Good afternoon North Roanoke,
 
As you may know, I went with our students to Student Life Camp last week (which was amazing!), and I developed flu-like symptoms very late on Monday (which was not so amazing). As it turns out, some of our students have had similar symptoms. A few have tested positive for COVID. We need to pray for a full and speedy recovery for everyone. Based on what I have heard, their symptoms are mostly mild, and they are already feeling much better. Let’s pray this continues!
 
Because we had many students just back from camp worshiping with us this past Sunday, and because several of them serve in various volunteer roles (as well as their parents who serve as teachers/etc.), and because it can take up to 14 days for an exposure to turn into a symptomatic case of COVID, we are erring on the side of caution and will *not* gather together this Sunday (August 1).
 
I do plan to share a message on our YouTube channel at 10:30AM this Sunday.

We will resume 3D groups and worship on Sunday, August 8. Our students will resume their meeting schedule on Sunday evening, August 8. This means they will not meet this Sunday evening (8/1) or next Wednesday evening (8/4).
 
This also means our business meeting will not be held Sunday. It has been rescheduled for Sunday, August 15. Also, the outdoor worship service planned for (8/7) is cancelled. We will plan for one later in the year.
 
The church building will have a deep clean performed early next week.
 
As my family and I quarantine, I am praying for our entire church family, that any existing cases would be mild, and any exposures that may have occurred will not become additional cases.

In times such as these, a natural response is to ask, “What can I do?” Many of you have kindly reached out to me and Stacie offering your assistance. While I’m feeling pretty weak and tired, I am, thus far, by God’s grace, doing okay.
 
While we (the Palmers) are doing alright, there are four specific ways I want to ask you to respond in this moment for the overall health (physical and spiritual) of our church family and our overall growth in Christ.

1. Remember the Lord is in control. None of this has caught our King by surprise, and nothing can diminish His power to use it for our good.
2. Gather around your TV as a family this Sunday as I share a word from God’s Word and from my heart at our YouTube channel.
3. Pray for a full recovery for everyone impacted. If you learn of an opportunity to help out your brothers or sisters during this time, please do! As a reminder, you may share prayer requests through the app or online here.
4. Give. The first Sunday in August is usually a “catch-up Sunday” after giving declines in July. Everyone returns, and God’s people give. Please remember  this week will pass, but the work of the gospel remains, and our faithfulness now will be honored in the weeks and months to come. I would be overjoyed to see our church family rise up strong and together this week trusting Jesus for a great fall of ministry together. So, while we are apart, let's stay on track for the glory of King Jesus. 

 
Thank you for reading through this notice. If you have any questions, please email me at daniel@nrbc.org. I look forward to “seeing” you Sunday over the stream.
 
In Christ’s love,
Daniel

​

Good morning North Roanoke,

I have some exciting news! As you may know, the mask requirement in Virginia has been lifted. As such, masks are no longer required during our times of corporate worship and other gatherings (e.g prayer meeting, 3D Group, student ministry, kids ministry, etc).

A mask is recommended for those who are not vaccinated. If you choose to wear a mask, that is certainly okay! Our volunteers are no longer required to wear masks, but some may still choose to do so. Until we are able to move to the gym (hopefully late June) and enjoy more space, we will continue to have the pews marked for distancing.

As we move forward together, if you have symptoms of sickness and/or a fever, please continue the practice of staying home and joining us for worship by way of the livestream. I think this one simple practice has helped minimize not only the spread of COVID but also of the common cold and flu as well.

Of course, when you recover, please return! The Lord is pleased when we gather together, in person, to worship Him and encourage each other (Heb 10:25).

I look forward to worshiping with you at 6:30PM today (Saturday) or tomorrow (Sunday) at 10:30AM as we witness two more who are following King Jesus in baptism.

In Christ’s love,
Pastor Daniel

P.S. If you do not have a 3D group, please email me, and I will help you find a group. Small groups are such a vital part of finding community and encouragement, and I will be happy to help you!

The lecture notes for Taking God seriously may be accessed here. If you would like a printed copy (these are large files), please print and bring with you. Thank you!

Dear brothers and sisters,

As you may know, I experienced a bit of a scare this past Sunday. I am scheduled for a doctor's visit and think I am going to be just fine. Thank you for you encouraging notes and prayers! While I cannot be certain of why I nearly passed out, it has certainly grabbed my attention. For several weeks now, the Spirit has been impressing upon me very heavily that He is giving us a special opportunity to return stronger, united, and devoted to doing whatever it takes to magnify King Jesus and make disciples by prioritizing His Word in our church and in our daily lives. So, I decided to write down everything that the Lord and I have been discussing in the form of a letter to you. To read the letter, please click the file below. Thank you so much, and I look forward to worshiping with you this weekend!

In Christ's love,
Pastor Daniel

Coming up just a few weeks from now, churches across our country will remember the sanctity of life from the womb to the tomb on Sunday, January 17. At North Roanoke, we have been blessed in the past to collect donations for the Blue Ridge Women's Center, to do some work at their facilities, and to pray for our community to see that life is a gift from God -- expectant mothers, reluctant fathers, governing officials at every level -- and to also pray the church would be a place of refuge for those plagued by guilt from their past and a place where the most vulnerable would encounter the love of God.

On Sunday, January 17, I plan to preach on the sanctity of human life, and, immediately following the service, we will have an opportunity to pray silently for our community and our country. We will assemble along Peters Creek Road in front of our church building. When I last checked the statistics, I learned there are close to 1,000 abortions in Roanoke every year -- approximately 75 babies whose lives are taken every month. Imagine if God moved in the hearts of those who offer the abortions to stop their work. Imagine if those who are feeling pressured to abort their child found hope and help in local churches throughout our Valley. Imagine if the people of God would adopt and foster at a much greater rate than we presently do. Imagine if those all around us who do not know the gift of life and life everlasting would encounter the love of God in Christ in 2021 -- imagine... and then join us on Sunday, January 17 to pray accordingly.

This initiative is being coordinated by Tony and Becky Clark.

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
 
Greetings and blessings in the Name of Jesus Christ our reigning and coming King! I want to share some updates and encourage you during this unusual season. While the global pandemic has stopped the world in its tracks, our God is still working for the glory of His Son in all the earth.

When we suspended our in-person meetings in March, I never imagined the road to “a new normal” would be so long and include so many twists and turns. For now, not much seems normal, but we do not need to fear or fret.

God has given us a sure guide — His holy and perfect Word. In some ways, we have a wonderful opportunity to reflect on why the local church is so vital. We can be reminded of His design for His church and pursue it wholeheartedly as things return to “new normal.” 

To do this, it is helpful to remember God desires for us to glorify His Son by making disciples who make disciples who make disciples. To make disciples, we need to know what a disciple is, does, and believes.

A disciple is a new creature in Christ created through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. A disciple must be “born again” — made new through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. A disciple cannot be made unless the gospel is heard. To make disciples, we must be disciples who share the good news.

If this pandemic has shown us anything, it is that many people do not have the peace and joy that comes by belonging to Jesus who has conquered death. We have a great opportunity to rise above the worry, the confusion, and the various opinions to share the best truth ever -- Jesus conquered sin and death for those who trust in Him!

Being a disciple does not end with the new birth. Genuine new birth leads to a new life in a new community — a local church. As we have seen in Hebrews, our target is not decisions for Christ that fizzle but disciples of Christ who finish the race. The local church has been given the responsibility of baptizing new believers and teaching them to observe all that King Jesus has commanded us to do as His people.
 
This is an important truth. Being and becoming a disciple happens within the context of a strong commitment to a local church. God has made us new to experience and to share in His new life together as His church.
 
According to the New Testament, virtually every aspect of being a disciple happens in/through/with a local church. The local church is an ever-growing family on mission together. It is in a local church that we love, serve, pray for, encourage, challenge, and forgive one another. 
 
We maintain the confession of our hope within a local church. We are accountable to Christ by being accountable to one another in a local church. We identify and train up a new generation of God-called men to serve as pastors in a local church. Disciples identify, support, and send out church planters and missionaries from a local church. We encourage one another to love and good deeds in a local church. We bear one another’s burdens in a local church. We help young men become godly husbands and fathers and young women become godly wives and mothers in a local church.
 
This is not an exhaustive list, but we know these things are true of disciples because God’s Word reveals both our need for life in Jesus and how to live for Him. Among the many things a disciple does, gathering together to worship King Jesus is central and vital.

I have heard from many how much you miss worshiping together. This is a great sign! A hunger for God’s Word and a desire to worship Jesus comes from the indwelling Spirit. We are compelled to serve together in the mission of making disciples when we hear and sing God’s truth and encounter our King in worship. A real disciple longs to gather with his/her local church to worship King Jesus. In worship, we hear God’s Word, read God’s Word, encourage one another by singing the truths of the gospel to God and to one another, support the mission through our generous giving, and more!

For this reason, if you are not in an at-risk category, I want to encourage you to consider that now may be the time to return to the worship gathering. If you are unsettled by worshiping indoors, consider the outdoor service — a service where we have seen a wide range of ages lifting their voices to Jesus in a socially-distanced fashion.

Below, I will say some more about worship and some other upcoming opportunities to come together and be Christ’s church.

Gathering for Worship
 
Because gathering for worship with our local church family is such a vital part of being a disciple (Heb 10:25), we should view the livestream (available on the church YouTube channel, the website, and through the app) as a last resort and not as our “new normal.” A livestream is helpful in a pandemic, when you are sick, or when you are out of town, but it is no substitute for being physically present with your church family to worship Jesus.

God has made us to be encouraged through our assembling together. Indeed, the New Testament shows the Spirit dwells in a special way among the church when we are gathered. For that reason, I want to be sure you know about the two opportunities to worship each weekend (weather permitting on Saturdays, moved indoors if necessary).

Sundays at 10:30AM | Preschool/Kids Ministries Return August 9

First, we have worship in the sanctuary (and as needed projected on the screens in the gym) on Sundays at 10:30AM. Beginning Sunday, August 9, we will have nursery, preschool, and kids' worship available during the 10:30AM service. We will check children’s temperatures as they arrive, and volunteers will wear masks. Children over 10 must also wear a mask unless they have a medical reason they cannot. You will need to register your household for the worship service (by Saturday afternoon would be a huge help!), and we will be ready to receive your child at 10:10AM for the 10:30AM service.

Saturdays at 7PM

If you prefer to not have to sign up or wear a mask, we also have an opportunity to worship on Saturdays in the field behind the church at 7PM. The wonderful thing about this service is the freedom. People are relaxed and receptive. The attire is comfortable/weather appropriate. We’ve had quite a few guests attend. At this service, you may sit as far away from others as you would like to feel that you are at a safe distance, and you may sing to the Lord without a mask. It is a wonderful time!

I truly believe God provided the field for us to be able to gather and worship safely and to magnify Jesus in our community during this season. We did not know it at the time, but He did. We have a place to worship given to us by God for this time. As the days get shorter, we will adjust the time of this service to continue worshiping during daylight. For now, this is the safest way to worship and accommodate a larger gathering.

At this service, we have seen people from various ages and stages of life — singles, couples, widows, young, young at heart, and families with kids of all ages. The diversity of ages and life stages reminds me of the crowds to whom Jesus preached, and I hope you will consider joining us for this service if worshiping inside is too great a risk. We simply ask you to bring a lawn chair or a blanket and your Bible. There is plenty of room to practice social-distancing; we keep the service to an hour, and the bathroom is available if needed.

Big Worship Weekend (weather permitting)| August 15-16

Because worship is so vital, I want to specifically ask you to make plans to join us on Aug 15 or 16 for a Big Worship Weekend (most of the "big" is on Saturday, but if you cannot attend Saturday, it will still be a BIG deal to be able to worship with you on Sunday).

August is typically one of my favorite months of the year! The weather is still warm, but fall and college football are on the way. Families are returning from vacations, and students are anticipating another school year.

While all of these things are wonderful, what I enjoy the most is that the worship services are filled with you. People are back in town and back to worshiping Jesus and inviting others to consider the gospel.

This year, many things in our lives are quite different, but August remains a great time to get back to worship. For many of us, the time to return is now. We need to see one another and worship our risen King together. For that reason, I want to invite you to participate in the Big Worship Weekend on Saturday (8/15) or Sunday (8/16).

On this weekend, weather permitting, we will celebrate some baptisms during the Saturday evening service. We will also have an opportunity to meet a missionary couple that our church helps to support every week. They are serving Jesus in a very dark and dangerous place and will be available to fellowship and answer any questions you may have following the service. We are also hoping to have an ice-cream truck or other sweet treat following the service (more details on this as soon as possible - we are awaiting an answer).
 
**If weather prevents us from worshiping, we will still worship inside on both Saturday and Sunday, but we will move the baptisms and other special opportunities to the following weekend.**
 
Small Groups | Sunday School
 
While worshiping together is the engine that fuels our life together as disciples, small groups provide a place to live out many of the “one anothers” of the Christian life. For as long as social distancing is required indoors, it is difficult to hold individual Sunday School classes inside at the same time. Most of our classrooms will not allow us to meet the regulations for social distancing. 

For this reason, classes and small groups are encouraged to meet over Zoom and/or to schedule a time to use the field or the sanctuary during the week. The sanctuary is already marked off in socially-distanced zones and may be used by classes during the week on a first-come, first-served basis. We simply ask that you wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and sanitize the space as you leave.

Currently, we have one class meeting outside on Sunday mornings before worship and another small group meeting on Tuesday evenings in the field. The students are utilizing the field on Wednesday evenings. If you would like to schedule the field or the sanctuary to have your class meet during the week, please contact the church office, and we will get your class on the schedule.

For those who are not a part of a class that is meeting during the week, we also are providing a Sunday School lesson on Facebook live at 9AM on Sunday mornings. We have a great rotation of teachers helping with this!

Later this fall, we hope to bring more people into the building at a common time and with opportunities for children at the same time. Tentatively, we are considering having a few combined adult classes in the larger spaces for social distancing. We are still working on some of the logistics and will share more as we can.
 
In the meantime, please feel free to use the field or the sanctuary as a place for your class to meet. The first time you schedule the sanctuary, Cindy will tell you about the how to sanitize the space as you leave.
 
Business Meeting | Saturday, August 8 | 8PM
 
Under normal circumstances, we would have had a regular business meeting in July, but limited opportunities for interaction have meant that our nominating committee has needed a bit more time to prepare a list of nominees for service on the various committees of the church.

For that reason, we will hold the regular business meeting on Saturday, August 8 in the field immediately following the worship service at approximately 8PM. Holding the meeting in the field will allow the greatest number of members to participate. We will place the documents with the information needed to be considered by the church in the church app (search North Roanoke in your app store to download the free app).
 
Financial Update

Throughout the pandemic, many of you have asked about the church’s financial picture. For much of the year, our financial position has been remarkably strong. 
 
Remarkably, earlier this summer, receipts were ahead of the budgeted need for the year. This is no longer the case, but we are still in a pretty good place for this point in the year (approximately $17,000 behind budget). Your generosity has been an overwhelming encouragement and testimony to your love for Christ and His mission. You may continue to support the advance of the gospel through North Roanoke by giving online, through the app, through the mail, or by placing your gift in the offering box at worship or in the white mailbox outside the church office.
 
Facility Update
 
As you may know, the long-range planning committee was poised to bring a motion to our regular business meeting in March regarding a relocation/renovation of the preschool. This is something we still hope to do. In one way, now would be a great time for the renovation because the building is empty. However, many unknowns remain due to COVID-19. For that reason, we are monitoring our overall financial picture and hope to bring the motion for the work to be done as soon as things are heading toward “new normal.”

Thank you for bearing with me through this lengthy update. It has been pure joy to see many of you returning to worship, and I hope to see many, many more of you in the weeks to come.
 
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Daniel

Recently, I was asked why I am passionate about Roanoke. Specifically, why am I committed to praying for a tidal wave of gospel impact to overtake the Roanoke Valley, and why do I want to see our church make a positive and even measurable impact in the Roanoke Valley for the glory of Christ? Below, I do my best to try and answer these questions. I trust you will agree that it is a blessing to live in the Roanoke Valley and to have the opportunity to magnify Jesus here!

We are dedicated to making a positive impact in the greater Roanoke Valley because that is where God has placed us. Our campus is conveniently-situated within a 15ish-minute drive from just about anywhere in our community --
​Cloverdale, Daleville, Downtown, Hollins, Glenvar, Grandin, Melrose, Salem, Southeast, Southwest, Westwood, and all the places in between. Our church family lives and works in nearly all of these communities. What unites us is our new and everlasting life in Jesus who compels us to share this good news with others throughout the Roanoke Valley.

The Roanoke Valley has so much to offer — beautiful mountains, wonderful outdoor activities, a revitalized downtown, great local, high-school sports, a rapidly-changing economy with new opportunities for growth, and flourishing towns throughout the Valley. Yet, there is one thing the people of Roanoke need today as much as ever — to discover the joy and transformation that comes to those who find true life in Jesus.

Roanoke is such a beautiful place. When Stacie and I moved away to Raleigh, I immediately missed the mountains and the incredible sunrises and sunsets that can be enjoyed here. Of all the places God has allowed me to see, Roanoke remains among the most beautiful places I have ever seen on this earth.

When we lived in Raleigh, God began to place a burden and dream in my heart for our hometown to be filled up to overflowing with the gospel - to see lives and entire families changed by Jesus. On trips back "home" to see our parents, there is a particular point in the drive where I would look out and see the Valley and its surrounding mountains on the horizon, and I would think, "what would it look like for the gospel to go forth in power in this beautiful place?"

You see, below the surface of the natural beauty in the Roanoke Valley, there are things that are not as beautiful.

• There are marriages that are about to break apart, and Jesus is the answer. Indeed, Roanoke has one of the highest divorce rates in the Commonwealth.
• There are people earning enough to live and save, but they are still living paycheck-to-paycheck. Only the discipline and self control that comes from the Holy Spirit who makes us new in Jesus can give them answers.
• There are children, thousands of children, being raised in poverty. Just across the street from our church building, there is an elementary school that is a Title 1 school. Approximately 53 percent of the students receive a free or reduced lunch. North Roanoke is blessed to assist these students, but what the students need even more than someone to help them afford food is a family that comes to know Jesus who is the Bread of Life.
• While many good things are happening in the Valley economically, some major employers have also left or significantly reduced their presence here -- Advance Auto, Norfolk Southern, the United States Postal Service, Home Shopping Network, and more. Roanoke is a city in transition, and wherever there is transition, there will be people who are hurting and who are open to hear the gospel.

These are just some examples of how much the Roanoke Valley needs Jesus. In every neighborhood, in every workplace, in every school, and in every community, there is gospel opportunity in this Valley. At North Roanoke, we we want to love Jesus and one another so well that the world must see that there is a better way -- the way of Jesus. We also want to equip you to be an ambassador for King Jesus in this Valley, boldly announcing to others by what you share and how you live, love, and serve them that Jesus saves sinners and gives them a new life, a new purpose, and a new power to live on mission with Him and His people. If you would like to join us on our King's mission as we endeavor to impact the Roanoke Valley, we would love to meet you soon!

For Christ and the gospel,
-Pastor Daniel