Three Questions is a semi-regular series introducing individuals across the NAB by asking them about their story, their ministry, and what they are learning. These features on members of our NAB family also provide great opportunities to pray for them as we get to know more of their story. This week, we hear from Jean Ewing, the team lead for the Women’s Connection Leadership Team.
What’s your story?
As I was considering how to respond to this question, these words from a powerful worship song came to mind:
I love you Lord, for Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands.
From the moment that I wake up, Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God.
I was born into a loving family that had no desire to attend church. When I was 9, my aunt and uncle convinced my parents that my brothers and I should go to Andrews Street Baptist Church in downtown Rochester, New York. It was there that I was nurtured in the faith by Sunday School teachers who had immigrated from Germany. They loved the Lord and inspired me to learn more about Him and invited me to give my life to Him at age 16. My desire to serve Him was ignited as I taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, and helped with youth groups.
After I graduated from a local college with a degree in elementary education, the opportunity to travel with eleven other young people as part of the NAB’s God’s Volunteers teams excited me. There I met David Ewing from North Dakota, and our common calling to serve Him as a couple led us to pastoral ministry in South Dakota, Missouri, North Dakota, and New York. Before our retirement, David was the regional minister in the NAB’s Eastern Association. What a joy it was to work with pastors, their wives, and the congregations of these churches. . . .
NorCal churches of the NAB are cordially invited to attend the first-ever International Mission Pop-Up taking place this Monday in Lodi, California.
Experience an evening of engaging conversation and connections around international missions. Hear from Joel David, the NAB VP of International Missions, and Shan Reed, NAB mobilization director and former NAB missionary to Japan.
It can be easy for our churches to feel isolated or like what we do doesn’t seem to make any kind of global impact, particularly when it comes to the Kingdom efforts regarding international missions. This Pop-Up will help your church grasp the larger picture of NAB International Missions, help connect you with other local NAB churches who share a similar interest in missions, and hopefully promote awareness of and engagement with NAB International Missions and missionaries.
This FREE pop-event will take place 6:30–8:00 p.m. on January 26 at First Baptist Church in Lodi, California. Refreshments will be served.
Whether it was Paul who wrote it or he was simply transcribing a hymn or poem he’d heard from others, Philippians 2:5–11 is one of the oldest pieces of poetry written specifically for the Christian Church. It speaks of Jesus’s divinity, but rather than simply framing it through the lens of his kingship over all creation, it paints a picture of the Son of God as a humble servant – a servant king.
This poem isn’t just important for our Christology – how we understand the person, nature, and role of Jesus – it’s important for how we live our day-to-day lives. After all, Paul reminds us that this servanthood of Jesus is the exact same attitude we should have in our interactions with others and how we engage with the world around us, shaping what kinds of people we are to be.
Over the seven weeks of Lent, February 19 through April 4, join the entire North American Baptist Conference as we look at the seven verses of Philippians 2:5–11, reflecting on and praying over each in turn as we prepare our hearts for Good Friday and the celebration of Easter Sunday.
Last year, Andrew and Jenn MacDonald were part of the NAB’s Fit Assessment in NorCal. They submitted their online application in advance; attended the multi-day, in-person experience hosted by a diverse collection of trained leaders; and communally discerned with the team their best fit for ministry. Ultimately, the MacDonalds received a green light to plant a church in Roseville, California.
One year later, the next NAB Fit Assessment is taking place in Northern California, only this time the MacDonald’s are playing another part in the process rather than attending as applicants. Their church plant, Grace Collective Church, is hosting the Fit Assessment taking place February 24–26 in Roseville, California.
Fit Assessment is a communal discernment process designed for potential church planters like the MacDonalds, but also for potential church revitalizers and international missionaries. If you’re interested in beginning the Fit Assessment process, your first step is completing the online application, either in English or Spanish, found at the link below.
If you have questions, contact Carissa Steinhart.
find more info about fit assessment
Bonfire 2026 registration is open! This year, Bonfire will be taking place May 5–8, 2026, in Medina, Ohio.
What we call Bonfire has taken on several different iterations over the years. At its core Bonfire was always designed to gather NAB leaders together around a shared purpose – a commitment to our missional/formational journey as the NAB.
Just like a bonfire itself brings people together who may not otherwise interact, these gatherings have morphed and expanded as different NAB groups – Multipliers, Governing Board, Missions Advisory Team, just to name a few – have caught wind of and bought into the shared purpose of mission and formation.
This year, based on much feedback, we are streamlining this event in a way we hope reflects this purpose. “Bonfire” will now be the name we use to refer to the overarching event, the main umbrella under which these various gatherings of NAB leaders meet. There will be two main evening sessions for the entire group, including dinner, fellowship, worship, and a unified speaker. During the days, each attendee will join their specific group gathering, or Ministry Track – Multipliers Summit, MAT, Missional Initiatives alum, etc. – to engage with each other.
It is our hope that Bonfire 2026 will serve you, equip you, and encourage you in ways both specific to your individual group but also in broad ways as a vital member of our conference of churches.