Mission Moment 9.3.25
Adrian J. Bullock
Triangle Area Campus Minister,
CBF of North Carolina
“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
–2 Timothy 2:6-7
During my sophomore year of high school, my social studies teacher told our class that in order to know your future, you must first know your past. In the same way, to know what is saving my life now requires me to look back at what has saved me up to this point. And when reviewing my life, the words of the late Dr. Haywood T. Gray come to mind. My life has been nothing but the “unseen hand of God” directing, navigating and propelling me to where I am today.
What has saved me?
My mother’s prayer when I was a newborn baby that could fit in the palm of her hand. I was born three months prematurely and the outcomes of my life and my mother’s life were uncertain. My oldest sister had died three years earlier during another risky birth incident. However, alone in her hospital room, my mother recalled telling God: “God, I’m giving him to you.” And ever since that day, I know that God has been with me.
My grandmother’s words of encouragement to a little six-year-old boy struggling to learn on his grade-level. At that time, I can recall being taken out of the regular classroom with all my friends and walking into a very small, dimly-lit room every week. And in this room, one-on-one with a remedial teacher, I would work to learn how to sound out words and put sentences together correctly. Each evening, I would go to my grandmother’s home after school and, as I sat at her kitchen table trying to do homework that felt too challenging for me, I told her, “Grandma, I can’t do this.” Hearing this led her to respond quickly by saying, “Don’t you ever say you can’t. You can do anything if you’re willing to work hard for it.” And then she went into her room, pulled out her Bible and taught me my first memory verse, Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The Christian Church. From my childhood I have had a deep love for the church, begging my mother to take me there. Finally, my grandparents, and eventually my grandmother and mother combined, took on the responsibility of making sure I was involved in church life. To some, I was a bit awkward. I never wore the newest clothes or held the latest cellphone; but I had a love for things like public speaking and history. I was bullied often from elementary through high school because of my interests. In addition to this, I often avoided in my studies things like English and Spanish because I found no joy in them. Middle school was a place I dreaded going, week-after-week, because I felt I didn’t belong. However, if I could just make it to the weekend and be a part of the church community, I knew that I could go to the place where I felt generally accepted and affirmed.
Real genuine friends. I made it to college, even though I was not the best student in high school. I enjoyed my college experience because I knew that this was where I would receive the tools I needed to get where I wanted to go in life, which was to serve in ministry. My friends, while diverse in their desires of college life, for some reason always had my back. And even in times that I wanted to quit or I started questioning my calling or who I was, they always encouraged me to press on.
Real invested mentors. Whether in ministry, guidance or just a listening ear, God has sent people such as my pastor, other ministers, coaches, influential professors and advisors who wanted to see the best from me. They see in me what I often cannot see in myself, pushing me further when I feel like I’ve given it my all. They encourage me to continue to grow and mature everyday as a person. Without their investment, I am not sure where I would be today.
My wife. Even as that awkward school kid, I prayed to be able to one day marry someone with passion, the desire to build and leave a legacy and with a heart driven by their love for Almighty God. My wife, Aneika, has become my best friend in life, my listening ear and my eyes that are able to see around the blinders in life.
God. Because without God, I would not have survived to see the last 28 years of my life. It is to God to whom I owe the greatest portion of my gratitude.
The totality of what has saved my life up to this point is what is saving my life right now. One question I have been asking myself recently is, “Who has your ear?” To whom do I listen who has the ability to steer me one way or another? What is saving me right now are the people who have my ear. God-sent people who care not only about the image I share in public, but about the struggles I may deal with privately. People who can see past the title “reverend” or “pastor” and who can see me authentically as “Adrian.” People on whom I can call during my “midnight of the soul” experiences. People who care enough to tell me the truth—even in moments where I honestly don’t want to hear it. When I look back on this present time, just as I have over the last 28 years of my life, I will be able to see all of the things from which I have been saved and the good things to which I have been pushed because of the people who have my ear.
Pray, Ponder and Practice
Today, as you seek to fulfill whatever tasks have been assigned to you, I invite you to pray for God to put the right people in your life—God-sent people who bring out the best in you and want to see the spirit of God working through you. I also invite you to ponder on who currently “has your ear.” Who are the people to whom you actively listen? Are they helping to pull out the best in you, or are their words hindering you from fulfilling your God-given potential? I also invite you to practice discernment. Ask yourself if you need to make some changes in the circle of those who have influence over you.
Giving the Jesus Way
United Christian Ministries is in need of cereal.
To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. Thank you!
Midweek Meals to Resume TONIGHT
Mid-week meals resume tonight, September 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the MFC. Costs are $12 for adults, $7 for K-12th grade, and college students as well as pre-K are guests of the church (no charge). The menu tonight will be meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, roll and dessert. Join us!
1st Explorers After-School Program Update
1st Explorers After-School Program
The First Explorers theme for this past week was “What Makes Me Special?” with the Bible verse of the week being Psalm 139:14. Students worked through multiple activities and identified things they do well, their interests, and other attributes that make them special. We were reminded that God has a special purpose and plan for each one of us. Students enjoyed chapel with Kaitlyn and visits from 4H and Generation Kids. It was a busy and fun week at After School!
Midweek Meals to Resume Wednesday, September 3
Mid-week meals resume this Wednesday, September 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the MFC. Costs are $12 for adults, $7 for K-12th grade, and college students as well as pre-K are guests of the church (no charge). Please remember to get your reservation turned in to the office by noon Monday so we have an accurate headcount. Sign-up sheets and pew cards will be available as well!
The menu that evening will be meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, roll and dessert Join us!
Giving the Jesus Way
United Christian Ministries is in need of cereal.
To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. Thank you!
First Explorers After School
Mission Moment 8.27.25
Kelly Adams
CBF Director of Clergy Support
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
–Matthew 18:20
It seems silly to type it, let alone say it aloud, but what is saving my life right now is my cell phone. I refuse to leave home without it, and not just because I need the maps app frequently to help get me around in an area in which I’ve lived less than a year. I don’t leave home without my cell phone because it is my connection to those whom I hold most dear.
It is the way I hear the voices of my husband and son when I travel, which is often. Hearing their voices is reassuring and grounding when I’m in the chaos of an airport or missing morning snuggles. It is a gift to stay attuned to the daily lives of the two people I love most in the world.
It is also the way I stay connected to my oldest and dearest friends. There’s a WhatsApp thread through which five of us who have known each other at least since high school message daily. The subject varies; some are messages about the joys and challenges of motherhood and work; but more often they’re memes about getting older or growing up in the 80s and 90s. Our connection is life-giving because it is to people with whom I can be my most genuine self. There are other folks with whom I stay connected mostly through my phone: a few former coworkers who are dear friends, the matron of honor from my wedding, and my mom, who can never have enough pictures of her grandson.
My phone is also how I stay connected to co-workers through text threads that serve primarily to help one another and think together. These threads can and often do digress into humor that is often well-timed and much-needed. It is a crucial link to each other when we’re traveling separately and when very few people around us understand the nuances of our work.
So, it’s not the cell phone that is saving me after all; it’s the connection it provides to the rooted relationships I need to truly thrive both personally and professionally. What and who are the connections that are saving you?
Pray, Practice, Ponder
Gracious God, You are generous to place in our lives people who reveal something of your goodness and grace. Whether it’s one person or 20, we are grateful for the rooted relationships that reach out or answer at just the right time, reminding us we are loved and giving us hope when we most need it. For these friends and loved ones, we give you thanks and praise. Amen.
Pray…Give…Go.