When tempted by the devil in Matthew 4 to turn stones into bread, when He had not eaten in 40 days, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy and says, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” So the word of God is more important, in fact, it is more valuable than food.

Jesus even says in John 6 that He is the bread of life. That essentially, we need Him more than we need food. And if we have Him, we will never hunger or thirst again.

Jesus said to those who were following Him in John 4, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” His followers were trying to get Him to eat. They were concerned about Him. And Jesus makes a significant statement. The statement Jesus was making wasn’t that we shouldn’t eat. Jesus ate food and would recommend the same to you. He’s making a point. He tells them that doing the work that the Father has laid out for Him is more important than eating.

To own these statements would require a major heart shift for anyone. And really a shifting on what we treasure in this life.

These last few months for my family and I have really forced us to consider these statements and whether or not we really believe them. I mean, if you asked me if I believe them I would say of course. But really saying I believe something often times just means that I know something.

If you really believe something, it shapes you.

In this process of allowing God to speak into our lives and call us to leave Grant and plant a church here in this wonderful town has forced me to be confronted by these statements. We’re leaving the known, the at times comfortable, for the unknown and extremely uncomfortable. It’s not easy to leave. When we arrived here two years ago, we could never have seen this coming.

But we’re confronted with the statement of Jesus. Is doing God’s will and His work more important to us than even food? I hope our answer to this is always yes.

We’re excited about what lies ahead. We’re pumped at what God wants to do in this town, and we are praying that God uses Grant Avenue and this new church plant to really turn this town upside down for the glory of Jesus.

We really do hope that you will pray with us as we move forward in this mission. Please pray for my family, the Bruckers and the Armentanos. Pray that God would gather the right people with us to go out and form this church. And most of all, pray that God would be glorified as He continues to transform the people of Corvallis.

We hope that you will partner with us as we all want to see OSU’s campus transformed by the Gospel. We want to see other families and people a part of this community in awe of what God has done for them. And if we really want to see this happen, we will need to work together. Because it’s not about us. It’s about His Kingdom expanding and coming to this valley.

May the attitude of our hearts be that we desire more than dinner tonight, that His will would be done in this town.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and support already.

If you have any questions, or would like clarification on anything, please feel free to call, email me or pull me aside.

Love you guys and Merry Christmas!

Josh

A group will be Christmas caroling at the Lancaster Bridge apartment complex Sunday, Dec 4. They will meet at the church at 5:30pm to rehearse and drive over to Lancaster Bridge to carol from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. No prior singing experience required, just a joyful heart! Reply to this post or contact Pastor Josh if you have any questions.

Outreach Details

When: Sunday, December 4th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Where: Lancaster Bridge Apartment Complex
Contact: Pastor Josh
We will be meeting at the church at 5:30pm and driving over to Lancaster together after a short rehearsal.