SARA LANKFORD TO INTERN IN NEW YORK

Our own Sara Lankford has been accepted for a summer internship at ForeFront Church west side campus in Manhattan, New York City.  While there, Sara will be leading worship and assisting with their media, including video and photography.  Pray for Sara in this new experience in her Kingdom calling.  If anyone would like to help donate funds for Sara's internship, please make checks payable to Forefront Church, 928 Broadway, Suite 404, New York, NY 10010 and put her name in the memo. (There is another girl interning with her.) To see more about the church visit their website at www.forefrontchurch.com
 

MOPS Goodbye

Our MOPS moms said a fond farewell to Sarah Caban during her last meeting before moving with her family to Dallas.  Sarah has been instrumental in the growth of our MOPS program over the last 6 years at BVCC.  We have appreciated all she has done for the young moms in our community.

Senior Ministry Concert

The BVCC Senior Ministry hosted a community concert by Nashville vocalist, Joe Pearles.  Special guest musician, Tommy Brandt, along with his 10-year old son also shared Gospel Music to the delight of the crowd on Saturday, April 21 in the Worship Center.

ELIJAH'S DEDICATION

We celebrated with Ryan and Loni Hicks and big brothers, Joseph and Samuel, as little Elijah was dedicated on Easter Sunday.  Parents or grandparents that are interested in a dedication for their children/grandchildren are asked to contact Jennifer at 479-855-1616.

JR. HIGH GIRL'S ROOM

If you have a minute, stop by and peek inside the Jr. High girl's room off the Fellowship Hall downstairs.  Our young ladies and their sponsors have started painting beautiful murals on each wall.  It's just in the beginning stages, but so cool to see how they are using their God-given talents to create this space into something special for their Sunday and Wednesday sessions.

Decisions at BVCC

 LOUIS & SHONDRI LIM FAMILY

Marlayna, William & Lydia

Job opportunities for Louis and Shondri led them to NWA. Louis moved with his family in the 90’s as his father accepted a position as head of the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Arkansas.  Louis graduated from Northwestern University in IL and is now a Private Practice Attorney in Bentonville.  He previously worked with the Public Defender’s Office.  Shondri enjoyed her position as a pharmaceutical sales representative for quite a few years, but is so grateful that she is able to be home with the children and care for her family.  

The Lims have three children.  Marli is 16 and attends Bentonville High School.  She is already an accomplished clarinet player and has recently been chose to participate in all-region and all-state band.  She is very focused with her advanced subjects in school.  Six-year-old Lydia is full of energy and loves to run.  In fact, she is the only girl participating in the elementary running club at her school.  William attends Little Sprouts Learning Center at BVCC andloves to play video games and sing. He also rides his bike around the trail (once or twice!) with mom walking 2 or 3 times a week.  The family does cherish their time together, staying home for games and movie nights.  In his spare time, Louis enjoys fishing.

The Lims were invited to church by Shondri’s friend and BVCC member, Wayna Arenado.  They are thrilled to be part of the church and “had no idea something like BVCC was so close to them!”  The family is involved at BVCC with children & student activities, have served on the Guest Service Team, and are a part of the Falkenberg Life Group.

 

Welcome Molly!

It’s always a blessed time to see one of our teens accept Jesus as their personal Savior and be baptized, as Molly Owen did on April 15, 2012. She was baptized by Rachel Herring, one of our Student Ministry sponsors. Molly, a Senior at Bentonville High School, became connected with the Wednesday night youth group through a friend’s mother who had been attending BVCC recently.  Molly has lived in NWA most of her life with parents, Dana and Linda Owen.  She also has an older brother.  Molly is a long distance runner and loves to paint.  Her plans after graduation include majoring in kinesiology at the U of A in Fayetteville to be a physical therapist. 

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 Below, Molly's family encourage and support her during her decision to ask Christ into her life and be baptized!

 

Happy 100th Birthday Rocky!

SPAGHETTI DINNER HIGHLIGHTS

What a night!  The church donated around $5000 for our Student Ministry summer CIY (Christ in Youth) summer conference and their short term missions trip to inner city Chicago.  The teens and the sponsors thank everyone for their generosity.

  

Goodbye, Friends!!

EASTER CELEBRATIONS

The Children's Ministry celebrated Easter morning with the resurrection story and many hands on activities.

Below the Wednesday night preschool class also celebrated Easter with a party and the story of Jesus

Easter Scene

The photograph above was taken from the deck of Pat Wright's house on Easter morning.

STUDENT MINISTRY SERVING DAY

Radiate Youth Parents: This is a reminder to sign your students up for our “Chain Reaction” Service Day Project, 5/5/12. We will be volunteering at different sites throughout Bella Vista from 8-12 and then attending a concert that evening. There is more information on the church website under Student Ministries (Chain Reaction). Please contact Katie Gibson at 214-986-8829, if you have any questions.

Passover Seder Meal

A special thanks to Mark, Miki and Daniel Golaway for leading this annual event the Saturday night before Easter.  Special thanks to Lin Carnes for heading up the cooking team. We also appreciate Jeremiah, Tony and Seth for set up and clean up.

BAPTISM SUNDAY

April 1, 2012 was a beautiful and moving day to be remembered at BVCC!  We had 11 people follow Jesus' example and was baptized during our worship services.  Take some time to get better acquainted with each of them and watch for their profiles on next week's blog.

 HOPE GORDON

 ELLEN PATTON (Hope's mother)

 JUDY BAKER

 We rejoiced as we witnessed Judy Baker’s baptism. Judy’s testimony of faith is below:

“I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic faith and attended religious schools for 16 years.  I never felt the need to be “re-baptized” because I affirmed my original baptism many times after accepting Jesus my personal savior. But when I read about Jesus’ baptism in The Story this spring, I decided that if HE did it, I should also do it out of obedience. I don’t plan to change my life in any specific way, but want to open myself to any new possibilities that God may have in store for me.”

Judy and husband, Herb, moved to Bella Vista in October 2010 from West Bend, WI.   Judy is the American Heart Association Director of Publication for the Midwest Affiliate and Herb flies his restored Navy Trainer T-28 plane in air show aerobatics.

 TRAVIS HELDT

Travis Heldt made his decision to follow Christ and was baptized on this day. 

Travis and Ellen have lived in Northwest Arkansas four years.  He is employed with Wal Mart Transportation Logistics. 

Ellen loves taking care of the family and is homeschooling eight-year-old, Emily.  Logan, 4, attends Little Sprouts Learning Center, but will begin home school next year.

 The Heldt’s are a very outdoor oriented family, especially enjoying boating, hiking, and camping.

 They became a part of the BVCC family in July 2010 and have been serving and connected with many of the church activities.

 DON HEINS

 Don Heins felt the Lord was nudging him do make his recommitment of faith and be re-baptized on April 1.  We rejoiced with Don’s family on this decision.

Don has been employed at the Wal-Mart Warehouse in Bentonville for 24 years.

He and wife Kathy have resided in Pineville for 19 years. They have four sons and two grandchildren.

 Don is a mineral collector, buying and selling crystals.  He has won four national competitions with his displays over the years.  Kathy is enjoying her family and free time after working outside the home for many years.  Having a church home has been important to the Heins family. Don assisted in the construction during a building expansion at the Rogers Christian Church. They joined the BVCC family on March 29, 2009.

 KOLTEN STRAUSS (Baptized by his mom, Timeni)

After accepting Jesus as His personal Lord and Savior, ten-year-old Kolten Strauss was baptized by his mom, Timeni, during the first service.

 Kolten is the son of Troy and Timeni Strauss and brother to Kami.  He attends Cooper Elementary and likes to build with Legos, go fishing and swimming.  The family loves to have BBQs, play basketball and board games.  Kolten and the family became acquainted with BVCC through the children’s bus driver, Vicki Pomykala, and by Timeni’s friend, Jackie Charles.

 ELAINE FARRELL

Elaine Farrell said her love of The Story and joining Pastor Ron and Chad Rhodes’ Life Group have highlighted her months at BVCC, after a neighbor told her about the church. She looks forward to the Sunday talks and the relevancy of the stories to her life today.  Someday Elaine hopes to take a trip to the Holy Land to see all of the places we have talked about inThe Story.

Her life is very busy, as she has two daughters. Twenty-year-old, Alanna, resides in Bentonville and her youngest daughter, Elise, will graduate from BHS this spring.  Elaine has also been a Remediation Teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School since moving to NWA from Dallas in 2004.

She enjoys outdoor activities, especially swimming in the summer, gardening and landscaping.  Usually a few times a week she tries to get in a little baking. 

 

 CHRISTINA LEONE

For Christina Leone April 1, 2012 was a special morning for her life as she followed Christ’s example in baptism. Christina, husband Jeff, and daughter Ava Rose moved to NWA two years ago from Reding, Pennsylvania.  For BVCC it is a bittersweet time... we rejoice with Christina’s decision of baptism, but sad to learn their family will be moving back to Pennsylvania in mid-summer.

Christina is a Home Transcriptionist working at her house with a company in Georgia.  She was previously with Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale.  Jeff is a Chemical Mix Technician at Rockline.  Ava Rose attends Centerton-Gamble, but the family is happy to have received word she will be able to attend a Christian School when they move next fall. 

The family loves to take walks, play in the sand, and feed the ducks at BV Lake.  Christina said they look forward to the move back East and getting involved again at their home church.

 ERIN LUNA

 It’s always a great day to see our teens make their decision for Christ.  Erin Luna did just that on April 1. She is the daughter of Glen and Rose Luna and granddaughter of John Hix.  Erin is a Freshman at Bentonville High School. 

Her family, along with brother Caleb, moved to Bella Vista eight years ago from Tulsa, OK.  In her spare time, Erin loves to read and swim.

 EMILY WASHALISKI

 OLIVIA WASHALISKI