NBCB Weekly Newsletter 03/13/2025

I want to highlight two verses for you today.  The first is Romans 8:28.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

 The second verse is Matthew 28:18-20.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Patrick of Ireland often known as St. Patrick lived a life demonstrating these two passages.  Patrick faced many challenges in life, but God used those challenges to work for His purposes and Patrick’s good. Patrick was serious about the Great Commission.  Bill Delvaux summarizes Patrick’s life.

Patrick was not Irish but born English in the 5th century into a well-to-do family that had ties with the Roman government. His father was a deacon in the church, and he grew up with a nominal faith. But tragedy struck him in his teen years when he was kidnapped by slave traders and taken to Celtic Ireland as a slave. At that time Ireland was considered to be the end of the world. Here under harsh and perilous conditions, he spent his days and nights outdoors as a shepherd.

But here his heart also awoke to God, and he began to pray fervently. In this place of desolation, he felt an extraordinary consolation, that he was a beloved son of the Father through Christ. He knew he was loved and forgiven and protected, even out in the wilderness of primitive Ireland. It was that deep grounding in his identity as a son that became the foundation on which he was to build his life. For what happened next was the call to do something with his new life.

Through a miraculous series of events, he was able to return to England and his home. His family and friends now urged him to stay at home forever. But God had a different idea. In a vision he received at night, he heard the voices of the Irish asking him to come back to Ireland and walk among them. Upon waking, he was so stung in his conscience that he knew this was God’s call. Despite objections from his family, he entered the priesthood and eventually became a bishop. Then he set sail to go back to the very place of his enslavement, not knowing what would happen.

The rest of his story reads like something out of the script of any epic movie. He faced dangers from slave traders, hostility from Druidic leaders, and even betrayal by church leaders. Remember at that time, Ireland was outside the edge of civilization. Tribes warred with each other, there were no roads or infrastructure, and animistic idolatry prevailed. Despite all the obstacles, Patrick persevered in his quest. He would enter a village, preach the new message of the gospel, form a church of new converts, train elders, and ordain priests (he could do that as a bishop). Then he would move on to the next village and repeat the process. Over the years, thousands became followers of Christ, including some of the Druidic kings.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we are going to have an Irish Italian Potluck after our 11:00 a.m. worship service this Sunday, lol.  Invite your friends and family, sign up to bring something to our Italian potluck, and let’s plan on having a great time.

Here are some other things I would like to bring to your attention. This Saturday our Women’s Ministry is meeting at the church at 1:30 p.m.  Pastor Jim will lead a team from Northwood Berkeley to minister at the Wildcat Senior Living Center on Wednesday, March 26^th at 1:15 p.m.  Dave and Lindsay Shepardson will host another Bible Study in their home Friday, March 21^st at 6:00 p.m.  Our Adult Discipleship groups will be starting New Testament Survey on Sunday, March 23^rd.  This week at Discipleship we will be talking about Engaging our World.  We are collecting candy for an Outreach in the Cane Bay area on April 5^th.  Northwood Berkeley will have a tent/booth/games at the Cane Bay outreach.  Sunday nights have been going well!!  We had nineteen children at Kingdom Kids last week.  We had eight or so students at the Crave Student Ministry.  Our West Virginia Mission Trip team will have an all-afternoon Bible study on Sunday, March 30^th at Northwood Greenridge.  I haven’t come close to mentioning everything going on.  It’s fun to see what God is doing at Northwood Berkeley.  I am thankful for you. I am thankful to our great God!!!