IBC Blog

Name: Irving Bible Church
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eLetter

A Reflection on Black History Month

In recent weeks at IBC, we’ve been discussing the importance of wrestling with our own personal past—our life story—to better understand our present and God’s intentions for our future. This is a vitally important part of our ongoing spiritual growth and development. God has made us who we are through the formative experiences and relationships of our lives: though our heritage, our heroes, our high points, and our hard times.

Hope & Healing
A Gaslighter's Secret Strategies
If you've been in close relationship with a narcissist, you probably have experienced something mental health experts call “gaslighting”. Gaslighting is a manipulation strategy used to gain power over someone for a variety of reasons.
IBC Stories
What if I don't want to read the Bible?
After growing up in a Christian household, being immersed in biblical community, and serving and leading within the church, I found myself in a season of not wanting to participate in the "Christian To-Dos". I found it difficult to admit to my mentor and friends not that I just wasn't reading the Bible but that I didn't want to. But then, the more I talked about it, the more I discovered that for many Christians, Bible reading - especially the part of a daily devotional schedule - is one of the bid "shoulds" of faith. Many of us have been told that we should read the Bible, but we've hardly ever been told how to stick with it or why we should want to in the first place.
IBC Stories
A Profound Experience
We set up our tent, had dinner together, and got settled in for the night. There was conversation and laughter everywhere. You could feel the peace and our night was serenaded by someone in the camp who was singing beautifully and playing the guitar. Everyone signs up to help with the cooking and cleaning, so we woke up Saturday morning to a team of people preparing the famous “awesome breakfast.” The day consisted of hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, and all kinds of fun, I even took a nap!
Hope & Healing
Past Trauma May Haunt Your Future Self
A rocky childhood. A violent assault. A car accident. If these are in your past, they could be affecting your present health.
IBC Stories
Staff Stories: Shannon Lewis
All it took was a simple invite.
Shannon Lewis lived in a foster home until the age of 15. After her grandparents reached an age where they could no longer be her legal guardians, Shannon entered the foster care system at a young age. For many, the foster care system is a source of comfort and structure. For Shannon, it was a source of trauma and abuse.
“It was a very abusive home,” Shannon said as she looked back on those memories of her teenage years. “I remember just kind of feeling like there was something on the other side. It wouldn’t be like this forever.”
Faith & Belief
Not Just Ourselves
Years ago, a simple phrase guided IBC’s effort to share our resources and help fund local and global mission projects: Not Just Ourselves. As we continued to use the phrase to describe externally focused initiatives, we came to see that Not Just Ourselves shouldn’t be limited to special projects at a special time of year. We realized the Not Just Ourselves mindset should shape our ministry and sharpen our focus all year round. Everything we do at Irving Bible Church is ultimately for the sake of others, for the sake of the world—not just ourselves. As a church, Not Just Ourselves calls us to serve our congregation and our neighbors. Not Just Ourselves calls us to make missionary disciples—Christ-followers who are living out their purpose by abiding in Jesus and joining God’s mission in the world.