by The Rev. Jose Poch

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2 V ol um e 29 N umb er 10 DECEMBER 2015 I t may seem unbelievable to you but we are in the last month of a year which just started the other day. The month of December is upon us as you receive this newsletter. So much has happened this year around the world, in our own country, in our own church and in our own families. Some of these things are praise worthy and have filled us with great joy, others have been sad, heart-wrenching and even at times devastating and we wish we could just forget they ever happened or took place. by The Rev. Jose Poch glorious face, His face as a baby in a manger, that we have seen the love of God for us all, a sign that God is with us (Emmanuel) always, He has been with us through 2015 and He is still with us. But as the cover conveys, this present is not just a reminder of a past birth in the City of Bethlehem, it is a gift that gives meaning to our present and which will clearly mark and define the future. The theme of our Christmas celebration this year is The Greatest Gift Hope Has Arrived. The future is in our Lord, He is our Hope, our Redeemer, our Salvation, and our Way home to the Father. He is God s Gift to us, in Him truly Hope has Arrived. All we Hope for is in Jesus Christ. But, December is a month that tends to fill us with great joy, no matter what struggles we have faced in the preceding months. It is a month of lights, presents, food, families, children, joy, Christmas Carols and expectations. If anything, the faces and the joy of the children in our families, help alleviate some of the painful experiences and help us look forward to what is ahead instead of what lies behind. The future is on their little faces and it is contagious. The cover of this newsletter tells us of an incomparable present that we have received in the birth of Jesus Christ. It is in His As we conclude this year I want to express to all of you who read this newsletter my gratitude for all your support to St. David s and to the families of St. David s with your prayers, your financial support and your generous giving of yourselves to all of us. Each of you is also a gift to all of us. Thank you for being with us. I am grateful to all of the members of St. David s who have stood firm and faithful in their faith in Jesus Christ and in the love of their brothers and sisters throughout the year, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:5). Hope Has Arrived! 2

3 V ol um e 29 N umb er 10 DECEMBER 2015 D id you know there are more slaves today than ever before in history? There are 36 million people enslaved right now. 70% of those are women and girls. 50% are children. Over 2 million children are trafficked into sexual slavery every year. This isn t a foreign problem; it is happening here, where we live, every day. So how do we help? Dressember is a non-profit that raises money to end slavery by engaging the community in a creative challenge. Participants wear a dress every day for the month of December and set up a fundraising page with a personal monetary goal. They share pictures and their fundraising page, along with their heart for justice, to encourage donations. All donations go to IJM and A21 - incredible organizations that are in the trenches fighting to end slavery forever. Jesus tells us, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40) What better way to advocate for women who have been exploited for their femininity, than with the very symbol of femininity - a dress? St. David s is participating as a group; won t you join us? Visit to learn more, and keep an eye out for an with links to our group fundraising page. D o you know what it costs a Muslim to consider Christ? What are the differences between Christianity and Islam? Which is the real Word of God: the Bible or the Qur an? From Muslim neighbors and coworkers to radical Islam s movement around the globe, the church is faced with evangelistic, apologetic, social, and political challenges. At Understanding and Answering Islam: A Proper Response, join RZIM in recognizing and seeking to respond to these challenges biblically and thoughtfully. This conference will be held in Georgia on January 15-16, how ever w e could all participate in it via Livestream. If you would be interested in being part of this experience and learn from some of the leading voices on this issue, please speak to Father Jose at your earliest convenience. He would make his home available to a group of members of St. David s willing to be part of this conference. The cost of Livestreaming this conference will be $399 if we sign up by December 1 or $499 after that. Our thought is that the group will share on the cost (a group of 10 = $39/49 per person, a group of 20 = $19/24 per person). You must decide right away and let Fr. Jose know so he can register immediately. 3

4 V ol um e 29 N umb er 10 DECEMBER 2015 F rom the pregnancy clinic s website: Open Arms Pregnancy Clinic is a non-profit Christian ministry, founded in Since opening, Open Arms has provided much-needed services and support to thousands of women, men, and families. As a non-profit ministry, partnership with the local church is vital. There are many ways your church family can be involved in this life-affirming work. Advent is the first season of the church year. It s the season of reflection, expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Christ child. What better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, a birth that changed history for all eternity for countless men and women, than by helping in the birth and life of a little baby in our own day. This year as part of Advent we are conducting a baby bottle campaign to raise funds for Open Arms Pregnancy Clinic in Northridge. Baby bottles are available now for you to take home and place coins (dollar bills or higher amounts are welcome, too!) in the bottles each day of Advent. A prayer can be offered to our Life-Giving God for each baby being helped. Return the filled bottles after Christmas and all bottle funds will be given to the clinic to help provide services and support to women, men and families in need. Jesus came to us as a baby. Let s bless other babies in His Name by donating to Open Arms Clinic. Join us during the month of December in this outreach. This is one more opportunity to use some of your stewardship of money (offerings) for a very meaningful and life-impacting cause. For more information please contact Jennifer Schierholt jhkk@pacbell.net or or Maly Poch poch@usc.edu or Ordination to the Priesthood Invitation A ll of St. David s is invited to the ordination to the priesthood of both Jon and Janna Ziegler next year. The ordination service will be at 5pm on Sunday, February 28, 2016 at Iglesia de la Comunidad (115 North Avenue 53, Los Angeles, CA 90042). More details coming soon! 4 P lease note that the 17:17 St. David s Men s Ministry will not be meeting in December. Our next breakfast meeting will take place on Saturday, January 16 at 8:00 AM. Please m ark your calendars and join us if you can make it. If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding the Men s Ministry, please see Tom Leney ( or Leneythomas@yahoo.com).

5 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 O n Sunday, November 29, a new Litur gical Calendar and a new Liturgical Year began. It marks the beginning of the Season of Advent that lasts for four Sundays, ending on December 20, and followed by Christmas Day and the Season of Christmas. The word Advent is Latin for Coming or Arrival, and it is a Season of preparation for the Birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. It also helps us look backward to the actual birth of Jesus and forward to His Second Coming. Each of the four Sundays of Advent is themed as follows: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love a nd is celebrated with the reading of special lessons directing our hearts to these themes and the lighting of candles in the Advent Wreath. Normally we invite families in our Church, including children and youth, to lead us in the Advent liturgies. This new Season of Advent 2015 also begins for us our reading and study of the Gospel of Luke which we will use throughout the rest of the year We invite you to come and worship with us each of the Sundays of Advent and to prepare yourselves and your families for a joyous and meaningful Christmas Day. Welcome the Coming of our Lord in your hearts and homes this Advent Season. M ark Your Calendars Today! We are going to celebrate Christmas Eve this year together with our brothers and sisters of the Burbank Seventh-day Adventist Church. The service will be held at 7:00pm. Our worship leaders, Stephen Rometti and Cindy Drennan will be leading our worship team and the BSDA Church worship team plus additional invited guests in a time of music and worship of the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fr. Jose has asked Pastor Jan to bring us the message that evening and Fr. Jose will celebrate the Eucharist. The theme of the evening will be The Greatest Gift, Hope Has Arrived. This is a great opportunity to celebrate Jesus s birth as a family with great music and praise and to invite others to hear the message of God s salvation through the birth of His Son. Use this time to share the Gospel, as St. Paul tells his son in the faith, Timothy, Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Plan to join us and to invite others to come with you! 5

6 V ol um e 29 N umb er 10 DECEMBER 2015 T he Rt. Rev. Dr. M. Keith Andrews will be visiting St. David s on the weekend of December On Sunday, December 20 at 10:30am (our only service that day) he will be the preacher and celebrant and will be receiving all those who are becoming Members of St. David s (the local church) as well as offering the Rite of Confirmation to all those who want to officially become Anglicans (the worldwide Anglican Communion). He will also Receive those who have been Confirmed in other Christian denominations and want to now be part of the Anglican Communion. Fr. Jose will also ask him to Reaffirm the Faith of those desiring to do so. Plan on being present with us on that Sunday and welcome our Bishop with a great St. David s welcome. I n November, our SAGES enjoyed a trip to the Getty Center. In December, we plan to attend to the Serving part in our name. We are planning on having lunch as usual on Sunday, December 13 and then leave to visit the Vets at the VA Hospital Center in Granada Hills! If you w ould like to go and give back an afternoon to those who have served our Country, would you please add your name to the SAGES VA Sign-up Sheet in the back of the church beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving or me at spenjohn@yahoo.com You don t need to be part of the SAGES to go! Please let me know if you can also drive and help other SAGES attend. The Vonder Haar Center for the Performing Arts is once again offering us free tickets through Don and Sonja Eitner for the show Visions of Sugarplums in Glendale on either Saturday, December 19 at 7:00pm or Sunday, December 20 at 2:30pm. Our Bishop is also visiting St. David s on December 20. If you are interested in the free tickets for either show, please let me know and I will coordinate the tickets with Don. by Spencer Johnson What are SAGES about? SAGES are all about: Spiritual Enrichment What is God telling us or asking of us as SAGES? Learning Opportunities Special websites for new Knowledge; Field Trips Socialization Get to know your fellow SAGES! Service Opportunities Where can we bring Christ to others. Providing SAGES Needed Services from prayer to helping each other when they need us. Are you a SAGE yet? If not, don t worry, your time will come! What do SAGES get each month besides the above list? A special SAGES new sletter delivered by em ail or snail m ail right to your door! How can you turn that dow n! Sign up now and make sure you get your SAGES s! For more information on how to join the SAGES for all of the above, see Spencer Johnson or him at spenjohn@yahoo.com Happy Birth of Our Savior Month from the SAGES! 6

7 V ol um e 29 N umb er 10 DECEMBER 2015 by Tom and Laurie Leney T he Spiritual Disciplines Classes will continue through the first Sunday in January. The Disciplines being focused on in our final two sessions are: Intercession and Self-Examen/ Humility. If a ny one is interested in g etting closer to God through the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines which God Himself has given us, that we might build and grow in our relationship to Him, then you are encouraged to make the time to attend the classes. Those who have attended have been taught, encouraged and truly blessed as the Holy Spirit has embodied each of the teachings given. Mark your calendars for December 6 and January 6. So far we have heard talks on: Solitude (Alex Falo), Meditation (Fr. Jose), Worship-Personal and Corporate (Alex Falo), Bible Reading and Study (Jennifer Schierholt), Journaling (Laurie Leney) and Simplicity (Serj Y edgarian). The rem aining disciplines we ll be focusing on are: December 6 Intercession (DiAnne Charves) January 6 Self Examen/Humility (DiAnne Charves) Join us! I t is with sadness that we share the news of the death of Alex Klecha, Nikki Freeman s younger brother. Alex passed away on November 23 after a long battle with cancer. Please pray for Nikki and her family in their grief. Helping Hands Ministry W e would like to say thank you to all of you that have signed up to help feed the homeless on the last Saturday of every month. We have created a schedule that will take us out to the end of February. If you have not signed up and are interested in participating, please contact Tom or Laurie Leney so that we can put you on the schedule: , Leneythomas@yahoo.com. Alpha Returns to St. David s A lpha is an opportunity to explore life and the Christian faith, in a friendly, open and informal environment. Even believers and Christians have questions. What are yours? Is there more to life than this? Who is the Holy Spirit? How do I pray? What will I do with the rest of my life? These are just some of the questions that will be answered when you attend Alpha. Alpha is open to any and everyone who needs answers. Come and join us! Our start date is Wednesday, January 13 from 6:30pm to 9pm (each session begins w ith dinner) and runs for a period of 12 weeks. I know that you will be blessed. Invite your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. Call this number or BurbankAlpha@gmail.com for additional information. Looking forward to seeing you! by Deborah Chase 7

8 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 A Mission To Support by The Rev. Jose Poch I just finished reading a book recommended by the Dean of our Greater Los Angeles Deanery, Diocese of Western Anglicans, titled Rich Church, Poor Church Keys to Effective Financial Ministry. One of the chapters dealt with having a Mission worth supporting. This of course is very important. I am not aware of anyone willing to support causes, with their money, their time and their talents, that are not important to them. On the other hand, causes that are of importance to us we are very willing to be generous with everything that we have, we give our money, we volunteer, we pray for them and we invest ourselves in them. It made me stop and think about the greatest cause in my life, Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, His Church and its ministry. This is the reason why I became a priest and have set nearly all other things aside to that I can serve His cause alone. I believe with all of my being that there is no greater cause in all of the world than the spread of the Love of God in His only Son, Jesus, for the salvation of the human race, and that the Church is the conduit of that message to a lost and ignorant society. The Church is God s answer to the sin in our world, it is God s answer to every evil out there and the only visible hope this world has to know that God is Love. It made me also focus my attention on the Mission of St. David s. I read again our Mission Statement and asked myself how we are doing in fulfilling it. Here are some statements I would love for you to consider, which give direction to our Mission, a Mission worth supporting: St. David s Vision Statement St. David s is a Christian Church with no less than 250 active members, who are fully equipped in God s Word, empowered for ministry by the Holy Spirit, and sent to carry out the ministry for which we have been called. St. David s Mission Statement To Live Jesus, To Share Jesus, To Teach Jesus, To Take Jesus to others, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The question I have for all of us is if this is a Vision and Mission worth supporting and if it is, then let us give it our all, together. In the next newsletter we will continue to unpack the meaning of this Vison and Mission and how we are fulfilling it and planning to fulfill it in

9 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 Newcomers Lunch With Fr. Jose Sunday, December 6 at 1:00pm A ll those who have recently begun attending our church and worship with us at any of our three services are invited to attend a special lunch with Fr. Jose, our senior pastor, on Sunday, December 6 after the 10:30 a.m. service. Fr. Jose will be hosting you in the Community Room of the church. The purpose of this special occasion is to welcome you to St. David s and to get to know you and your spiritual journey, as well as introduce you to our church and to our pastor and his family. Please join us. Call our church office at to confirm that you will be joining him or if you have any question about the lunch. We look forward to our continued relationship. 9

10 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 I have been a priest now for over 32 years and in the course of my priesthood I have married a significant number of couples, more than I can remember. Add to these those whose civil marriages I have blessed and add on top of that an even larger number of couples of all ages and number of years married that I have counseled. I myself have been married to Maly, my wife, for almost 40 years. I think I have something to say and teach about marriage, from all the books I have read, conferences I have attended and just pure experience. First, I wish all couples considering getting married would spend some serious time in pre-marital counseling before getting engaged, setting the date and sending out the invitations. Unfortunately, by the time they come to me and I require pre-marital counseling, all of the above is already set and all they are looking for is fulfilling a requirement so that I perform the ceremony. Please, read again my article in last month s newsletter On Living Together before Marriage. This is essential. Second, I would like to strongly and extremely highly encourage all couples considering getting married to take a step back and seriously consider who they are planning to marry, what is their compatibility, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The foundation of a great marriage is not on looks alone or feeling alone. If you don t have a secure foundation you can depend on when the roof feels like it s going to cave in, you re in big trouble. All single people considering marriage at some point in their lives, should pay close attention to the teachings of Scriptures on this subject, especially what they could learn from Genesis 2: Here are five essentials to consider if you want a marriage well founded in a strong foundation: Have a Common desire - Not just for each other s bodies but for each other s company, for each other s companionship. The word Helper in Gen 2:18 is not intended to convey the idea of a servant or a hire help, but rather of one who matches you, who complements you, a partner in life who is willing and desirous to spend their life with you even to the point of self-sacrifice for you. Here 10 Building a Secure Foundation by The Rev. Jose Poch what I am considering is a common desire for you as a person, as their spouse as his/her mate. A Common Appreciation Here appreciation refers to recognition, understanding and respect of the differences between you as well as the similarities. Do you feel appreciated for who you are? Do you appreciate the person you are about to marry for who he/she is or are you already planning to change them after you marry them? Do you understand that you are different as man and woman and as persons? It has been said before, that we marry people who are different from us and then want to make them the same as us once we marry them. A Common Commitment No matter what, the word Divorce will not be uttered or considered by either of you at any time, but rather we will work through this, whatever it is. One of the things I teach couples in pre-marital counseling or in marriage counseling is that when problems arise, neither of you are the problem, the problem is the problem, identify the problem you are both facing, unite against the problem not divide against each other, and resolve the problem together. You are giving each other a godly Promise before the Lord and before your witnesses, live into those promises, uphold those promises no matter what. Are you on the same page when it comes to the Commitment you are entering into? A Common Trust If there is no trust in the marriage, that marriage will not survive. In Gen. 2:25 we read that the man and the woman were naked and felt no shame, in fact what they felt was true freedom, freedom to be themselves before God but most of all before each other. The covering of each other s bodies came only after sin creeped into their lives and into their relationship. They then began to feel shame, fear, blame, etc. Before you marry make sure you can fully trust the person you are about to marry. Vulnerability, transparency, sincerity, speak the truth, trusting that you have each other s backs, each other s well-being in your hearts, that you do not fear the other person, physically, or emotionally, that you trust the one you are about to marry that he/she is and will be whom he/she says they are and will be. Can you express your insecurities and shortcomings without the fear of retaliation, rejection or shame? A Common Conviction Here is where the rubber hits the road. Are you individually and mutually submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When Jesus is the Lord of the individuals in the marriage, He will guide, strengthen, teach and lead the couple to love unconditionally, to forgive without shaming when errors are made, to seek the kind of unity where you truly become one flesh. A common conviction implies one faith shared by both that lead to serving each other and serving others together. Then, that marriage will be bound together to God and by God. These five essential characteristics of a marriage must already be visible in the engagement period. If they are not (all five of them), do not marry, you will be buying yourself a whole lot of trouble in the future and your family, including the children produced by this marriage, will suffer unnecessary pain and sorrow. If these five essentials are not there, you have chosen the wrong person to marry, step back. I must give credit to the authors of the book The Complete Marriage Book for some of the information I have shared in this article. I highly recommend this book to all single people, to those considering marriage and also to all married couples. I take many teachings from this book for my pre-marital counseling.

11 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 Making An Impression Versus Being Impressed I recently read a wonderful and very insightful article on idisciple written by John Maxwell, an author I have learned to appreciate immensely and have read several of his books on leadership. The title of the article is Making an Impression vs. Being Impressed. Although the article is not about Evangelism per se, I think it will help all of us who attempt to share the Gospel with others. In it, Mr. Maxwell tells the story of Jennie Jerome (Winston Churchill s mother) who dined in two consecutive nights with England s premier politicians: Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and his chief rival, William Gladstone. When later she was questioned about her encounter with these two powerful by Fr. Jose Poch and important men, she commented that her experience with Mr. Gladstone had left her recognizing how clever the man was, but her experience with Mr. Disraeli had left her with the feeling that she was the cleverest woman in England. Maxwell s recommendation is that we always try to be impressed with others, instead of trying to make an impression. He adds throttle back on the urge to make your presence felt, and instead look for ways to esteem those around you. By expressing genuine interest in the people in your life, you ll win friends and gain favor. Mr. Maxwell then gives what he calls The 30-Seconds Rule. Within the first 30 seconds of a conversation, say Continued on page 12 W ere you aware that available, for free, are several devotionals that come highly recommended by Fr. Jose? Drop by the Welcome Table near the entrance to the church on Sunday morning where you ll find Tabletalk Magazine, Upper Room Devotional and Our Daily Bread Devotional. Use any, or all, of these devotionals to help guide you during your personal time with God each day. They are also great resources to use with your family as well. Did you catch it? They re free, too! 11

12 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 Making An Impression Continued from page 11 something encouraging to the other person. He writes, Giving out compliments focuses me on the value of the other person and prevents me from being self-absorbed. He then shares the following formula, The Triple A treatment: Estate plans reflecting the love of family and God C hristian Trustmaker is designed by a team of estate planning attorneys, ministry leaders, and technology experts motivated by a vision for an efficient and more affordable way for Christians to prepare quality estate planning documents that also communicate our love for God and family while integrating our Christian values and furthering the Lord s work. Whether creating or updating an estate plan, gain peace of mind knowing you are protecting your family, while at the same time meeting your stewardship objectives, reducing taxes, and avoiding probate. Our easy, step-by-step interview questionnaire guides you through the entire process, offering practical information and scriptural insights along the way. Available plans include Will and Testament, Revocable Living Trust, Power of Attorney for Property, Advance Medical Directive and m ore. The first step in developing a Christian plan is to prayerfully ask God, How can I best pass down and give over the stewardship of Your resources to someone else? This question addresses one of the most important areas of stewardship. Also, many wills today do not contain a testament. Simply put, a testament is an opportunity for us to encourage our loved ones with a declaration of our faith in Jesus Christ. With insights from God s Word, Christian Trustmaker w ill guide you through an easy-to-use online questionnaire that enables you to care for your loved ones, accomplish your stewardship goals, and self-prepare legally valid estate planning documents. Our mission is for you to hear your heavenly Father say, Well done! and for your family to be united in God s love whenever He calls you home. Christian Trustmaker 9870 Research Drive, Suite 209 Irvine, CA (888) This program is being offered to all members of St. David s, by the Diocese of Western Anglicans, and it is now ready for use. Normally Estate Planning, Wills and Advanced Medical Directives would cost in excess of $2,000 with an attorney. This program is being offered to all of us at a much reduced cost of no more than a few hundred dollars depending on your personal needs. Attention Affirmation Appreciation Following this formula, you are more likely to attract friends and reap the benefits of likability. Would this not make you more able to share the Gospel with others? Would this not open people s hearts wider so that you can get an attentive audience, interested in what you have to say? Likability is a very powerful weapon in the sharing of the Gospel. The reverse (not being liked) leads to rejecting us and rejecting what we have to say. Practice this rule set here by John Maxwell and the likelihood will be more souls won for Christ and a greater testimony for the Church. The values of a relationship with you will go sky high. Try it this week! Fr. Jose has asked Alex Falo to be your liaison with Christian Trustmaker, he has also asked Spencer Johnson to assist Alex and we will be prepared to share the information with you as well as to help everyone understand how to prepare the forms, etc. Those that do not have access to the internet will also be assisted by them. If you have any question, please approach Alex or Spencer and set up a time to meet with one of them. This is not just for the elderly but for everyone with any assets to make sure that those assets go to the persons you design as your inheritors. You can also visit our St. David s landing page at: landing/?name=stdavidsanglican. 12

13 V ol um e 29 N umb er 9 DECEMBER 2015 Potluck and S t. David s is governed by a board of directors also known as the Vestry. It is the responsibility of the Vestry to manage and maintain our church facilities and finances in between Annual Meetings. Currently our Vestry is composed of 9 members, each of whom serves a 3- year term. Elections are held each year to vote in 3 new members. Election of New Vestry Members Sunday, January 24, 2016 This year s elections will take place at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 24 during our 10:30 a.m. service (we ll have only one service on this day). Our m eeting will include a potluck meal so be sure to bring enough to share with others. This year we will be electing 3 new Vestry members. Specific qualifications, as implemented by our Vestry in previous years, needed to be met by each candidate. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor. If you have someone in mind, please be sure to speak with them first and have them sign the proper qualification form. The forms can be obtained through the church office. Those qualified to vote at our Annual Meeting are anyone age 16 and older who has been an official member of St. David s (has attended the New Members Class and signed our Membership Covenant) for at least 2 months prior to the meeting and who faithfully attends the services of the church. Not sure if you qualify to vote? Please contact the church office at or admin@stdavidsanglican.org and we ll verify your status. We encourage every member of St. David s to participate in this election process. Recommended Movie: The 33 In Theaters Now by Fr. Jose Poch M aly and I went to see this film on opening day, Friday, November 13. I agree with all the comments that have been made in the ad accompanying this article. This is a must see film for all believers, Invite others to join you at the movies. This truly was a miracle and God was with them all the way. To locate a theater near you, please visit the official website 13

14 14 St. David s Anglican Church PO Box 6928 Burbank, CA