West Hills News. Dear Church Family

Transcription

1 W e s t H i l l s C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h Volume 22, Issue 2 March 2019 Dear Church Family When Jesus came into the Temple in Luke 19:45 and saw all the money changers robbing the people, he said to them, My house will be a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers. I love that Jesus brought their attention back to the spiritual purpose of the Temple to draw people into communion with God through prayer. The money changers attention was on the things of this world. Jesus was trying to lead them back to the things of heaven. Prayer is our primary avenue for communion with God. In prayer our hearts are changed. In prayer our hearts are reoriented to the will of God. In prayer our hearts are humbled under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In the lesson of the Lord s prayer in Matthew 6:9 Jesus taught His disciples how to humbly address God: This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name The very act of addressing God in prayer as our Father in heaven who is holy serves to begin humbling our hearts and minds under Him. Recently, I ve been thinking about the times when we come to God in prayer at West Hills. I love to recount the ways. Here are just a few (and there are many, many others): In our HOME GROUPS each week, we are sharing prayer requests and lifting each other up in prayer. Are you taking advantage of this supportive and spiritually encouraging opportunity? Praying for one another is a critical part of our church. The early church regularly prayed for each other, as is recorded in Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. We also take great care in praying for the needs of our church family when the PRAYER TEAM gathers every Wednesday night from 7:00-8:00. We look at all the prayer requests that come in through the Connection Cards on Sunday morning. We pray for every single one of those heartfelt requests! It is a God-blessed time! Our faithful prayer warriors are consistent and dedicated. Please be sure and thank them for their ministry of prayer. Maybe you have thought about being a part of this prayer team. Please consider becoming one of the Wednesday night prayer warriors. Just show up and we ll include you in this wonderful effort. Galatians 6:2 says, Carry each other s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Also, each week, I PRAY for every person in our church by name. I spend the first part of my quiet time in the morning praying through my prayer journal with all your names in it. I consider this one of the most important things I do. Mentioning your name before the King of Heaven is my privilege! Paul said to the Colossian church in Colossians 1:9 And so, from the day we heard about you, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding And one final thought on prayer in our church THE ELDERS would love to pray for you if you are sick or in need of a special covering over a situation. James 5:13-14 says, Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. We have six Elders in our church who have said that they would be happy to pray for you in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Simply ask one of our Elders and they will arrange to pray over you with at least a couple of Elders present. Prayer is a lifeline of communication with God. Don t ever forsake the privilege. I love you all! Pastor Marcus Inside this issue Summer Mission Trip Opportunity Hispanic Church News Easter Food Drive Women s Spring Bible Study OUR PURPOSE Building a community of people who are experiencing new life with God and with others, by believing in Jesus Christ, worshipping Him, and learning to live every day by the Word of God.

2 Elder Board... March is the month that comes in like a Lion and out like a Lamb. I cannot think of a better metaphor as Pastor Marcus continues his series on Daniel and we move into our Easter season celebration of the Lamb of God! For those who don t know me, my name is Jeremy Waldie and I am chairman of the Elder Board for It is my pleasure to serve with such a great group. I am married to Adela and we have two sons, Lucas and Sammy. The Elder Board will be going on a retreat soon. We will be praying for our members and discussing how we as a church can make disciples (Matthew 28:19) more effectively. Spring is often the time that we think of growth. The Elder Board has been praying that West Hills would grow as well, and not just in numbers. Our prayer is that all of us would grow closer in our relationship with God over this season. Just like growing a garden, it takes effort and discipline. We hope you will take this opportunity to grow closer to God in at least one area of your life. Spend five more minutes in quiet prayer or Bible reading each day. Start memorizing a scripture each week. Take a friend for coffee and ask how you can pray for them. Begin a new prayer habit with your spouse or kids. Commit to going on a mission trip this summer. When you choose to grow closer to God, the whole church grows with you. God Bless you and your families. In Him, Jeremy Waldie Finance Commission... December 2018 General Fund Giving: $66, December 2018 General Fund Budget: $46, December 2018 YTD income/expenses: $26, Since the Capital Campaign officially ended in April 2017, we have received monies given each month for the purpose of paying down the mortgage principal for the gym: November 2018 $935 December $9,082 Thank you for your contributions. Kim Shubin On Behalf of the Finance Commission Men s Ministries... This men s retreat was a lot to chew on as the speaker presented us with the differences between being a disciple and a believer. Contrary to what most of us thought when we walked into that room, there is a difference and it s significant; even more interesting are the rewards we stand to inherit. Around 30 guys showed up, we ate, studied, sang, and played games until the wee hours of the night. Overall it was a great success! Marcus sermon series on the book of Daniel makes me think about how as men, we are to act. There is an interesting dichotomy in my mind between submitting to your earthly authorities, while still acting in a Christian way. Daniel shows us all that this can be accomplished if your heart is in the right place. We will be persecuted for our beliefs, but if we can be found blameless in the eyes of our leaders, we will be much better disciples in expanding the kingdom of God. Let s think daily about our actions as perceived by those around us. Are my actions that of a disciple? Am I following the Lord in a way that others will notice and think about? Am I truly showing the fruits of the spirit, or living for my own desires? We all try to live the way we ve been called, and we all fail often. The difference is our commitment to our faith. Remember that it s a great gift to be a believer, but it s even better to be both a disciple and a believer. For his glory, Doug Herndon Page 2

3 Children s Ministries... Happy March, church family! Our first 5th grade fun night was a success! What a great time we had learning about who Jesus is through some glow in the dark fun! He was the Light of the World in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and He is still our Light today. Last Sunday in Kids Church, we had a more serious lesson. We usually have a short, fun activity that ties in with our lesson, but this time we had a longer, thoughtful prayer time. The last few weeks, we've been learning about the first kings of Israel, and our last lesson of this section was about David's sin with Bathsheba. We talked about what it means to have a repentant heart and how, through Jesus, we are free from the consequences of our sin when we repent and turn back to God. After reading Psalm 51, which David wrote as a prayer of repentance from this sin, we had a quiet time to pray and ask for His forgiveness of our sins. I'm amazed at their understanding of God's truth and love. I pray that you might be encouraged by His grace and forgiveness this month! McKenzie O Neil Worship Pastor... Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Psalm 105:1-3 Sing to the Lord. It s a directive - a wonderful, joyful command. The Lord tells us to lift our voices to proclaim His glory. We are to tell and tell and tell again through song of God s amazing, wondrous works in history. We sing so that we will remember them and teach them to future generations. More than that, music is also one of God s primary vehicles for the congregation to connect heart and mind, spirit and truth. We do not just declare truth, we rejoice in His love and goodness. As we look to celebrate our Lord's death, burial, and resurrection, let us remember that there is no other name worthy of all praise and honor. Beginning Thursday, Mar. 7, choir rehearsals will resume in the sanctuary running from 6:45 to 8:00. Sheet music as well as rehearsal CD s will be available. Please contact Pastor Greg if you have any questions. Come, and lift up your voice and sing His praises! Greg Denney Community Life Pastor... Gal 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. I am so encouraged by the big number of people who are helping others and serving Our Lord Jesus! That includes regular ministries at WHCC and helping others with special projects/ situations. I was very appreciative of all the women and men who helped get Herb and Joan Shaw moved out of their place and ready to move to Idaho. It was sweet of all the people who let them use storage places until their new place is ready. Another care for our church community ministry that I would like to highlight is Meal Train, currently managed by Sarah DuVal. When we learn of someone who is having a difficult time and could use help with meals, she will work with the people in need and make a schedule of when they could use some meals provided. You just use your computer and choose the day that you might be able to help. If you do not have a computer, you could call Sarah and she would help sign you up for a day. It is OK to cook food, buy food, or have food delivered. Please, call Sarah and join this community life ministry! Ron McNinch Page 3

4 Women s Spring Bible Study Living in the Fullness of Jesus 6-week verse-by-verse journey through Colossians March 26 May 7 Tuesdays: 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Leader: Lucille Alley Ladies, you are invited to feast in God s Word and to grow in the practical implications of the love and sufficiency of Jesus. Sign up at the resource center. Hispanic Ministries... Thanks so much to everyone for praying for our ministry. We are praising God for answered prayers. 1. Torres Sanches Family ( Ramon, Guadalupe, Aristos, Gorge) have finally moved to their own apartment, and they are doing well. 2. We are praising God for Angel and Claudia, a new family the Lord has added to the church, they have moved and are established in the West Salem area, close to church. 3. We are praising God for the commitment in the church of people to serve in different areas need of need: set up, serving in church, cleaning, etc. 4. We are praising God for Annie Quesada from our church. She has been with a missionary training program in Maui to prepare for a mission to China with the organization YWAM. Praise God for His provision and safety, she is coming home very soon. Prayer Requests: 1. Angel & Claudia (spiritual growth). 2. For several new families who visited with us, to want to come back and connect, and worship with us. 3. Make new connections with families through soccer program training for kids. 4. Wisdom to develop stronger relationship witthin the Hispanic community to reach out for Christ. 5. The devil is attacking different families of our church with different things, please keep us in prayer. In Christ alone, Sorin Crivceag Hope Station Food Drive... Raise a Mountain of Food for Others! Collection of non-perishable food items begins March 31 and ends on Easter Sunday, April 21. Our donations will go to Hope Station Community Services, a faithbased nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support to working individuals and families in need. Last year we collected over 1828 pounds of food. In talking with Pastor Marci Mattoso, director of Hope Station, she commented that, Food is greatly needed as our shelves are bare after Easter. Let us pray to exceed last year s donations and replenish their shelves. Who Hope Station Serves: Hope Station helps individuals who are hard-working, productive members of our community, yet struggling financially to pay their bills. They are trying to make ends meet while working lower paying jobs or are trying to recover from a financial setback due to a crisis. They are not receiving government assistance or programs that are funded by tax dollars. Mary Lou Carroll Page 4

5 Youth Pastor... I can t speak for everyone but I know that the High School Youth Group really enjoyed the Super Bowl Party we had at the DuVal s house. I really appreciate Rich and Christine s willingness to open their home to the invading students. It was fun to gather even if the big game wasn t nearly as exciting as the yummy Chowder Bowls we ate. The Youth Group took advantage of a day off of school and gathered to play Board Games with each other. It s fun to see the different personalities come out when winning a game is on the line. I made sure we had enough fizzy soda to satisfy even the thirstiest of students. The High School Youth Group also headed back to Camp Tapawingo for a Winter Retreat. This year s theme was Christ Alone and it is such a great reminder that our salvation is in Jesus alone. I had the opportunity to speak during one of the sessions focusing upon how Jesus saves people by using his followers. Please pray that any decisions or commitments made at our retreat will be fueled by the Holy Spirit. Lastly, Camp Tapawingo s Leadership Retreat will take place on March 8 th -9 th and is designed with the purpose of training High School students to serve in a leadership position, with Summer Camp in mind. It will be great to see some old familiar faces as well as some new ones looking forward to the opportunity to serve at Tapawingo. I really want to thank everyone for the support and prayers offered on behalf of the Youth Group. In His Grip, Pastor Bobby I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 Summer Mission Trip... Are you interested in serving with WHCC in Autlan, Mexico? WHCC will be sending a team in the 2nd half of July or first half of August. This trip is approximately 1 week long. During this trip, we partner with pastors and missionaries to spread the gospel and show the love of Jesus. If you have any interest, please take the time to pray about this and consider going. This is an amazing experience that will forever impact those that we come in contact with and will forever impact those that go! Through this trip, we have seen local believers maturing and the impact on their families. The first official planning meeting will be after church on March 31st. For more information you can contact Kevin Fenn at (503) or dolfenner@yahoo.com. Birthdays & Anniversaries... March Birthdays Ronda Blacker 03/03 George Tinkey 03/03 Haley Herndon 03/04 Dennis Schirman 03/04 Bob Gutz 03/05 Hal Schnedler 03/05 Karen Tibbets 03/05 Sorin Crivceag 03/06 Raegan Dykes 03/07 Peter Denney 03/09 Roman Gault 03/10 Don Thompson 03/11 Lisa Singleton 03/12 Merridee Toland 03/13 Makenna Campbell 03/14 Teresa Fairchild 03/14 Kelly Denney 03/15 Sara Williams 03/15 Arline Buechner 03/17 Al McCann 03/17 Aurora Velez 03/17 Sara Trippett 03/18 Lucas Waldie 03/18 Caitlin Elmore 03/20 Connor Ragain 03/21 Elsa Geier 03/23 Charles Holmstrom 03/25 Wayne Howden 03/27 Dave Kirkpatrick 03/28 Alison Oakes 03/30 March Anniversaries Jerry &Betty Waters 03/18 Greg & Kelly Denney 03/23 Jeff & Teresa Fairchild 03/24 Page 5

6 W e s t H i l l s C o m m u n i t y C h u r c h Marcus Elmer Senior Pastor Greg Denney Worship Pastor Bobby Van Kleek Youth Pastor Sorin Crivceag Hispanic Pastor Ron McNinch Community Life Pastor McKenzie O Neil Children s Director Julie Brumfield Church Administrator Sunday First Hour 9:00 a.m. Worship Service & Classes Second Hour Worship Service & Classes Hispanic Service Awana Club September May 10:45 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Middle School Youth Group 6:30 p.m. Wednesday High School Youth Group 6:30 p.m. Breakthrough Prayer Team 7:00 p.m Brush College Rd. NW Salem, OR Phone: LABEL