Why Celebrate The Past?

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Mae Barnett
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Why Celebrate The Past? By Billy Ford, Pastor Beginnings of BCC Fifty years ago, the vision of a pastor named Donald Puerling materialized when Bouquet Baptist Church was planted in the Saugus area.

2 Why Celebrate The Past? By Billy Ford, Pastor Beginnings of BCC Fifty years ago, the vision of a pastor named Donald Puerling materialized when Bouquet Baptist Church was planted in the Saugus area. It was started as a missionary church receiving support from Van Nuys First Baptist (now Shepherd of the Hills) and Downey First Baptist. The church began by meeting in people s home in 1967 and was incorporated the next year with an attendance of 25 adults and 45 children. The church soon moved to Rosedell Elementary School and then Arroyo Seco Junior High. Having purchased some property where the Bouquet Condominiums now sit, the church moved a portable building (currently the church office) onto the site. This property did not have water or electrical capabilities and was deemed to be in a location that was not central enough. It was later sold to help build our current church. Celebrating 50 Years Fifty years have come and gone since those humble beginnings, and we are in a good place to launch into the next fifty. But first it is important to take time to look back and celebrate (please make sure to RSVP for our 50 th Anniversary Celebration on September 23!). Four Reasons to Celebrate The Past: 1. To Give Honor Scripture teaches us to give honor to whom honor is due (Romans 13:7). To give honor is to ascribe worth, i.e. to treat something or someone as valuable. We must acknowledge that we are enjoying the benefits of sacrifices that were made many years ago. Many churches in our valley desperately long to have property and buildings of their own. They meet in schools or industrial parks, paying leases that only tend to go up (I know of a church that was paying over $9000/month in Canyon Country!). We, however, are blessed to have a place of our own. We don t have to come up with money each month to pay a landlord. We are free to pursue the ministry God has called us to without the extra burden that so many other churches carry. We should be very, very grateful. We should honor those who came before us, those who had the vision and made the sacrifices to provide what we now and enjoy. They gave financially, they gave of their time and energy, they prayed and often suffered in the building of this ministry. Praise God for them. 2. To Gain Wisdom We are taught in God s Word to value wisdom more than gold and silver. We gain wisdom by seeking God, meditating on Scripture, and finding good counselors. Wisdom can also be found by reflecting meaningfully on the past. Proverbs 24:32 says, I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. It is often said that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. It is important for us to reflect on the past so we can learn from both what went right and what went wrong. 3. To Know God We grow in our knowledge of God as we reflect on what He has done in history. This is why we often see in Scripture God s people making memorials. For example, when God stopped the flow of the Jordan River, Joshua commanded a memorial to be made of piled stones. Future generations would ask about the meaning of the stones and they would be told about what God had done. The feast of Passover is another kind of memorial designed to point future generations to the true God. As we celebrate the past, we are reminded of who God is and our identity in Him. 4. To Move Forward While it can be easy to reflect on the past for the sake of nostalgia, the real purpose should be to move forward into the future God has prepared for us. While Hebrews 11 envisions the past people of God as a great Hall of Faith, Hebrews 12 turns the attention to us. It is now our turn. It is as if we are in a great relay race. Those who have gone before us have passed the baton and taken their seats in the stands. They are cheering us on as we now run our leg of the race. The purpose of looking back is to remember our purpose, to be encouraged that God is faithful, and to run with perseverance. The leaders of our church have all had the sense that our 50 th Anniversary celebration is about a new beginning (this is what Jubilee is all about). It is time to aim for the future with faith and dedication. We have been chosen by the Father, our focus is on Christ, and we are led and empowered by the Spirit. Let the next fifty years begin! Reminder: Please come to the prayer service this Sunday, September 10, as we seek God s help for the season ahead.

3 On Saturday, September 23, :30-9 pm BOUQUET CANYON CHURCH (First Baptist Church of Bouquet Canyon) will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary We hope you can join us! If you haven t RSVP d, please call the church office right away ( )

Wednesday evening programs begin again on September 6, 6:30 pm 101 Class will be held on Sunday September 10, at 10:40 am Jubilee Prayer Service, Sunday, September 10 at 6:30 pm Men s Retreat weekend

4 Wednesday evening programs begin again on September 6, 6:30 pm 101 Class will be held on Sunday September 10, at 10:40 am Jubilee Prayer Service, Sunday, September 10 at 6:30 pm Men s Retreat weekend at Thousand Pines, September th Anniversary celebration, Saturday, September 23, 5:30-9 pm Baptism service on Sunday September 24 SCV Pregnancy Center annual Walk for Life event is on Saturday September 30, at Church on the Way, Valencia Family Promise guests arrive Sunday October 1 for the week Box City, a Family Promise fundraiser, Saturday afternoon, October 7 thru to Sunday morning If you are interested in knowing more about any of these events, please call the church office at Welcome to New Church Members! At the August business meeting the church body voted to accept Melvin & Gladys Coward and Adam Zander (not pictured) into church membership.

Jubilee Prayer Service Sunday September 10, at 6:30 pm In preparation for the beginning of our church s next 50 years, we are calling on everyone to come and pray together.

We are also asking for you to fast for a day, pick a day to suit your schedule, leading up to the prayer service on Sunday.

5 Jubilee Prayer Service Sunday September 10, at 6:30 pm In preparation for the beginning of our church s next 50 years, we are calling on everyone to come and pray together. It will be a time of corporate confession, repentance, and crying out to the Lord for His help and blessing. We are also asking for you to fast for a day, pick a day to suit your schedule, leading up to the prayer service on Sunday. Join us as we ask God to pour out His Spirit at this pivotal point in our church s history. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. - Joel 1:14 Childcare will be provided Contact the church office if you would like to be baptized.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 9 & 11a Worship 9:30a Teens Sunday School 4 Labor Day Office closed 5 6:45p Men s Bible Study 6 6:30p : Adult Bible Study Ladies Study

6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday & 11a Worship 9:30a Teens Sunday School 4 Labor Day Office closed 5 6:45p Men s Bible Study 6 6:30p : Adult Bible Study Ladies Study Group Stellar Kids Junior High Mins 8:30p: College Group & 11a Worship 9:30a Teens Sunday School 10:40a 101 Class 6:30p Jubilee Prayer Service 11 10:15a Prayer Meeting 12 7a Walking the Paseos Group 8:30 Ladies Coffee & Connect 6:45p Men s Bible Study 13 6:30p : Adult Bible Study Ladies Study Group Stellar Kids Junior High Mins 8:30p: College Group 14 7p Leadership Board Meeting 15 Men s Retreat 16 Men s Retreat 17 Men s Retreat 9 & 11a Worship 9:30a Teens Sunday School 6p High School Mins 18 10:15a Prayer meeting 19 6:45p Men s Bible Study 20 6:30p : Adult Bible Study Ladies Study Group Stellar Kids Junior High Mins 8:30p: College Group :30p 24 Baptism 9 & 11a Worship 9:30a Teens Sunday School 6p High School Mins 6:30p Saugus Life Group 25 10:15a Prayer meeting 26 7a Walking the Paseos Group 8:30 Ladies Coffee & Connect 6:45p Men s Bible Study 27 6:30p : Adult Bible Study Ladies Study Group Stellar Kids Junior High Mins 8:30p: College Group

The Power of a Short-Term Mission Trip

The Power of a Short-Term Mission Trip By Billy Ford, Pastor This summer (June 30-July 7) our church is sending a team to the Hopi tribe in Arizona to share the good news of salvation through Jesus, and