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Merry Christmas
for unto us a child is born
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December 2013 |
Pacific Church Network
(formerly CB Southern California)
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A Sacrificial Gift
My son is getting married at the end of this month. With the Christmas break providing time off from both work and Seminary, this was a logical time for them to get married and take a honeymoon. Makes great sense...but after checking out flights for a honeymoon to Hawaii, where use of a condo is available to them, it looked impossible. All the airlines seem to double the price of flying during the holidays. Then I got a call from my son...."Dad, I need some help."
To make a long story short, I couldn't pay for two round trip tickets, but I did find out that I could perhaps use my "airlines miles" to purchase one ticket to Hawaii. I called and found out that there were no flights available unless I used twice the normal amount of miles. After years of flying, I had acquired just enough to get one round trip ticket for him, and then he could purchase the other one. I took a big breath, and then gave up all those air miles for his one ticket. Ouch. Selfishly, I didn't want to give those miles away. Those were my miles, that I wanted to use for me. But then I changed my attitude and was happy to be in a position to lovingly help my son.
This sacrifice was not even close to the one God made when he gave us his only son, to die for us--a sacrifice way more than anything I will ever feel or give. God's love for us is amazing. This Christmas, I will remember the unfathomable sacrifice God made for me in giving me, through his son, a one-way ticket to heaven. Thank you!
Merry Christmas,
Jim Smith
Executive Director Pacific Church Network
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2014 Annual Meeting
Our one-day Annual Meeting is coming up on Sunday, January 26 at Bethany Church in Long Beach. Afternoon seminars include: creating a Ministry for the Disabled in your church, Empowering an Effective Volunteer Team (in Spanish), Reaching Your Community and more. Come meet our new church planters, enjoy a free meal and the networking opportunities with other church staff and members. Come hear about our new name, new vision and plans for the coming year. Plan to attend. Online RSVP available soon on our website. 3:45 - 8:30 pm |
Sun City Has a New Pastor
First Baptist Church in Sun City is pleased to announce that Derek Greenhalgh was voted in as their new pastor. Derek is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and is a Southern California native. He served on the youth staff at Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente and planted Creekside Bible Chapel in San Juan Capistrano. Derek is married to Nicholle and they have two boys. He will start just before Christmas. We welcome Derek to our network and trust God will use him in a great way to strengthen believers and reach many for Christ.
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Philippine ReliefRelief workers continue to help over 50 CB churches affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. Over $4,000 has been donated through Pacific Church Network so far to assist CBAP (Conservative Baptist Association of the Philippines) in their relief work in the Philippines. 10-wheeler trucks with assorted relief goods collected from CBAP churches travel to the affected areas. Over 13 million people were affected by this typhoon. DONATE through PCN for Philippine Relief. |
Midwest Tornado Damage
Pat Phinney, Executive Director of CB North Central commented on the tornadoes that ravaged some of our Midwestern states. He writes, "It has been one of the quietest tornado seasons for us in forty years . . . until Sunday evening, November 17. An EF4 tornado with winds pushing 200 mph hit Washington, IL and the surrounding area. We have well over a dozen CB churches within a hundred mile radius of Washington, but by the grace of God not one was damaged. Amazingly there were no personal injuries either. The hardest hit city of course was Washington, where over four hundred homes were completely destroyed. Bethany Community Church ( CB) had numerous members that had homes demolished. Currently our office is helping organize work teams from the other IL CB churches to go into the area to help church families. Some funds will be needed to help in this effort, but I do not have a sense of how much yet. I want to thank you for praying if God put us on your hearts."
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Thanksgiving Dinner Every year, Thanksgiving brings opportunities to serve people. This year was no exception. Our church plant in San Marcos, Mission 316, served 800-900 people from the community including many homeless, seniors and folks without family in the area. Dozens of volunteers pitched in and the joy was contagious. Other individuals, businesses, organizations and a couple of churches also came together to serve. It was wonderful to see their church facility used to reach out on this special day. They set out to bless others and Pastor Sam Brumit said, "The blessing was really our own as we sought to be the 'hands' and 'feet' of Jesus!" |
Spanish Christmas Lunch
This year, our Spanish-speaking churches are holding their annual Christmas gathering at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Montebello (Montebello Christian Fellowship) on Saturday, December 7. All those who attend any of our Spanish-speaking churches are invited to attend. Emilo Nunez, Jim Smith and Brian Howard will be among those sharing during the luncheon, as well as our new church planter, Sam Ticas. The event starts at 11:00 a.m. and concludes at 1:30 p.m. The cost is only $10 per person and $30 for an entire family. RSVP here.
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Prayer Answered
You might remember a request for help published in our September newsletter from our Spanish-speaking church Iglesia Bautista Fundamental in Los Angeles. Pastor Marcelo Bustos is thrilled to report to you that they received an electronic screen, a wireless mic, and help for running the cables and installation of the projector (which the church already had). Pastor Bustos said, "ALL WERE DONATED AS WE REQUESTED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some pictures are attached to show the blessing. I cannot believe it, everything started on November 5 and it was finished November 30. Also, lights for the parking lot were installed (we paid for them, but at a discounted price.) God blessed the church from brothers who don't belong to the church. Petition answered."
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APOKALIPSIS
On December 21, at 7:00 pm, the Norwalk Missionary Baptist Church is hosting a Christmas concert for the Hispanic general public. The event will be called "APOKALIPSIS" and it will be in Spanish. You can expect music, theater, preaching, and food to be served at the event. Norwalk Missionary Baptist is located at 11429 Beaty Avenue in Norwalk, 90650. For more information you may contact Joshua at joshua3d2000@yahoo.com or call 626.494.2834. |
CBAmerica Files Lawsuit
Two CB chaplains said they were forced out of a Veterans Affairs chaplain training program after they refused orders to stop quoting the Bible and to stop praying in the name of Jesus. When the men objected to those demands they were subjected to ridicule and harassment that led to one of the chaplains leaving the program and the other being ejected, according to a federal lawsuit filed Friday. The Conservative Baptist Association of America is suing Secretary of Veterans Affairs - alleging two of their chaplains were openly ridiculed by the leader of San Diego-based VA-DOD Clinical Pastoral Education Center program. Read more or see news video.
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New Church Joins
Immediately after our vision luncheon last month, Pastor Chad Vegas of Sovereign Grace church in Bakersfield, CA signed the covenant for Pacific Church Network and became a new member of our network of churches. Chad attended our annual meeting last year and is very excited about church planting. His growing church started in 2007 and is now one of our major contributors toward church planting. We welcome them to Pacific Church Network and others who have committed to our new vision. We are encouraging many churches to sign our new covenant and bring it to our annual meeting in January.
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Ordination Completed
Jon Uyboco, the Interim Pastor at San Antonio Heights Community Church in Upland was ordained by SAHCC last month. Congratulations to Jon! The church will formally recognize his accomplishment at a special Sunday service in December. Thanks to Perry White, Brent Strawsburg, John Hill, Matt Shool, Steve McMullin and Jim Smith who sat on the Ordination Council and asked him all those tough questions. Jon is finishing up his studies at Talbot Seminary in December as well.
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Coming Events
Improving Your Preaching, a seminar for Pacific Church Network members only. Hear Harvey Turner, Pastor of Living Stones Church in Reno, NV and others share on how to improve your preaching. February 25, Location TBA.
Improving Your Preaching Seminar- In Spanish, with special guest speakers. February 22, Location TBA.
Also....
Women's Spring Retreat SPRING IT UP Murrieta Hot Springs Calvary Chapel Conference Center Murrieta, CA April 11-13, 2014 Speaker: Noe'l Robbins
More info: 909-944-5900 or laura@pacificchurchnetwork.com.
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Wireless Mic Warning
Our CBAmerica office has informed us that back in 2010 the FCC banded all wireless microphones that work in the 700MHz spectrum. That spectrum has been given emergency transmission. Just as a reminder, this was a type of wireless mic that many churches bought and used in years past. The FCC can fine you up to $16,000 per violation for continuing to use them and up to $112,500 for any single act or failure to act. It is also illegal to sell these microphones, you must get rid of them. To see a list of illegal microphones, click here.
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"like" Us
Our new Pacific Church Network facebook page is up and running. We post events and pictures of what we are doing around Pacific Church Network, check us out.
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New Logo
Our new logo was revealed at our Vision Luncheon held on Nov. 6. We had 84 in attendance to hear from our new Church Planters, our Church Multiplication Director, Brian Howard, and our Executive Director, Jim Smith.
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Apartment Life
Apartment Life is a faith based, non-profit organization that is motivated by the belief that every individual is created for community. They are looking for those who would like to be missionaries within an apartment community. You still keep your day job, but this is an opportunity to better reach your neighbors for Christ.
-Discount apartment rates
-Missional training
-Reach out to neighbors
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Donate
Next year we start supporting new church plants including:
Tradewind Communities - Kailua, Hawaii
CityLights -
Fountain Valley
Soma - Santa Clarita
In addition we are continuing to support three other churches:
Seed - Ventura
Mission 316 -
San Marcos
Uptown - Whittier
Would you help us financially with a
year-end gift to help support our church planting efforts?
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