Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara
Church

The Heart of The Mesa                                                                  March 6, 2009

 
REMINDER TO SPRING FORWARD: Sunday March 8th is Daylight Savings; set your clocks ahead!
 
In This Issue
Important Dates
This Weekends Events
Celebration of Ministries
In Preparation for Sunday
Memory Verse
Church Finances
ABF
Short-term Missions/Teaching Opportunity
Housing Needed for Summer Intern
D.E.P.T.H
Important Dates

Sat. March 7th: Outdoor Group Meeting

Sun. March 8th: Planning Meeting for 2010 all-church Trip
 
Wed. March 11th: FrontLine Youth Meets
 
Mon. March 16th: CDCC Board
Meeting, Missions Interest Group Meeting & Easter Choir Practice Begins
 
Sun. March 22nd: Celebration Of Ministries
 
Thurs. April 9th: Seder Dinner
 
Sat. April 11th: Easter Egg Hunt at Mesa Park
 
Thurs. April 16th: DEPTH
 
Sat. April 18: 5-6th Grade Confirmation Class
 
Sat. April 25: Women's 1-day Spring Retreat
 
 
 
This Weekends Events!

Saturday The Outdoor Fellowship Group is meeting at 9am at FMC and will be heading out to see the Ellwood Butterflies!

Sunday Night is the Planning Meeting for the 2010 All-Church Trip.  This meeting will be held at 7pm in the upper room. Dessert will be served.
 

Celebration of Ministries

Join us for this special event!

The Gathering Together of 3 Church Families: FMCSB, Pura Vida & Light & Life Goleta
 
Sunday March 22nd @ 12:30pm In the Lower Fellowship Room
 
Lunch & Childcare will be provided.
 
If you need childcare, please contact Nelda Nutter at 965-1338x226 or nnuter@fmcsb.org  
 
FMCSB Quick Links
Denominational Quick Links
 
Additional Study Quick Links
Blogs at FMCSB
 
CDCC Quick Links
 
In Preparation for Sunday
 MARCH 6
This Sunday we are honored to have the Gospel of John taught to us by Bishop David Kendall.  David has been a pastor, superintendent and now Lead Bishop of our North American church.  He is married to Lavonne and she will be accompanying him.  David has his PhD in Biblical Studies and is a thoughtful, dynamic speaker.  You won't want to miss his word for us.
 
The text for this Sunday is John 4:1-15, the first half of the conversation Jesus has with the Samaritan woman at the well.  Discussing our need for Living Water, the text explores the nature of thirst, both physically and spiritually with our universal longing for relief from the dryness of life. 
 

Memory Verse
 
John 3:16 & 17
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." 

John 1:1-18
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
 
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
 
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
 
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' "  16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.  

Church Finances
 
In this time of financial struggle, please remember your church family:
Offerings Needed YTD:  $111,548.39
Offerings Receive YTD:  $101,430.48  (90.93%)
Still Needed YTD:          $10,117.91  
 
We've met our Missions goals for 2009 for Eden Projects & the Leon's!
ABF - Adult Bible Fellowship
 
"The Passion Music of J.S. Bach and Others"
Presented by Dr. Warren Rogers
March 8, 15, 22, 29
9:30 am in the SHIFCO Recreation Room
 
Prepare your heart for Easter, Christendom's highest celebration of the year, by joining us for a four-week series about music that celebrates Christ's passion.  These classes will explore the compositions of J.S. Bach as well as Palestrina, Maurice Durufle, Olivier Messaien and Arvo Part.  The two main centerpieces of the study will be Bach's "Passion According to St. John" and his "Passion According to St. Matthew."  
 
Beginning with a brief history of the passion genre, the first and second classes will examine the St. John Passion with samplings from other composers.  In weeks three and four, the focus will be on the St. Matthew Passion as well as Bach's "Mass in B Minor." 
 
Throughout these four weeks you will not only learn how the passion of Christ is depicted in profound and moving ways through the art of music, but also appreciate the vision of these deeply committed Christian musicians in preserving the gospel message for generations to come. 
 
Warren Rogers is the interim academic dean at Westmont College.  He began teaching in the physics department in 1994 and is the department chairperson.  Warren enjoys playing the piano and has taught a previous class on sacred music.
Short-term Missions/Teaching Opportunity
 
Tom Hardeman, one of the missionaries that SB Community Church supports will be in Santa Barbara recruiting teachers for Faith Academy.  There will be a meeting on Monday, May 23rd, for anyone interested in hearing about serving on a short term mission in the Philippines for one to two years teaching.  This is a great opportunity to be involved in a different culture and minister to missionary kids.  Please call Ione Larinan at 964-3886 if you are interested in attending or come to the meeting.  The meeting will be at 7:00 pm.  The meeting will be in the Christian Ed. building in the Living Room. 
Housing Needed for Summer Youth Ministry Intern
 
This summer we MAY be hosting a Youth Ministry intern from Gordon College (Christian college near Boston, Massachusetts). Gordon offers a youth ministry major and we are one of their Youth Ministry intern sites. It has been our desire as a church to be a "teaching church" where people can train for full time ministry/missions. Here is a great opportunity to continue our ministry.
 
Presently there are four prospective interns out of which one will be selected. The intern (male or female to be determined) will be here the beginning of June through about mid-August. The host will be responsible for offering a place to stay and food for at least 2 meals: mostly breakfast and dinner. Transportation and other logistics will be cared for by the church.
 
If you are interested please contact Pastor Doug. He will be glad to give any further information you need.
 
Thank you for your consideration in not only hosting a person but investing in a future youth pastor!

D.E.P.T.H
 
God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Eccl. 3:11)
 
Thursday April 16th @ 7pm. Dr. Robert Mann will be discussing "Time & Eternity". The concept of time is foundational in both science and Christian faith.  We use it to measure change and to reflect upon our own existence.  But what is time?  And what is eternity?  This public lecture will present our modern scientific understanding of time -- its origin, direction, measurement, perspectives and destiny -- and what the implications of this might be for theology.  Topics in cosmology, quantum physics, and relativity will be explored to highlight  both the advancements and limitations in our knowledge of time. Several questions for theological reflection and scientific inquiry will be raised.  
   
This D.E.P.T.H seminar will be held in the upper room from 7-8:30pm on Thursday April 16th. Coffee, tea & dessert will be served.  
About Free Methodist Church
Our Mission is to win people to Christ, establish them in the faith, and equip them for ministry.

Free Methodist Church
1435 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, California 93109
805-965-1338
www.fmcsb.org