|
|
|
NEWSLETTER MONDAY EDITION
April 2, 2012
++++++++++++++++
Evangelistic Series in May!
|
|
Greetings!
There are at least two important reasons why we conduct a series of evangelistic meetings from time to time. First is that people's lives are at stake. Let's not look much further than 1 John 5:11, 12 where it says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (emphasis ours)
Another text to support this first contention is found in Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Secondly, we do evangelism because it is a biblical command. Matthew 39:18, 19 spells out the Great Commission: "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holly Spirit.' "
Our conviction to share the Good News must become an overwhelming desire in our lives. It is the logical outcome of God's grace and love that flows through us to others! The Church Staff
|
|
|
 | | Nancy Alano |
First Sunday Program
Pastor Hansel presided over our First Sunday program yesterday which was again inspirational as it was informational.
He made quite an interesting pitch for the Lion's Den School of the Supernatural for which registration is now open for the summer session.
Sperry Anderson gave testimony regarding the Hollywood bible study group that he and Medy Alcaraz are conducting on Monday evenings. He said that the members of the group, which is composed mostly of relatives, appear to be so hungry for the gospel so that as they are winding up on the Keys to the Kingdom (Basic 10) series, they are already asking what study they will have next.
He also shared that all of those attending the bible study have accepted Jesus Christ and have been born again.
Nancy Alano shared her personal experiences through a series of questions that she posed to the congregation, asking what they would have done in certain scenarios. Audience responses were, of course, varied, but the exercise gave a glimpse into our own real-life struggles as we walk the Christian pathway. At the end, she illustrated the way our life experiences form us and mold us by creating a beautiful bouquet of flowers shown in the picture above. Thank you, Ruth Jordan, for providing us with the picture.
Sydney Castille shared a beautiful song while her sister Simone and her cousin Jayson Alano accompanied her on the piano and bongo drum, respectively.
Irma Alcaraz excitedly related her experience regarding a direct answer to a prayer request of hers which also involved sharing Jesus with a coworker who called Irma her "Jesus for today" as the coworker herself was going through a tough time that particular day. What a serendipitous unsolicited blessing to share!
Surely, we felt His presence as we remembered Jesus' sacrifice on the cross while we ate and drank the emblems of His body and His blood during our Communion Service and as we repeated our Commitment Pledge at the conclusion of the service.
What would we do if our bodies and our spirits are not periodically refreshed and replenished on our First Sundays? Thank you, Pastor Hansel for always leading us to Christ whenever you speak and whenever you lead out in our services! |
 | | Apple of His Eye |
Core Group Meeting
Shortly after the Fellowship Lunch yesterday, we had a Core Group informational meeting during which we heard what we might expect at our Easter Service next Sunday. We were encouraged to invite as many visitors as we can in addition to the mailing out of postcard invitations for the service.
EASTER LUNCH
The four fellowship lunch groups will pool their resources for next week's after-church lunch activity although group two is still in charge. The other groups have already taken certain assignments as to what they are to prepare.
EVANGELISTIC SERIES The evangelistic series of meetings in May was likewise confirmed. Pastor John will conduct these meetings. Three weekends beginning on May 4th will bring about a series of nine studies on who Jesus is. The meetings will be on Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. and Sundays during the Good News Hour at 11:00 a.m. Preparations are being readied for this series of meetings. Invitations for the meetings will go out to the community. A large group of volunteers will be needed to hand-deliver these invitations on a Sunday afternoon, the week after Easter, to the communities surrounding our church. Johnny Chua has indicated that he has several maps of the area that will help us make the delivery more efficient. Mailings to Gospel Life's friends and supporters over the years who live within driving distance will also be made.
Pastor Joannie, who presided over the meeting, requested those present to check their e-mails frequently so as to keep up with announcements and activities that are planned for the future. She also implied that our cooperative all-out efforts are needed to help bring about the attendance we need to make our evangelism fruitful, premised on the fact that we can only do these things through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, and towards those whom He is preparing to listen to the messages delivered in the series.
As an aside, sometimes we refer to a certain child in the family as the "apple of his or her father's or mother's eye" because of a perceived favorite role, or special treatment of, or a unique quality in that child. All active members of the church's ministry, whether in leadership roles or as committee managers or members, or participants in any small group fellowship or bible study group or any other ministry, are considered part and parcel of the Core Group, the "apple of the church's eye." |
SUNDAY, APRIL 8
A Christian commentator once wrote that Easter Sunday is most likely the best attended church service in the world. As such it must and should bear a significant importance in sharing the Good News of salvation made possible by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This is the reason why all of us must be urgent and intentional in inviting family members, friends and neighbors to our church service next Sunday, at 11:00 a.m. We will still have our Worship and Praise segment at 10:00 a.m., but perhaps for the unchurched, or for those who may not be familiar with our praise and worship style, we should ask them to come at 11:00 a.m. Please remind them that we would like to have them join us for the Fellowship Lunch after the Easter service.
FINAL REHEARSAL
Every participant in the Easter presentation is requested to come to church early next Sunday for the final rehearsal. It will mean getting up early to be in church at 8:00 a.m. Please remember to bring your needed clothes/costumes.
Our many thanks to Natalie Orzame, Pastor Hansel's wife, for producing, directing and supervising our coming Easter Sunday program, entitled "Jesus, Son of Man and God." |
 | | Conrad & Penny Miranda |
Twelve Plus Sneak and Peak
Conrad and Penny Miranda attended the "Twelve Plus" Sneak and Peak sessions at The Refinery in the Saddleback Church campus in Lake Forest, on Wednesday and Thursday, March 28 and 29.
"Twelve Plus" is part of Saddleback's small group program in which small group hosts and leaders are trained in the art of conducting and/or leading a group of believers in bible study or in other complementary activities conducive to developing a "safe harbor" or a "biblical community" for members of the body of Christ, and for one's unchurched friends, neighbors or relatives. It builds on the premise that when Jesus ministered on earth, he started with a "small group" of twelve disciples who multiplied their numbers by gathering people, studying with them and developing "home churches" in the process. The meetings were divided into eight separate inspiring and motivational modules, two each morning and afternoon of the two-day seminar. Numerous pointers and ideas were learned in this preview of an online conference that will be aired in May. The meetings were actually live tapings of the material that will be shown at the online conference. Steve Gladen, who is the moving factor in Saddleback's small group ministry, conducted the Twelve Plus seminar. He informed the group that the Saddleback Church has over 5000 active small groups at the present time.
Pastor Rick Warren, senior pastor at Saddleback, came by and spoke to the group briefly on Wednesday afternoon, and gave another talk by video at the end of the meetings on Thursday. Conrad is Associate Minister for Fellowship and Outreach at GLC. Both he and his wife, Penny, can only encourage everyone to attend this online conference coming up. You may find details of this conference in the following link:
|
Marketplace Ministry
Big Assignments
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children (Ex 12:37-38). How does God prepare someone for big assignments? Consider the mission given to Moses. He was called to deliver an entire nation from slavery. The assignment was to bring six hundred thousand men, on foot, out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. In addition, there were the women and children. Talk about a big assignment! Imagine the logistics of such an endeavor. God prepared Moses by allowing him to grow up from infancy under the ways of Egypt. He learned their customs, their idols, and was a favored son of Pharaoh until God revealed his birthright. He began to realize God had placed him in the court of Pharaoh but realized he was not one of them. He was being called back to his own people. He tried to deliver his people using the ways of Egypt. This was not God's way. So, God banished him to the land of Midian for additional training. God guided Moses to Midian because the Midianites were of the seed of Abraham, and retained the worship of the true God among them. God allowed Moses to learn the trade of shepherding sheep for forty years. Moses learned while living in the arid dry land moving sheep around to places where water and grass could be found. The desert was a place of preparation for one of the greatest assignments given to one man. Did you hear what I just said? Yes, the desert was the place of preparation. Moses was battle-trained in the same environment he would spend another forty years to bring a stubborn and willful people out of slavery. What kind of assignment is God preparing you for? Does He have you in the desert of preparation? Learn well the lessons you are there to learn. You may find you are called to be a deliverer, just like Moses.
(Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You, from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me" (Psalm 17:6-9).
My God, what a privilege to be the apple of Your eye, loved beyond comprehension and nurtured to grow into that prized fruit of Your making. I thank You and praise You for Your lovingkindness and Your protection. Thank You for making me an instrument of Your grace to others.
I pray also that You will hide our troops in the shadow of Your wings: those brave men and women who fight for freedom and long for peace. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. |
|
|
|
|
|
