Connection. Faith Journey Church. Vacation Bible School June 22nd - 26th, 9am - noon daily. June - July A Fresh Coat of Paint

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1 Connection Faith Journey Church home of Gaarde Christian School SW Gaarde Street, Tigard, OR Ph June - July 2009 Vacation Bible School June 22nd - 26th, 9am - noon daily For All Children 3 yrs and potty trained through those entering 5th grade in the fall Remember summer camp... The fun games, new friends, singing around the campfire, and learning to follow Jesus? Bring your kids to SonRock Kids Camp for Vacation Bible School this year and give them teaching and memories that will last a lifetime! How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 Registration form available in the GCS front office or on line at ARTICLE Page The Pastor s Pen 2 June / July Calendars 3 Schedule 4 Adult Ministries 4 Missions News 5 West of 55 5 Fusion Youth 6 Journey Kids 6 Royal Rangers 7 M pact Girls Clubs 7 Gaarde Christian Sch 8 A Fresh Coat of Paint Faith Journey Church / Gaarde Christian School will get a fresh coat of paint July 15th - 18th. We have been blessed by a friend (and former youth group member / youth pastor) of Pastor Tom who will actually do the work for us if we provide some sweat equity and paint!. Beginning May 26th, you can sponsor a gallon of paint for just a $25 donation. See the display in the foyer / lobby for more details! with FJC Summer Camp There are still spots available for summer camp. Journey summer camp is open to children age 3 to those entering 6th grade in the fall; and is available from June 15th - August 21st. We have lots of activities planned for the summer, with new exciting themes each week, swimming weekly, field trips and special guests. You may pick and choose weeks or sign up for all ten! If you know someone who is looking for a great place for their kids let them know about Journey Camp. Camp brochures and registration forms are available on-line at

2 the Pastor s Pen The Gift of Pain? How does one truly know they are alive? Is it joy or laughter, sorrow or pain. Or is it E, all of the above? We in western culture do all we can to avoid pain. In fact, avoid pain at all cost is our motto in America. Sometimes, when I go to bed at night, it is hard to turn off the voices of agony that echo in my mind. I hear... The voice of the father who cries out for a job so that he may provide for his family. The voice of an older saint in Christ whose husband of over fifty years has left her to cross the bar ahead of her. The voice of my close friend who is in a battle to keep his business afloat after investing twenty years and much sweat and blood. The voice of the parents of a teenager, who have done their best to care and nurture their child, only to have their faith challenged at every turn as their son or daughter chooses to reject Christ and lie where prodigals lie. It is the familiar cry of King David prior to ascending the throne of Israel, as he was mercilessly pursued by King Saul in order to kill the young upstart. Hear the anguish in his voice as he describes his pain: Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. Psalm 25: NLT According to many experts, the pain relief industry in America is estimated to bring in over 125 billion dollars a year! We cannot avoid pain altogether it s just impossible, and frankly unwise to do so. Pain tells us when something is wrong, and a course correction is needed. In fact, there is a rare genetic defect known by it s familiar name as Congenital Indifference to Pain. Dr. Paul Brand, a world-renowned hand surgeon and leprosy specialist in his book (The Gift of Pain) that he co-authored with Phillip Yancey writes about a little four year old named Tanya who had this rare defect. Tanya was a normal four year old in every way, except one, she felt no pain. Before her mother was aware of her condition, she left Tonya for a short time as a toddler alone in her playpen and returned minutes later to find to her total horror, that her baby girl had bitten off the tip of her finger and was happily finger painting with her own blood. Dr. Brand says of Tanya: She (Tanya) was healthy in every respect, except for one: she did not feel pain. Nerves in her hands and feet transmitted messages about changes in pressure and temperature-she felt a kind of tingling when she burned herself or bit a finger-but these carried no hint of unpleasantness. Without pain you would never know if you were walking on a broken ankle, or if a nail was driven into the bottom of your foot. You would never get the attention to wounds that were inflicted, and thus would become festered and septic. Pain is truly a gift from God and trying to totally avoid physical and emotional pain or otherwise is silly. Pain has come to the people like the pain of childbirth, but they are like a child who resists being born. The moment of birth has arrived, but they stay in the womb! Hosea 13:13 - NLT I have come to greatly appreciate the music ministry of Chris Tomlin. The lyrics to his song I Will Rise truly speak to the answer to our pain: Verse 1: There's a peace I've come to know Though my heart and flesh may fail There's an anchor for my soul I can say, It is well (Pre-Chorus:) Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead (Chorus:) And I will rise When He calls my name No more sorrow, no more pain I will rise, on eagle's wings Before my God fall on my knees, and rise... I will rise Verse 2: There's a day that's drawing near when this darkness breaks to light and the shadows disappear and my faith shall be my eyes (Chorus:) Jesus understood our pain: Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 - NLT Friends, there is only one Answer for today s pain, one anchor for your soul, for today s sorrows, JESUS. Journeying Together; Pastor Tom Walking with people, following God Page 2

3 JUNE and JULY 2009 Calendars june 2009 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Guest Missionaries Ryan & Christy Thomas Dinners for Fusion Youth BBQ & Pool Party Father s Day 28 Fusion Youth Movie / Game Night Vacation Bible School 9am - 12 pm Daily july 2009 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Dinners for Fusion Youth Murder Mystery Night FJC Painting Days Fusion Youth Zoo Day, 1:30-8 pm Page 3

4 Service Schedule Sundays 8:45-9:45 am Sunday School - All Ages Nursery ( Birth - 2 Yrs ) 10:00-11:30 pm Worship Service Children s Church ( 3 Yrs - 5th Grade ) Nursery ( Birth - 2 Yrs ) 6:00 pm Adult Home Group - Multiple Locations Fusion Youth - Faith Journey Church Mondays 6:30-8:30 pm Blue Thread Ministries (1st Monday of each Randol s) Tuesdays 5:30 am Men s Bible Study - Davidson s Wednesdays 7:00 pm Adult Study in Modular #2 The Gathering - Fusion Yth ( Sanctuary ) Missionettes ( Girls Kinder - 5th Grade ) Royal Rangers ( Boys Kinder - 5th Gr ) Rainbows ( Girls and Boys 3-4 Years ) Nursery ( Birth - 2 Yrs ) Thursdays 7:00 pm Women s Bible Study Office Hours JUNE: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday - Thursday JULY: Church 9:00-4:00 pm Monday - Thursday School Office Closed Adult Ministres Summer elicits a variety of responses from each of us, depending on where we are in our journey of life and where we have been. If you spent summers going to the beach on weekends or camping alongside a lake or making the 20 hour drive from Portland to Disneyland, it s likely that you have done some of the same things as an adult. One of the unique features of growing up is that our perspective changes. For me, camping used to mean cramming my stuff into a duffel bag, choosing which sleeping bag I was going to use for the weekend and hopping in the car. Now camping means preparing all week, making sure I have checked and double checked my to take list and loading it all so that it fits without having to have anyone sit on anything. Once at the campground, no longer can I run off and explore my new environment. As the adult I have the privilege of setting up camp, making sure there is a trench dug around the tent in the event of the rare Oregon rain shower and, finally, preparing the first meal of the weekend. Yes, things change as we age, but does there need to be a change in our response to the excitement of the adventures that summer time can afford us? Several years ago, my three children and I were able to spend my dad s 70th birthday with him at Disneyland. Of the seven people on this trip, my dad was the only one who could not sleep the night before our entrance to see Mickey. He was too excited! Up early the next day, he made sure we were at the gates upon opening and never let us stop going until the gates were closing that night! Thirty years his junior I was exhausted and perhaps a bit crabby. He was sad we couldn t go again the next day! So as summer time activities approach, whether they are familiar or new, don t lose the edge of a childlike perspective. Your summer will be as memorable as those of days gone by! In His Service, Pastor Kelly GrosJacques Page 4

5 Missionaries to Mexico On June 7, 2009 we are excited to have Ryan and Christy Thomas along with their darling son Nathan as our guest missionaries here to tell us about all the great things God is doing in Mexico. They are originally from Oregon and their son was born in Mexico City. They have been called by God to preach the gospel in Central Mexico. They are reaching out and sharing the love of Jesus as they plant new churches in Leon, Guanajuato which is located right in the center of Mexico. Leon is the 5th largest city in Mexico with nearly 2 million people and is growing fast! I am sure all of you are aware of the swine flu outbreak; as it has been all over the news lately. According to our missionaries from Mexico, Ryan and Christi Thomas, the situation in Mexico is very surreal with public events being cancelled, including classes, theaters, sporting events, even restaurants only able to serve take-out food. The following is an excerpt from their latest newsletter: This crisis is affecting the church in a major way as well with all public services required to be cancelled by the government. Many District Councils throughout the country have been cancelled and Pastors are struggling due to the lack of offerings due to no weekly services. Many of our missionary colleagues have reported missions teams from the United States having to cancel because of the threat of sickness. Please take a moment to pray for the country of Mexico right now. I know that God is moving and working through all of this and our prayer is that Jesus Christ would be exalted and that all Mexicans would be drawn to Christ as THE answer! He truly is shaking everything and it's a wonderful opportunity for the Church to shine! Pray for the Pastors and Missionaries who are dealing with the day to day realities of this situation, especially our friends in Mexico City. I do hope you will pray for our missionaries and show your support for them by being present on June 7th. Donna Randol Missions News Russ and Beth Chambers Missionaries to OSU (Chi Alpha) Carl and Terri Gibbs Missionaries to Africa Tamara Henkes Missionary to Romania Dennis & Diane Holcomb Missionaries to Poland Ken Huff Missionary to Cambodia Eric & Jacquelin Jenkins Missionaries to Algeria Steve and Julie Kramer Missionaries to the Netherlands Bill & Carol Paris Missionaries to Tokyo, Japan Josh & Renee Ransom Missionary to China Matt & Heather Reigel Missionaries to Germany John & Beccy Rodli Missionaries to the Azores Ryan & Christy Thomas Missionaries to Mexico Rob & Jeanel Shipley Missionaries to East Africa David & Dorothy Yunuba Missionaries to Africa John & Carolyn Stewart Missionaries to Indonesia Chuck & Janet Wilson Missionaries to Botswana West of 55 senior adult ministry On a recent Saturday the West of 55 group had a luncheon at Bob s Red Mill in Milwaukie. It is a very unusual natural food store with a restaurant, bakery, and a grain mill to grind their own grains. It was a beautiful day and everyone enjoyed themselves. We try to have interesting outings periodically for fun and good fellowship. We hope to have one again soon and would love for you to join us (details to be announced later). In the last issue I discussed the importance of prayer in our daily walk. I would like to add to that. The early church stated that the work of the aged is to love and to pray. Of the two, I find love to be the more difficult, and prayer to be the more confusing. My difficulty lies in not knowing the exact thing for which to pray. Should I pray that others will be delivered from their troubles, or that their troubles will go away? Or should I pray for courage to carry on through the difficulties that belabor them? I m comforted by Paul s words, The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26). Here the apostle uses a verb that means, To help by joining in an activity or effort. God s Spirit is jointed to ours when we pray. He intercedes for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. He is touched by our troubles; He sighs often as He prays. He cares for us deeply more than we care for ourselves. Furthermore, He prays according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). He knows the right words to say. Therefore, I needn t worry about getting my request exactly right. I need only to hunger for God and to reach up, knowing He cares. Remember when praying, it s better to have a heart without words than words without heart! In His Service, Pastor John Granholm Page 5

6 Youth Ministries It is not that you have got God but that He has got you God is at work, bending, breaking, molding, doing just as He chooses. Why He is doing it, we do not know; He is doing it for one purpose only that He may be able to say, This is My man, My woman. ~Oswald Chambers Summer days are here! It is an incredible privilege for us to serve as the youth leaders here at Faith Journey. We love the energy, excitement and incredible hearts of our young people. God is doing great things in this youth group and we can t wait to see what He has in store next! We have some great activities planned for our young people this summer and want to make sure you mark your calendars. Contact the Downey s for more information. BBQ & Pool Party hosted by Hooper s Wednesday, June 6pm - 8:30pm note: burgers & hot dogs provided students bring something to share; soda, chips, etc. Murder Mystery Night hosted by Hooper s Saturday, July 8pm - 11pm / $5 per person Zoo Day - Sunday, July 1:30pm - 8pm / $9.75 per person note: stopping at Davidson s for milkshakes afterwards - cost not included YOUTH RETREAT Friday thru Sunday, August 14th - 16th / Details TBA this June Kiel & Niina Downey Children s Church Ministries From the Mission Field David Boyd, National Director for BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) has recently returned from an oversees missions trip. I d like to share with you an excerpt from his journal. Day 5: The Simplest Necessities Electricity is something we take for granted. Here in India it isn't so. While in the hotels, the power goes off. While in the restaurants, the power goes off. While visiting our U.S. personnel in their homes, the power goes off. Even at our colleges where students are studying the greatest Book of all, the power goes off. Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit a home with 38 of the most gracious, well behaved children you'd ever want to meet. They were at a local orphanage supported by godly people, including all of you, through BGMC. As I walk this simple facility, I noticed no frills. They did have one slide and two simple swings to call a playground. When the power goes off here, the fans stop and the terrible heat sets in. As well, the refrigerator stops and the meager food supplies spoil. That no longer happens since this orphanage got a new $5000 BGMC generator. Thanks, BGMC! I'm so glad each of you and your kids sacrifice so that these children without mothers and fathers have some of the basic necessities of life. The children were so excited to show us their own beds, stating, "This is where I sleep. I have a bed of my very own!" Not only do they have beds, they have a Savior who is closer than a brother. They are cared for and loved due to the sacrifice of many and due in part to many of you. THANK YOU for encouraging and supporting the children of Faith Journey Church as they raise funds for BGMC. The children are learning to impact the world around them. They are learning to give and to reach out to others in the name of Jesus. Glen and Ann Slayter Children s Church 10:00AM Freedom Kids Services for 3 yrs - Kindergarten On Sunday mornings, our little ones (three years old through kindergarten age) meet together to learn, sing and play. JourneyKids Services for 1st - 5th graders Kids, bring along your energy on Sunday mornings for Journey Kids! This is no time to sit back and watch... every child is an integral part of the service. Together, we re learning to worship, serve, reach out and translate what we re learning into action in our own lives. The laughs are many and the surprises frequent. Join us! Page 6

7 Royal Rangers clubs for boys kindergarten through 5th grade Okay parents. Sit back for a moment as I paint for you a dramatic, but all too familiar picture It s mid-june. Your boys have made a seemingly sudden transition over the last month from counting down the days left in the school year, longing for the freedoms of summer, to being imprisoned at home, becoming completely absorbed in video games, and dyyyyiiinnnggg of boredom! Don t despair. We have the cure and it doesn t involve a shot. We would like to invite your son to join the Royal Rangers! Rangers is a Christian-based club for boys that meets each Wednesday night at Faith Journey Church from 7:00-8:15pm, all year long. We pursue our mission of "Reaching, Teaching, and Keeping Boys for Christ" with an important balance of Glen Slayter Bible lesson and adventure with each meeting. The program is open to ALL boys, kindergarten through 5th grade. No school enrollment or additional affiliation with Faith Journey Church is required. Come join the summer fun as the warm weather takes us outside with go-carts, campouts, and games! Glen Slayter M Pact clubs for girls first through fifth grade and Rainbows club for preschool aged girls and boys HERE COMES SUMMER Another school year is coming to a close and that also means promotions in our M pact clubs. On Wednesday night, June 10 at 7:00 pm we will be awarding all students who have earned badges throughout the year and promoting them to their new classes. Students will begin in their new classes on June 17. That means this is a great time to join our M pact clubs. We will be adding a new Daisy class that will be for Kindergarten girls. Prior to adding this class, they have been included in the Rainbow class. We would love to see you on Wednesday nights! In His Service, Connie Frisinger M Pact Clubs Coordinator Page 7

8 Gaarde Christian School As of today we have 11 days of school left for the school year. Wow! I find myself thinking, Where did this year go? Do you find yourself counting down the days? No doubt your child is. It is natural to do so. Summer is a great time for families and fun. I love summer. But one thing I know takes place over the summer break is a lot of learning is lost and has to be re-taught in the fall. Here are a few suggestions for parents about what things they should do over the summer to keep their child s mind fresh. Read, Read, Read! The Tigard library has a great summer reading program with incentives to keep kids reading. Plan a time each day where everyone in the family spends time reading. Grab a blanket and find a shady tree to enjoy your book under. Practice math! Depending on what level of math your child is in, they need to review math facts. Working with numbers, helps keep that part of the brain active and learning. Look for ways you can incorporate math in daily activities such as: keeping track of the miles traveled on a trip and figuring out gas mileage or measuring to see who slid the longest on the slip and slide! Family time! This is time for families to get out and enjoy doing things together. Take walks or bike rides together. Have a squirt gun fight, garden or enjoy a popsicle together. Summer vacation doesn t have to include an expensive trip. Many times the best memories are made right in your own backyard. Go to church! Summer vacation does not mean a vacation from church. Going an a regular basis to a Bible-believing church as a family will help your children see that you believe church is a good place to go and learn about the Lord. If you are looking for a church home Faith Journey Church has something for every age and our ministries are active all summer. Have a wonderful summer! See you in September, Kellie Hooper GCS Administrator SW Gaarde St. Tigard, OR 97224