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NEWSLETTER
Monday Edition July 18, 2011
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Greetings!
In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus' last command to his disciples is to "go and make disciples of all nations." Two millennia later, the church is still fulfilling the Great Commission through training, offering experiences and instruction and financially supporting modern-day disciples. It is also lived out during worship. Worship's first purpose is to glorify God, but it also plays a primary role in forming and nurturing disciples. May each one focus all the more on the blessings of worship. The Church Staff
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OUR WORSHIP EXPERIENCE
Worship prepares us to go out into the world. What matters is not whether we do pray well, but do we live well what we pray as we go forth into the world in which we live?
Do you think more deeply about being a disciple of Jesus? Then it's up to you to seek a Bible study or small group to explore more deeply what that means. It starts in worship, it is nurtured in fellowship and it flows out to other ministries of the church.
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WORSHIP SEMINAR
The first Worship Seminar was conducted yesterday by Pastor John following the Fellowship Lunch. He brought us through the definitions of worship, the history of church worship, the different worship styles and the biblical bases for all these.
In two weeks, Sunday, July 31 at 2:00 p.m. Pastor John will lead out again in the second Worship Seminar which will bring us, among other things, the history of church music.
We had a good attendance yesterday, and we hope to see more of you at the next one. And no, the seminar is NOT a continuation of Pastor John's sermon topic, as someone thought it would be.
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FROM LAW TO GRACE
A simple, understandable sermon by Pastor John yesterday demonstrated to us once again why the law is not the basis of a Christian's assurance of salvation.
He showed us with clear biblical passages what the law is for and what, in contrast, God's grace does for us. He reiterated what Jesus did in taking all the sins of humanity on Himself, who died for us on the cross, so that we might have His righteousness and be entitled to eternal life.
What an exchange! Undeserved! Unmerited!
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PLAN TO BE AT THE WORSHIP CONFERENCE
August 6 and 7 are red-letter days for us at Gospel Life. On those two days we will have a Worship Conference with Dan McCollam as our guest. Dan is an annointed minister at The Mission church in Vacaville, CA. He is also director of Sounds of the Nations and the Institute for Worship Arts Resources. There will be three sessions during the conference. The first session is on Saturday, August 6 at 4-6 p.m. followed by a dinner break. The second session convenes at 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. and the third session is on Sunday, August 7 at 10 a.m. Please invite your family members, friends and neighbors who may have an interest in making worship an essential part of their lives.
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LEADERS ARE MADE
There is probably some truth to the statement that leaders are born to be leaders. But there is perhaps more evidence to support the fact that leaders are made.
Leaders are further developed and nurtured as they continue to attend meetings and gatherings such as the Leadership Board Meeting held on Saturday, July 16. Of the twenty-some names on the list, fourteen were able to attend.
The church's financial status was discussed, particularly as it relates to its mortgage note becoming due in approximately 10 months. The preliminary work of the Finance Committee was noted and the recommended courses of action were likewise considered.
An ad hoc committee headed by Tony Luciano will make appropriate plans to avail of resources towards the raising of funds through various means.
The week of September 11 -18 was also designated as a Week of Prayer and Fasting for Gospel Life members and supporters to be united in meeting the challenges that come with the efforts to retire our mortgage.
There are challenges, too, facing the Childrens' Ministry department. A call for volunteers goes out to all who can help with the childrens' department even if it is just to rotate once a month. It helps those who teach and manage these classes if there are two, three or four additional leaders who can help each other out in providing a continuing coverage for these classes.
Someone knowledgeable in the worship multimedia department was given over-all charge of the department. Natalie Phillips-Orzame will be the go-to person to inquire from or to help resolve matters in this area. Others who work closely in this department are Bernard Schaefer, Royal Garcia and Randy Charles.
Medy Alcaraz will assume the pastor's role with Community Life Group B, while Daisy Arugay-Rittenberg and Nestor and Myrna Aguila continue their leadership functions in the group (Los Angeles/Glendale).
Community Groups A and B Leaders are called upon to meet with their groups to discuss their nurture and outreach plans. Small group fellowships under these groups are encouraged to break out and start additional SGFs so that more people can group together to study God's word.
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FELLOWSHIP LUNCH
Our Fellowship Lunches are designed exactly for that purpose: to fellowship with one another. But have you sat with someone else besides your family, your usual friends or the same group of people week after week?
Let's all make it a habit to sit with others not in our group of "comfort zone" friends and family. Let's sit with our new members, visitors and guests, or other frequent attendees with whom we haven't sat with for lunch in the past.
You will discover new friends. You will be exposed to new ideas as you converse with each other. You will develop bonds that will last for years to come!
Let's just do it!
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MARKETPLACE MINISTRY
Getting Refueled
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35-36). How do you get refueled? When our cars run low on fuel, we simply drop by the local filling station to get more fuel. When our bodies are hungry, we feed them. How do we refuel our spiritual lives? We can learn from the example Jesus modeled in His life. In the New Testament we see that Jesus had a very demanding schedule. He traveled from town to town, often walking many miles between the towns. He spent a lot of time with people. As a speaker and teacher I can tell you that it is very draining to minister for extended periods. Your body and your spirit becomes fatigued. The day before the above scripture was recorded, Jesus had a full day of ministry healing the sick, delivering people from demons and walking to different cities (Mark 1:29-37). The following day it says Jesus got up before the sun rose and went to pray. The disciples were wondering where He was. When Jesus was on earth, He was fully man. Everything He did was based upon receiving specific directions and power from His Father and the Holy Spirit to do them. He was not operating as God, but as a human being with the same limitations you and I have. So, Jesus knew one of the key ways to refuel His mind, body and spirit was by spending time in prayer to His Heavenly Father. This is a critical discipline for every follower of Jesus if you expect to have power and victory in your Christian walk. We each need to find a solitary place to focus upon the Lord, His Word and His input for our lives. If this is not a part of your daily experience, why not start tomorrow with a few minutes of focused time of reading and prayer? You will be encouraged with the new spiritual focus you will have by making this a priority. (Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.) |
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COMING UP
Small Group Fellowships: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; several locations - please check back page of Church Bulletin for times and contact numbers Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. - Intercessory Meeting - Fellowship Hall Thursday, Friday, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. The Lion's Den School - Fellowship Hall Friday, 7:00 p.m. - LOL (Living Out Loud) Pastor L J Dijamco Sunday, July 24, 10:00 a.m. - Praise and Worship 11:00 a.m. - Good News Hour - Keith Ferrante
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http://gospellifecommunity.org
www.thelionsdenschool.com
gospellifecommunity@gmail.com
MAILING ADDRESS:
(Please do not use our street address)
436 Crestwood Lane
Walnut, CA 91789
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MEDITATION
Lord, thank You for bringing peace to my heart. I pray that You would help me be a peace-maker in my family and community...and even in the world. Help me to live in harmony with my friends and loved ones...and with my Christian family as well. Show me how to keep from arguing and being so "disagreeable" at times. Let me see things through other people eye's so that I can better understand where they are coming from. And let me see things through Your eyes, too, so that I can handle situations with wisdom and understanding. Remind me to think before I speak and to pray before I act. May Your will be done through me today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. |
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"O WORSHIP THE LORD"
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