Take the Next Step

By Colin Campbell
By Barb Harris
By Mark Mercer
By Sereena Bexley
By Vennecia Jackson
By Mary Lata Thottukadavil
By Michael Agnew
By Zabdi Piña
By Kristie Davis
By AJ Jerkins
By John Hames
By Makenzie Romero
By Caroline Khameneh
By Victoria Renken
By Kathy Whitthorne
By Dawn Johnson
By DJ Newman
By Mary Weyand
By Rob Nickell
By Kathy Whitthorne
By Nila Odom
By Sherene Joseph Rajadurai
By Kristi Sheffy
By Sharon Arrington
By Sarah Crawford
By Betsy Paul
By Angel Piña
By Elizabeth Piña
By Lori Kuykendall
By Chris Kuykendall
By Matt Holland
By Jessie Yearwood
By Brian Severski
By Brian Arrington
By Sandhya Curran
By Will Meier
By Clint Calhoun
By Jen Mayes
By Alf Laukoter
By Neil Wiersum
By Jim Henry
By Jenn Wright
By Kevin Harwood
By Nandi Roszhart
By Leah Vanhorn
By Janett Miller
By Isaac Harris
By Chad Golden
By Jonathan Cortina
By Kuruvilla (K.O.) Oommen
By John Dyer
By Abe Paul
By Lauren Geppert
By Jennifer Durrett
By Penny Jones
By Jill Asibelua
By Jared Barnett
By Paul Martin
By Kristi Herring
By Sissy Mathew
By Shannon Pugh
By Al Palamara
By Melanie Mechsner
By Michelle Garza
By Armando Galvan
By Jeremiah Betron
By Camille Holland
By Rod Myers
By Crystal Elwell
By Darcy Peterson
By Jason Elwell
By Amy Aupperlee
By Barry Jones
By Bryan Eck
By Tricia Kinsman
By Nat Pugh
By Dana Myers
By Craig Pierce
By Jim Woodward
By Andy McQuitty
By Pete Hyndman
By Kevin Dial
By Catherine Boyle
By Catherine & Elizabeth Downing
By Gerald Ridgway
By Jill Hoenig
By Sunitha John
By Tarrin Henry
By RozeLee Rugh
By Beverly Hogan
By Kendra Cordero
By Lisa Gajewski
By Bonnie Goree
By Young-Sam Won
By Chris Beach
By Tom Rugh
By Nick Vuicich
By Andy Franks
By Lead Team
By Jason Roszhart
By Harvard Medical School
By Justin K. Hughes, MA, LPC
By Sherene Joseph
By Earl Davidson
By Rebecca Perry
By Joe Padilla
By Christian Melendez
By Bruce Riley
By Isaac Harris
By Amy Leadabrand
By Ben Haile
By Shaun Robinson
By Natalie Franks
By Cathy Barnett
By Ryan Sanders
By Casey Pruet, The Grace Alliance
By Sharon Arrington
By Lauren Chapin
By Betsy Paul
By Alberto Negron
By Kelly Jarrell
By Michelle Mayes
By Jenn Wright
By Jill Jackson
By Terri Moore
By Robyn Wise
By Katherine Holloway
By Richard Ray
By Kurtlery Knight
By Bruce Hebel
By Neil Tomba
By Tony Bridwell
By Grayson McGovern
By Luke Donohoo
By Kathy Whitthorne
By Mike Moore
By Wade Raper
By Mike Gwartney
By Jo Saxton
By Dieula Previlon
By Jonathan Cude
By Ken Lawrence
By Jay Hohfeler
By Barb Haesecke
By Lindsay Casillas
By JoAnn Hummel
By Shawn Small
By Alice McQuitty
By Jonathan Murphy
By Peggy Norton
By Brent McKinney
By Irving Bible Church
By Irving Bible Church
By Ashley Tieperman
By Betsy Nichols
By Trey Grant
By Debbie Lucien
By Sue Edwards
By Suzie Robinson
By Paul Smith
In IBC Stories
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 Hi, I'm Madi, thanks for opening eLetter this week to connect with what is happening at IBC! I have always been a big fan of making lists, especially when it comes to making decisions. For a long time, I thought this tactic should be effective to find my church home. If I made a list of qualities I was looking for in a church then eventually I would find it.

I was so focused on everything being just right. I rejected the idea of making a church my home because the worship wasn’t exactly the way I imagined or because a program didn’t exist. I found excuses to continue my journey to shop for a church. I remember sitting in one particular church, waiting for the service to start. I began to overhear a group of ladies, talking about the community they had found in each other. At that moment, the Lord began to tug on my heart.

The problem was not the churches I was attending — the problem was me. Subconsciously, I feared what true community actually meant. It meant the giving of my time, resources, and energy. I had set my expectations and requirements so high that I would always have an excuse to move on. I began to realize I feared being truly known because if I was truly known, people would see the sinner that I am.

I was stuck between feeling like I needed to be perfect and the church that I attended needed to be the same. Thankfully, because of a group of sweet ladies, I was reminded that I don’t have to carry the burden of being perfect and that I need Jesus because I am broken and weak. I don’t have to find a church that crosses everything off this list I had built in my head to take the next step and attend Explore. I don't have to find a ministry to serve in that is just right for me, or wait for the perfect Bible Community to form, or just the right time in my life to walk through Foundation. I simply need to take the next step.

Jesus was perfect so I don’t have to be. God has something much greater planned than a perfect building, with perfect music, and perfect programming. He wants to use imperfect people, places, and positions to sanctify us toward the image of his Son.

You don’t have to be perfect to find your place here. We’re both imperfect, so let’s do this together. My heart changed after I asked myself how I could better love God. So together, let's jump into serving, building friendships through Bible Communities, and being challenged by Foundation.

Take a seat in a circle where you can pour out, serve others, and grow. If you're new to IBC or trying to figure out where you belong, I highly recommend attending Explore. I am praying that you find space to grow. 

Explore IBC

If you’re new to IBC, make it a point to attend Explore. This is a one-hour conversation about our church, our beliefs, our vision and our campus. It’s the first step for anyone new to IBC. And it happens on the 1st and 3rd Sunday each month, so there’s always one right around the corner! 

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