ATTENTION CHURCH BOARD

Transcription

1 Volume 52, Issue 12 December Euclid Street, Garden Grove, CA, H A Y? How do we know God came to us in the flesh with the birth of Jesus? How we know Jesus rose from the dead, descended into hell, ascended into heaven and will someday return to judge the living and the dead? For that matter, how do we know we are forgiven and saved? It comes down to a spiritual dynamic called assurance. Paul says, in speaking of matters of having assurance in the salvation we have, The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God s children. (Romans 8:16) When it comes to the Spirit testifying to our own spirits there are a few things to keep in mind. 1. It s not just an emotional feeling. Feelings wax and wane with health, circumstances, state of mind and all sorts of other things. A spiritual knowing is different than a feeling. 2. The work of the Holy Spirit is constant; there s a steadiness to it. It can be sensed internally and witnessed externally. With maturity it remains, no matter the circumstances of life at the moment. 3. Some people are naturally inclined to struggle with assurance and some will never struggle with it (and perhaps should!) An essential part of living a spiritually assured life is to live in relationship with other believers. In an almost literal fashion, spiritual assurance is much more of a group dynamic than an individual dynamic. The naturally assured need to consider the deep questions of the less assured. The less confident (assured) people need the strength of the confident. There are things you can do to build your assurance 1) Decide you re going to grow up spiritually. We re not designed to be spiritual babies forever. Some people have 50 years of experience being a Christian. Others have 1 year of experience 50 times! They keep learning and relearning the same things from the same mistakes in the same predictable patterns. 2) See troubles and difficulties as a chance to build, not destroy, your assurance. When we look in hindsight, we often see it was the difficult times that built our understanding and assurance. Paul speaks of it repeatedly and believers testify to it. 3) Decide you re going to be an undivided, Godly person. James reminds us practically that being in love with this world is, in practice, being hostile towards God. It makes us double minded and divides our allegiance to God. This December I ll be preaching a series, A Thrill of Hope. It has readings for each day of the week that you might not typically read during this season. My prayer is that your spiritual heart might grow in hope and assurance this Christmas. Pastor Dan ATTENTION CHURCH BOARD The next regular meeting of the Church Board will be on Tuesday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. Remember, if you are not able to attend this meeting, call Debbie before 3:00 p.m. that day. Pastor needs to know before the meeting if he will have a quorum.

2 H o p e, The Anticipation... 12/02 Way... 12/09 Generosity... 12/16 Promise... 12/23 10:15 AM Sunday Worship The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service... 6:00 PM Merry Christmas from your Pastoral and office staff, Pastor Dan, Pastor Krystal, Michelle Ruth and Debbie Kindell TRUE POTLUCK DINNER FOR CHRISTMAS On Saturday, December 22, we will have a True Potluck Dinner, meaning you bring whatever you want. We might have all salads or all sandwiches, or all desserts (hopefully not). This all-church event will be in the church fellowship hall beginning at 5:00 p.m. H OLIDAY OFFICE HOURS Brenda Courtright Steve Iliff Michelle Higi Carolyn Faulkner Joan Bassett Genesis Gandia Bagalay Kalianne Gandia Bagalay Sonny Gardner Justin Hilton Autumn Jones Ray & Carolyn Wagner Dennis & Donna Harmon David & Delores Kelley Gerald & Linda Schubert The GGNaz church office will be closed on December 24, 25 and 26 (Monday Wednesday) in observance of the Christmas holiday. The following week, the office will be closed on December 31 and January 1 for the New Year. A WORD FROM OUR TREASURER As the year is quickly coming to an end, I want to remind you that your contributions to the church are tax deductible. Now is the time to be sure all of your tithes and Faith Promise giving for 2018 are in. or postmarked by December to qualify for your 2018 taxes. Also, 2019 Tithe envelope boxed sets will be prepared and ready for you Sunday, December 23. Boxed sets are free to you; and your box will be assigned a number which makes it easier for our counters to be sure you are credited with your contributions. They are also dated for each Sunday of the year, making it easier for you to keep track of your giving. Leave a note in the offering for Debbie and she will see that a box is prepared for you.

3 Hello from your NMI President and Council. I am so proud of these folks, they sure rise to the occasion. We had a great time with Rob North this month. He shared about the Nazarene College in Africa; the needs they have and the great work they are doing. Once again we will be having our NMI Christmas Post. The large mail center will be there for you to: NMI (NAZARENE MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL) Bring your cards (for our congregation only). NMI Council will distribute them in the appropriate slots. Be sure to check for any cards you receive. Leave your contribution (suggestion: whatever you would have spent on postage for these cards). Contributions will go to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries for Children. The money will be a blessing to them and you will be blessed by giving. We are asking for prayer for the Jimenez family. They are our * L.I.N.K.S. Missionaries to Ecuador. Pray for their Visa to be renewed. Last Sunday, we had our Walk-A- Thon. We raised over $200 for the Native American Christian Academy (NACA). A big Thank You to all who walked, ran, or supported this 2 mile adventure. There was good fellowship and a big blessing to all who participated and will be a blessing to NACA. Please Donate Hats & Socks We are gathering warm socks and stocking hats (beanies) for the homeless. We need them by December 5 so we can distribute them with the lunches we will be handing out on Friday, December 7. Bring them with you to church on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening. You can also bring them to the church office during the day (Tuesday Thursday ; 10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.). Thanks for your help with this colder weather need. What Now? Our council will be busy now planning ways to support missions. Remember, prayer is the best support you can give. This month has brought me to prayer a lot. I ve learned I can do nothing without God s guidance in all things. We must stay in the Word. God is good! And remember, let s keep Jesus in the center of Christmas. Merry Christmas, Dennis Harmon, NMI President * L.I.N.K.S = Loving, Interested Nazarenes Knowing and Sharing. SMALL PACKAGES, GREAT THINGS! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL ACTIVITIES Our next group lunch will be at Islands Restaurant in Fountain Valley (18621 Brookhurst, F. V ) on December 2, after Worship Service. Then, on December 8 we will have a great time of writing Christmas cards and music. We will be at the church from 2:00 6:00 p.m. These social events have been great. If you haven t been to one yet, what are you waiting for. Get to know fellow GGNaz Christians in an informal setting just having fun. Back to Basics, our Wednesday evening gathering, has only one session in December the 5th. A light meal is served at 5:45 p.m. for all age groups. The motto for Hershey s Kisses used to be Big things come in small packages! That also could be a motto for Bethlehem, for Baby Jesus and, indeed, for us. It s an important message to remember when we fear we re too weak to fix the world s problems, too small to fight the gigantic terror that threatens a loved one or too lacking in abilities we see in others. But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, God declares through the prophet Micah (5:2, NRSV), from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel. Bethlehem was a mere village. God s ruler for Israel started as an infant. His birthplace was a small stable, not a palace or temple. But size isn t everything. Big that is, great things can come in small packages. And thanks to the tiny baby who grew up to share immeasurably huge love with the world, God can do great things through you, too!

4 N AZARENE Y OUTH M INISTRIES I NTERNATIONAL (NYI) Green is my favorite color, so it seems natural to love Christmas solely based on the symbolic color choice. But, that isn t the only reason I love the Christmas season. Among the hustle of making sure everything is perfect for one day, we show kindness to those we may not during any other season. I enjoy watching others extend God s love to those who are less fortunate; especially when they don t even realize they re doing it. It seems Christmas is the time of year we all look toward the manger and the epic event that happened in one many years ago. As John said in 1 John 5:11, And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. We need to share that gift in every possible way we can. This season, not only remember what God has done for you, but also what God can do for those around you. Share God s love this season by showing kindness, showing mercy, extending grace and giving joy. Youth, get ready for Collide! It s coming quick - December 2. As always, it s ugly sweater style except this time around, we want to give back to those around us, so we are also doing a toy drive. We are leaving the church at 4:00 p.m. to head over to Anaheim First. Our GGNaz Youth Christmas Party is going down from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday the 15th in the youth room. You need to bring a $5 gift for a gift exchange. Then, because Christmas only comes once a year we are having an All-Nighter on December 27. Times are being nailed down, but information will come out shortly. Until then, know it will be the best night ever. Fun. Food. Games. NO SLEEP TIL NEW YEARS!!! Just kidding, we can sleep on the 28th. Instead of doing a Winter Camp this year, as a district we will be doing a day trip to San Diego where we will be working together to make the community a better place and ending the evening supporting our Point Loma Nazarene University Men s Basketball team as they take on Hawaii. Be on the lookout for more information about this event in January. Merry Christmas and may the God of kindness, mercy, grace and joy shine thru you this season. Blessings! Pastor Krystal WOMEN S MINISTRIES For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Christmas time is here and with all the hustle and bustle of buying presents, finding the perfect Christmas tree and working diligently completing our tasks at work we sometimes forget the reason for the season. On one special night many, many years ago a child was born to Mary who would become our Savior. This child would be born in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes and He would be called Jesus. There are many people in this world who do not know Him and as Christians it is our job to tell them about our Awesome Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So during this time of hustle and bustle I invite and encourage you to tell your friends, family, neighbors and people you meet about the reason we celebrate the season, the birth of Jesus Christ. Secret Pal As the year 2018 is wrapping up please remember to gift your Secret Pal with a small gift of love for Christmas. If you have questions, etc. please feel free to contact me Book Club There is still time to read the current book. Please contact me (Michelle Ruth) if you have any questions. Mark your calendar! December 15 is the next book club meeting. We are having an Ornament Exchange and/or Christmas Sock Exchange, lunch and fellowship. We are currently reading The Lady of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen. Pot Luck Lunch will be a Fried Chicken Dinner Thanks, Michelle Ruth, Women s Ministries

5 C HILDREN S M INISTRIES On a cold winter s night a long, long time ago a baby was born in a manger and He was to be called Jesus. Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world. Jesus was God s gift to us because he loved us so much. Jesus wasn t wrapped in a fancy blanket and there were no cookies or milk set aside for Him. As you celebrate Christmas with your family and friends remember to set aside some time to think about when Jesus was born and how much He has done for you. I encourage you to give thanks for this special child born for you, and tell your friends and family members who do not know about Him about Jesus, the reason for the season. Wednesday Night Bible Study Come join us on Wednesday nights. On December 5 at 5:45 for a light meal followed by a lesson with me (Michelle Ruth). The rest of the month we meet at 6:30 p.m. This is a time where you can learn about Jesus and His love in a fun and loving environment. Volunteer Teachers As we start the 2019 year we have spaces open for Sunday volunteer teachers. If you love children and would like to help, please contact me Many thanks to those who have already volunteered. The children love what they have been learning from you. Sunday School Come join us for Sunday school, Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., our 5 week lesson to end the year is called North Pole News Throughout this Christmas series, we'll hear all the latest news from the North Pole. Kids will learn the best news of all is that God has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world! Michelle Higi will be teaching the 2 through 4 year-olds, Donna Alves will be teaching Kindergarten through 2nd grade, and Michelle Ruth will be teaching 3rd through 6th grades. Upcoming Events for November December 15 Christmas Party... 3:00 p.m. December 27 Bowling Party... TBD Michelle Ruth Children s Ministries GGNAZ O N - C AMPUS R EGULAR S CHEDULE STAFF AND MINISTRY LEADERS Rev. Dan Keeton... Lead Pastor: pastordan@ggnaz.org Rev. Krystal Wigginton... Associate Pastor and NYI Ministries (Nazarene Youth International): kawigginton@yahoo.com Pastor Tai Asoau... The Huddle Up Ministries Pastor John... Arabic Ministries Rev. Noé Guevara... Hispanic Ministries Debbie Kindell...Office Manager: Michelle Ruth... Kids, Women s, and Worship Ministries: women@ggnaz.org Jeff Vankeuren... SDMI Chairman (Sunday School Discipleship Ministries International): carrunfast@hotmail.com Dennis Harmon... NMI President, (DHARMON2@socal.rr.com) Steve Iliff... Church Board Officer/Treasurer David Kelley... Church Board Officer/Secretary Heart to Heart Ministries Blanca Craig... blancarosamft@gmail.com Delores Kelley... GRANNYDEE1@cox.net Sunday Sunday School... 9:00 a.m. Spanish Study... 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship... 10:15 a.m. Spanish Worship... 10:15 a.m. Arabic Worship... 12:00 noon Huddle Worship... 3:00 p.m. Monday Academia Bíblica... 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Spanish Prayer... 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Adults, teens, and Kids Bible Studies... 6:30 p.m. Huddle Bible Study... 7:00 p.m. Thursday Academia Bíblica... 6:00 p.m. Worship Music... 7:00 p.m. Friday Spanish Study... 7:00 p.m. Huddle Rehearsal... 7:00 p.m. Saturday Huddle Prayer... 7:00 a.m.

6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Adult S. S. Lunch 3. NMI Lunches 8. Islands - After Worship Council Meeting for the Homeless 7:00 PM 9:30 AM Collide District teens event 4:00 PM Book Club Church Board 11:00 AM Meeting 7:00 PM Kids Party 3:00 PM Youth Party 3:00 PM All-Church True Potluck 5:00 PM CHRISTMAS EVE Christmas Eve Service 6:00 PM CHRISTMAS No Wednesday Bible studies due to Christmas Kids Bowling Party (TBD) Youth All-nighter (TBD) NEW YEAR S EVE This calendar reflects special events for the month as well as new studies, group meetings, or services.