Lighthouse. Message of the Rev. Larry VARGHESE. Month. In This Issue: A Monthly Newsletter of the Horeb Mar Thoma Church August 2013

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1 Lighthouse A Monthly Newsletter of the Horeb Mar Thoma Church August 2013 Dearly Beloved in Christ, Greetings in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Traditions. It s an interesting word. Depending on the context, this can be an archaic and oppressive word, or a word that conveys vibrancy and richness. Traditions have been upheld both to solidify people s intolerance and to ensure the flexibility of the future. Everyone has some traditions passed down to them; every church also. The old historical churches have traditions and the newer ones too. While the historic churches follow traditions that have been tested and refined over thousands of years, the newer churches that profess to be non-denominational are actually following patterns that a few individuals have picked up from somewhere. But in either case the believer is deepened through a thorough understanding of their own traditions. We sometimes are put off by the word tradition and we then tend to avoid it, but sooner or later we will regret not knowing what came before us. I ll explain in this example: Studying in India, though it came with its share of challenges, was enriching. It was there that the vague background of my parents became a tangible reality. When I was in Houston, I didn t think too much about who my ancestors were. They were distant to me; separated by time, land, and culture. It wasn t until I went to India for an extended period of time that I started to gain an interest in my family history. I learned that my grandfather was a business man, selling grain, among other things. His life molded and shaped my father s. His many traits, refined and rough, were passed down to my father. I am not bound by who my grandfather was, but I am indebted to him. Elements of who he was were passed on to my father, and later to me. To know my grandfather is to know a little bit more about who I am. It leads me to believe that I can t know myself fully without knowing him. Our history is inextricable tied to who we are. No human is born into the world without a history that preceded them. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 6 In This Issue: Vicar s Message Worship Schedule News & Events Birthdays & Anniversaries As spiritual brothers and sisters, we are part of this Mar Thoma Church. It is important to know what we are about. How has the church s experience lead it to be the way it is now? How is the church making me to be the person that I am? Despite our view that we are self-made men and women, we are dependent creatures. A legacy is what we pass down. As children we have little control over what is handed to us. Certain legacies need to be halted while others should be renewed. In the family life we must say no to certain patterns like alcoholism; and similarly in the church we must say no to things that rob us of a true worship. But on the other hand, I can t reject the integrity, simplicity, and spirituality of my grandfather simply because his language, culture, and era are different than mine. He understood certain good things from his parents and imbibed them. I would like for us as a church to examine our roots. What are some of our traditions that we have perhaps overlooked? What should be re-evaluated? Hopefully in the months to come we can take different elements of our traditions and re-learn them together. Let s pray that this would be a fruitful endeavor. Rev. Larry Varghese Message of the Rev. Larry VARGHESE Month

2 Lessons Readers Deacons Aug 4 Missson Sunday The church that has to introduce Jesus 2:30p Bible Study & Prayer Isa 55: 1 13 Mahyini Mathew Manoj Mathew 3:00p Holy Communion ~English Acts 16: Ashlyn Chacko Joshi John/Noah Abraham Aug 11 The Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2:30p Bible Study & Prayer Joel 2: Mathew Koshy Thampi Thomas 3:00p Holy Communion ~Malayalam 1 John 2: 7-17 Annamma Mathew Dr. Thomas Mathew Aug 18 Reformation Day: The Authority of the Word of God 2:30p Bible Study & Prayer Exodus 20: 1-17 Juby Mathew Joshi John 3:00p Holy Communion ~English Rev 1: 1-9 Riya Mathew Dr. Sunil Thomas Aug 25 Fruit of the Spirit 2:30p Bible Study & Prayer Gen 33: 1 17 Mathew Thomas Lejo Mammen 3:00p Holy Communion ~English 2 Peter 1: 3-10 Merry Thomas Raj Abraham As we come to know the depths of who God is we are able to grown in him more. We are able to reflect back and say, I love him more now than when I first met him. Hopefully, we as a church can go through this journey together. - Rev. Larry Varghese

3 UPCOMING EVENTS: Monthly Meetings: Sevika Sangham GGUMC Friday, August 2 4:30 pm Sevika Sangham Day September 8 Church Retreat September Pine Valley Family Night Program Saturday, October 5 Church Convention October Parish Day Sunday, October 13 Edavaka Mission Tuesday Prayer 7pm 6: Mr & Mrs Isaac George 13: Mr. & Mrs. K.M. Chacko 20: Mr. & Mrs. Lejo Mammen 27: Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Philip Youth Fellowship Meeting Mathew & Merry Thomas Garden Grove Young Family Fellowship Meeting Manoj & Julie Mathew Tustin Prayer Meeting Manoj & Julie Mathew Tustin Sevika Sangham Meeting Annamma Mathew Cerritos Friday, August 9 6:45 pm Saturday, August 17 3:00 pm Saturday, August 17 6:00 pm Friday, August 23 7:00 pm Sunday School Teachers Saturday, August 24 10:00 pm Training/Workshop Rev. Larry Varghese will be conducting the workshop. All teachers please plan to Youth Fellowship Meeting Sunday, August GGUMC (After Service) VBS Theme for this year for the children is "God's Backyard Bible Camp" Dates: August 01-04, 2013 (classes from 1st-3rd and closing on the Sunday) Time: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Venue: Acker Hall at GGUMC, Garden Grove Costs: $10 per child NEW THIS YEAR: ADULT VBS. We are also going to try a new concept of Adult VBS this year led by our Larry Achen where adults (parents and grand parents) can get together for Bible studies while the children have their sessions. This is free and will be a wonderful opportunity for adults. VBS Coordinator: Dr. Mary Mathew Sevika Sangham News S.S sale on August 11th after church service:- Fund raising for Western Regional Conference March 15th 2014, that will be hosted by our church. Our first conference. We have to make it successful for His Glory. We need special prayers & support from all our church members for this sale & upcoming conference.

4 Sunday School News Next Sunday School Academic Year ( ) First day of Sunday School will begin on 09/01/2013 at 1:30 PM. New Teachers for the Academic Year. We are blessed to have two new teachers for the upcoming year. Mrs. Julie Varughese - Nursery Mrs. Julie Mathew - 1st and 2nd grade Teachers' Workshop/Training - 08/24/ : 00 AM to 3:00 PM. Rev. Larry Varghese will be leading the workshop. New curriculum for Nursery through 4th grade Starting this academic year, Nursery through 4th grade will be following a new curriculum. Sunday School Curriculum research group evaluated resources from three publishers and has recommend Faith Weaver Now from Group Publishers to be used for grades mentioned National Youth Confernece The 2013 National Conference will be held from Aug 1-4, 2013, at the lush green Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto. The theme of the conference is MOVE, (as in move beyond your comfort zone) which as the name suggests, is something every Christian struggles with in today's world. James 1:22 says "Do not merely listen to the world, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." The goal of this theme is to facilitate a deep introspection within our delegates. REGISTRATION is now open for all those eagerly waiting to confirm their spot! Space is limited and a late fee will apply in June so be sure to register and tell your friends to register as soon as possible! The website to register is ( You can also find more details on the facebook page ( New Horeb MTC Members It s a great privilege to welcome our new family to Horeb MTC. We hope that God will use their talents and gifts for all of us to grow in faith. Jacob T. Mathews and Dr. Sarah S. Jacob Children: Julia Jacob and Annie Jacob Church St. #84 Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Home)

5 Birthdays & Anniversaries 1 Kurien, Elizabeth 3 Mathew, Manoj 5 Abraham,,Rajan 9 George, Riya Meriam 14 Chacko, Ryan 22 Jacob, Ruth Ann 23 George, Faith 28 Mathew, Dione Ann 28 Mathews, Simy 31 Mathew, Mahyini Executive Committee 2013 Rev. Larry Varghese Vicar Mr. Isaac George Vice President Mr. Rajan Abraham Secretary Mr. Thomas Mammen Treasurer Mrs. Sheeba George Accountant Mr. Manoj Mathew Mr. Thampi Thomas Lay Leaders Mr. Philip Jacob Choir Mrs. Susan Thomas Sunday School Principal 9 ABRAHAM, Binoy and Seena 21 GEORGE, Abraham and Catharin 24 CHACKO, Roby and Swapna Mr. Joshi John Area Prayer Group Dr. Thomas Mathew Edavaka Mission Mr. Anup Kurien Young Family Fellowship Mrs. Sherly Saji Sevika Sangham Mr. Raj Abraham Technology Coordinator Horeb MAR THOMA CHURCH Main St., Garden Grove, CA Rev. Larry Varghese Mr. Isaac George Mr. Rajan Abraham HMTC Mr. Thomas Mammen Mrs. Sheeba George