Theme for the Month

CHRISTLIKENESS

When we get up from bed each morning, do we ask God to give us special wisdom so that our desire will be to please Him always, in whatever we do for the rest of the day?

Do we ask Him to give us a sense of purpose and joy in the work that we have for that day? Is it our desire to be His designated minister to the people that we come in contact with and that we continue to reach out to the unsaved and to help disciple believers as part of our daily experience?

Let's continue to pray for the ability and boldness to do these things as we let the Holy Spirit tell us the direction we must take every day of our lives and to become effective ambassadors for Christ wherever and whenever we serve others.

CORE GROUP

Informational Meeting 

We had an hour-long Core Group meeting yesterday after the Fellowship Lunch.  Several items were taken up, the first of which is the Mid-Week Praise and Worship.  Pastor L J explained that this will not replace the Intercessory Meeting held on Wednesdays but rather to serve as another venue for all to gather and give praise and worship to our Lord, and perhaps to even serve as a way to get ready for the intercessory meeting.

The Mid-Week service will start this coming Wednesday evening from approximately 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. The Intercessory Meeting will follow immediately thereafter.

Pastor Tony Luciano gave a few more details regarding the upcoming Men's Retreat on Friday evening and Saturday morning, September 21-22.  The movie "Courageous" will be shown on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.  Two modules of the bible study based on this movie will be taken up on Saturday morning, which will begin with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. There is a commitment ceremony that goes with the group event.

Life Touch has offered to publish a printed Church Directory with members' pictures in it free of charge.  Additionally, a free 8 X 10 photograph similar to the one that will appear in the directory will be given free of charge to the member or family who has their picture taken.

An online directory will be available as well, the contents of which can be accessed by the church member(s) who will be provided their own secure access to the site.

Photography set up in our church campus is scheduled for October 19 and 20, Friday and Saturday.  Our members can have their picture taking appointments scheduled.  Details for this will be published.

Saturday, October 13, is the date for the Walnut Family Festival. The plan is to participate in the parade, and to set up a booth for our church's ministry which will include a Blood Pressure and Diabetic Testing clinic. The Youth Game Booth will also be set up similar to last year's arrangements.

This year's theme at the festival is "Rockin' in the Park." Suggestions are welcome regarding the set up for the booths and for the parade.  There will be vehicles in the parade as well as people walking the parade route.  Articles to be distributed along the parade route will include flyers that identify our church and its location.

Monthly Fellowship Dinner - at the Original Thai BBQ Restaurant, at Amar Rd. and Azusa Ave. in West Covina, third Tuesday, September 18, at 6:30 p.m. Please make your reservations with Johnny Chua, 909-228-2162.

City of Walnut Battle of the Bands - notice to our church band if they want to participate.  Particulars available at the church office.  ALSO, the church band (Worship Team) may want to participate in the Walnut Family Festival General Program in the entertainment tent area.

Pastor Joannie expressed her personal and the church's thanks to all our "unsung heroes" who work behind the scenes, clean and trim the grounds, teach the children's and youth classes, prepare and serve food during our lunches and other occasions, clean up the classrooms, the fellowship hall, and the bathrooms, and all the rest who in some way or another serve the church in various volunteer roles.

Pastor Hansel offered a prayer of blessings, and healing, and solutions to our challenges as a church and as individuals while we all stood in a circle linked arm in arm or hand in hand.

It was a well-attended and highly informative meeting. Thanks, Pastor Joannie.

GOOD NEWS HOUR

Loving God

Pastor Joannie

 

In conjunction with this month's theme of "Christlikeness" Pastor Joannie presented the topic "Loving God" as the first in a series of three sermons for this month.

At the outset, she showed how the words agape and agapao differed in their meanings although both pertained to the word "love." She expanded on each of the ways by which we must love God with all our HEART, SOUL, MIND and STRENGTH.

The gist of what she spoke about explained how we love God with all our heart when we turn our affections toward Him; how we love Him with all our soul by choosing to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit every day; how we love Him with all our mind when we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our mind to the mind of Christ; and how we love God with all our strength when we hold nothing back, that is, when we love Him 110%, "beyond our natural limitations, in the supernatural."

Pastor Joannie's concluding message is embodied in 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us," when "God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners," Romans 5:8.

You Make Me Crazy

 

A new group bible study begins tonight, Monday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m.  This is sponsored by the Monday night Small Group Fellowship coordinated by Ernie and Ruth Jordan at Gospel Life's Fellowship Hall.

The new program also originates from the resources of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest.  Briefly, the lessons will help one to learn how to deal with "crazy" events or situations that come into one's life.

The Monday Night SGF has recently concluded their study of "40 Days in the Word."

LIVING OUT LOUD

Middle School, High School & Beyond

Pastor L J

 

After a pause during summer, the Youth Group is ready to start its weekly program LOL (Living Out Loud), Pastor L J Dijamco announced yesterday.

The youth program is designed for those who are in middle school, high school and collegiate age groups as a means of nurture and growth in multiple aspects including the spiritual.

The weekly event will resume on Friday, September 21 at

7:00 p.m.  Parents are asked to drop off their non-driving kids a few minutes earlier, ready for pick-up by about 9:00 p.m.