1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

COLONIAL
CONNECTIONS
Are We
Healthy?
“...Grow up into Him
who is the Head...
from Him the whole
body...grows and
builds itself up in
love, as each part
does its work.”
E p h e s i a n s 4:15-16
H e a l t h y
C h u r ch
B o d y
ISSUE NUMBER ONE
Vo l u m e 5
08
E D I T O R I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
For more information about
Colonial Connections, contact
the magazine staff:
Colonial Baptist Church
6051 Tryon Road, Cary, NC 27518
Phone: 919-233-9100
Fax: 919-459-0022
Email: magazine@colonial.org
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D I R E C T O R
Paul Franitza
MANAGING EDITOR
April Schweitzer
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S T E A M
Rishelle Barber
Katie Horton Gary Prohaska
Angela Clendenin
Kelly Lesher
Lee Starlin
WRITERS
Angela Clendenin Brittany Darst
Brad Harbaugh
Emily Heitman Ben LaCorte
Jamie Robinson
April Schweitzer
Chrissy Unruh
PHOTOGRAPHERS and ARTISTS
Rubberball Images (cover)
Shutterstock (page 3)
Paul Franitza (pages 6, 8, 10, 12, back cover)
Ginny Payne (14)
Kelly Lesher (back cover)
“Now to Him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or
imagine, according to His power that is
at work within us, to Him be glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus throughout
all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
COLONIAL CONNECTIONS
(USPS #022-193) is published quarterly
by Colonial Baptist Church, 6051 Tryon
Road, Cary, NC 27518 and is provided
free to the membership of Colonial Baptist
Church. Periodical postage is paid at
Cary, NC 27518 and additional offices.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to:
Colonial Baptist Church
6051 Tryon Road
Cary, North Carolina 27518
Phone: 919-233-9100, ext. 1053
© Copyright 2008
ww w. col oni al.o r g
What’s Inside?
3
6
8
10
12
14
15
Time for a Check-up!
“A body that is confined to a bed is
deteriorating. So…are we sleeping
or serving?”
Beautiful Feet
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring
good news of good things. (Romans 10:15)
Feed Your Mind
Colonial’s Library equips the
mind to grow in knowledge
of the Lord.
A Passion for the Word
“Teaching becomes a natural extension
of having a passion for the Word.”
Hands that Hold
A woman’s heart is touched by God
as the hands of the body reach out
to care for her.
Time for a
Check-up!
Heartbeat?
Steady. Strong.
Mind?
Focused. Growing
in knowledge.
Hands? Arms?
Gentle enough to
hold a baby.
Muscles exercised
by carrying one
another’s burdens.
A clean bill of health?
Check for yourself.
Wake Up and Get Moving
“We realized that we had no idea what we
had been missing out on.”
Therefore
Is your heart healthy?
Colonial Connections 3
H e a l t h y
C h u r ch
b o d y
The health of the body of Christ at Colonial Baptist Church depends on
the health of each believer who is a part of it. This issue of Connections
magazine will consider some of the parts that make up our body. We
hope to get you thinking – how do I contribute? How do we preserve our
health? Am I healthy? We start with some questions and answers on the
health of the church from Pastor Stephen Davey.
Q&A with
Dr. Davey
“There should be no
division in the body,
but that its parts
should have equal
concern for each
other. If one part
suffers, every part
suffers with it; if
one part is honored,
every part rejoices
with it. Now you are
the body of Christ,
and each one of you
is a part of it.”
1 C o r i n t h i a n s 12:25-27
Q.
We live in a country where the
church is continually redefining itself to
keep pace with a changing culture . . .
yet it seems that more churches than
ever are either dwindling or closing
down. Why is that?
A.
It’s true. The membership ranks
of the American church are thinning
. . . dramatically. One of the books I
require my pastoral theology students
at Shepherds to read is a startling
work by Woodrow Kroll entitled, The
Vanishing Ministry. He catalogues
much of what’s happening in this
country as the church at large faces
half-empty sanctuaries and dwindling
ministries. It’s hard to imagine that
nearly a dozen churches every week
in America hang the “out of business”
sign on their front door as they close it
for the last time.
Q.
A.
So, what is essential to keep that
from happening to us?
For starters, we have to
continually return to the basic
instruction manual. When you do,
Colonial Connections 4
you quickly discover that numerical
growth and the size of the buildings
and budgets are neither the goal nor
the determining factors of “success.” If
that were true, Islam and Mormonism
would be at the top of the success
chart. In other words, whether or not
Colonial has 400 or 4,000 is beside the
point. Success is determined by God’s
definition, and He’s actually made it
pretty obvious for us all to compare
our ministry to Scripture. What we
discover in the New Testament are
characteristics of a church that God
would be pleased with such as, the
preeminence of Christ, the exposition
of Scripture, genuine love for one
another, faith for a mission beyond our
own property lines, prayer, and giving
as the upward responses to God’s grace
. . . and that’s just the beginning! By
the way, I’m excited to develop this
answer further over the course of
several weeks as we continue studying
God’s evaluation of seven churches in
Revelation 2 and 3.
Q.
How does the elder team measure
how well we’re doing?
Q u e s t i o n
A.
That’s like asking a chef if he
loves his own cooking! He will nearly
always say, “Of course . . . it’s superb.”
Our perspective as an elder
team, however, is far from selfcongratulation. As one elder
told me recently, “Colonial is
thriving everywhere and in need of
improvement everywhere!” I agree.
Frankly, we have so much to do as
we continue to develop, teach,
organize, assimilate, and shepherd
the flock of God entrusted to our
protection and care.
We need to continually ask
ourselves the hard questions. Are
people involved in serving Christ in
some specific ministry? I’m excited
that we have now passed the 110
ministries mark, requiring 2,100
volunteers. We’re pretty passionate
about getting everyone off the bench
and on the playing field. Never before
have there been so many ways to
serve Christ in and through Colonial.
For this very reason, we’ve ratcheted
up the sense of responsibility for
new members to find their ministry
location and serve with grace and joy.
We believe health as a church family
is the same as a healthy physical body.
A body that is confined to a bed is
deteriorating. So . . . are we sleeping or
serving?
Another objective question is, are
we making a redemptive difference?
In other words, are people coming to
faith in Christ through our work?
Last year we had, on average, one
person trusting Christ for salvation
every day. We have also found a
wonderfully receptive audience with
people from every denomination
as well as Roman Catholics who
are pouring into our church with
questions and hunger. Our church
is continuing to reach beyond our
campus through the radio ministry
and is bringing visitors nearly every
Sunday who’ve been listening and
longing for the exposition of Scripture
and a church that’s alive in Christ.
I’m currently teaching nearly
record numbers of GreenHouse
students – from just about every
denomination and those who’ve come
from Catholicism. Our greatest joy and
challenge is to make disciples of these
friends who are coming to new and
genuine faith in Jesus Christ alone.
&
A n s w e r
But let’s not forget, we have yet to
make a dent in a town where 75% of
its citizens do anything on Sunday but
go to church – anywhere!
One of my favorite authors and
mentors in ministry, John MacArthur,
wrote this intriguing thought:
“Fellowship, teaching and praise are not
the mission of the church but are rather
the preparation of the church to fulfill
its mission of winning the lost – it is
through participation in God’s redemptive
plan that believers themselves most
glorify God.”
Q.
A.
How easy is it for us as a church
family to focus on past accomplishments?
Too easy. So we need to keep
asking the tough question – are we
delivering the gospel to our world?
Are we indeed glorifying God by
participation in the redemptive plan of
the gospel?
Our pastors and leaders have
spent a lot of time in recent weeks
talking about three key words
to describe ministry at Colonial:
developmental (building disciples),
redemptive (sharing the gospel) and
relational (connecting people). At
least one of these should be reflected
in anything we do. We’ve also been
challenged to evaluate our own
departments of ministry and determine
if there is a balanced offering of these
three key areas.
Q.
With so many new people
attending, how do we stay on track
with our mission to glorify Christ in
all these areas?
A.
Well, for starters, let’s keep
our authority in clear view – with
commitment. Sola Scriptura isn’t
carved into my pulpit to prove I know
a little Latin. It means “the scriptures
alone” and is vitally significant as we
allow the scriptures to steer us through
the maze of change, growth, pressure
and challenge. God has spoken – and
it directly relates to who we are and
what we do today – and in future
generations.
Secondly, let’s embrace change
– with grace. We’re heading into
a spring and summer of changes –
our church is adding new people to
Colonial Connections 5
the family and new staff members
to the team. It takes effort and
patience to incorporate new people,
new schedules, new problems, and
new personnel. Let’s be marked by
graciousness toward others.
Finally, let’s serve one another
– with humility. Paul’s letters make
it abundantly clear that unity is more
than happy smiles at 10:45 or coffee
at my house with a group of people
I like. Biblical unity is the result of
shared vision. It is the fruit of humble
believers considering others more
important than themselves. This is the
humility of Christ heading to the cross
for the sheer joy of knowing a Body
will be birthed and a Bride gathered
for eternal unity, service and worship.
Q.
What can we do as individual
believers to help keep our church body
at Colonial healthy?
A.
Check your pride at the door.
Offer to help someone do something
every time you come – from opening
the door to teaching kids or holding
babies. Sing as loudly as you can. Give
as much as you can. Turn your cell
phones off. Bring your Bible to church
and check me out every time I preach,
then read it regularly at home and at
work. Healthy church members make
a healthy church.
While you’re at it, pray as often as
you can for one another and those of
us in leadership. And keep looking
for Christ’s appearing – and living as
if it could be today . . . don’t forget
our future is going to be absolutely
breathtaking. So, let’s stay the course
for the glory of Christ.
I love you, Colonial family, and I’m
so grateful to be one of your pastors,
feet
H e a Theological
l t h y
C h u Seminary
r ch
B o d
Shepherds
Colonial Connections 6
y
E V A N G E L IS M
beautiful feet
P
aul praises a part of the body
that rarely gets any respect
when he declares, “How
beautiful are the feet of those who bring
good news of good things.” (Romans
10:15)
One of the special things about Kathy
McCallum is that she knows she isn’t
special at all – at least when it comes
to having Beautiful Feet. “I was shy
growing up and thought never could I
approach someone about the Gospel,”
admits Kathy, “but the Lord helped me
overcome that.” Looking back, Kathy
will say that the more she stepped out
in faith, the more God granted her the
confidence she lacked.
“God knows where we need to be
stretched,” she continues, “and He puts
us in situations He knows will stretch
us.” But Kathy also realizes that she was
“stretchable” because she truly wanted
to obey. “It comes down to: Am I going
to be obedient or disobedient?” says
Kathy. “Thoughts run through your
mind in the heat of battle, but only after
experiencing victory do you realize that
the battleground was in your head all
along.” Kathy knows the mind can be
the worst place to pick a fight because
we make our opponent as big as our
imaginations will allow.
But Kathy’s feet didn’t always take
her where God wanted her to go. “I
would see someone sitting alone at a
park bench or an airport terminal and
ponder the opportunity until it went
away.” She says, “I’d rationalize that I
needed to get my run in, or the plane
was about to board. Sometimes when I
did engage the person in conversation
they seemed so polite I decided they just
had to be Christians already.” “Then the
window would close with not a mention
of Jesus…and I wouldn’t feel very good
about myself.”
But her reluctance came from fear
and her fear from not being equipped.
“I knew this is what I was supposed to
be doing but I didn’t have the words,”
Kathy says. “The desire to evangelize
was there inside me,” placed securely
by the Holy Spirit, “but what do I say to
people? What will their reaction be?”
Kathy recalls, “All I knew was that I
didn’t want it to be this way anymore,
but I didn’t know how to fix it.”
In Kathy’s heart burned the searing
questions that Paul put to the brethren
in Romans 10:14: “How then will they
call on Him in whom they have not
believed? And how will they believe in Him
whom they have not heard?” The distance
between where she was and where
she knew God wanted her weighed
heavily. Out of a deep yearning to be
obedient Kathy prayed to her Savior and
confided in her family. Finally through
the mouths of her children came the
liberating logos that rang in her ears.
“Mom you need to take EE.” That
moment stood still as the turning point
when Kathy McCallum’s feet took on a
new luster.
Now, years later, Kathy truly
appreciates what the program has done
for her. “The Evangelism Explosion
(EE) training program taught me how
to tell people about Jesus,” she says, “in
an organized way.” And what of the fear?
“Knowing there’s a safety net to catch
me gave me the confidence to boldly tell
people about my risen Lord. Now when
God puts me in different circumstances,
I can be obedient.” As Kathy says, ”And
once you’ve been through this, you’ll
always have it with you.”
Kathy McCallum is no “superChristian.” She’d be the first to confess
how difficult it is to register for each
new semester of EE. “I still struggle
every time to sign up,” she admits
transparently. “All the fleshly arguments
come back into play. Where am I going
to find three hours every week for
thirteen straight weeks?” How does
Kathy cope with this? “When I first
started in Evangelism Explosion, I never
thought I had the time. Of course I did, I
just didn’t think I did.” She jokes. “Now
I know better.”
To Kathy and other graduates of EE
training, learning how to share the Good
News opens doors to great joy. There is
the removal of self-made borders, which
provides freedom to an ever-heightened
level of obedience. There is the abundant
life that comes from walking through
Colonial Connections 7
the center of God’s will. And there is the
satisfying experience of stepping out in
faith, and being personally fitted by God’s
loving hand with a new and beautiful
pair of feet.
… those feet look just fine…
Written by Ben LaCorte
Ben and his wife Brenda and three
children live in Cary. A student at Shepherds
and an ABF co-teacher, Ben aspires to
full-time ministry.
Step Out in Faith
L
ast summer I visited an old
friend in New York. She told
me that when she was little she
would tell people that she was 69
years old. Once a lady told her
perhaps she would only live to be
69. My friend laughed and reminded
me that she only had a few more
months of being 69.
So I asked her, “Do you know
where you are going when you die?”
She said that she hoped she was
going to heaven because she had
lived a pretty good life and believed
in God.Here was my chance to share
how she could know for sure that she
would go to heaven!
I told her that heaven is a free gift
that we can’t earn by being good. We
don’t deserve this gift because we are
all sinners. God loves us, but He is
holy and must punish sins.
God’s Son is our solution. Jesus
Christ, who is fully man and fully
God, died on the cross for us and
then rose to be in Heaven to wait for
those of us who will trust in Him.
My friend was open to listening,
and thanked me for sharing with her.
About a month later I received a card
from her in the mail saying that she
had received Christ as her Savior.
God provides opportunities when
we’re willing to obey.
Written by
April Rehbein
April has a pet-sitting business and lives in
Cary. She enjoys serving Colonial through
Evangelism Explosion and Widows Might.
C h u r ch
mind
H e a l t h y
Colonial Connections 8
b o d y
L e a r n i n g
feed your mind
T
he Colonial Library equips the
mind of the church body as
we grow in our knowledge of
the Lord.
Church library. If you’re thinking
dusty theological tomes and a place
that’s quiet as a tomb, you haven’t
checked out Colonial’s Library.
“There’s no shushing in the Colonial
Library,” says Sharon Fitzpatrick,
Colonial’s Library Director. And she
means it! “We want our library to be
a place where you can find fresh new
resources as well as the classics of
the faith.” But she doesn’t think you
should have to tip toe around while
you search.
Sharon has been involved with
Colonial’s library since it opened in
2001 and has served as Director since
2004. As Director, Sharon trains a
volunteer staff of more than thirty,
oversees the selection of materials,
answers patrons’ questions, and makes
shift assignments. Sharon is proud
of the fact that the new library offers
readers a modern and roomy place to
browse, comfortable spaces to sit and
enjoy a cup of coffee while perusing
materials as well as faster lines and
more open hours. “Above all we are
a ministry,” Sharon says. That means
being available.
Sharon has fond memories of
church libraries growing up. “The
library was a meeting place for my
family and I remember having a sense
of belonging when I was there. I want
our library to be a haven where people
can meet and visit while browsing the
shelves,” says Sharon. That’s why she
enforces a strict “No Shushing” policy.
No stern looks when an enthusiastic
preschooler runs up to Mom shouting,
“Look at the book I found!” Creating a
welcoming atmosphere is a priority for
all the library volunteers.
“My passion is to help people find
resources that will encourage and
support them throughout the week,”
asserts Sharon. All of the volunteers
are happy to make recommendations
to help everyone find what they need,
whether that might be a good read
for a long flight or study materials
for a Sunday School class. Frank and
Suzanne Strider, long-time volunteers,
say, “People are quick to tell us how
much they’ve enjoyed a book we
recommended.”
Sharon knows, “A library isn’t just
about books, it’s about what books
can do in people’s lives.” Books can
connect with our hearts and minds in a
unique way. “Everything in the library
needs to encourage, edify and equip
believers as well as those investigating
Christianity,” says Sharon. Sharon
receives comments weekly about how a
resource has had impact, like the email
from one woman who shared how a
book she’d checked out helped her
share her faith with a friend who then
came to know the Lord.
Pastor Scott Wylie, who provides
oversight for the Library Ministry,
agrees that library resources have
impact. “God chose to reveal Himself
to us through the written Word – the
Scriptures. So we must read and study
the Bible. In addition to that, we have
preserved for us in books the insight
and wisdom of Christians who have
gone before us. People who are growing
theologically are, more often than not,
people who are reading great books.”
Listening to great messages and
reading great books, in addition to time
spent with God in His Word, are some
of the practices that facilitate spiritual
growth. Those who visit the library
will, of course, discover many great
books here, but they may be surprised
to also find a wealth of sermons on
CD, and videos and dvds for education
and enjoyment. Some of the more than
10,000 resources have been donated,
though many have been purchased
in an effort to ensure that the newest
and most requested selections are
available. All resources are considered
safe for your family. Volunteers
review everything to make sure that
it’s doctrinally sound, even labeling
materials that have minor differences
from Colonial’s doctrine with a special
label to caution the reader.
Colonial Connections 9
“I’ve visited dozens of church
libraries,” says Pastor Wylie, “and I’ve
never seen a library as well-stocked
and as professionally run as Colonial’s.
It’s an amazing blessing.”
So now you’re ready to check it out,
but you might be wondering how to
get there. The library is located on the
first floor of the new Children’s Center
at the end of the hall. Of course, that
could give the impression that the
library is for children – but more than
half of the resources are for adults.
Pastor Wylie points out that, “Unless
you have kids, it may seem like the
library is on the way to nowhere.” But
there is a plan. When the new Worship
Center is built the library will be on
the main thoroughfare for those going
to services.
Stop by the library to set up an
account and you can begin checking
out books. The library is open to
the Colonial family and the local
community. Books can also be reserved
online at http://library.colonial.org/
opac/colonial.
Written by
Angela Clendenin
Angela is a staff writer and editor for Colonial.
She and her husband Gary have three children:
Hannah, Martha and Sam.
The Paul K.
Jackson Library
C
olonial is also home to the
Paul K. Jackson Library, the
library of Shepherds Theological
Seminary located in the
Administrative Center. The Jackson
Library houses more than 19,000
volumes including commentaries on
the Bible and discourses on theology,
apologetics, church history and
pastoral office. Journals and online
resources are also available. The
library serves seminary students and
members of Colonial. If you wish to
check out books, you will need to
register for a separate account from
the Colonial Library.
mouth
H e a l t h y
C h u r ch
B o d y
S h o r t T Te ea rc mh i Mn i gs s i o n s
a passion for the word
Colonial Connections 10
C
olonial has been blessed
with many who are gifted in
teaching and speaking as the
“mouth” of this body. From the pulpit
to the preschool, Colonial’s teachers
stand on the solid foundation of God’s
Word.
You may have never thought of
yourself as a teacher. In fact, you might
not have thought of yourself as much
of a student either. But Vimal Patel sees
it differently. “We’re all teachers,” he
says. “The opportunity to instruct is
part of the growth process…Teaching
becomes a natural extension of having
a passion for the Word. As we are
excited about what we are learning…
we talk about what we have learned.”
You might just tell a friend or your
spouse. Or you might tell your kids
something that God has taught you.
But for some, like Vimal, teaching is a
gift from God to guide others as they
learn God’s Word.
Vimal teaches the Adventures
in Marriage class, an Adult Bible
Fellowship for young marrieds and
families. Currently, the class is studying
Colossians. “We are learning that
marriage is the doing of Christ and
is for the display of Christ, therefore
we’re motivated to submit and love in
our roles,” Vimal says. But the class is
not just about marriage. Vimal teaches
expositionally, starting with Scripture
rather than bouncing from topic to
topic with a few Bible quotes dropped
in. “I try not to get into the latest,
greatest theological or social topic
of the day. Really, if I’m handling the
Word of God accurately, those issues
will be dealt with along the way.”
As Vimal prepares his lesson, he
uses an interesting technique to focus
on the passage he’s preparing to teach.
He handwrites the verses. “I learned
this in college from my Bible study
leader. In college, you have to read
everything so fast to get it done. But
with Scripture you want it to sink
in and simmer. He showed me that
writing out Scripture forces you to
slow down and see what God is saying
and make observations in the text
that sometimes you just pass right by
because we read it so fast thinking we
know it already.”
Vimal learned a lot from that Bible
study leader, a staffer with Campus
Crusade for Christ. It was from
observing him teach and live God’s
Word that Vimal began to consider
teaching the Bible himself. Vimal
honed his skill as a teacher serving
with Campus Crusade for Christ.
He and his wife Tabatha both began
serving full-time in 1996. They spent
10 years with the ministry, working
around the world in places as far
off as Central Asia and Slovakia and
also closer to home in Memphis,
Tennessee where they were responsible
for launching the Campus Crusade
ministry.
“As people came to Christ or even if
they had been believers, we wanted to
teach these college students who they
were in Christ, to put off the old self
and put on the new self,” Vimal says.
That same teaching is vital to young
couples in the ABF as they face the
challenges of marriage and parenting.
It’s hard to handle a new role without
embracing who you are in Christ and
putting Him first in your life.
As Vimal and Tabatha work to do
just that as young parents of two little
girls, they focus on God’s Word as the
basis and motivation for how to live.
“We are trying to teach our two-anda-half year old Scripture verses…We
try – the key word is try – to discipline
with Scripture on our tongue so
she begins to understand that she is
disobeying God. If we can teach her
Scripture and not just our thoughts,
our rules, what we want her to do, it
will have a lot more impact.”
And it already does. When Rachel
woke up in the middle of the night
crying from a nightmare, she told her
daddy the verse that she had learned
that week, “When I am afraid, I will
trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3) Then she
went back to sleep on her own.
That’s what it’s all about for a
teacher – seeing students, at any
age, learn to go to God’s Word for
Colonial Connections 11
themselves to find the answers.
“We tend to take what someone
says and consider it truth. ‘If someone
says it up in front in our ABF or in our
pulpit, then it must be true’ is probably
the predominant thought today,” Vimal
says. “Initially that isn’t harmful at a
church like Colonial because we have
such tremendous teaching. But people
do that with radio stations, books,
websites…We have to learn to mine
the nuggets of truth out for ourselves
rather than graze off of other people’s
lessons.”
And when you do, you just might
find something so exciting that you
can’t wait to share it with someone
else. And so you’ll teach too.
Written by
Jamie Robinson
Jamie Robinson and his wife Stacy live in
Apex and have two boys. James works at
NC State University.
Written by
April Schweitzer
April Schweitzer is a staff writer and editor for
Colonial. She lives in Cary with her husband
Jon and two children, Ruby and Alezander.
What is an ABF?
Y
ou might think of Adult
Bible Fellowships as Sunday
School for adults. If you did, you’d
be missing a big part of the picture.
Adult Bible Fellowships are like
small churches within the larger
church. Ranging in size from a
dozen or so to more than 100, they
break the congregation into smaller
groups for learning, and also for
caring, serving and connecting with
one another. If you aren’t involved
in an ABF, plan to visit one this
week. You can pick up the schedule
and room locations at a welcome
desk or look at the Adult Ministries
page at www.colonial.org.
C h u r ch
hands
H e a l t h y
Colonial Connections 12
B o d y
S e r v i n g
hand s that hold
I
t was a warm summer day in June,
2003. Anne DeDecker was looking
forward to some good news from
her doctor. She’d been tired lately, but
that was to be expected, she thought.
The call came, and indeed she was
pregnant. But there was something
else – something very wrong with her
blood counts. She needed to come in
for another blood test.
Up until now, this young mother
had been passing her days biking and
swimming with her children. She had
the typical family concerns: finances,
jobs, childrearing…but in general, life
had been good. Now, with just one
phone call, all normalcies faded…and
looming over her was a mysterious
giant known as Aplastic Anemia.
Aplastic Anemia is a rare disease in
which bone marrow fails to make red
and white cells, and platelets. Platelets
are essential for clotting the blood and
keeping the body from bleeding to
death. The average person has at least
150,000, but Anne’s blood test showed
a count of only 15,000.
The only cure for Aplastic Anemia is
a grueling regimen of Anti-Thymocyte
Globulin (ATG) or a bone marrow
transplant. Since these cures are known
to seriously injure and kill an unborn
baby, Anne’s doctors initially focused
on bringing up her platelet count with
daily transfusions. But she showed little
improvement. Her counts remained
dangerously low, hovering between
3,000 and 10,000.
Anne’s low platelet count put her at
high risk for a brain hemorrhage. The
doctors grew increasingly worried, and
warned Anne and her husband, Mike,
that a decision regarding the pregnancy
was imminent. But the couple decided
to wait, believing that the Lord would
heal her and save their baby. Anne
found inspiration in Isaiah 46:11,
“…What I have said, that I will bring
about; what I have planned, that will
I do.”
On the morning of July 7, 2003,
Anne woke up with a massive
headache. Mike rushed her to the
hospital…she was having a brain
hemorrhage. Once she was stable,
her doctor sat down with her and
wept. The facts were clear: she needed
the treatment or she would die. She
would lose the baby. They were beside
themselves with grief, but they knew
eight-year-old Caroline and six-yearold Gregory needed their mother. In
her journal, Anne wrote: “You came
near when I called you and you said do
not fear: O Lord, you took up my case;
you redeemed my life.” Lamentations
3:57-58
Over the next four months, Anne
received two rounds of ATG. Both
treatments failed. December arrived
and doctors began preparations for the
bone marrow transplant that would
ultimately save her life. It would be
a 100-day ordeal, much of it spent
away from her children. But the Lord
had already put in place the resources
and the people to care for Anne and
her family. Colonial’s Care Ministry
had been providing meals throughout
Anne’s illness. “I would go to Duke
four or five days a week and wouldn’t
return home until around 4:00 pm. It
was always wonderful to come home
and have a meal ready for us,” Anne
says. “We had so many people sign up
to bring meals, and at that time, we
didn’t really know that many people
at the church. We just felt the body
taking care of us through the meals
and cards, and it wasn’t just me, but
my whole family being cared for.” Friends and relatives flew in from
other states to be caregivers. They
organized prayer vigils and fundraisers
to make it possible for Mike to take
unpaid leave from work. When none
of Anne’s relatives turned out to be a
match for the bone marrow transplant,
her children’s school, Farmington
Woods Elementary, organized a
blood drive to find a donor. The
outpouring of love from the church
and community was overwhelming.
The bone marrow transplant was
a success, and today, Anne is healthy.
She now serves as a coordinator for
Heart and Hands, the ministry that
provides meals and encouragement
Colonial Connections 13
to families like hers. “I decided to get
involved because I saw how amazing
it is in people’s lives to get a meal or a
card,” she says. “With so many people
in our church, people just assume that
there’s enough volunteers, but we have
a huge need…all you have to do is
make a meal.”
Until you’re in that place of need,
it’s hard to realize how a little of
your time and effort can truly help
others bear their burdens. “I never
realized how much a card meant for
encouragement,” Anne says. During
her illness, she received “stacks and
stacks” of them, many from people
who had suffered through illness and
loss and knew how to speak to what
she was living.
There is so much that looks
different on the other side of a crisis.
Anne is forever changed. Deeply
humbled by the Lord’s faithfulness,
she does not regret a single day of her
suffering. She shares these words from
her journal,
“Only through suffering have I
seen what Christ can do. The Lord
has shown me what grace is…I have
learned that the Lord is sufficient.
Lord, I love Psalm 30: 11-12…’you
turned my wailing into dancing. You
removed my sackcloth and clothed me
with joy, that my heart may sing to you
and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will
give you thanks forever.’
I press my face into the sand, Lord. I
am yours.
Love you, Anne”
Written by Chrissy Unruh
Chrissy Unruh is a freelance writer. She and
her husband Ted have been attending Colonial
for four years and live in Cary with their three
children: Matt, Caroline and Josh.
Get Involved!
C
onsider serving as hands that
bring hope and encouragement
to those in need. To get involved
in Heart and Hands, contact Care
Ministries at 233-9100.
H e a l t h y
C h u r ch
B o d y :
F e a t u r e d
T e s t i m o n y
Wake Up and Get Moving!
“We really overlooked the importance of the body of Christ. We’re inco mplete without that connection.”
I know I should
get involved, it’s
just that…”
One step on that path was finding
a church where they could serve. On
the first Sunday they visited Colonial,
volunteers from nearly every ministry
were lined up in front of the stage talking
about what they did. “God was answering
our prayers,” Jon says.
A few weeks later they joined an
ABF, then their daughter Ruby was
born. Members of the Couples Under
Construction class and the Heart and
Hands Ministry brought meals to their
home. Ruth Ann Camplin from the New
Mom’s Ministry stopped by with a Bible
and plaque for little Ruby and took the
time to pray with April. These acts of
kindness “showed us that Colonial was
a living body of Christ. It was genuine.
It made the big church seem small right
away,” Jon says.
“I’m so humbled when I think about
how merciful God was to pull us out of
that daze and breathe life back into us,”
April says. “Serving the body of Christ is
an honor that I’ve proven I don’t deserve.
I’m just glad He put us where we are, so
we can do what we can.”
Since joining Colonial, Jon and April
have found unique fits for the gifts God
has given them. Jon has acted onstage,
while April has served behind-the-scenes
on several productions. They have both
spent multiple semesters in Evangelism
Explosion and help out with Outreach
Ministries whenever they can. April now
works part-time on staff at Colonial as
the editor for Connections Magazine. They
are both grateful for the relationships
they’ve formed while serving as a part
of the body at Colonial. “This is such a
family to us. When you serve alongside
someone, the relationships are all the
stronger,” April says.
“When we came to Colonial, we hoped
to grow in the Lord,” Jon says, “but after
we got here, we realized that we had no
idea what we had been missing out on.”
It’s so easy to make excuses.
In our walk with the Lord, we can be
tempted to coast along on our biblical
knowledge and pat ourselves on the
back with the memory of good deeds
from the past. But what are we doing to
serve the Lord today?
Jon and April Schweitzer remember
a time when they would have struggled
for an answer.
“We were like the appendix of the
body,” says April Schweitzer.
After moving from Virginia in 2001,
Jon and April Schweitzer began looking
for a church. Within a few months, they
settled in to a church and into a pattern
of just coming to the worship service.
“We never really got to know
anyone,” Jon says. “We exchanged
pleasantries with people, but that was
about it.”
“We got comfortable with being
lazy,” April says. “We really overlooked
the importance of the body of Christ.
We’re incomplete without that
connection.”
“Our church involvement was really
a reflection of our spiritual walks,”
explains Jon. “That’s true,” April says.
“At that time, I felt like I was treading
water. I knew Jesus, but I wasn’t moving
any closer to Him.”
God had a plan to wake these two
up. “When we found out we were
expecting our first child,” April says,
“we both started thinking about how
someone would be watching us and
how we lived our lives. We wanted our
love for Christ to permeate everything.”
“We realized that what we told
our children would have a 10 percent
impact,” Jon says, “but what they saw
us doing would be 90 percent. We
needed to take our spiritual lives more
seriously because we were going to be
responsible for someone else.”
Colonial Connections 14
Therefore…
Give attention to your heart!
T
he heart is the most fascinating aspect of a human
being. It defines you: “for as he thinketh in his heart;
so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) It deceives you: “the heart is…
desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) It
drives you: “love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
(Deuteronomy 6:5) And without intentional action to
protect, it debilitates you: “guard your heart, for it is the
wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
The Bible describes three intentional actions, or
spiritual cardio, for a healthy heart.
1. Be analytical
Ask God to search your heart and give you a
sensitivity to the smallest sin in your life. (See Psalm
139:23-24) Then settle that which is between you and
God. (I John 1:9) Sin is a big deal and needs to be
addressed everyday to keep your heart healthy.
2. Be available
Revelation 3:20 describes the scene of Jesus knocking
on the heart’s door of a believer, wanting to share
lunch. The believer in the verse was unavailable. What
did unavailability produce in the Laodicea believers?
It produced a deceptive “pseudo Christianity” that
caused them to be out of touch with reality, crippled
by self-sufficiency and fruitless in their ministry.
Availability is enjoying the company of your Lord on the
mountaintops and on the tough seas!
3. Be aerobic
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the
desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) The Hebrew word
delight is a command which means “enjoy.” Here it tells
you to “enjoy God.” This is an intentional action, not a
passive waiting! It is an increase in your respiration to
enjoy God! Let me put it this way…
Intentionally be active to put yourself in the place to
be captivated by God. Where are those places? Under
His authority, in His service, at peace with others, and in
His Word.
When you do that, there is a reciprocal result. God
will place within your heart His desires – desires that
lead you to fulfill God’s desired purpose for your life.
Regular “spiritual cardio” means God is most
glorified and you are most satisfied, most at peace, most
content, most effective in ministering to others, and
most in touch with reality!
The local body of Christ needs heart-healthy
believers. Be analytical, be available and be aerobic!
Written by Emily Heitman
Written by Brad Harbaugh
Emily serves in Colonial Corners and Middle
School growth groups. She lives in Cary, and
her hobbies include: Starbucks.
Brad Harbaugh is the Pastor for Single Adult, Senior
Adult, Carpenters for Christ and Women’s Ministries.
He and his wife Robin live in Raleigh and have four
children: Andrew, Megann, Joshua and Rebecca.
H e a l t h y
C h u r ch
B o d y
Kay McDowell
Cindy Cain
When Kay McDowell came to the area
four years ago, joining Colonial’s Newcomers class helped her adjust. Now, Kay
leads the Newcomers class and serves as a
Sunday morning greeter. She says, “I pray
I can be that friendly face that says, ‘come
on in, you are loved and wanted here.’ ”
Kay and her husband Harvey have two
children, Lauren and Mic.
As a medical assistant at a local family
practice, Cindy Cain provides love
and encouragement to the sick. She
says,“My prayer is that they will see
Jesus in me.” She is also a member of
Colonial’s Celebration Choir. Cindy and
her husband Lee enjoy spending time
with their two new grandsons.
faces
faces
G o d ’ s P e o pl e ,
O u r F am i l y
Bob Block
Bob Block recently participated in four
semesters of Evangelism Explosion and
also helps in the GreenHouse class. At
work, he teaches a Bible study for his
employees. Bob says, “The most rewarding
part of my involvement at Colonial has
been the blessing of being a small part
of a great work that the Lord has done.”
Bob’s wife Barb and daughter Ali are both
involved with Worship Ministries.
John Couillard
Brian Bubar
Through rain and shine, John Couillard
serves in the Colonial parking lot on
Sunday mornings as a member of the Heir
Traffic Control team. He is glad that “God
has enabled me to help people in the
parking lot with parking spaces and
questions about Colonial.” John and his
wife Suzanne have five children: Rachel,
Joseph, Andrew, Philip and Lydia.
Brian Bubar uses his instrumental skills
for God’s glory, playing piano, trumpet and
synthesizer for Colonial’s orchestra. “It is
exciting to be a part of a ministry that has
developed so dramatically over the last
several years,” he says. When not at church
or spending time with his wife Joyce and
children Melody and Jeffrey, Brian works as
a manufacturing manager for Berk-Tek,
a supplier of fiber optic cable products.
n Compiled by Brittany Darst and Cathy Frank
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