The Secret To Loving Children Effectively You know you love your child. But how can you make sure your child knows it? Discover your child's primary language—then speak it—and you will be well on your way to a stronger relationship with your flourishing child. < Back 5 Love Languages Of Children You know you love your child. But how can you make sure your child knows it? The #1 New York Times bestselling The 5 Love Languages® has helped millions of couples learn the secret to building a love that lasts. Now discover how to speak your child’s love language in a way that he or she understands. Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell help you: Discover your child’s love language Assist your child in successful learning Use the love languages to correct and discipline more effectively Build a foundation of unconditional love for your child Plus: Find dozens of tips for practical ways to speak your child’s love language. Discover your child's primary language—then speak it—and you will be well on your way to a stronger relationship with your flourishing child. For a free online study guide, visit 5lovelanguages.com.

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind < Back The Whole-Brain Child NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller The authors of No-Drama Discipline and The Yes Brain explain the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures in this pioneering, practical book. “Simple, smart, and effective solutions to your child’s struggles.” -Harvey Karp, M.D. In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight , and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain - and make accessible - the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.

A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith, and Myself For any mom who has ever felt inadequate, overwhelmed, or guilty in trying to balance it all, popular podcaster Sarah Bragg offers brilliant clarity and respite in this friendly manual for becoming your most authentic self, instead of just surviving motherhood. < Back A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself For any mom who has ever felt inadequate, overwhelmed, or guilty in trying to balance it all, popular podcaster Sarah Bragg offers brilliant clarity and respite in this friendly manual for becoming your most authentic self, instead of just surviving motherhood. Nothing will make you grow up faster than trying to raise a kid. This is what popular podcast host and mom Sarah Bragg explores so beautifully as she encourages and equips moms who are discovering all the ways they still need to grow. It's easy to lose our sense of self in the all-consuming process of raising our children, but Sarah reminds us that the best gift we can bring to our kids is our true, authentic selves. Through vulnerable and relatable stories, no-nonsense wisdom, and a compassionate perspective for all the joys and challenges of motherhood, Sarah provides shame-free practical help to surviving right where you are in life, in relationships, in work, and in faith. This guidebook to health and sanity for the wilderness of parenting will help you: Give yourself permission and find the courage to show up as yourself Wrestle with how purpose, work, and calling fit together Notice and celebrate the good that's happening right around you Remember your worth is not in your kids or your role as a parent but in something far more lasting Find solidarity, understanding, and helpful encouragement to embrace all that motherhood is and remember who you truly are. Because you matter, and raising great kids starts with raising yourself well.

Intentional Parenting: Autopilot Is for Planes This is about you, not just your child. The book helps you discover first who you are and then takes that healthy person into a discovery of being more intentional, playful, consistent, merciful, and connected to your children. < Back Intentional Parenting This is about you, not just your child. Regardless of age, parenting requires a certain amount of uncertainty. But you can be certain that your children look to you to help them discover who they are. And you can only offer that to the degree that YOU know who you are. Over the years, Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan have helped countless families through their ministry known as Daystar Counseling in Nashville, TN. Due to the unique setup of Daystar, each is frequently counseling not only the child but the parent as well. Having both perspectives provides an opportunity to speak into some of the most common struggles that parents face in today's fast-paced society. Intentional Parenting is built around 12 chapters that each dispel some of the most common parenting myths and reminds all parents of truths that can empower them to be not only the parents that their children need but that God has called them to be. The book helps you discover first who you are and then takes that healthy person into a discovery of being more intentional, playful, consistent, merciful, and connected to your children. Understanding your child. Understanding you.

We want to get to know you! Join us for All Access where you will have the opportunity to share your story with our staff team over a free meal. This is a great time to ask questions and learn more about who we are as a church. What is All ACCESS? At GFC we believe that every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God. No matter how many people attend our church, we want to know each and every person because we understand that you are valuable to the Lord. All Access is a great time for us to hear your story over a free meal with our staff team! During this time you can ask questions and learn what our church is all about. If you are new to GFC or want to get connected to the mission of our church, we invite you to register for the upcoming All Access event. We can't wait to meet you! Register for ALL ACCESS

Discover how closely the gospel connects with today’s motherhood. Join Emily and Laura as they walk through the redemptive story and reveal how the gospel applies to your everyday life, bringing hope, freedom, and joy in every area of motherhood. < Back Risen Motherhood Motherhood is hard. In a world of five-step lists and silver-bullet solutions to become perfect parents, mothers are burdened with mixed messages about who they are and what choices they should make. If you feel pulled between high-fives and hard words, with culture’s solutions only raising more questions, you’re not alone. But there is hope. You might think that Scripture doesn’t have much to say about the food you make for breakfast, how you view your postpartum body, or what school choice you make for your children, but a deeper look reveals that the Bible provides the framework for finding answers to your specific questions about modern motherhood. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler help you understand and apply the gospel to common issues moms face so you can connect your Sunday morning faith to the Monday morning tantrum. Discover how closely the gospel connects with today’s motherhood. Join Emily and Laura as they walk through the redemptive story and reveal how the gospel applies to your everyday life, bringing hope, freedom, and joy in every area of motherhood.

New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons Decoding Boys is a powerful and validating lifeline, a book that will help today’s parents keep their sons safe, healthy, and resilient, as well as ensure they will become emotionally secure young men. < Back Decoding Boys “If you’re raising a boy, you need this brilliant book. It is clear, wise, and eye-opening.” —Lisa Damour, Ph.D., author of Untangled When boys enter puberty, they tend to get quiet—or at least quieter than before—and parents often misread their signals. Here’s how to navigate their retreat and steer them through this confusing passage, by the bestselling author of The Care and Keeping of You series and Guy Stuff : The Body Book for Boys. What is my son doing behind his constantly closed door? What’s with his curt responses, impulsiveness, newfound obsession with gaming, and . . . that funky smell? As pediatrician and mother of two teenagers Cara Natterson explains, puberty starts in boys long before any visible signs appear, and that causes confusion about their changing temperaments for boys and parents alike. Often, they also grow quieter as they grow taller, which leads to less parent-child communication. But, as Natterson warns in Decoding Boys , we respect their increasing “need” for privacy, monosyllabic conversations, and alone time at their peril. Explaining how modern culture mixes badly with male adolescent biology, Natterson offers science, strategies, scripts, and tips for getting it right: • recognizing the first signs of puberty and talking to our sons about the wide range of “normal” through the whole developmental process • why teenagers make irrational decisions even though they look mature—and how to steer them toward better choices • managing video game and screen time, including discussing the unrealistic and dangerous nature of pornography • why boys need emotional and physical contact with parents—and how to give it in ways they’ll accept • how to prepare boys to resist both old and new social pressures—drugs, alcohol, vaping, and sexting • teaching consent and sensitivity in the #MeToo culture Decoding Boys is a powerful and validating lifeline, a book that will help today’s parents keep their sons safe, healthy, and resilient, as well as ensure they will become emotionally secure young men. Praise for Decoding Boys “Comforting . . . a common-sensical and gently humorous exploration of male puberty's many trials.” — Kirkus Reviews

OUR BELIEFS There is a famous quote that has been attributed to many different’t church father’s throughout history that says, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In everything, love.” The idea this is communicating is that within the beauty of our Christian faith are certain doctrines that are essential and we must collectively be united on. The thought is also communicating that there are other doctrines that do not carry the same weight where people can have different perspectives and expressions that might not affect our standing with God, and it’s ok for that to happen. Bandera Community Church is a non-denominational church and we stand on the ancient beliefs of the historical Christian church stated in the Nicene Creed that was established in the 3rd century as a unified statement of faith for the global church to stand on and protect from heresies corrupting God’s church. NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten, not made, one in being with the Father, through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was born of the virgin Mary, and became man; He was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried; On the third day He rose again, in fulfillment of the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, in glory, to judge the living and the dead; And His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; with the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified; He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. IN SHORT WE BELIEVE 1. The doctrine of the trinity- There is one God who has revealed Himself in the persons of the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 2. Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. 3. Jesus of Nazareth died on a cross and in doing to defeated the power of sin and darkness. 4. Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead fulfilling all things. 5. Salvation of humanity comes by the grace of God through our our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and all He’s done. 6. The divine authority of scripture canonized in the protestant old and new testament. 7. The true believer will be known by the change of their character, and that this change comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is fully active in every way scripture describes. F.A.Q.'s SEXUAL EXPRESSION Though historically this wasn’t stated in creeds, we believe it is important in todays culture to stand on the historical Christian view of marriage and sexual expression; namely, that marriage is a lifelong one-flesh covenant union between two sexually different persons (male and female) from different families, and that all sexual practice outside of marriage is sin. Regardless of someone’s current sexual orientation, if the question arises about whether or not they will be welcomed among the gathering of Bandera Community Church, they absolutely are welcome. We believe it is important to remain uncompromising with God’s truth and His intent for His creation in this regard, and we also believe God is calling all people to Himself to redeem and restore regardless of their sexual expression. NON-ESSENTIAL DOCTRINE We believe there are countless non-essential theological concepts that each follower of Jesus expresses in various ways because of their unique God given personalities, faith backgrounds, and other influences. We believe at BCC that as we follow Jesus together in Bandera we are meant to hold these non essentials in tension with one another and we encourage the simplicity of sharing a table with one another to have meaningful discussions about why we believe certain things that we do. We believe in the intimacy of sharing a table to seek understanding about the things we believe as opposed to trying to over-define who we are as a body of believers within the endless areas of non essential doctrine. In this way, we can grow, be challenged, corrected, and above all else, love one another. We believe this approach will allow us within BCC and alongside other churches in our community to work together within a wide range of beliefs while still being able to disagree on certain non essential issues. We believe this is an important component of genuine Christian community because we can always stand on the foundation the essentials establish. The essentials include boundaries but it also allows for tension. We believe for fellowship to be true and relationships to be formed with God and with each other, this tension MUST exist. We believe that by not being overly rigid with different doctrine or non-essential theology it still affords the freedom to experience change as we grow as a church and experience the new things the Lord is doing within the life of our church which is meant to be an ongoing experience. FAQ'S

kerr county DIRECTIONS ADDRESS 3325 Junction Hwy. Ingram, Texas 78025 DIRECTIONS TIMES Sunday 9AM | 10:45AM PHONE 210.852.2081 (NW Offices) Oscar Dominguez BELONG TO A SMALL GROUP Small groups are the heartbeat of GFC. It's where we do life together. Check out all the amazing small groups near you and join a group today. JOIN A GROUP GIVE ONLINE Thank you to those who have been faithful in giving and allowing us to serve our community in creative ways. Set up your recurring gift online. VIEW MORE CAMPUS EMAIL CAMPUS PASTOR

Looking for community in Bandera? Join us Sundays at GFC Bandera for church and throughout the week in small groups. FOLLOWING JESUS TOGETHER IN Bandera FOLLOWING JESUS TOGETHER IN Bandera FOLLOWING JESUS TOGETHER IN Bandera FOLLOWING JESUS TOGETHER IN Bandera 10AM EVERY SUNDAY ONE SERVICE Next Steps You belong here at BCC. To take the next step in making BCC home Connect here > Messages Catch up and find previous weekend messages Connect on YouTube > Bible Study We host Bible Studies on Tuesday Nights. Check to see when our next one is happening. Find your community > UPCOMING EVENTS Multiple Dates BCC Youth Tue, Sep 08 Bandera Community Church More info RSVP Multiple Dates Bible Study! Tue, Sep 08 Bandera Community Church More info RSVP Multiple Dates House of Prayer Mon, Sep 21 Bandera Community Church More info RSVP Multiple Dates House of Prayer Mon, Oct 05 Bandera Community Church More info RSVP Our Location 151 Purple Sage Rd Bandera, Texas

PARENT RESOURCES Parenting Books, Podcast, Music, and more. Freedom at a Price/There IS Greatness in US Read to learn; read to understand; read to share knowledge. Whatever the reason you read, certainly these books will inspire you with a desire to read more. You may learn something new or see facts that you hadn't heard before. Re-reading stories about historical times may humble you to be grateful about the freedoms we enjoy today or raise your voice to protect the freedoms the people in these books paid a price for. These stories evoke a mantra I could shout from the top of a tall building, "There IS Greatness in US !" Click on the book cover for a Youtube.com read-aloud. Strong Enough to Last by David J. Boyd The Barna group recently released shocking statistics: Less than half of born-again teenagers (44 percent) say they are absolutely committed to the Christian faith. Only one in every three teens (33 percent) say they are likely to continue to participate in church life once they are living on their own. These alarming numbers bring all kinds of questions to mind: What can the church do to develop spiritually strong kids? How can Kids Ministry Leaders work with parents to keep kids in church? What tools will help us provide adequate spiritual training? With over thirty years of kids ministry experience, David Boyd is a reliable source for answers to questions like these. Based on eight major goals, he provides insight and information on how to help kids become believers who are strong enough to last the most difficult challenges of life. Disciple-making Parent by Chap Bettis "Compelling and faithful to the gospel" -- Dr. Albert Mohler, President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. " A fantastic parenting book. Unique in a crowded genre." -- Tim Challies, Author and Blogger, Challies.com. Your children will either live forever with Jesus or apart from him. Too many growing up in Christian homes will not follow Christ as adults. Do you have a strategy for parenting in today's hostile culture? The Disciple-Making Parent will give you confidence in your journey. Risen Motherhood by Emily Jensen & Laura Wifler Motherhood is hard. In a world of five-step lists and silver-bullet solutions to become perfect parents, mothers are burdened with mixed messages about who they are and what choices they should make. If you feel pulled between high-fives and hard words, with culture’s solutions only raising more questions, you’re not alone. But there is hope. You might think that Scripture doesn’t have much to say about the food you make for breakfast, how you view your postpartum body, or what school choice you make for your children, but a deeper look reveals that the Bible provides the framework for finding answers to your specific questions about modern motherhood. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler help you understand and apply the gospel to common issues moms face so you can connect your Sunday morning faith to the Monday morning tantrum. Discover how closely the gospel connects with today’s motherhood. Join Emily and Laura as they walk through the redemptive story and reveal how the gospel applies to your everyday life, bringing hope, freedom, and joy in every area of motherhood. Disciple-making Parent by Chap Bettis "Compelling and faithful to the gospel" -- Dr. Albert Mohler, President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. " A fantastic parenting book. Unique in a crowded genre." -- Tim Challies, Author and Blogger, Challies.com. Your children will either live forever with Jesus or apart from him. Too many growing up in Christian homes will not follow Christ as adults. Do you have a strategy for parenting in today's hostile culture? The Disciple-Making Parent will give you confidence in your journey.

Expression of Faith Our expression of faith, or “what we are about” comes from several years of discerning what God has already been doing within the life of our church. The essential doctrines of our faith we find within scripture are the foundation we stand on and the expression of our faith is made up of four pillars: Prayer Prayer is more than just a discipline but the key life giving element to our spiritual formation and the heart of our church for the purpose of cultivating an intimate connection with God. The disciples asked Jesus in Luke 11, “Teach us how to pray.” And we receive this wisdom as the most important element of our spiritual life. We believe a prayer shaped life is the heart of the individual disciple and from this comes everything else that makes us, us. Help grow your prayer life practically by: -House of Prayer first Monday of every month. -Lectio 365 app- daily prayer meditations. -Participate in intercessory prayer groups. Spiritual Disciplines In the same way we see Paul, the disciples, and Jesus Himself discipline themselves in various ways, we commit to doing so with our lives also. We uphold spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, fasting, solitude, generosity, confession, etc. within the rhythm of our life, not to earn favor with God but to put them into practice to help cultivate an intimate life with God. There are various times throughout the year where we feel lead to practice these disciplines together as a community, but also throughout the year we encourage people to put these into practice as needed throughout their own personal faith journeys. See these books as excellent resources: Spirit of the Disciplines- Dallas Willard Celebration of Discipline- Richard Foster Or you can purchase them at the same cost in the lobby. Community We see the way God purposed His people to live together with one another. We recognize the tension of learning how to be fully dependent on God as provider and guide, yet we cannot follow Him without being with one another. We commit to this in the way we gather together on a Sunday, in one another’s homes, coffee shops, and restaurants throughout the week. And we also have small groups that use the church building for adults and youth throughout the week that gather every other Tuesday. Please refer to the calendar on our website for when you should come be apart of a small group to grow in the word together. At BCC, we acknowledge the difficulty of intimate community in todays age but we see the call on our life to fight for it as we learn how to bear with one another and we believe it is within these close relationships that we grow in our discipleship to Jesus.. We are committed to growing in our ability to be a real Christ centered community, following Jesus Together in Bandera Justice God is a God of justice, and we are filled with His Holy Spirit to respond to the call of action. The call to justice, according to scripture, isn’t just about the guilty getting what they deserve. Godly justice is doing what is right and good according to God’s kingdom and standard. Many have the desire for community outreach and this is how we see justice being fulfilled according to scripture. We desire to see justice met through the various ways people are gifted and called to reach our community of Bandera. At BCC, we do not elevate one particular ministry above another. We believe they all play an equal and important role in God’s desire to redeem this community. These are things we believe God has created on His own within our community so far. We continue to pray and discern about other ways we are to respond to the needs of our community. We encourage you to also be discerning how the Lord has gifted you to be apart of loving our community in one of these ways. If you are interested in one of these specific areas of justice, we encourage you to reach out to those that are direct contacts for each respective area. Justice Partners 1 Service Name Mercy Gate Mercy Gate Ministries is a faith based, direct care, non profit organization committed to empowering women aged 18 and older who are overcoming sexual exploitation, sexual trauma, and sex trafficking. We provide comprehensive support through both residential and non residential restoration programs, court advocacy, and services that promote family reunification and healing. Email: Erin Rowe 2 Service Name Jail Ministry “...I was in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 25:36 The men and women in county jail are at a time which allows them to reflect on their bad choices and the results. We believe this is an opportunity to meet them where they are, and to share the forgiving love of Christ with them. Email: Tom Cook 4 Service Name Foster & Adoption Many families in our community are only one traumatic event away from being swept into the foster system. Job loss, domestic violence, drug addiction, illness and unplanned pregnancy are all factors that often lead to families at risk of entering the foster system. At BCC, we want to see people cared for before these fracture points hit, children from our community in foster care be placed into loving, God-fearing homes, and for those families to be well supported. We all have a part to play! James 1:27 states: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” One of the biggest needs within this community is being able to simply babysit for the families that are fostering from time to time. It is required by the state for anyone who babysits to be properly trained. If you are able, please reach out to these contacts for the proper instruction so you can be apart of blessing these families in this way, or if you're interested in learning more about how to get involved in other ways, whether it be by becoming a foster parent, providing support to foster families through respite care, or representing a child through CASA, reach out at: Email Shannon Traver or Kaitlyn Raitz 3 Service Name Addiction & Recovery Among our Small Groups that meet here in our church building every other Tuesday at 6 pm is our Recovery Group. We believe in what is said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” In other words, Scripture is sufficient to guide us through whatever struggles we are facing, including addiction. As we dive deeper into the lesson taught on the previous Sunday, we take a look at how God’s word relates to our recovery journey and how He uses our unique experiences to draw us closer to Him and to reach others who are struggling. Our desire is for anyone battling any type of addiction to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and experience the true freedom that only He can provide. Email: Matt Boyse