Engage Jesus, His Word, Worship, Prayer, Fellowship and Mission

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1 2017 Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene Engage Jesus, His Word, Worship, Prayer, Fellowship and Mission March 2017 Newsletter This past Sunday was our annual celebration Sunday and what a day it was! God is really blessing us these days and we are so thankful for what He is doing. Along with our special guests Rev. Gary Moore and his wife LaVonna and a message that we are more than conquerors, we met several first time visitors, experienced the reception of more than 20 New Members and the celebrated the blessings of an amazing congregation and its ministries. We also sensed the presence of the Lord in joyful worship. Added to that was one of the best potluck lunches ever! I don t know who made it, but there was a potato salad there that could have one a blue ribbon at the fair! If you haven t been to church lately, you have got to get back. There is a sense, a feeling, a real dynamic of expectation growing! Not only that, but God is touching lives. Don t miss out. Thank you to all who made the day a huge success. From the greeters, musicians, singers, ushers, to those who facilitated the potluck and cleaned after... Thank you so very much for all that you did. May God bless you in a way through which you cannot deny His love. Note: Statistical Reports and Financial Statements are available upon request from the church office.

2 The Castro Valley Connection Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene March 2017 A Year of Celebration Be Engaged! Membership 23 New Members English Ministry Wiley & Barbara Davis John & Stacie K opet Charity Hartshorn Leslie Jennings Eddie Jones Kathy Musil Maddie Redmond Mike & Beverly Roche Spanish Ministry Dianelly & Josue Portugal Ivana Mendoza Luey Dehoa Luis Espinoza Rebecca, Cecia & Moises Sage Fanny Hernandez Elicema Gonzalez Javier Torres Anabel Soto From Pastor Steve Annual Report of the Pastor Welcome to our Congregational Celebration Sunday. We re so glad that you are here, a vital part of a great group of normal, ordinary, loved people. I have some good news: God is in the blessing business. God does not need anyone s permission to bless you. He does it when He wants. In fact, the Bible clearly tells us that He blesses us for His own glory! When we are blessed and realize it, He gets the glory! That is amazing. In the Men s Bible Study on Thursday evening we have been looking at how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of ordinary people who are willing to follow God s lead. We read story after store as the Spirit raised up leaders, certified their purpose, directed their ministry, impacted their efforts, empowered their message and transformed their community. We watched as He opened prison doors, healed the lame, changed the stubborn mind, proved the truth, and judged the unjust, the pretender and the hypocrite. We realized His ability to transform lives, to heal pain, to bring peace, to convince with truth and to establish unity. The stories in Acts are incredible. But more incredible than all of this is that same Spirit that so impacted the early church is at work in our church today. God does not need anyone s permission to bless. He simply needs us to be ready, opening up the conduit of his blessing with hearts prepared for what he desires. Often times, God s seem to surprise us; they come when He chooses. Over this past year the Lord has had His hand on us. We have seen many new, wonderful people join our congregation, the facility has seen improvement, finances have been a bit stronger and the vision and master plan are moving forward. The Lord is placing people in right places at the right time to bless our church. Continued

3 The Castro Valley Connection ROARING LAMBS SCHEDULE The Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene Lake Chabot Road Castro Valley, CA Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene A Welcoming, Affirming Congregation, Dedicated to Becoming a House of Prayer, a Place of Worship and a Vehicle for the Healing of the Entire Person March April 19 Debbie Hartshorn 2 Patty Copp 26 Jenn Copp 9 Paul & Debbie Olsen 16 Easter Sunday 23 Valerie Bloemink It has been a blessed year. But as good as 2016 was, you haven t seen anything yet is poised to be a very, very good year. God is ready to bless even more. Are you ready to receive? I want to thank our church leadership for its faith and faithfulness. A special thanks to our church s corporate secretary, Debbie Hartshorn, for faithful service to this church, for your unquestionable focus on keeping us reasonable and on track. To our elected board: Zola Schantin, Judy Pierce, Dana Cintrone, Ed Bovee, Kevin Copp, Jack Stephano and John Porter for their faith, their vision and confidence in the task God has given to us. Thank you to Greg Copp, our church treasurer, for faithful service and integrity in finances, giving confidence to us that the stewardship of this church is in good hands. Thank you to Linda Cole and her Mission s team for keeping us connected to God s work around the world. Thank you to Suzanne Redmond for taking up the important task of Women s Ministry in the Getting to Know You events. Thank you to Judy Carlos for your vision and implementation of a very blessed program for music and worship: we are blessed to have what you bring to us. Thank you Rev. Salvador Zavala and Rev. Simon Lam for your faithfulness in leading the Spanish and Chinese language ministries. Thank you Darrell Shinette for keeping our facilities looking beautiful every week. To our long list of volunteers: Those who serve as Bible study leaders; host homes for small groups; ushers and greeters; who play in the worship band or sing in the worship team; acts in dramas and skits; those who care for our facilities and grounds; bake and deliver cookies; take pictures; purchase supplies; volunteer for the prayer chain; teach our children in Roaring Lambs; serve in Senior Home Ministries; and who give generously and regularly to the funding of this church. God has blessed us with all of you. I cannot thank you enough for your unwavering dedication to the Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene. You are simply ordinary people who are willing to allow God to use you to bless His church. On a personal note: thank you Suzanne for being my partner and support at home and in the ministry. I can only imagine what this new year might be like. All I know is, if we are ready and willing God plans to bless, and will do so in ways that we cannot imagine. Please continue to be faithful and willing to partner with all of our members and friends to make this great church even better. We are ready! Pastor Steve The Castro Valley Connection will be published monthly and updates sent weekly. For announcements, articles and items of interest the church office at cvoffice@castrovalleynaz.org.

4 Page 4 Prayer Concerns: Mari Mahoney Please keep the following items on your prayer list this week: Continuing to pray for Mari s healing from cancer and comfort in this time. The doctor has informed her that the prognosis is not good and that hospice should be called. Jacque Hauser Continuing to pray for Jacque Hauser as she is undergoing treatment. Pray for healing & strength through this process. Bob Walter For continued healing and strength after his surgery. The Bovee Family For continued strength and healing for Bonnie and for Mark as he continues to struggle with his health. New Board and Leadership Please pray for your leadership in this new year: Rich and Diane Reed For Diane s family: for wisdom and help in making tough decisions. Sickness There has been a new wave of colds and several who have physical illness. Please pray for healing. The Castro Valley Connection For Strength and Healing in Marriages We have been hearing about the enemy working hard on families. Pray for protection and for a deluge of God s love on marriages and families. Master Plan and Blessing Pray for God s direction in our Master Plan and blessing for His church. Announcements are coming soon. Our District Leadership Rev. Gary Moore will be retiring in May. This means a new District Superintendent will need to be elected. Pray for God s guidance and wisdom in that selection. Prayer Team: For critical items of prayer contact Pastor Steve or Bonnie Bovee to activate the prayer team. Prayer is essential for the life of the believer, for in it is the vital connection with God. If there are other prayer concerns, please let the office know. Our prayer chain is ready and willing to pray! Did You Know....that Judi Ragsdale is in Hawaii house sitting, suffering for Jesus on the shores of Waikiki?...that Julie Joseph is also vacationing in Hawaii?...that Rev. Salvador Zavala is vacationing in Mexico?...that our February Gospel Music Celebration was well attended and saw folks from many different churches?...that many of our ladies attended the Getting to Know You Women s event and made heating bags delivering some to ladies were unable to attend because of physical limitations?...that many of our college students will be graduating this spring?...that our annual spring Facility Beautification day is scheduled for April 8 at 10:00 a.m.? Any other news? Keep us informed so we can celebrate with you!

5 Tuesday Evening Pierce Small Group Study in Romans 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study Studies in the book of Romans. 3:00 p.m. Men s Bible Study Fellowship Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Pastor Steve s 3 Week Series Continues March 26 & April2 MARCH LADIES EVENT Getting to Know You Saturday, March 25 12:30 p.m. Women s Fellowship Tea Selected Thursdays See Pat Crum or Judy Pierce for information Sunday Hymn Singing and Bible Study Sundays at 5:00 p.m. Senior Home Ministries Wednesday 9:00 Emeritus Hayward 10:00 Castro Valley Acute Care No Bible Study this evening. Potato Bar Bring a salad or a dessert to share. Also bring a vase or container for a floral arranging lesson and garden clippers. Book exchange: Bring a book, take a book. Contact Suzanne Redmond if you will be attending. Jack Schantin Memorial Golf Tournament Saturday, April 15th, 2017 Mission Hills Golf Course See Jack Stephano, Paul Olsen or Skip Crocker for information.

6 Sunday, March 26th at 6:00 p.m. Fellowship Reception to follow. April 16: It s time to be bold! Invite everyone you know to join us!!! Easter Choir Rehearsals Begin 3/15 at 7:00 p.m.

7 Announcements and Calendar Updates Page 7 Announcements and Calendar Updates March Events 12 All Church Celebration Sunday and Potluck 25 Women s Getting to Know You Event 26 A Night Gospel of Gospel Music April Events 2 Confession and Communion Sunday 8 Facility Beautification Day 9 Palm Sunday 15 Jack Schantin Memorial Golf Tournament 16 Easter Sunday 29 An Evening of Gospel Music March Birthdays 17 Krizia Porter 19 Logan Bradshaw 19 Sandy Jones 19 Mike Roche 20 Dan Sipsy 31 Ralph Hauser 21 Ron Gehrke 24 Rolan Kosciusko 28 Sue Little March Anniversaries 20 Dennis & Arlene DeVore 27 Ivan & Debra Mendoza If your birthday or anniversary are not listed, let us know. Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene Church Leadership Board New Members: Marilyn Cole & Michael Hartshorn. Continuing Members: Ed Bovee, Dana Cintrone, Kevin Copp, Judy Pierce, Jack Stephano and Zola Schantin, SUNDAY SCHOOL SERIES Looking at the foundational beliefs of Christianity and their impact on the life of the believer. 9:30 a.m. District Mission s Convention May 11 At the San Jose Point Church Elected Delegates: Marilyn Cole Dana Cintrone Julie Joseph Valerie Bloemink Zola Schantin District Assembly May At the San Jose Point Church Elected Delegates: Zola Schantin Marilyn Cole Alternate: Dave Hartshorn