2009 Calendar
Gospel Life Community Newsletter
September 8, 2010
Greetings!

Please make sure to encourage our friends and other members who do not make a habit of opening their e-mails to do so, in order that they can keep up with what goes on at the Gospel Life Community.
 
We try to keep you updated as to events coming up and bring reports of recent activities whenever necessary.
 
Happy reading!
 
The Staff
What's In This Issue
Second Strategy Session
Marketplace Ministry
Tipping Points of Grace
Fellowship Lunch Groups
Second Strategy Session on Saturday Morning
 
The second in a series of strategy meetings will be held this coming Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. This will be conducted at the Gospel Life Fellowship Hall. 
 
These meetings are designed to find ways and means to reach the so-called Generation X, which is the first generation raised in the "postmodern" age. These are those generally born between 1961 and 1981, who grew up during the later years of and the decade following the Vietnam War, and often linked to the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush (the father).
 
The last meeting was spent mostly in trying to define what a Christ-centered lifestyle is. Future meetings will describe the kind of culture that will produce this kind of lifestyle, the ministries and activities that will create and sustain this lifestyle and other parameters to produce an effective and productive change in this direction.
 
These sessions are interactive and participation in the discussions by all attendees is encouraged.
 
It is deemed important to know the modalities and perspectives of Generation X as they came of age after the Vietnam War had ended, and their political and cultural perspectives were shaped by the end of the "cold war" and the fall of the Berlin wall.  They also saw the inception of the home computer, the rise of video games, cable TV and the internet as a tool for social and commercial purposes.
 
All members are encouraged to participate in developing these strategies.
 
Marketplace Ministry
View Everything We Do As Spiritual
 
 
Seeing the Ordinary as Extraordinary


"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Our Lord never saw the mundane activities as ordinary. Whether He healed the sick or sat around the fire with the disciples, He did not see one activity as spiritual and the other non-spiritual. Life was lived as a holy service to His Heavenly Father.

Many times we fall prey to a spiritual hierarchy mentality. We believe certain activity is more blessed by God because it is done under a spiritual guise. We conduct our Christian meetings and conclude one is blessed by God based on attendance. We work to give money to ministry when we fail to recognize the very work we do is ministry.

God's glory can be expressed in the most common task. Whether washing the dishes or changing diapers or driving to the grocery store. When we begin to assign spiritual value to activities we begin to give greater importance to those activities we deem spiritually higher in the hierarchy.

Philip was in the midst of a major crusade when the Holy Spirit abruptly instructed him to stop and go to a desert road.

"Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said."

"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road-the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it'" (Acts 8:26-29). We see in this story that neither activity was more important than the other. Philip's job was to live in communion with the Holy Spirit and be obedient to His promptings.

Today, view every activity you do with an attitude of worship and communion with Jesus. 

(From TGIF, Today God Is First, Volume 1, by Os Hillman)

Tipping Points of Grace
 Old Dogma Re-Examined
 
 
The second and fourth Sundays are generally when this series of lectures are held, and this Sunday, the 12th, is one of them.  We are still on the topic "Under the (Old Covenant) Law.  At the last session, the relationship of the seventh-day Sabbath observance in relation to the Old and New Covenants was discussed. 
 
The lecture will start at 2:00 p.m.  You are encouraged to invite your friends, family and neighbors who may want to know the biblical basis for the things we believe in.
Fellowship Lunch Groups Take Note!!!
Each Group Is Scheduled To Serve Every Three Weeks
 
To simplify the scheduling of the groups assigned to take care of our Fellowship Lunch following church service on Sundays, each group is now assigned to do its turn every three weeks. 
 
This was implemented to help prevent confusion and in order to equalize the distribution of the number of assigned weeks for each group.  At present there are three groups that rotate serving our lunches.
 
Each group is also responsible for clean-up of the fellowship hall, the kitchen area, the bathrooms in the fellowship hall and in the church, and for cleaning (vacuuming) the sanctuary and the back offices during the same day that they take care of the fellowship lunch.
 
Please do not forget this new schedule. 
Also Coming Up:
   
    Christians in Commerce, 3rd Sunday, the 19th, at 2:00 p.m.
    Combined LA/Glendale Small Group Fellowship, last Saturday, the 25th, 1:00 p.m
 
Please let us know if there is something that needs to be announced via our Newsletter or if you have any suggestions to help improve the dissemination of information among our members and guests.
 
"Mizpah" is our prayer.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Conrad J Miranda
Gospel Life Community
Associate Minister for Outreach