SPIRIT. Gardena Valley Baptist Church. Inside this issue: Issue 5 March 3, 2010 GV BC M I SSI O N. Dear Family,

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1 Gardena Valley Baptist Church Issue 5 March 3, 2010 GV BC M I SSI O N ST A T EMEN T Helping people discov er Jesus and become His fully devoted follow ers. GV BC PU R PO SE ST A T EMEN T At GVBC, we seek to glorify God by: ~ reaching the world for Christ ~uniting as His family ~worshiping Him with our liv es ~growing in Christ-like character ~and serving others in lov e. Inside this issue: Junior Winter Camp Fun 2 Annual Business Meeting Holy Week Events Profile of David Araya by Kathy Aiso Family News Multi-gen Choir Needs Your Voices FYI: Events Calendar Financial Report Christian Service Scholarship Dear Family, SPIRIT One of the passages of scripture that has always been a key life verse of mine is Matthew 25: 35-36, 45. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' I have always been about how to minister in a meaningful way to those that are going through hard times. Yesterday, our whole staff met with Lydia James who is the Community Services Counselor for the City of Gardena Human Services. We partner with the Gardena Human Services to care for those in need. I had made an error in judgment when I helped some people who came to our door, and it created a problem (even though my heart was in the right place). At the meeting, we reviewed what I did wrong. We learned that those in need in Gardena have increased 300% in the last year. There are basically two types of homeless that go to the City of Gardena for help: streetwise people who know the system, and those who have recently had to ask for help but do not know the system. It is probably the worst thing to just give money to people in need, because the streetwise people will say and do anything to reach their goal of receiving money. But if you spend the time and have a plan to help hold people accountable, good things will happen. We also learned that our church, especially when our staff is not around (after 5 PM on weekdays and on weekends), has become known as a place where people give out money (because our church is generous). We learned that may not be the most helpful thing to do. We were given some suggestions to do instead: 1. If you re approached by someone who is hungry and asks for money for food, instead of giving them cash, go with them and purchase a meal. 2. Don t give money to anyone who asks for help to pay their rent at a local motel. Some managers may not be honest, and may double the amount owed when they find out that honest people (like you) want to help. 3. It s okay to tell people who ask for help, after 5pm or on weekends, to come back Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm, so they can talk to someone on GVBC staff. 4. If you do help someone, please get the person s name and then inform the GVBC office. 5. Be sure to pray with the person you are helping. We also learned that since 1989, the Gardena Human Services has been downsized because of budget cuts. At one point, the City had 8 workers/counselors but come July of this year, they will be down to 2 workers/counselors. I told Lydia, GVBC would help! Anyone can volunteer to help organize the Food Pantry by sorting out expired canned goods that have been donated. Also, if you are a licensed counselor, you could volunteer about 4 hours a month. You can also help by donating to the Gardena Food Pantry. We will be collecting non-perishable items during the months of April & May. The list of the pantry items (take note of the immediate needs) will be available in the bulletin or on the Narthex counter. Also, please look at the expiration dates on the items you donate. Lydia said the oldest canned good they received had a 1951 expiration date! We are held in high esteem by the Gardena Human Services person (even though your senior pastor blew it a learning process), but we can do more, especially during this economic season. Remember Matthew 25. His child, Pastor Steve

2 Junior Winter Camp Fun Six girls, eight boys and four counselors were blessed with a perfect weekend at Forest Home. It was sunny with tons of snow for the children to play in. Just to be in the beautiful mountains and appreciate God s beauty was awesome! They had a great time making new friends, drinking the world s best milkshakes, and learning how their young lives can make an impact for God just as a snowball rolls down a hill, getting bigger, gaining momentum and then making an impact. It was wonderful to see, even in this short period of time, the boys and girls really bonding well and helping each other. When some of the children were asked, what was your favorite part of camp there were various responses such as the food, snowball fights, inner-tubing, and worship time. Thank you to the congregation for your financial support and scholarships, as well as your prayers. We were fortunate to have a bus take the children up to camp and thankful some parents caravanned and brought the children home. Seriously, my sleep pattern was really thrown-off, but for some reason, I did not feel tired at all. God is truly amazing! Susan Wakuta Elementary Children s Director Page 2 SPIRIT

3 Annual Business Meeting Update On February 21 st our church gathered for our annual election meeting. We had a wonderful turnout, which is important so that we can have a quorum of voting members. We were able to pass important motions, recognize contributions, and catch a glimpse of our direction for this year, all in a spirit of fellowship and fun. Of course having a fantastic potluck dinner helped everyone get in a good mood. We first recognized outgoing board members: Rex Hayashi, Perry Ishibashi, Jim Kawashima, Kenichi Okada, and Hermann Schurr. They had all done stellar jobs in serving our church and our Lord. We actually have the privilege of welcoming back both Jim and Kenichi for another board term. Secondly, we saw video presentations highlighting the Evangelism and Property Ministries. It was truly inspirational to see how Evangelism is spreading the gospel and Property (one of our unsung heroes) keeping our facility up and running. They whistle while they work! We also passed some important motions. By God s grace, we were blessed with a surplus of money in Toward the end of the year, the board realized there would be a healthy surplus and voted to do two things. First, we gave Pastor Steve the authority to give bonuses to our church staff members who have not had a raise in many years. Secondly, we recognized, due to the worldwide devaluation of the dollar, our overseas missionaries have suffered. The money we gave them in 2009 bought much less than it did in years past. Because of this, your board moved to give our overseas missionaries a onetime gift out of our surplus. With these two actions done, and still with a surplus of $67,562, the annual business meeting passed the following motions: #1 to transfer $25,000 to the Major Repair Fund and the balance to the Building Reserve Fund, #2 to payoff some of the higher interest loans on the units the church owns on 158 th Street, and #3 to adopt a balanced budget. Pastor Steve finished our time with some words about where he sees our church in the coming year. Some of the key points he shared were: *To develop a clear path for people to know how to move from exploring Christ, to growing in Christ, to being close to Christ, to Christ-centered. Or, as Jesus said to His disciples, to journey from come see (John 1:46) to come die (Matthew 16:24-25). *To embed the Bible in all we do. *To develop more people who are able to teach the Bible. *To hold a 4 th Nehemiah Campaign which will be in the Fall of this year. Your Brother in Christ, Paul S. Hirano, O.D. Church Moderator HOLY WEEK EVENTS March 28 8:45 & 10:45 AM Sanctuary April 1 6:30 PM Community Hall Good Friday Service April 2 7:00 PM Sanctuary Sunday, April 4 6:00 AM Sanctuary Breakfast served after Sunrise Service in the Community Hall Easter Services Sunday, April 4 9:00 AM 11:00 AM Community Hall Issue 5 Page 3

4 A Mother s Influence Profile of David Araya By Kathy Aiso, Contributing Editor Never underestimate the power of a woman. Ladies Home Journal ith the influence of his mother, David W Araya grew up with a solid Christian foundation in Costa Rica. David regularly attended both Sunday school and services at a Methodist church. He also received a Christian education, attending a Methodist school. At age 12, David received the Lord. Having grown up with the King James version of the Bible at school and church, David prefers it to this day. Coming to the United States by himself By age 16, David came by himself to the United States to complete his formal education at Valley Baptist Academy (Southern Baptist) in Brownville, Texas. In 1958, he graduated high school at the academy, which had moved to Harlingen. Upon return to San Jose, Costa Rica, David went to work at Escuela De Idiomas, a school teaching missionaries and embassy personnel Spanish. As a drill instructor, David used drills to teach pronunciation of Spanish. Beautiful hazel eyes As a young adult, David met his future wife, Marie, at a birthday party. What drew me to Marie was the color of her beautiful eyes. They re hazel, David recalled. Although they were both shy, they eventually began dating. In October 1959, the Arayas married in a Catholic church. In 1960, their daughter, Patricia was born in Costa Rica. Sylvia followed in 1963 in Santa Monica. Moving to Southern California With David s brother, Jonathan, and his family living in Southern California, the Arayas decided to move here. In 1969, David and Marie became U.S. citizens. With Patty s cerebral palsy, she was able to get proper treatment and attend a special school in Reseda. The Arayas are grateful for the quality of medical care, which the U.S. offered their daughter. A death brought him back to God God used a brother s death to bring David back to church. When Edgar passed away in 1973, his church, Iglesia Presbyteriana Bethesda (IPB), strongly ministered to David and Marie in their time of bereavement; so much so the Arayas went back to the church to thank the people. It was our intention to thank the people, not attend the church. The people were so loving we ended up staying there, David shared. Time to look for a new church From , the Arayas attended IPB. A group of 90 from IPB formed a new church, Iglesia Cristiana Eben-Ezer (ICE), which the Arayas were a part of. ICE started in Gardena then moved to Lynwood, followed by Long Beach. When the church was well on its way, the Arayas decided it was time to look for a new church. GVBC came to mind. David had attended a memorial service here and frequently drove past the church. Drawn to the warmth of GVBC Upon initially attending GVBC, the Arayas were drawn to the warmth of the people. I really liked the preaching and the people were friendly, David acknowledged. He feels GVBC has a solid pastoral staff, which includes Pastor Steve Langley s preaching and the examples of Pastor Ron Matsuda. Active in ministry at GVBC Active at GVBC, the Arayas attend Shig Kawashiri s adult Sunday school class. They are also part of the Senior Exercise group. When time permits, David enjoys woodwork. He and Marie are also the proud grandparents to six grandchildren: David (age 21), Andres (age 19), Alexander (age 18) of San Jose, Costa Rica; Kimberly (age 23) of Santa Ana, CA., Loreann (age 15), and Stephanie (age 13) of Shelbyville, Indiana. His only regret is they don t all live closer. Always depending on the Lord One of David s favorite Bible verses reminds him to always depend on the Lord: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 When, I ve tried to do things on my own, I run into a wall. At that moment, I depend on the Lord and He sees me through it, David shared. Grateful for a loving mother In retrospect, David is grateful for a mother who was a strong spiritual influence in his early years. She made sure David attended church as well as a Christian school. This early foundation helped promote David s strong Christian walk, which he enjoys today. Page 4

5 Family News Our condolences and prayers go out to: Judi Kitano Yogi & Mike Yogi in the passing of her brother, John Kitano, who peacefully passed away on Wednesday, February 10 at Community Hospital of Long Beach. A private memorial service was held on Monday, February 22 at Green Hills Cemetery with Rev. Gary Shiohama of South Bay Community Church officiating. Socorro (Coco) Kagawa and family in the passing of her brother, Felipe Valenzula, who passed away on Friday, February 19. Services were held in Los Angeles on Friday, February 26. Dick & Paula Amemiya and family in the passing of Dick s brother. Richard & Edith Mark in the passing of Richard s brother, David Mark, who passed away on Saturday, February 13. Memorial services were held in Hawaii on Tuesday, March 2. Letters to our GVBC Family Dear GVBC Family, We deeply appreciate the many ways you have supported the Kuroda family both leading up to and following Flo's passing. Your prayers, visits and home-cooked meals provided much needed comfort and encouragement. You have helped us honor and celebrate Flo's life by showing how well loved she was by her church family. Sincerely, Stan Kuroda & Family Dear GVBC, Thank you for the beautiful floral arrangement you sent [during the passing of Don s father on January 26]. Because of his Alzheimer s in his later years, he was unable to travel so he never got the chance to attend GVBC, but he knew Pastor Steve and the entire Langley family for over 55 years, just like I have. Thank you for your love and prayers, Don & Jeannie Bain and the Bain Family Thanks to the tsukemono crew. Once again volunteers came together to prepare the tsukemono for the Super Bowl Obento. Members of the Esther Circle, Hazel Endo s Bible study, and the Koinonia group plus four brawny gentlemen (George & Paul Hasegawa, James Ho, and Eddie Yorizane) were able to put it together in two hours. We were then treated to a delicious lunch of Spring Garden Special, aka hamburger stew, green salad, rolls, cake and ice cream for dessert prepared by the loving hands of George & Suzanne Hasegawa, Hazel Endo, and Nancy Watanabe. Knowing we were doing it for the young people of our church made it all the more pleasurable. Again, thank you. Arigato, mahalo, gracias. Ruth Kawai, Easter Circle. Dear GVBC, thank you ever so much for your kind remembering with that beautiful floral arrangement with regards to my full recovery. Thank the Lord, I m back to normal again. Henry Yamamoto. The Multi gen Choir Needs Your Voices Calling all existing and NEW Multi-gen Choir Members. All are invited to join us as we sing two songs for our Easter Services on Sunday, April 4. We will sing for the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM services, both in the Community Hall. The children s choir will join us at the beginning of the services to sing one song then the adults will be singing the Messiah s Hallelujah Chorus (like we did for our Christmas potluck) to end the services. Rehearsals take place between the worship services at 10:10 to 10:40 AM in Room 159 (behind the Sanctuary). To sign up, come to a rehearsal and pick up the music and CD of the songs or contact the church office. If you can t attend all rehearsals, please practice on your own with the CD, however, it is advised that you try to attend as many rehearsals as you can, especially the dress rehearsal. The dress rehearsal will take place on Saturday, April 3 at 3:00PM in the Community Hall. Contact: Wendy Katagi (Multi-gen Choir Director), church office. Patty Yanaga (Adult Choir Director), church office. Issue 5 Page 5

6 CONTACT: office (310) [put your event in the subject line]. You can also call or the event leaders directly. WEBSITE: Children s Ministry KidZone (1 st to 5 th graders): Fridays, 7:00 8:30 PM, Community Hall. Wear comfortable clothes and gym shoes to all events. March 5 Handling Emergencies March 12 Dodge Bowling March 19 Volleyball March 26 Egg Hunt Contact: Brandon Tsukamoto via the church office or gvbckidzone@yahoo.com, or Susan Wakuta, ext. 689, susan@gvbc.net. GVBC Men s Breakfast Saturday, March 20, 8:00 AM, Community Hall. Men, join together for a time of devotional and fellowship. Contact Dave Uratsu via the church office. Getting to Know Us Luncheon at GVBC Sunday of March 14, 12:30 2:30 PM, room 113. Pastor Steve Langley and members of the pastoral staff and the Board of Deacons would like to invite you to this free luncheon. We re glad you re at GVBC! This is an informal time to ask questions and share ideas about GVBC and its ministries. Also, the pastoral staff and Board will share the vision they have for GVBC. Sign up on the back of your Connection form and drop it in the offering bag or call the church office, ext. 0. Child care not provided but children are welcome. Daylight Saving Begins Sunday, March 14. Spring FORWARD one hour. Just Walk Across the Room Seminar Mondays of March 8, 15, and 22, 7:00 9:00 PM, room 218. Learn how to be an effective witness of Christ s love as you walk from your circles of comfort and meet with people every day in ordinary circumstances. Develop a natural witness in sharing God s love wherever you are. Books on sale for a discounted price of $9.00. Sign up at the Guest Center in the Courtyard between services. Contact Marianne Matsuda or Cyril Nishimoto via the church office, ext 0. CERT Meetings Thursdays, March 18 & May 20, 7:00 8:30 PM, offsite. More into to follow. Contact Cindy Matsuda. Class 101 Sunday, March 21, 12:30 PM. For those seeking information about GVBC and who would like to become a member and/or be baptized. Taught by Pastor Steve Langley and Layne Wakuta. This class begins with a FREE lunch. Sign up by checking off the appropriate box on the back of your Connection form or contact Jan Magnani, ext. 0 or jan@gvbc.net. Early Childhood Easter Celebration Saturday, March 27, 9:00 AM. Sign up now. Contact Linda Matsuda, ext. 683, linda@gvbc.net. Cleaning/Easter Decorating Saturday, April 3, 8:00 AM. Come help us decorate with hundreds of beautiful lilies and tulips. Page 6 Baptisms Sunday, April 11. GVBC Women s Retreat Saturday, April 24 to Sunday, April 25. All women college aged and older. Palm Garden Hotel 495 North Ventu Park Road, Thousand Oaks, CA per room: $140, 2 per room: $95, 3 per room: $80, 4 per room: $70. Deadline March 14. Space is limited register early! Retreat speaker is Carol Miyake, LCSW. Retreat director: Jessie Carrara. Reaching My Buddhist Friends Sunday, May 23, 12:30 3:00 PM, room 113. Visit the Guest Center between services. Contact Marianne Matsuda. Primetimers 2010 Calendar of Activities Southwest Spectacular (Utah/Arizona), Thursday, May 20 Thursday, May 27, $1,245 per person (double occupancy), $1,645 per person (single occupancy). Deadline: Final payment due no later than April 4. Overnight stays in Las Vegas, NV; Kanab, UT; Page, AZ; Flagstaff, AZ; and Laughlin, NV. Great Reno Balloon Race & Lake Tahoe, Thursday, September 9 Sunday, September 12. Cost: TBD. Price based on participants and will include the gratuity to the driver. Please note: date change. Payment due: August 2. Glory of Christmas at Crystal Cathedral, Sunday, December 12. Cost: $105 (based on participants) includes the gratutity to the driver. Please note: price does not include dinner. Please eat your dinner prior to boarding the bus. We will leave GVBC at 6:00 PM and return at 10:30 PM. Payment due: October 24. Make checks payable to Gardena Valley Baptist Church [your event title in subject line]. Contact: Keiko or Richard Imatomi through the church office. Mexico Outreach Missions (M.O.M.) Saturday, May 15, Tijuana Friday, July 23 to Sunday, August 1, Summer Mission Trip from Oaxaca to Panama Saturday, October 2, Tijuana Friday, December 17 to Sunday, December 19, San Telmo Christmas Mission Trip [NOTE: a U.S. passport is required]. Spanish is helpful, but not required. Contact Teresa Matsushima via the church office. JEMS 61st Mt. Hermon Summer Conference Sunday, June 27 to Saturday, July 3. Applications available on the Narthex Counter. Theme is The Lord Almighty is with us and Pastor Steve Langley is one of the main camp speakers! Information and registration forms also available at the JEMS website at: Deadline to register is May 1. Ohana Festival Saturday, July 10, Mas Fukai Park Vacation Bible School Sunday, July 25 to Friday, July GVBC Seminarian Golf Tournament Monday, August 16 Keep Gardena Beautiful Saturday, September 18. SPIRIT

7 Financial Report $120,000 $110,000 $100,000 $90,000 $80,000 $70,000 $60,000 Month of January Income received Expenses $120,000 $110,000 $100,000 $90,000 $80,000 January Adopted budget Income received Expenses Donations and Flowers given in honor or loving memory FROM Ruth Ono George & Shig Hirano Peggy Peck Ed Nakazawa Lois Ueda Memorial Tak & Lily Shimizu Tak & Evelyn Teramae Kiku Florist IN LOVING HONOR or MEMORY OF Ernie Ono Mas Kinoshita Bob Kato Amy Nakazawa John Matsumura Herb Hayakawa Sharen Weekly donation of flowers Monetary donations given in memory of loved ones go into the College Scholarship Fund, unless specified. Scholarships Available for GVBC undergraduate students: C hristian Service Sch olarshi p Several scholarships are given to encourage those who have used their time and talents in Christian service. For more information, please read the brochure attached to the application. Scholarship application is available in the narthex, and are due on June 20th, including recommendations. For questions, please call Wendy in the church office, ext. #672. Issue 6 will be uploaded to website on Wednesday, March 17. Hard copies available on Sunday, March 21 in the Narthex. All articles should be submitted by Sunday, March 14. The Spirit is copyrighted 2010 and a publication of Gardena Valley Baptist Church, 1630 W. 158th Street, Gardena, CA., 90247, (310) , FAX: (310) , gvbc@gvbc.net, Website: Senior Pastor: Steve Langley (310) , Editor: Susan J. Shelley, susie@gvbc.net. Office hours: 9:00am 5:00pm, Nichigo Website: bc.info. The Spirit is published tw ice a month to keep members and friends informed of programs of the church and to report news about GVBC and its people. Announcements, praise, prayer requests, and letters are welcomed. Articles are subject to editing and/or postponement. Issue 5 Page 7

8 Gardena Valley Baptist Church 1630 W. 158th Street Gardena, CA (310) Web: Twitter: Sunday, March 14. Spring FORWARD one hour. More & More Morning 8:45 AM & 10:45 AM Nichigo Japanese-speaking 10:45 AM, Room 201 Sermon Series: More & More A Bible Exposition in 1 Thessalonians Sunday, March 7/Communion Pastor Steve ~ 1 Thessalonians Sunday, March 14 Pastor Steve ~ 1 Thessalonians Sunday, March 21 Special speaker: Rick Chuman, JEMS new director Sunday, March 28 Palm Sunday English-speaking children s Sunday school runs concurrent with the Worship Services. Nichigo children s Sunday school 9:30am, Room 206. Steve Langley, Senior Pastor, ext. 0 Bunso Otani, Nichigo Pastor, ext. 676 Ron Matsuda, Associate Pastor Teaching, ext. 679 Annette Kakimoto, Assistant Pastor Leadership Development, ext. 680 James Chang Assistant Pastor of Young Adults, ext. 682 Chris Koga, Assistant Pastor College, ext. 685 (pt) Daniel Matsuda, Assistant Pastor Youth, ext. 681 Layne Wakuta, Pastoral Intern Junior High, ext 684 (pt) Susan Wakuta Elementary Children s Director, ext. 689 Linda Matsuda Director Early Childhood, ext. 683 (pt) J.J. Frey, Worship Coordinator (pt) Wendy Nakano, Office Manager, ext. 672 Rei Abe, Nichigo Secretary, ext. 677 (pt) Peggy Kushigemachi, Financial Assistant, ext. 675 Jan Magnani, Secretary, ext. 671 Dawn Robinson, Christian Educ. Secretary, ext. 678 (pt) Susie Shelley, Newsletter Editor ext. 673 (pt) Kevin Hatashita, Maintenance Asst. ( pt) Socorro Kagawa, Maintenance Asst. (pt) Kevin Maeda, Maintenance Asst. (pt) Kyle York, Maintenance Asst. (pt)