Welcome! Below you will find a list of upcoming events at Frontline Silver Spring. Be sure to check back as they update regularly. Also, subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly updates with what is happening at Frontline Silver Spring.

Silver Spring Campus Upcoming Events (1.31.12)

Brand New Service Time Beginning February 12!
Beginning Feb. 12, our new permanent service time will be 6:30pm! With this transition, we are looking forward to having more time to fellowship after service and hopefully it will make it a bit easier for you to invite your friends, neighbors and co-workers. It will also enable us to serve parents with young children more effectively. So mark your calendars! If you show up at 7:30, you’ll just about miss the service!

Service Changes For February 5
Our service will NOT be in the Round House Theatre this Sun. Feb. 5. Instead, we will be meet back in the Silver Spring Civic Building which is around the corner from the Theatre on Fenton Street and will have an early service at 4:30pm instead of our usual time so we can take advantage of the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is a great way to connect with friends, neighbors and co-workers. Prayerfully consider who to spend that time with. Your Regional Community could plan something for the neighborhood or maybe there’s a non-Christian friend who invited you to hang out. No matter what the Lord leads you to, it’s a great opportunity to represent Him.

Baptism Applications
One of the greatest ways we can celebrate the life change that happens in the Frontline community is through baptism. Baptism is an amazing symbol of our new life in Christ. Jesus himself was baptized and calls us all to be baptized as well. If you would like to be baptized on Feb. 12 click here or email Mike at mike.kelsey@mcleanbible.org.

Future Leader Program
If you are you a recent college grad who feels called to ministry, check out the Future Leader Program, a year-long, paid program that prepares you for ministry and leadership. Apply at mbcfutureleaders.com by February 25. For more information contact Rachel Thomas.

Women’s Conference (March 2-4)
The Early Bird rates for the Women’s Conference has been extended to Feb 6at 5:00pm. This year’s conference theme is “Biblical Womanhood in the 21^st Century” and our keynote speaker, Mary Kassian, will discuss what it means for women to live biblically amidst the challenges of today’s culture. The conference takes place March 2-4 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MD. So grab a friend and sign up today! For more information and to register go to mcleanbible.org/womensconference. Scholarships are available on a case by case basis, if you are interested in applying for a scholarship email Terri.

Haiti Mission Trip
We are planning a trip to Haiti from June 2-9 this will be the beginning of a Frontline-wide partnership with Mission of Hope-Haiti (http://www.mohhaiti.org/) to build a relationship with the Haitian people through a variety of ministry opportunities. Our goal in all of these activities is to reflect Christ by loving those who are both physically and spiritually hungry. If you’re interested in going or have questions please email Mekdes.

Child Dedications
Children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3) and child dedications are a way for you as a parent to publically acknowledge that your child ultimately belongs to Him. In doing so, you are making a commitment before God and those who witness the ceremony to teach your child the Gospel as well as model and teach a lifestyle that honors the Lord. If you would like to dedicate your child during our next dedication, please contact Heather.

Come Alive – Day 21

Welcome to Come Alive: 21 Days. These entries are coinciding with our 3 week vision series that we are currently in and we pray they both challenge and encourage you. This is the final post and it was written by John McGowan, our Frontline Teaching Pastor.

Come Alive: What Changed?

We’re starting a new series at Frontline this week, so this post is the official end of “Come Alive”. But before we turn the page completely, there’s one simple question I want to put in front of us: what changed? By that I mean, how are you different now than you were 21 days ago?

What’s come alive in you? Your own relationship with Jesus? A burden to reach our city for Christ? Or are you praying about going to Haiti? Feeling led to get involved in a Regional Community? What’s different?

If you have solid answers to that question, praise God! Hold on to those things. Journal them. Share them with your small group. Confide in a close friend. Giving voice to what God has done in our lives helps solidify His work and provide accountability as we go forward.

But I’m writing today for the person whose honest answer is “absolutely nothing.” I’m writing for the person whose answer is, “I’m further from God, trapped in more sin and feeling hopeless.” My guess is there’s more than a handful of people who would give a similar answer.

As I prayed for you this morning, I felt God leading me to Psalm 62:8, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Some of us are just one honest conversation with God away from amazing things coming alive in our hearts. Blog posts and sermons will help. God’s Word will never fail you. But you’ve got to get alone with Him and pour your heart out. Lay it all out there – the mess, the hurt, the pain, the feeling that you missed it and the desire to be changed by Him.

God doesn’t turn His back on the honest searching of His people. He draws near to us when we draw near to Him. Run to Him today. He’s the One you need.

- John McGowan

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.

Come Alive – Day 20

Welcome to Come Alive: 21 Days. These entries are coinciding with our 3 week vision series that we are currently in and we pray they both challenge and encourage you. This post was written by Edward Hunt, our Frontline Arlington Campus Pastor.

Did you know that Christ was thinking about you when he was praying to God? “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18) Here Christ is praying for you and all the disciples that have and will ever live. You come from a long line of faithful men and women who have entrusted themselves fully to living a “sent” life no matter what the cost. The cost of following Christ demands the entirety of our lives. In the western church we haven’t experienced this “cost” as many have around the world. This very day your brothers and your sisters are being persecuted for their faith. Let us not be so lulled to sleep by the comfortable Christianity that we experience and forget them. Let us pray diligently for them. A dear brother once said “When you unite in prayer for the persecuted church, you notice a powerful connection – to Christ, to one another and to our brothers and sisters living under oppression. In the place of prayer, we come to see the spiritual depth to be found in suffering.”

I know it is easy to forget with everything we have going on in our lives but I beg of you to fight against this. To fight against my forgetfulness I signed up for a daily email that tells me ways I can be praying. Please go to this website and join me in praying for the persecuted church: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/pray/.

- Edward Hunt

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.

Come Alive – Day 19

Welcome to Come Alive: 21 Days. These entries are coinciding with our 3 week vision series that we are currently in and we pray they both challenge and encourage you. This post was written by Natalie, a member of the Frontline Prince William campus.

Months before our team was in Kenya I was beginning to see God move in my heart in a powerful way. I had recently moved to the Washington DC area and I was still transitioning from college life into the real world. I knew in college that every time they spoke of global missions either at church or at Campus Crusade for Christ on Thursday nights, I always felt interest in my heart. When I moved here I heard about the Frontline PW Kenya team that was being created I felt that interest overwhelming my heart again. The process of preparation was something that I really wasn’t prepared for but God prepared me for every step of the way. What I mean is, between February and our departure in late June, God softened my heart through some of the most difficult trials of my life, testing of my faith, and the process of transitioning into a new life in Northern Virginia. Throughout the process I realized that I wasn’t alone in this preparation to serve our God in a foreign country, God created friends to walk with me and show me that he’s going to take care of me through it all.

This mission trip to Kenya was more than an opportunity to serve others; it was a God designed experience for my heart to change. It was a chance to see what breaks God’s heart in this world. My life is forever changed and like God intended in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. He showed me the world at a new angle while softening my heart in the process.

One of experience that was particularly transforming for me was my new understanding of Revelation 7:9, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” Before going to Africa I did not have a solid understanding of what it meant by “tribe.” I knew that there are different languages, and nations and people but the tribe thing just didn’t make sense to me. While in Africa we met people of different tribes and within these tribes the people spoke many languages. Their tribes were sacred pieces of their identity and who they were. I learned the meaning behind what God meant when he placed that word there in the Bible but I also realized that scripture says that one day a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language will be standing before his throne. Many of the people living in Africa don’t even have access to a Bible and even if they do, they may not be literate. How will they ever learn about God and his promises and then one day be with us followers there when we stand before his throne? I realized then how important it was for us to be there in Africa sharing the gospel with the people, just as it is important to share the gospel here with our neighbors in the United States.

- Natalie

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.

Come Alive – Day 18

Over the last fifty years, the center of Christianity has shifted from the western world to the global south. While the west is steadily fading into secularism, the Church in Africa, South America, and parts of Asia is growing exponentially.

This past November, I got to experience how God is at work in western Africa.

I was part of a small team from Frontline who went to the tiny, war-torn country of Burundi to minister to pastors and to the staff of an organization called World Relief. The people of this incredibly beautiful country have suffered from decades of civil war and unrest. While the country has experienced several years of stability, the spiritual climate is still fragile. Our goal as a team was to encourage the pastors and staff through Christ-centered teaching and leadership training. By God’s grace I believe our efforts were fruitful, but in honesty, I think I learned a lot more than I taught.

I learned that God is a global God and that His gospel is bearing fruit around the world, even in places devastated by war and unrest. I learned that worship is trans-cultural, a universal language that unifies the body of Christ. Lastly, I was reminded that God calls us to have a global awareness concerning His redemptive purposes and that we should pray for the gospel to come alive in the hearts of all peoples!

- Will Pavone

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.

Come Alive – Day 17

Take a minute to read Luke 4:16-30.

One day, when Jesus is in His hometown, Nazareth, He heads over to the Synagogue and is asked to publicly read from Isaiah. So, He grabs the scroll and reads Isaiah 61:1-2, which is a messianic prophecy. What’s interesting here is when Jesus is done reading, everyone can’t stop starring at Him. For some reason, nobody had ever heard anybody read the Scriptures as Jesus just did. Sensing this, Jesus says to the crowds something to the extent of, “Your right, I’m saying that’s me.” (my paraphrase)

Most people in the Synagogue had already heard of Jesus either because of some of the miracles He had performed when He was over in Capernaum but mostly because He was Joseph’s son. So, many of them were perplexed but also mesmerized and maybe even beginning to believe that He could be the Messiah. Then Jesus says something weird. He says, “…no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.”

Huh? What do you mean, Jesus?

Well, it was a preemptive comment. Because what Jesus was about to say would cause the crowd to riot. Jesus says two things:

During the time of Elijah, there was a great famine in Israel and there were many widows in need. However, Elijah was sent to help none of them except the GENTILE widow Zarephath.
During the time of Elisha, there were many lepers in Israel but Elisa was sent to help none of them. Instead, he was only sent to the GENTILE Naaman.

Then, those in the Synagogue went crazy and tried to murder Jesus.

Think about it. What cord did Jesus strike to get such a rise out of this crowd?

It seems to me that by declaring Himself to be fulfilling Isaiah 61:1-2 and then reminding the crowd of these two points of Israel’s history, Jesus was announcing that the Kingdom that He was bringing was not an ETHNOCENTRIC kingdom. The Kingdom He was bringing was a Kingdom that was for all nations, not just for Israel.

The cord that Jesus struck was a deep ethnocentrism that existed in Israel who expected a Messiah that would make Israel great. They did not expect a Messiah who would include Israel simply amongst all nations in His blessing. The message of the Bible is that God’s plan of redemption is and has always been for all nations and all peoples. (Gen 12:3, Ps 67, Is 66:18, Matt 24:14, Gal 3:8, etc…)

As we think about our world this week, we need to take some time to reflect on how ethnocentrism and racism deeply grieves the heart of God. Despite political progress, this is an issue that is very much alive today within the Church, within our city, and within the world. Not only is it just ethnocentrism, but there is also prejudice when it comes to socio-economic status, level of education, appearance, and disabilities amongst other things.

The reality is that since the Gospel is for all peoples, the Bible does not assume but emphatically declares that all people have equal need for the Gospel. (Rom 3:9, 23)

John MacArthur says, “…people by nature are hostile to God, utterly unable to obey God out of pure motives or from a pure heart, and therefore unable to do anything that truly pleases God (Rom. 8:7-8).”

If this is the description of all people, than the idea that certain people are superior to others based on any condition is nonsensical. We all need the saving work of Jesus Christ. God has called us to be people who are humble that have a love for our neighbor fueled by gratitude for the underserving grace we have received. The Kingdom of God knows nothing of any prejudice and will include people of all colors, tongues, cultures, and personalities.

Pray that God would reveal where any prejudice or belief of superiority could be present in your heart and then ask yourself the following questions. If you find yourself answering ‘yes’ to any of these, repent. Confess this to the Lord and to someone you confide in. Ask the Lord to change your heart and give you greater view of His Kingdom. Ask the Lord to show you how underserving you are of His grace so that prejudice can be crushed by gratitude.

Do I subconsciously limit my close relationships to those who are of the same color or ethnicity as myself?
Do I more easily share my faith with those who share the same color or ethnicity as myself?
Do I have a problem with interracial marriage?
Do I look down upon those who are poor? Do I believe that I deserve the material blessings I have and those who are poor do not?
Do I form opinions of other people based on the car they drive? This could go either way. Maybe you drive a nice car and judge the one who drives the clunker. Or you drive the clunker and you judge the person who drives the nice car.
Would I be uncomfortable if a homeless person attended my Frontline campus?
Would I be uncomfortable if a homeless person joined my Regional Community or Small Group?
Am I uncomfortable around those who have mental or physical disabilities?
Do I subconsciously limit my close relationships to those who have similar personalities and interests as myself?
Do I form opinions about people and limit relationships with those who seem “socially awkward.”

There are many more questions we can ask. All of us have prejudice somewhere inside because every one of us are sinners. We look forward to the Day where Christ will return, remove sin, and destroy all prejudice. The Day where all nations, tribes, and tongues will worship Him forever. (Rev 7:9) Let’s anticipate that Day by rallying around the grace of God and as a church wage war against the prejudice that is present within us. To “Come Alive” in our world, is to align our hearts with God’s heart for the entire world and for all peoples.

- Allan McCullough

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.

Silver Spring Campus Upcoming Events (1.24.12)

Service Changes for January 29 and February 5
Our services will NOT be in the Round House Theatre on Jan. 29 and Feb. 5. Instead, we will be meeting in the Silver Spring Civic Building which is around the corner from the Theatre on Fenton Street. On Feb. 5^th, Big Game Sunday, we will have an early service at 4:30pm instead of our usual time. The Big Game is a great way to connect with friends, neighbors and co-workers. Prayerfully consider who to spend that time with. Your Regional Community could plan something for the neighborhood or maybe there’s a non-Christian friend who invited you to hang out. No matter what the Lord leads you to, it’s a great opportunity to represent Him.

Baptism Applications
One of the greatest ways we can celebrate the life change that happens in the Frontline community is through baptism. Baptism is an amazing symbol of our new life in Christ. Jesus himself was baptized and calls us all to be baptized as well. If you would like to be baptized on Feb. 12 go to our website and click on the feature to find out how or email Mike.

Women’s Conference (March 2-4)
We invite all the ladies to consider attending this year’s women’s conference on March 2–4 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MD. Register by Tues., Jan. 31, to lock in the early bird rate. You won’t want to miss this exciting opportunity to meet, bond and grow with other women. For more information and to register, visit mcleanbible.org/womensconference or email michelle.buckner@mcleanbible.org.

Small Group Leaders Needed
Are you praying about leading a small group in the Spring? Do you want to be challenged in your spiritual walk and be equipped to lead and challenge others? We are accepting applications for New Small Group Leaders for the Spring and would love to walk you through the process of becoming one. Fill out an application under smallgroupresources.org/lead/ or email Mekdes for more information.

Regional Communities
Regional Communities are locally focused communities of Frontliners living as ambassadors of Jesus Christ by demonstrating and declaring the Gospel. If you’re interested in connecting and serving with people that live near you go online at frontlinesilverspring.com to get more information.

How2 Study The Bible Workshop
Do you want to read the Bible with more passion and effectiveness? Then come to an interactive workshop from 10am – 4pm on Sat. Feb. 4. The $15 registration fee covers all of the materials, coffee and lunch! All you have to bring is just your Bible and a pen. To register, go to frontlinesilverspring.com and click on the feature.

How2 Share Your Faith
Most of us would agree that sharing our faith in Christ with family, friends, coworkers or even strangers can be challenging. How do we take a regular conversation and turn it in to a spiritual conversation? On Sat., Feb. 11 we will address the challenges of sharing our faith and give practical tips to use in everyday life. This will be an interactive and fun workshop that will help you be more effective for Christ. Registration is $20.00. To register, go to frontlinesilverspring.com and click on the feature.

Watch Lon’s Final Rock Announcement

If you missed Lon’s announcement regarding The Final Rock that was played at the Frontline Campuses, you can watch it below:

Come Alive – Day 16

Welcome to Come Alive: 21 Days. These entries are coinciding with our 3 week vision series that we are currently in and we pray they both challenge and encourage you. This post was written by Trisha Hicks, the Director of Women’s Small Groups at Frontline Tysons.

Whether I am eating comfort foods or wearing cozy pajamas, I really like to be comfortable. I like to take on tasks where I am comfortable with my ability to do whatever lies in front of me. The major problem with this is the “I.” When I think I am capable, I rely on myself and not the Lord. Thankfully, God has been merciful in my life and always places me in circumstances that are outside of my comfort zone so that I rely on the power of His Holy Spirit. In April 2011 my husband Cory and I lead a team to Brazil to work with an organization called Open Arms primarily to help put on a soccer camp. God had me reliant on Him in many aspects of this trip. The two most obvious being I was comfortable speaking Spanish, not Portuguese, and the soccer part (my teammates can vouch for my two left feet). But this was right where He wanted me so that His power could be displayed in my weaknesses as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. Just like God used my weaknesses, the transforming power of the Gospel is at work all over the world. Being able to see God at work in a different country shows the power of our God who transcends all cultural and language barriers. Stephanie Tileston, co-leader of the December 2011 Brazil trip shared with me an experience she had when they went to visit a prison. She heard a young, imprisoned Brazilian teen sing a self-written song of God’s redemption and grace to his fellow 70+ inmates. Despite comprehending only portions of his Portuguese message, the meaning was clear- his life had been transformed. Though he regrets his past, he trusts Christ will do something wonderful with his future. So whether it is something insignificant like my soccer abilities or something life-altering like these men in prison, God uses all circumstances for His glory. Sometimes it takes getting outside of our comfort zone to see that.

- Trisha Hicks

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.

Come Alive – Day 15

Welcome to Come Alive: 21 Days. These entries are coinciding with our 3 week vision series that we are currently in and we pray they both challenge and encourage you. This post was written by Dan Iten, the Director of Global Impact at Frontline Tysons.

One of the best things about my job is the opportunity I get to meet and spend time with each of our Global Impact teams the night of their commissioning at Frontline. It’s always a fun time to see the teams and their excitement to serve God internationally.

During those meetings I always like to read to the teams 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and challenge each team member to spend some time during their trip reading and mediating on those verses. Paul tells us in this passage that there is only one body of Christ and it is made up of many different parts.

Those who are familiar with this passage will often think of the body of Christ from a local church mindset, understanding how different believers from within a congregation come together with their various talents and giftings to make up their church. However, I like to challenge each of our departing GI teams to read and reflect on this passage from the viewpoint of the Global Church. To read the passage with the idea that the church in Haiti might be an eye, and the church in Brazil might be an ear, Tanzania a noise, SE Asia a hand, Kenya a foot, Ethiopia an arm, the U.S. church a leg, etc.

Studying the passage from that global perspective allows us to see that churches around the world join together to make up the one body of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. No one church is better than another, and each church is dependent upon the others because of their unique functions and roles within the body. There is a great unity in the diversity of the Church around the world that we, as the American church, can learn firsthand while serving on a Global Impact team.

Without question this concept of the global body of Christ is always one of the biggest lessons and take-a-ways that our Global Impact teams have from their trip experiences. The highlight for many GI teams is spending a Sunday in worship with brothers and sisters in Christ within their local indigenous churches. It is there that teams often have the realization that we all worship, serve, and love the same God. It’s truly an eye opening experience to interact with the global body of Christ. It results in having a greater care and concern for our brothers and sisters around the world and a clearer understanding of who God is and how He is at work globally.

If you have yet to experience the Global Church for yourself, I’d strongly encourage you to consider participating in a Global Impact trip in 2012. For more information on trips being offered this year at your campus visit www.frontlinedc.com/global or email me at dan.iten@mcleanbible.org for more information.

- Dan Iten

To listen to the sermons from this series, please click here.