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CB Southern California Newsletter | April 2012 |
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Azusa Peak | I Think I Can, I Think I Can...
My little grandson has enjoyed the book, "The Little Engine That Could." Every so often you will hear him whisper that phrase as he is playing with his little trains. I kept saying that while hiking recently with my son. In March, my son, Andy, came home from Moody for his spring break. One event I wanted to do with him was to climb the Garcia Trail that gains about 1,100 feet in about one mile on the way up to the cross on Azusa Peak. It is an amazing trail, in that depending on how you hike it, it is perfect for just about everyone. Some hit it hard and do the 1,100 ft gain in under 30 minutes. I was a little slower, stopping so often that my son said, "Dad, are you kidding, we just stopped!" While resting often, I remembered that my assistant, Laura, climbed it with her husband, Dave, in the early morning darkness last Easter. I think I can....Stopping again, I let a young couple pass us on their way down, and the dad had his toddler on his shoulders. I can do this! Later, I saw an older couple pass me on their way down. If they could make it, I can do this!! On the Garcia Trail, people say you'll see the fit adults, small children, overweight people, senior citizens, college students, just about every kind of person able to walk on two legs. I agree, and with that encouragement, I made it, in 50 minutes, but who's counting, except perhaps my son, who patiently waited for me and my regular resting spots. He took this picture to celebrate me making it to the top! I realized that with a little encouragement, even from just the example of others climbing, we can accomplish much. Be that encouragement to someone this month.....perhaps in word or in deed or both. "So encourage each other and build each other up," 1 Thess. 5:11 (NLT) "Encourage those who are timid" 1 Thess. 5:14 (NLT) "..and encourage your people with good teaching" 2 Tim 2:4 (NLT) Happy Easter!! Jim Smith Executive Director CB Southern California |
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Annual Meeting Blackout
Our 2012 Annual Meeting was a night to remember. Just before the main session, the power went out. Edison later said a metallic balloon in the neighborhood floated up and hit some wires. Meanwhile, the church gathered all their wedding ceremony candles, someone else had two camping lanterns, another had a big flashlight in his car that we used as a spotlight and another had an iphone flashlight app to use to light up our stand. A few verses of "This little Light of Mine" led with an acoustic guitar and someone singing in the dark, and we were good to go! It actually turned out pretty well, although we will try it again next year at Calvary Baptist in Huntington Beach with the lights on this time. Thanks to Pastor Pat and his staff for their quick thinking and tremendous help. |
Easter Impact Tipsby Hal Seed
Easter is the most important day on the church calendar. Not only is it the day Jesus won the victory over death, it's the day more people become Christians than any other. I want to take full advantage of this once-a-year opportunity. So every year at this time, New Song begins what we call our "ramp-up for Easter." read the rest of the article |
Church Plants Ready to Go
Shaun Garman, Pastor of "Seed," the new CB church plant in Ventura County, has found a location for their Easter Service. They will be meeting in Oxnard at the oldest barn in Ventura County, which is often used for weddings. "Seed" has already been meeting at various locations and they are looking forward to meeting together this Easter.
Sam Brumit, Pastor of the new CB church plant in San Marcos called "Mission 3:16," has already been meeting in a remodeled warehouse and is planning to hold their Easter Service at the Warehouse. The following week, they will move to the new senior center in San Marcos for the summer months. They already have a base of about 55 people.
Brett Clifford, Pastor of Creekside Community Church in San Juan Capistrano, has been meeting regularly with this replanted church on Wednesdays for the last several months. They are also now meeting in downtown San Juan Capistrano on Sundays in a building used by AA!
Pray for our church plants as they get started.
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7 Deadly Easter Sins by Bob Franquiz
Easter is around the corner! This is the #1 day of the year to reach people in your community.I know lots of churches are going to be trying different outreach means to see their community attend their Easter services...
So I thought I'd share the 7 deadly sins of Easter outreach.. read the rest. |
Preaching Seminar The Urban Ministry Institute of Los Angeles (www.tumi-la.org) is sponsoring Invitation to Biblical Preaching, on Saturday, April 14th, from 9:00 - 3:00 pm, which includes lunch. Topics include: *How to study a passage in depth *How to move from history to timeless truths *How to communicate the take-home truth
*How to shape your sermon *How to deliver your sermon freely
The training will be led by Dr. Donald Sunukjian, Chair of Homiletics for Talbot School of Theology.
Register by clicking on this link www.tumi-la.org/ibpinfopage.html.
For more information you may contact Dr. Bob Lay, Dean of the Urban Ministry Institute of Los Angeles at blay@worldimpact.org, 2001 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90007; Cell: 765-506-1534. . |
Apple Valley to Close SchoolFounded in 1976 as a ministry of Apple Valley Baptist Church, the church has decided not to continue running the school as a ministry of their church at the end of June of this year. The Elders released a statement saying, "the decision was made due to the financial challenges that AVCS has consistently presented over the last several years." A decrease in attendance due to the economy and availability of area charters schools contributed to the school's financial struggle, with 166 pre-kindergarten through high school students now enrolled compared to 286 students five years ago. A quarter of those students are international, with 42 students from countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea. A strong response from Alumni raised $30K and a pledge from the church to match those funds allowed most of the staff, except for the school administrator, John Richart, to remained employed to the end of the school year. The future of the school continuing independently is being evaluated. |
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Uptown Campus Director
Joaquin Garcia | Whittier Hills Uptown Campus Doing Great
Planted on Easter Sunday last year, the Uptown Campus of Whittier Hills Baptist church is doing great. A recent Sunday morning attendance was 117, and the Church baptized their first 5 people at this location, one of whom had accepted Christ that morning. Celebrating their one-year anniversary, this Easter will see Uptown going to two services permanently. The Whittier Hills Russell Street campus has more than replaced the 40-50 people who left to start the new Uptown location; proving the adage that the fastest growing churches are church/campus plants and the second fastest growing churches are those that plant them. |
Japan: One Year Later
A year has passed since the March 11th Japan earthquake and tsunami. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade (BGEA) shared that the Japanese, who had been relatively critical towards Christianity, have softened to be more receptive after the earthquake, according to an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). At the Sendai evangelistic "Celebration of Hope" crusade that lasts for two days, there were 11,720 participants among which 400 accepted Christ as their savior. Performances by Christian contemporary artists Kirk Franklin, Korean pop group 3rd Wave, the Tommy Coomes Band and Alfie Silas, and the message preached by Rev. Franklin Graham instilled the spirit of truth to the Japanese people. Pastor Keiichi Mori writes a sobering report on the CB Global website of the ongoing struggle many Japanese people still face. Keep them in your prayers. |
Valley Bible Relocating Soon
Pastor Hugh McMenamin of Valley Bible Church in San Marcos is excited that they have finally found a buyer for their church. They have been hoping to sell their building for some time, and now, once through escrow, they hope to purchase another church building located just a few miles west of their current location along route 78 in north San Diego County. Escrow should be completed soon. Meanwhile, they are looking forward to their Annual Easter Baptismal service in their current location just off of Santa Fe Road. |
Neil Schultz Resigns
Last month, Neil Schultz of Mountain View Bible Church resigned as the Senior Pastor. Mountain View Bible Church is located in Alpine, CA, east of San Diego and just off Interstate 8. They meet every Sunday morning at 9:30 am. with a service style that is contemporary and casual. Pray for them as they look for the next Pastor for their young church which was started in 2008.
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Missionary Support Needed
This month we are featuring Dave and Denise McCarthy, WorldVenture missionaries in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. They have been in Senegal since 2001. They recently focused their entire efforts on running a day-care rescue center in Dalifort, a poor suburb of Dakar. Parents, unfortunately, give their 3- to 5-year-old boys to religious leaders for an education, but instead they are forced to beg for a daily money quota and all their meals. The McCarthys are in Rancho Cucamonga, CA right now, and if you are interested in finding out more about them, you may email them at davidmccarthy062577@gmail.com. |
CB Chaplaincy
by CB Chaplain Army Capt. Joshua Van Vlack
The "Sunset" Soldiers visited the home for abandoned boys to perform repair work around the playground and to spend some time playing with the nearly 150 boys who call the multistory building home. Soldiers interacted with the children, including playing on the swings and jungle gyms with the younger boys. The older children taught the Americans how to play Takrow, a popular Thai sport played by kicking a rattan ball back and forth over a lowered volleyball net.
Other soldiers went around the playground, tightening bolts on monkey bars and replacing chains on swing sets. One soldier replaced the wooden boards on the backboard of a basketball hoop.
"The boys think no one cares for them, but when the soldiers come and play, the boys are so happy," said Prasarn Charoensuk, a local pastor who assists the home's staff and had arranged for the soldiers to make a trip to the home. "We get to know the Soldiers," he said. "Now the Soldiers are a part of the people."
The visit was a memorable time for the Guard members and children alike. "One boy, maybe 12 years old, told me through our translator that this was the best day of his life," Van Vlack said. "I can say without a doubt that this was the highlight of Cobra Gold for all of our soldiers as well."
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New Book: "Bible Questions"Pastor Hal Seed of New Song Community Church in Oceanside has published a new book called, "The Bible Questions." It will be available from Intervarsity Press September 2012. You can read more about the book here. Hal answers many questions like these below: Who Wrote the Bible? What's the Bible's Purpose? Why Are There So Many Translations? Why Was God So Violent in the Old Testament? Why Is There Only One Way to Heaven? When Will Jesus Return? How Do I Study the Bible? This could be used as a great church-wide series. If you are interested in getting some copies at a great discount, you may email Hal at hal@newsongchurch.com. |
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EASTER Why Different Dates?
Easter dates can range from March 22 through April 25 in Western Christianity. At the heart of the matter lies a very simple explanation. The early church fathers wished to keep the observance of Easter in correlation to the Jewish Passover. Because the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ happened after the Passover, they wanted Easter to always be celebrated subsequent to the Passover. And, since the Jewish holiday calendar is based on solar and lunar cycles, each feast day is movable, with dates shifting from year to year. |
Fall Retreats
Start plannning now to attend one of our FALL RETREATS up at Pine Summit!!
Pick one and SAVE THE DATE.
For more detailed information and to register, visit our web site at www.cbasc.com.
Men's Retreat
October 12-14
English and Spanish
(separate schedules, same location)
English Speaker: Bert Downs
Women's Retreats English September 21 23 September 28-30 Speaker: Noel Robbins
SpanishOctober 5-7 |
October Baby Does Well
OCTOBER BABY had an incredible opening weekend in theaters. Despite being in fewer than 400 theaters, it finished as the No. 8 movie. It was also the No. 1 limited release film and had the third-highest per-screen average!
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Central American Vision Trip
Missions Door is inviting Pastors to join Jim Smith on a vision trip through Central America this coming fall, October 22-29.
Cost is approximately
$2000.
For more information contact the
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Contact Information |
CB Southern California 2520 N Euclid Avenue
Upland, CA 91784 909.944.5900 www.cbasc.com |
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