Author: Kaeli Lowe

Rock Harbor Church is partnering with the Ogden family & friends to help provide Christmas dinner for 500 families in our community! WAYS TO BE INVOLVED Sponsor a family: $50 per box Help pack boxes Help deliver boxes 📦 BOX PACKING Thursday, December 19 – 6:00 PM Location: 4039 Well Tech Way, Bakersfield, CA 93308 🚚 BOX DELIVERY Friday, December 20 – 8:00 AM TO GIVE Online: Select “Christmas Care Boxes” on the giving tab. Check: Write “Christmas Care Boxes” on the memo line. Cash: please hand write “Christmas Care Boxes” on the offering envelope.

Ladies, you’re invited to a beautiful night together on Dec 4th at PM! Come enjoy dinner, dessert, raffles, laughter, and an encouraging message that will refresh your heart as we step into the season. Bring a friend—every woman is welcome! Tickets are $20 and on sale at The Dock!

Join us for Men’s Camp at Hartland on March 6–8—a weekend designed to encourage, challenge, and equip men to lead well. Expect powerful teaching, great food, and plenty of activities. It’s the perfect chance to step away, connect, and refocus. Sign up today! Click here.

Stand with the Persecuted Church in Nigeria Christians in Nigeria are facing a devastating genocide. As believers, we cannot stay silent. Below are two important ways you can take action and stand with our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith. The Crisis in Nigeria Nigerian Christians are being slaughtered by Islamist groups at an alarming rate. Every day, an average of 17 Christians are killed for their faith. In 2022 and 2023, 90% of all Christian persecution deaths worldwide occurred in Nigeria. According to a report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) titled Martyred Christians in Nigeria (April 2023), at least 52,250 Christians have been killed in the past 14 years simply for their faith in Christ. Roughly 30,250 of those murders occurred since 2015. The violence is driven by Boko Haram and Fulani jihadists, and reports indicate that elements within the government have been complicit or failed to intervene. In 2025 alone, as many as 7,000 Christians were killed in the first 220 days—about 32 per day. One of the deadliest attacks occurred on June 13, 2025, when over 200 Christian villagers were massacred in Yelwata, Benue State, by heavily armed Fulani militants shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Since 2009, 19,100 churches have been attacked or destroyed, making Nigeria the most dangerous place on earth to be a Christian. Urge Congress to Take Action Persecution in Nigeria has reached catastrophic levels. Thousands of believers have been slaughtered, kidnapped, raped, or displaced by radical Islamist terrorists while the government looks away—or participates in the violence. You can help by contacting your U.S. Representatives and Senators to support two crucial bills: ✅ H. Res. 220 – Introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, calling on the U.S. State Department to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its severe violations of religious freedom. ✅ S. 2747 – The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 by Sen. Ted Cruz, which imposes targeted sanctions on officials who enable or ignore persecution. How to help:Download the PDF Letter to Congress, print, sign, and mail it—or email it through your representatives’ websites at Congress.gov. Partner with Equipping the Persecuted While advocacy happens in Washington, one ministry on the ground—Equipping the Persecuted—is actively rescuing and rebuilding Christian communities in Nigeria. Mission highlights include: Rapid Response: Teams mobilize within 24 hours of an attack, bringing food, medical aid, and prayer support. Fountain of Hope Orphanage: Housing 100 children orphaned by Islamic terrorism. Widows Ministry: Monthly aid for over 100 widows of murdered pastors and police officers. Village Security Teams: Volunteers equipped with protective vests, radios, and alarm systems. IDP Support: Medical interventions, water wells, supply deliveries, and emergency housing projects. A monthly gift of $35 or more helps protect, rebuild, and strengthen persecuted families—physically and spiritually. 👉 Donate Today: EquippingthePersecuted.org Download PDF here Pray Without Ceasing “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them… those who are mistreated… since you yourselves are in the body also.” — Hebrews 13:3 Please pray, take action, and share this message to raise awareness. The time to stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters is now.

If you’re looking for an area to serve, the welcome team might be just the place for you! Whether it’s serving coffee and donuts, greeting guests, helping at the name tag table, or lending a hand with setup and cleanup, your help makes a big difference. Sign up at the Dock and be part of creating a warm, welcoming environment every Sunday!

Eternal Crowns: Ruling & Reigning with Messiah We are excited to announce the release of Pastor Brandon Holthaus’ new book, Eternal Crowns: Ruling & Reigning with Messiah. This is a powerful resource for believers who want to understand the eternal rewards promised in Scripture and how our faithfulness today will echo into eternity. The Bible speaks of five crowns—the Crown of Life, Crown of Rejoicing, Crown of Righteousness, Crown of Glory, and the Imperishable Crown. These are not just symbolic honors; they are real rewards that grant believers the right to rule and reign with Christ during His Millennial Kingdom and throughout eternity in heaven. The Apostles Peter, John, and Paul all described these crowns and explained how they are earned. Pastor Brandon reminds us that every trial and difficulty we endure has a purpose. The struggles of life are not wasted; they refine us into the likeness of Christ and prepare us for the day we stand before Him. At the Bema Seat, the faithful will be rewarded—not for salvation, which is already secure in Christ, but for faithfulness, obedience, sacrifice, and perseverance in the Christian walk. In Eternal Crowns, Pastor Brandon unlocks the treasure room of heaven and explains what it means to earn eternal crowns and reign with Messiah. This book will challenge, encourage, and equip you to live with eternity in view and to endure with the hope of ruling alongside Christ. 📘 Eternal Crowns: Ruling & Reigning with Messiah is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold. We pray it blesses you and strengthens your walk with the Lord as you live faithfully in these last days. 👉 Get your copy here

We are excited to announce that we have completed the development of a Spiritual Gifts Test that is designed to help you uncover the unique abilities God has given you. You can access the test at no cost by clicking here. Once you have completed the test, you will see the results immediately, which you can use to determine which ministries would be a good fit for serving. If you would like to begin serving, you can fill out a ministry application here.