Wednesdays in the Word

August 21, 2023August 21, 2023 by Marc DAgusto

A Series of Topical Devotionals on Unity

Hosted by Noah Graves

This Summer Noah tackled the subject of Unity. As we look around our country we are so divided. Jesus desires we be unified in Him

John 12:20-21 states: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Come check out our YouTube channel featuring this and other relevant topics.

MBC Communion / Lords Table

September 23, 2022September 19, 2022 by Marc DAgusto

The next Baptism will be:
August 25

Lord’s Table | We practice two ordinances at MBC: Baptism and the Lord’s Table. By participating in these ordinances, Christians proclaim both their individual faith in Christ and our whole congregation proclaims our unity in the Gospel. MBC believes that the Lord’s Supper (Communion) is a commemoration of the Savior’s death, and, through participating, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” MBC Articles of Faith, Article XI – To prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Supper we must understand that we are practicing these four things when we come to His table:

We Worship

This ordinance is part of corporate worship, normally on the first Sunday of each month. This is why the Lord’s Table is for believers only. It is an act of the gathered family, the church. Unbelievers may be present, indeed, we welcome them to be present as there is nothing secretive about the Lord’s Supper, it is done in public, but it is the family meal for those who have already professed their faith in Jesus Christ and have come to worship.

We Remember

Human beings are prone to forgetfulness. This is especially true spiritually. Therefore, the mental action of all the participants of the Lord’s Supper is to focus our minds on Jesus, especially remembering his sacrificial and historical work of dying on the cross for our sins. 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 says “Do this in remembrance of me.” At the table we remember.

We Give Thanks

The word “Eucharist” in 1 Corinthians 11:24 means to “give thanks.” We are filled with gratitude at the table because Jesus paid our sin debt and provided for us in abundance all that we need.

We Practice Self-Examination

The Scripture says a person “ought to examine themselves before he or she eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on themselves. (1 Corinthians 11:28-29) It’s important that we come to the table with a clear conscience before God. We come and confess our sins and renew our covenant commitment before God.

For Further Study

Communion is explained in the following key Scriptures: Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-20, 1 Cor 11:23-32.

Check our our informative Mini-Series on the Lords Table

Check out more of our relevant content on our You Tube Channel

Resources to Learn More:

Why is the Lord’s Table so important? (9 Marks ministries)
Guidance for Parents concerning the ordinances document
Four views on the Lord’s supper (Zondervan Counterpoints series)
The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes (New American Commentary Studies in Bible & Theology)
The Jewish background of the Passover (Link to Chosen People Ministries doing Passover talk at MBC)

Questions?

Pastors Bob Erbig & Dave Hentschel

Lead Pastors

Contact Bob & Dave with any questions

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

- 1 Cor 11:26, ESV)

Playlist - Psalms - August 13 - September 10

Baby Dedications

October 6, 2022July 5, 2022 by Marc DAgusto

The next Baptism will be:
August 25

Let the little Children Come | At MBC we believe in the importance of building strong families. A key component of this value is raising children to know and love Jesus Christ. In light of this, we encourage parents to take make a public commitment to raise their children in the Lord—this is called a “baby dedication ceremony.”

A baby dedication is a ceremony in which Christians parents make a commitment before the Lord to raise that child according to God’s Word and God’s ways.

This practice may be new to you depending on your church background. Baby dedication is NOT the same as infant baptism. We believe baptism is an individual decision a person makes when they are older and have made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. For more information, see the BAPTISM page. By contrast, a baby dedication is a commitment by the parents, and an invitation to the larger church family, to help raise their child to follow Jesus. There are several good reasons for this practice.

3 reasons to Dedicate your children

First

It models the concern and love Jesus had for little children.

As a church, we are people who love babies! We want to care and invest in the littlest and most vulnerable among us. Jesus said this in Matthew 19: “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”” (Matthew 19:13-14). Baby dedication reflects the love Jesus had for children.

Second

It reminds the church of its calling to be an extended family.

Scripture teaches that the church is our spiritual family and following Jesus is costly (Ephesians 3:14-19; Mark 10:29-30). Parenting is hard work and God gives us an extended spiritual family who can help carry the Load. The church should love and support families in this good work of raising the next generation.

Third

It is an opportunity to share the Gospel with unbelievers.

During a baby dedication, families will often invite relatives to watch this important ceremony. Baby dedication offers an opportunity to share the Gospel message with those who might not yet believe. When asked—why are we dedicating this child? Because we want them to believe the Gospel—Jesus died for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead, and Jesus is coming back. That is the hope for our children!

How does the process work?

If you are interested in taking this important step as a family, the process will work like this:

First, contact one of the pastors about your interest and fill out the baby dedication WORKSHEET.
Second, you then meet with one of the pastors so they can get to know your family and organize a time to have the ceremony.
Third, you will create a video of your family sharing why you want to dedicate your child. You can see an example video below.
Finally, your video will be played during a service on a Sunday morning and you will take part in a short ceremony when you recite vows before the congregation—this is a public commitment to raise your child to know Jesus!

Questions?

Bob Erbig

Lead Pastor: Preaching,
Family Life & Mission

Contact Pastor Bob with any questions

Questions?

Bob Erbig

Lead Pastor: Preaching,
Family Life & Mission

Contact Bob with any questions

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

-Deuteronomy 6:4-7, NLT-

Membership

September 27, 2023July 27, 2021 by Marc DAgusto

Our next Membership Class will be 10/25/2023 @ 6:30pm.

Let us know if you are interested in joining our community.

Why Membership

Unlike a social-club membership, where the organization exists to serve the members, church membership is more akin to being in a family, or sports team. Membership at MBC exists as a united group of believers who are counted on in an attempt to fulfill a common purpose of becoming a provider of God’s love and care to others. We are a church not for ourselves, but for others. Members commit to joining a spiritual family that provides encouragement and support to one another. We are called to a higher degree of responsibility, service and sacrifice. Our elders and leaders pledge to assist our members with care, counsel, prayer and teaching.

Is Church Membership Biblical?

We hope that, as the Lord leads, you make a covenant to be part of our church family.

Four Steps to becoming a Member…

If you are interested in becoming a member please read through our four-step process below.

Step One: Membership Class

We want you to make an informed decision about joining our church. We periodically offer a Membership class that explains our values and beliefs and discusses the next steps to joining MBC. All prospective members are invited to attend our Membership class. This is where you will learn about the history and vision of MBC, acquaint yourself with its ministries and opportunities, and dialogue with elders and other congregants on questions you may have about the church or Christian community. The curriculum is composed of one 3-hour class in which we cover: Articles of Faith & Doctrinal Positions, Church Covenant, Vision & Mission Life.

Upon completion, those who attended are able but not obligated to sign up for a membership interview, the second step of the membership process.

For more information on how to become a member please contact the main office at: 908.647.0594 or reach out to MBC’s email.

Step Two: Baptism

Baptism:

For many, baptism is the first public step of obedience to Christ. If you have not been baptized following salvation, we ask you to take this step before becoming a Member.

Step Three: Signing the Covenant

Signing the Covenant

Sign the statement of faith and church covenant, and the application would go to the elders.

Step Four: Meet with an Elder

Meet with an Elder

The final step is for the prospective member meets with an Elder for approximately 45 mins to provide basic biographical information and recount God’s converting work in his or her life.

Questions?

Scott Rajoppi

Sr. Director of Administration & Connection

Dave Hentschel

Lead Pastor: Preaching,
Spiritual Formation & Care

Contact Dave with any questions

Questions?

Dave Hentschel

Lead Pastor: Preaching,
Spiritual Formation & Care

Contact Dave with any questions

Dave Hentschel

Lead Pastor: Preaching,
Spiritual Formation & Care

Contact Dave with any questions

Questions?

Dave Hentschel

Lead Pastor: Preaching,
Spiritual Formation & Care

Contact Dave with any questions

Romans 1-8, But Now: Hope for All Who Fall Short

Romans 8:18-39, But Now: Creation Groans: Eagerly Awaited Victory

Romans 9-16, Behold, New Life: Living & Loving as Heirs

Updates & Connection Opportunities

September 26, 2023March 12, 2020 by Kelly Abrams

Latest Pastor's Weekly Update

Weekly Pastors Video: This week Pastor Bob, and Scott Rajoppi will bring you some encouraging truths from the Scriptures and let you know the latest on how you can connect. You don’t want to miss this important weekly video delivered right here!

Check out our audio only option.

Stay tuned right here for regular updates from your Pastors.
Here you will find our Pastor’s weekly videos updates and various MBC community opportunities to connect with each other.

Worship

March 23, 2021June 27, 2018 by Marc DAgusto

Worship | Our weekly Sunday service is the heart of our community. Regular shared time together in worship and fellowship unites us in purpose and encourages our shared vision. Dynamic worship and a rotation of teachers stimulates learning while fostering community. Our desire is to foster a joyful experience! We seek to engage the worshiper in a vibrant, interactive, and Spirit-filled encounter unto our Lord and Savior! Our goal is to make our worship time a life transforming experience that creates fertile soil for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that moves us into resounding praise!

Sunday Services and Special Events:

Sunday Morning Services

Holidays

Special Events

Get to know our Worship Director

Would you like to be a part of our Worship Team community?
Let us know by filling out the form below.

Our worship services are intended to nurture a love for God and each other, to encourage personal Renewal, Growth, Connection & Action within our community.

We believe we were made to worship the Triune God of Scripture. We also believe God deserves our best. Our worship and a/v teams have the opportunity to engage and direct our church family through heartfelt, corporate worship music and excellent service execution. Our goal is to glorify God through well-crafted services, high quality visual and media, and a progressive traditional style of music which incorporates both modernized traditional worship music and theologically rich songs chosen from the best of what is written today.

Questions?

John Bonaventura

Director of Worship

Contact John with any questions

Questions?

John Bonaventura

Director of Worship

Contact John with any questions

MBC 2018 Worship Concert

Staff & Leadership

August 25, 2023May 2, 2018 by Marc DAgusto

Staff & Elders

MBC subscribes to the philosophy of shared leadership.
Ministry Leadership Team | Support Staff | Little Footprints Learning Center | Board of Elders

The Pastoral Leadership Team (PLT):

MBC subscribes to the philosophy of plurality of leadership. Together, pastors & directors share in the responsibility for leading the day-to-day operations and ministries. Each pastor has specific areas of responsibility and oversight. Together they form a circle of leadership that ensures the mission and policies established by the MBC Elder Board are employed in a way that meets the needs of these areas and recognizes that the spirit of the church is realized when they operate in harmony. This benefits both the pastors and the community.

The Ministry Leadership Team (MLT):

These spiritually-mature professionals support the church and its leadership by focusing on specific areas of operation. Each of these individuals is guided by the goals of MBC and provides support to the pastoral staff.

The biblically-prescribed standards for pastoral leadership give the local church considerable freedom to develop its own model of leadership in order to most effectively reach its community. Various forms, policies and procedures are employed in well governed churches. A church’s history, size, and the stage of development all influence which of the many forms will be the most effective and appropriate for a given organization at a given time.

Get to Know Our Team ▼

Sunday service preaching rotation:

Our weekly Sunday service is the heart of our community. Regular shared time together in worship and fellowship unites us in purpose and encourages our shared vision. Dynamic worship and a rotation of teachers stimulates learning while fostering community.