Pickleball is DONE FOR THE SEASON. We’ll see you back on the courts in 2026!
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR THIS SUNDAY 5/12/24
Happy Mother’s Day!
Pickleball is cancelled this week.
See you next week!
MINISTRY
Street Hope Alive
Street Hope Alive | For the past 12 years, Street Hope Alive has been building trust and credibility in inner-city Paterson with youth and their families through a variety of activities, mentoring programs and community events. Our goal is to promote personal development, mental health, spiritual renewal and community restoration. The under-resourced demographic we serve is 90% African American and 10% Hispanic children ages newborn to 17 years old, living in the 4th ward and surrounding communities.
Street Hope Alive has now expanded its ministry to Guinea, West Africa, where children and their families are served with the same kind of activities and events that can lead them to Jesus.”
What we do:
For the past six summers, Street Hope Alive has sponsored and sent hundreds of kids to Inspire Sports Camps, a 6-day sleep away camp. The camp experience exposes the kids to life outside Paterson and many confirm their desire to continue growing their relationship with Jesus.
In our effort to help the children thrive spiritually and academically, we provide tuition scholarships for them to attend Dawn Treader Christian School. These scholarships also inside school supplies and uniforms. We also provide scholarships for the kids to participate in a Christian after school program during week. Throughout the year, as opportunities arise, volunteers take our kids to Saturday church service and out for day trips.
With support from ministry partners, we have an annual Christmas celebration which has recently been expanded to also include a Easter and Thanksgiving event that are held outside the Good Shepard Mission on Broadway. Every child that attends the Christmas event receives a wrapped gift. We average 800 children with their families. Event volunteers help to make this celebration a very special and memorable occasion.
Street Hope Alive runs an Art’s Therapy Mentorship Program which we began at the start of this past summer at the Arts Factory. The program has been incredible for encouraging our kids to use their painting skill and talent, which they are so excited to do. Moreover, the studio is a place where all of the kids we serve feel very safe leading to their willingness to open up. Imagine, our kids are learning to communicate their thoughts and
feelings. We are teaching them God’s word and helping them work through difficult current and past situations, so that they may experience the hopeful future you and I enjoy.
Passion Conference 2025
Atlanta, GA, January 2-4, 2024
MBC is inviting young adults (ages 18-25, post-HS) to the Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia which will take place January 2nd-4th. Come experience a life-transforming conference of worship, messages, and community together with your fellow young adults. Reserve your seat today!
The cost will vary depending on the number of people attending (estimated $200-$400), and there will be a $50 non-refundable deposit. The final cost will be determined once amount of attendees is finalized. Cost includes flight, event ticket, hotel, and rides All attendees will fly to Atlanta together and stay in a hotel near the conference arena. Register by May 28th, 2024.
From its start in 1995, the Passion movement has a singular mission—calling students and leaders from campuses across the nation and cities around the world to live for what matters most. For us, what matters most is the name and renown of Jesus. We believe in this generation and are watching God use them to change the climate of faith around the globe.
This wave is growing into a global awakening living for the name of Jesus. Join the movement.
If you are 100% in please confirm by May 28th to guarantee a spot.
(tickets open May 29th, we feel it may sell out quickly)
If you are interested but not confirmed, sign up on the waiting list and we will attempt to purchase another round of tickets if tickets are still available later down the road.
Please email/call Ben Youtkus or James Ciannello to confirm your spot.
Choose Joy April 16 – June 25
A Study in Philippians: April 16 – June 25
A Joy that Endures
Philippians is a book about an enduring Christ-centered joy in all things. It’s about Christian unity through the path of Christian humility. It’s also about standing firm in the face of persecution and rejoicing in all circumstances. As background, Philippi was a Roman colony known for its affluence and patriotism. It was named after Philip of Macadon, father of Alexander the Great. Its citizens were citizens of Rome, dressed like Romans and spoke Latin. They prided themselves on this affiliation.
The church at Philippi was the first ancient Jesus community that the apostle Paul started in Europe (in Acts 16). Fast forward a few years later, and Paul was put in prison, this church sent him a gift and he intended to thank them. In so doing, he was able to, with proper perspective, see his trial as fitting into the sovereign plan of God which resulted in the expansion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For Paul, his life was defined by the story of Jesus, his humiliation which preceded his exaltation. Therefore, whether Paul went on living, or whether he was called to die, Paul was also living out the story of Jesus, which involved suffering for the glory of God. This is why the book centers around the beautiful kenosis hymn or poem of Philippians chapter 2 (Phil 2:6-11), and this helps us to see how living as a Christian is a way of living out this pattern which Jesus set before us.
Because of our relationship with Christ, and knowing Him, we can have an enduring joy. Knowing Christ is what we want to pursue above all else (Ch 3), this is what offers us joy and the peace that passes understanding, and this is the secret of contentment (Ch 4), no matter our circumstances. Like them, we too, can learn to do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Recommended companion reading:
- Zondervan Academic Background Article – The Seven Churches of Revelation: Why They Matter and What We Can Learn
- Ada Bible Church did a great series on this.
- John Macarthur “What Jesus Wants Your Church to Know” is in-depth & intense.
4/16 – Relational Joy Thankfulness & Prayer
4/23 – Enduring Joy Paul’s imprisonment
4/30 – Citizens of Heaven Whether in life or death
5/7 – Jesus is Lord A call to humble sacrifice
5/14 – Mother’s Day,
Working out what God has been working in.
5/21 – A Model of Integrity
5/28 – Letting go of your inner Pharisee
6/4 – Pressing on Pursuing Christ
6/11 – Managing Anxiety God’s way Finding peace
6/18 – Father’s Day
6/25 – Learning Contentment, trusting Gods provision
4/16 – 1 Phil 1:1-11 Relational Joy Thankfulness & Prayer for the Philippians
4/23 – 2 Phil 1:12-26 Enduring Joy Paul’s imprisonment is for the greater good
4/30 – 3 Phil 1:27-2:4 Citizens of Heaven Whether in life or death, Christ is magnified
5/7 – 4 Phil 2:5-11 Jesus is Lord A call to humble sacrifice
5/14 – 5 Phil 2:12-18 Cooperating with God Working out what God has been working in / conquering complaining Bob And Amanda Mother’s Day
5/21 – 6 Phil 2:19-30 A Model of Integrity Epaphroditis and Timothy
5/28 – 7 Phil 3:1-11 Letting go of your inner Pharisee Rejoicing in the true gospel
6/4 – 8 Phil 3:12-21 Pressing on Pursuing Christ
6/11 – 9 Phil 4:1-10 Managing Anxiety God’s way Finding peace, joy and right thinking
6/18 – 10 bob Father’s Day
6/25 – 10 Phil 4:11-23 Learning Contentment and trusting God’s provision Trusting God’s Provision, thanksgiving, contentment clint
Sermons
Meaning in the Madness
A Study in Ecclesiastes: January 8-April 2
Chaos. That is a word that seems to capture the zeitgeist of our age. Instability, wars, pandemics, and institutional breakdown have led people to wonder: is anyone in control? Do meaning and purpose exist? Indeed, with endless choices and uncertain times people today are less secure and more jaded than ever before. Doubts about everything are the new normal. We are living through an era that feels a bit … mad.
So… how do we live by faith in a world of madness? That is what the book of Ecclesiastes is about. It assumes doubts and offers answers not addressed anywhere else. It explores issues that haunt us at the end of life. In short, this ancient book offers meaning in the madness by directing us to the purpose giver: God himself.
Over the 12 weeks, we are going to explore all the important issues in life: Meaning, purpose, happiness, work, wealth, fame, power, suffering, justice, and death. The world’s answers are incoherent and incomplete. The teacher of Ecclesiastes shows us that order is possible in chaos, meaning is birthed despite the madness, and true beauty is revealed at the feet of our Creator King. Join us as we discover meaning in the madness.
Recommended companion reading:
- Zondervan Academic Background Article – The Seven Churches of Revelation: Why They Matter and What We Can Learn
- Ada Bible Church did a great series on this.
- John Macarthur “What Jesus Wants Your Church to Know” is in-depth & intense.
1/8 – Book and Series Introduction
1/15 – Meaning in the Madness
1/22 – Purposeful Use of Time
1/29 – CONTEND CONFERENCE
2/5 – Meaningful Work
2/12 – False Meaning: Worship and Money
2/19 – Meaning in the Midst of Pain
2/26 – Wisdom and Meaning
3/5 – Meaningful Joy
3/12 – The Danger of Folly
3/19 – Meaningful Risk
3/26 – The Creator of Meaning
4/2 – Meaningful Death
Sermons
Unbelievable-Christmas
Is Christmas Unbelievable: December 2022
Many people assume that the story of the baby in the manger at Bethlehem is just another made-up fantasy for kids. In this series based on the book by respected apologist Rebecca McLaughlin, we will outline the evidence that Jesus was a real person, explaining the reliability of the Bible’s accounts of his life and why believing in a virgin birth is not as ridiculous as it might sound. This series shows that there is a rational basis for the belief that the world’s most famous story is fact, not fantasy—and how those events in history can infuse our lives today with meaning and joy
12/4 – Was Jesus Even a Real Person?
12/11 – Weren’t the Gospels Made Up Later?
12/18 – How Can You believe in a Virgin Birth?
12/23 – Christmas Eve Eve
12/24 – Christmas Eve
12/25 – Christmas Online Event
Recommended companion reading:
- Zondervan Academic Background Article – The Seven Churches of Revelation: Why They Matter and What We Can Learn
- Ada Bible Church did a great series on this.
- John Macarthur “What Jesus Wants Your Church to Know” is in-depth & intense.
Sermons
MBC Communion / Lords Table
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?
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Family Ministries
Family Ministries Resource Page | We live in a complex world. Raising the next generation to own their faith has never been more challenging—or more necessary. Yet, in the Scriptures, we see three institutions that God created: The Family, The Church, and the Nation—but the family is the foundation of society.
At MBC, one of our core values is building strong families. One of the ways we do this is by equipping parents and their children to navigate the difficult issues of the day. This page is for you. Below you will find some suggested resources to help you answer the most pressing issues of the day. Don’t see something? Ask us a question below!
MBC Kids Philosophy of Discipleship | We are passionate about discipleship. This resource was written to explain how we aim to lay the foundation for kids to grow in God’s Word while they are a part of our MBC Kids ministry. Download this document for more on our philosophy.
Don’t see something? Ask us a question below!
Video
- Raising The Next Generation in Turbulent Time by Voddie Bauchum
- Helping The Next Generation Navigate Today’s World by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle
- How to Raise and Alien Child by Jen Wilkin
- The Storm Tossed Family: How The Cross Reshapes the Home by Russell Moore
- The Strange New World of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman
Books
- Parenting: 14 Gospel Principals That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
- The Tech Wise Family: Everyday Steps to Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch
- Running With Horses: A Parenting Guide for Raising Children to be Servant Leaders for Christ by Larry Taylor
- A Practical Guide to Culture by John Stonestreet & Brett Kunkle
- Strange New World by Carl Trueman
- How Children Raise Parents by Dan Allender
- The Intentional Father by Jon Tyson
- Faithfull Different by Natasha Crain
- Another Gospel by Alisa Childers
Podcast
- The Think Biblically Podcast
- The Upstream
Seminars
Several times a year we offer seminars for MBC families and those in our community. We run these events to equip families to navigate the difficult cultural terrain we are living in. Here are examples of past seminar topics:
- The Tech-Wise Family
- Raising Generation Z
- Families in an Age of Anxiety
Building Strong Families
Check out this sermon from Pastor Bob on “Building Strong Families” from our 2025 “Summer in the Scriptures” sermon series!
Questions?
Questions?
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
New Believers
Begin Your Journey Here | The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News! But first, there is some bad news. The Bible tells the whole story of humanity in four parts:
Creation
The first book in the Bible is Genesis, and it says that God created the world and it was good (Gen 1:31). There He created a man and a woman and placed them in a garden called Eden. They were to be fruitful and multiply and to partner with God in caring for this world, and the presence of the glory of God was there with them … until sin came into the world.
Fall
The tragedy of the Bible is called the Fall, that moment when mankind rebelled against God and His right to govern and rule over their lives. Since this moment, all of creation has fallen into sin. Sin is disobeying God and his commandments, rebelling against God, and falling short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And mankind is desperate and groaning for things to go back to the way they were supposed to be and awaits its promised liberation from bondage (Romans 8:19), until the promised redeemer would come…
Redemption
In the fullness of time, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to live the life we should have lived which was a perfect sinless life and to die the death we deserved. He died as a substitute on the cross for our sins, was buried, and then rose victoriously over the grave. He then gave his followers a commission to proclaim this Gospel (good news). The message of the Gospel is the message of God’s grace, mercy and the forgiveness of sins for all who believe.
Restoration
But this is not the end of the story… The testimony of the Bible is that God has every intention of renewing and restoring this world to a glory surpassing what it had at first. (Eph 3:20-21; Haggai 2:9) Jesus taught his disciples about the coming “renewal of all things.” (Matt 19:28). Our final destination is a renewed and restored world with resurrected bodies living with God who dwells among His people (Rev 21-22). This is why the good news is so good. We find that to be very exciting!
So what do you do now?
Our response to the Gospel is to place our faith in Christ. Are you ready to trust Him? If you have recently made a decision to begin a relationship with Jesus, how wonderful! This means two things: First, Jesus has become your savior. Second, you have become a child of God. We call this Salvation. Becoming a follower of Jesus is the most important decision you can make in your life. Know how excited we are for you!
We want to help you in any way that we can. We hope Millington Baptist Church will be a place where you can connect with God, His word, and with Christian friends. Here are some important next steps you can take:
Next Steps:
Keep Learning
Here is a book for you that will help you begin your relationship with Christ on a solid foundation. Take time to read one chapter each day.
Grow in your faith
Check out this series we did about how to grow in the Christian faith.
Get Baptized
Baptism is a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. If you’ve made the decision to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, baptism is your next step of obedience! Learn more about baptism, check out our FAQs, and even sign up to be baptized by visiting our Baptism webpage.
Stay Connected
One of the best ways to grow in your faith is by being around other Christian friends who want to support you to be all God has made you to be. Here are some opportunities at MBC.
Pray
Our God answers prayer. Spend time with God every day talking with Him and listening to what He has to say to you through His Word and through His Spirit. If you would like other members of our Church Body to pray with you or rejoice with you over answered prayer, you may submit a request at MBC prayer.
Read your Bible
Reading God’s word is the single greatest thing you can do to grow your relationship with God. Here are some recommendations:
Youversion bible app, a good hard copy ESV Study bible, and maybe a link to the Bible project youtube channel.
We are so excited about your decision to begin a personal relationship with Jesus and want to help you follow through with this in any way that we can. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to talk about your decision!
Questions?
Questions?
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Baby Dedications
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 Christian 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.
“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.
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?
Questions?
