Easter Boar's Head Hams

Brad and Rebecca will be taking orders for Easter hams this Sunday. Hams are $35 of which $10 will go to missions.

We'll Miss George Robinson

George Robinson went to be with the Lord this morning. A long time partner at NHC, George was always ready to do anything in his ability for his Lord and his church. He faithfully served us as a Deacon, and served us well.

"Absent from the body and present with the Lord."

Why We Do What We Do

One of those weeks created one of those weeks

September is always a busy month as lots of things get cranked back up after the summer. But when a hurricane comes in to play the last week of August, it not only wreaks havoc in physical ways, it creates a logjam in the calendar.

Last week as we jumped into recovery mode, it became necessary to put everything that was previously scheduled on the back burner or reschedule. This week we're seeing way more lumped into one week than we certainly would prefer.

We try, at NHC, to keep from becoming a "something at church every night" church. In fact, we work hard at not allowing that to happen. But Irene's surge followed by a holiday weekend has pushed a bunch of things together.

The Connection Group Leader training that was to be held on Sunday, Aug. 28 has been moved to Wednesday night, Sept. 7.

Our youth begin their new schedule this week, with middle school on Wednesday night and high school on Thursday night. But last week's storm moved FFMS open house to this Wednesday night. What do you do? Andy says there will be middle school youth tonight at the church for those who can make it.

Friday night is our planned Kick off for our Connection Groups. It's also a change from the past, moving "First Wednesday" to Friday nights. There is child care through 1st graders.

Saturday morning is the Ladies Ministry Brunch at Kelly's.

Saturday night, that last installment of the Financial Peace University (previously scheduled for the night of Irene's arrival) is at 5:00.

Sunday morning is normal!

Sunday after the 11:00 gathering we have a lunch and new partner interviews.

Sunday at 4:00 is our Fall Church picnic.

Did you get all that?

Trust me. This too shall pass!

Youth Scholarship

This summer we are excited about Camp Contagious. It has been a long time since NHC has hosted our own summer camp for students in middle and high school. Our theme is "Inhabit: Choosing to be Set Apart".

We have assembled a team of adults to staff our camp. We have already maxed out on our camper registrations.

We have done our best to keep camp costs low. Students will be paying $300 each to participate in our camp this summer. We will be traveling to Pigeon Forge, Tn. where we have secured a log cabin that sleeps 40. This should definitely be a week of bonding and team building for our students. We will have Bible study twice a day, some free time and some fun excursions such as whitewater rafting and Dollywood amusement park.

We have some students who would benefit from some scholarship help for camp. Rather than just handing out money we have come up with a system to take care of scholarships. Students make themselves available to work to earn their money for camp doing odd jobs for our NHC family, thinks like washing cars, cleaning house, baby sitting, yard work, etc. Money is then deposited into the scholarship account in the student's name by the person they worked for.

We will also be doing some group community projects and folks can invest into the lives of these students by giving to the scholarship fund.

For more details on how you can get involved and invest in a student's life you can go to our scholarship page on our youth web site. Thanks for being a church that loves and supports student ministry!

Prioritizing Sunday Mornings: Our Staff

Sunday mornings are a busy time at Nags Head Church for a majority of our partners, and that's a good thing. None are busier, however, than our staff.

As our church grows it becomes more and more necessary for our staff to be good stewards of our time. Back in the "old days" I could have conversations on Sunday mornings with just about everyone. But then we were a very small group. Now those kinds of conversations are limited at best. People are our first priority as a staff and as pastors. But on Sunday mornings other priorities may need to rise to the top.

The last thing we want is to be perceived to be rude or distant or disconnected. But let me share some reasons why Sunday mornings are not usually the right time to need our time.

All of us on staff have multiple responsibilities on Sundays. We arrive before 8AM and are typically in the building until 1PM, focusing on those needs. Where are our priorities?

• Andy is making sure everything from the nursery to Kids Church is running smoothly. He oversees a team of 20+ volunteers in 3 different "divisions" and often is needed to take care of things there. They are his first priority. On top of that, he at times plays in the band or runs our sound board. Add to that, he's a husband and father, needed to make sure his wife and three young kids get to where they need to be. He's also our youth pastor, and is on the look-out for new teenagers and families who may be in church to welcome them.

• Nathan is responsible for making sure everything in the worship gathering flows well. The band arrives by 7:30 and practices for an hour. Often there are technical issues with lighting or videos, etc. that need his attention. At the same time, his family is also coming in for worship. There are times in between the gatherings that he is making some adjustments to the music or order of the gathering.

• Rick is focused primarily on the sermon. He takes very seriously the fact that God's Word changes lives, and his duty is to deliver it clearly and accurately. While that sounds simple, it takes a lot of his attention. He's typically in his office around 7:30, looking over his notes and making sure he understands the flow of the service. What most people don't realize is that preaching is physically, emotionally and spiritually tiring. Ask our elders who don't do it on a regular basis! And as the Lead Pastor, he's most likely thinking about everything that's happening on Sunday morning, from the paper towels in the restrooms to praying for those who will hear God's Word. If he's "hiding" in his office, it's for a good reason.
  

• All three also are concerned about welcoming guests and answering their questions. We believe our "free time" in the lobby before and after each gathering should be used to allow us to be available to them. As leaders, we can't just say, "Everyone meet someone new". We also want to model that priority as well.

• Above all else, even for our staff, our first priority is to worship. With all the other things we need to do, worship for us requires greater focus because the other things can become distractions from putting our hearts around God's throne. Believe it or not, we probably have a harder time worshiping than most on Sundays because those duties can be distracting. So, like everyone, the fewer distractions we have the better able we are to really worship God. And, we know that if we are focused on worship, God will bless everything else we're doing.
  

That's where you can help us the most. Often we're pulled aside to talk about things that could be dealt with during the week. If something has made you concerned or unhappy, Sunday morning is not the time to get it resolved unless it is life or death or will somehow impede our purpose of worship that day.

So here are some helpful tips:

• Know your church's leadership and their areas of ministry. If you come to Rick about a Connection Group question he's going to refer you to Burnie. If you're looking for a ministry team to join find Tom Lee. Need to set up time with a counselor? Find Steve. But keep in mind that Steve's regular Sunday ministry is on the First Impressions team. So be brief. He's greeting guests! In Discovering Nags Head Church we go over our leadership structure. Please be familiar with it and save a step or two.

• Barbara Kay is our part-time office manager. But she isn't working in that capacity on Sundays. Like you, she's volunteering on her ministry team. And don't assume she knows the answer to your question. She will likely refer you to one of us, a ministry team leader or a pastor.
  

• If your question or concern doesn't require an immediate answer - and most do not - please call (441-7548) or email the pastor or staff leader (_______@nagsheadchurch.org) who can help you and set up an appointment to talk about it. Imagine if all 210 partners "needed" to talk to a leader on Sunday morning! In fact, it's much easier for our staff to remember things if you email us instead of mention something in passing on Sunday. Or you can drop a Communication Card in the basket.
  

• If you must share something with any of us on Sunday morning, please accept the fact that our time is limited. Often Rick has several people wanting to say something to him immediately after a gathering. That's why he usually hangs out in the auditorium. But please respect that others may need to speak to him as well, so keep it as brief as possible.

• Our staff and pastors are always available on Sunday for immediate needs and to pray with you or encourage you. Don't forget that we have 5 pastors, all of whom are glad to help as they can. Any of us can and will pray with you. But again, the key word there is immediate. Ask yourself, "Is this something truly pressing, or can it wait?".
  

So please understand why we guard our time on Sundays. We're not being rude. We are asking you to understand our responsibilities and priorities. Like you, we need to be good stewards of the time and faithful to the calling God has given us.

YM Team Retreat

Tonight we begin our youth ministry team retreat. We have never done this before and I'm excited! Hopefully this weekend will help us to:

1. Be a better team. Ministry is always better when accomplished with someone else.
2. Be better ministers. Students need caring adults in the church investing into their lives.
3. Be closer to God. When you pour out in ministry you must make sure you take time to refuel spiritually.

I'm blessed to part of a team serving with 11 other partners from NHC with the goal of impacting student's lives and assisting parents as they disciple their kids.

If you get some time please pray for us this weekend we would appreciate it.

AL

Treat you like family!

A decade or so ago one of our local restaurant's slogan was "Treat you like family". Their commercials were pretty silly, but the message came across.

In the church we're a family. Just what does that mean? If you are/were at NHC on Sunday, January 9 you heard these points. Please take the time to do a little research and study with them.

• Caring about each other. – 1 John 3:17
• Fellowship. - Acts 2:46
• Meeting needs. – Acts 4:35
• Offering support. - Acts 20:35
• Extending hospitality. – 1 Peter 4:9
• Contributing to the household through our spiritual gifts and financial offerings. – Ephesians 4:16
• Accountability. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
• Confronting and correcting when necessary. – 2 Timothy 4:1-4
• Working together. – 1 Thessalonians 1:3
• Providing safety and security. - Acts 20:28-31
• Refusing to gossip and be unloving in any way. – 2 Corinthians 12:20-21
• Loyalty and trust. – 2 Corinthians 7:7, 12

Former NHCers We're Connecting with On the Road

Paul and Jenny South, Tucker, Griffin and Ann Clair, now in New Orleans. Tucker was born while the Souths were at NHC.

Mark and Sue Burns, Baker, FL. Now a vital part of the greeting team at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Sarah (Lawrenson) and Terry Moore, Vero Beach, FL. Terry's the Student Pastor at their church.

More pics and a daily journal can be found at our blog "40 Days in a Toyota".

PD Church Conference

If you are home today or tomorrow and have the time you may want to tune in and check this out:
http://www.saddleback.com/webcast/pdns/2009/index.html
Lots of good stuff.

Sunday Feedback May 17

When your back is against the wall (and God put you there).

What? No bagels or danish or sweet potato biscuits? It's time to re-focus on why we've had the refreshments. It was not intended to be breakfast for us or our kids, but a vehicle to promote fellowship. So for a couple weeks it's gone. But it will be back, hopefully to be enjoyed for its purpose and to use as a tool to welcome guests. So eat breakfast before you come!

After worship there was a frank and transparent sharing from our elders about church finances.

Whether it was in a song, a conversation, a ministry opportunity or from today's message, what did you come away with today?