Connection Faith Journey Church home of Gaarde Christian School Journey - Pursue - Impact 11265 SW Gaarde Street, Tigard, OR 97224 Ph. 503.639.5336 http://www.faithjc.com January/February 2014 GIVE CLEAN WATER SUCCESS!!! We received $6455 for Give Clean Water, which was $455 more than our goal was! God always goes over and above what we can ask or imagine! Beginning in 2014, Give Clean Water will be able to provide clean drinking water to over 20 families because of your sacrifices and God s blessings! ARTICLE Page Gaarde Christian School 2014-2015 Registration Gaarde Christian School has partnered with literally thousands of families from the SW Portland area in the education of their children since 1967. We strive to maintain a high level of educational excellence and at the same time keep our tuition as affordable as possible. Enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year begins on January 13th for all current Gaarde Christian School Families. This year Our Community Open House, will be held Thursday, January 30th @ 7pm. This is a great evening to tour the facility and meet the staff of GCS and ask any questions that you may have concerning educating your child at GCS. Open enrollment begins February 4th! The Pastor s Pen 2 Jan/Feb Calendars 3 Schedule 4 West of 55 4 Missions News 5 Adult Ministries 5 Worship 6 Ablaze Youth 6 Journey Kids 7 Your Child, Our Calling Accelerate Clubs 7 Gaarde Christian School 8 lower student-to-teacher ratios, Christian worldview, solid academic foundation for students in high school...many of our former GCS students have gone onto the high school level able to carry high GPA's and becoming Honor Society Members as well as venturing into many avenues of leadership at their school because of the ground work that was laid for them during their years at GCS...
the Pastor s Pen Put it under the love-covers Have you ever tested your children when they were very young to see just how smart they were? When Jeremy was just a toddler, I read somewhere that children at a certain age become aware of time and space. The writer went on to point out that at a certain age if you place a toy in front of your child, then suddenly toss a blanket over the toy, that your child should be aware enough to recognize the loss and take the blanket off the toy. This was not only fun to get on the ground with our baby boy, but also to run the test every once in a while (although Connie thought it was mean.) Like most everything else with my first born (RC cars, basketballs, bicycles) I of course started the fun way too early and of course little Jeremy was oblivious to the whole thing. He was way too young on anyone s charts even for the most brilliant children to even know the stuffed lamb was even there, let alone gone. Somehow Connie did not buy that I was teaching him a very valid biblical principle; The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. There is something so very precious about the innocence of a baby (and cuddly too.) When I covered the little stuffed lamb with a blanket, it was if it had never existed. Gone! Poof! The love that God has for us is so very similar in nature.. His word says that when He forgives us He casts our sins in the sea of forgetfulness to remember them no more (Micah 7:19; Isaiah 43:25) God through His son Jesus has paid the price for our sins on the cross when He died. And when we confess them, and repent (turn away) of them he forgives us, cleanses us (1 Jn 1:9) and chooses to remember them no more. In a way, God through His Son Jesus Christ throws a cover over them just like I did with Jeremy s little lamb. But this time it is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world covering my sin and choosing to remember them no more. There was a dear old saint of God that was part of my life early on in ministry who used to tell me the same thing when I would get uptight about things or even angry; Thomas you need to put it under love -covers. Love-covers?! What are love-covers?! She went on to say; Honey, the Apostle Peter says (1 Peter 4:8;) love covers a multitude of sin. She continued; We are commanded by Jesus to both love and forgive. So, if love covers a multitude of sins throw a love-cover over it. You re mad at Larry, but don t fuss honey, just throw a love-cover over it. You ve done worse. Can you spell O U C H! The full context of 1 Peter 4:8 reads: Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ~NLT As we head into February and Valentines Day, and couples and friends look to appreciating and expressing love, my challenge is to remember the love-blanket. Remember that we all fail, and all fall short in so many ways, yes even including love. This February and always, be motivated by love, and be quick to cover the mistakes of others. Knowing that it is Christ who first was motivated by love to forgive us our sins, and that we ought to follow His lead. Throw LOVE COVERS on it! A love-cover is like a Suzie Hockett quilt, with each patch consisting of those traits found in 1 Corinthians 13: Love is with the bears-all, believes-all, hopes-all and endures-all being the stitching that holds it all together! Here is a poem I wrote as a reminder to: THROW A LOVE-COVER ON IT! When your spouse fails you, When your friend disappoints you, When somebody at church hurts you, When a co-worker messes up bad, When your enemies spitefully abuse you, When sin against you seems untenable, When you ve sinned and need forgiveness, know that Christ buries it under love-covers. Journeying Together; Walking with people, following God Pastor Tom Page 2
January - Febrary 2014 Calendars JANUARY 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Un-Decorate for Christmas @ 5pm The Wave 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Membership Info Meeting @ 1:30pm GCS Open House FEBRUARY 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Super Bowl Football Party Open registration begins for GCS 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 Annual Policy & Procedures Review @ 9am The Wave 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Page 3
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 - Location Varies Wednesdays 7:00 pm ABLAZE Youth Accelerate Clubs Missionettes (Girls Kinder - 5th Gr.) Rainbows (Girls and Boys 3-4 Years) Fridays 7:00 pm The Wave Prayer - Prayer and and Praise Worship (2nd Second Friday Friday of each of each month) month Tuesdays 5:30 am Men s Bible Study - Davidson s Office Hours 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday through Friday West of 55 They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. -Psalm 92:14 In a popular children s book, Winnie the Pooh watches Kanga bound away. I wish I could jump like that, he thinks. Some can and some can t. That s how it is. We see younger or more able men and women doing extraordinary things that we cannot do. They can, we can t. That is how it is. It is easy to feel useless when we can t do the things we were once capable of doing. It s true that we may not be able to jump like we once did, but we can love and we can pray. These are the works that time and experience have prepared us to do well. Love is the very best gift we have to give to God and to others. It is no small matter, for love is the means by which we fulfill our whole duty to God and our neighbor. Our love for one person may seem to be a small action, but love is the greatest gift of all. I Corinthians 13:13 And we can pray. Paul encouraged the Colossians to Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Our prayers are a powerful force in the universe! Love and prayer are mighty works indeed, the mightiest works for any of us. Why? Because our God, who wants to use us, is our all-loving and allpowerful God. God pours His love into our hearts that it might flow out to others. Source: Roper, David H. "Love and Prayer" Our Daily Bread (2013) In His Service, Pastor John Granholm Page 4
Missions News 2014 Missions Convention Mark your calendars now for our annual Missions Convention and reserve Saturday, March 1st for a fun filled, exciting evening! You won t be disappointed; there will be great food, great fun, and great laughter. It s a precious time for all who attend. This year's theme, Beyond where they haven t heard. The apostle Paul was compelled by the Spirit to preach the gospel to the regions beyond. His mission was determined by the desperate urgency of those who had never heard and the divine mandate to tell them. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote: I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man s foundation. He was compelled to take the message of Christ to the regions beyond, where it had never been proclaimed. It's all about souls! The need to tell everyone about Jesus is great. Two things always remain constant: People are still lost without Christ, and God is still in the business of rescuing people from the domain of darkness and transferring them to the Kingdom of God's beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13) The apostle Paul said that people will not know of Christ unless someone is sent to tell them. That is why we as believers, with our churches, partner with missionaries to make it possible for them to take the Word of God to those who have never heard. Mark your calendars now for the Annual Missions Convention the date March 1st. - the time 3:30 to 7:00pm. See you there! Donna Randol Russ and Beth Chambers Jamie and Alisha Deweese Missionaries to OSU (Chi Alpha) Rick & Laurel Ellis Missionary to Chile 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 Azores/Portugal Rob & Jeanel Shipley Missionaries to East Africa David & Dorothy Yunuba Missionaries to Africa John & Carolyn Stewart Missionaries to Africa "When did we start believing that God wants to send us to safe places to do easy things? Jesus didn't die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous. The will of God is not an insurance plan; it's a daring plan. It's time to quit living as if the purpose of your life is to arrive safely at death" - I love the question, "what is God's will for my life?" because to me it means someone is genuinely concerned that how they are currently navigating their daily walk IS NOT path that is marked "Will of God for me". In January, our adults will begin a 4-6 week adventure together considering the above words by Mark Batterson, Adult Ministries pastor & Christian author, as we study his challenging book, ALL IN: You Are One Decision Away From a Different Life. I believe this small group study will be one YOU don't want to miss! Make it a New Year's resolution to join us on Sunday nights @ 6pm at: the home of Ted and Kelly Grosjacques in Tigard, or at the home of Farrin and Suzie Hockett in Sherwood. Pastor Kelly GrosJacques Page 5
Worship I think most of us have mixed feelings when we are going into a new year. Some of us go into the new year with a feeling of anxiety wondering what is going to happen this year; will this be a good year or a bad one? Some of us go into the new year with excitement looking forward to accomplish new goals and new dreams. Although those things aren t necessarily bad, we sometimes get so caught up with those things that we lose sight of what is really important. Maybe your goal this year is to make more money and become a better provider; maybe you are worried about not making enough to provide for your family. The fact is when we lose sight of what is really important, our relationship with God, family and friends also suffer. We can make all the money in this world or don't have a dime, but we can still be there for our family and the happiest year. The key is to prioritize what people and things that are really important to us and make them the focus this year. For example, how we can make our relationship with our family tighter. Let us treat the main thing like the main thing and make this not only a happy new year, but also a memorable year. Phil Tu FJC Worship Leader Youth Ministries It is exciting to know that God is constantly at work. It is easy for us to just write a kid off when they misbehave, but we need to ask ourselves did we spend the time to hear what is bothering them or hear their story? Did we ask ourselves maybe something is going on in that kid's family, and this is just a way for them to express their feelings. I have seen kids misbehave at times or often viewed as a troublemaker, but I have also seen the same troublemakers pouring out their heart to God. It is easy for us to give up hope on someone, but so much harder to love. God did not call us to do what is easy, but He has called us to do the impossible. To love unconditionally, to give without asking for anything in return, and to show God's love without boundaries. It is easy to just write a kid off because they misbehave, but God calls us to love so much more. I want to challenge you to look not only at kids, but also people through a different kind of lens; a lens that looks at people through love, compassion, and understanding. Phil Tu Youth Pastor Page 6
Children s Ministries In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work like you are working for the Lord, not for people. - Colossians 3:23 Work, work, work! Some of us are constantly consumed in work; whether it be your occupation, housework, yard work, or working out. There are so many facets of our daily routines that revolve around types of work and completing tasks. This verse spoke to me this week as I thought about all of the activities that I am involved in and how I am constantly busy. I often forget that the work I do outside of the church should be lifted up to the Lord and that I need to strive to do my absolute best in everything I do. Our children need to witness us doing our best in all that we do, in hopes that they will emulate our habits. I want to show our group of Journey Kids that even outside the physical building of the church, we are expected to give our work to the Lord and do so with a joyful heart. So, as we go into the following weeks, I challenge you to include the Lord in all the areas that you work! Shelby Gill Children s Church SUNDAYS @ 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. Journey Kids 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. M Pact clubs for girls first through fifth grade - and - Rainbows club for preschool aged girls and boys Our Wednesday night clubs were very busy during the month of December with special Christmas activities. Hopefully, these pictures will give you a glimpse of some of the fun we had. We are excited about getting back into the routine of our Wednesday night clubs after our Christmas break. Our goal, as always, is to instill Godly wisdom and values in our students in a fun safe environment. We have exciting plans for each club and would love to have you join. We are especially looking forward to Wednesday night, February 12th, when we will have our Valentine party and award night. In His Service, Connie Frisinger M Pact Coordinator Page 7
Gaarde Christian School I trust that all of our school and staff families had a blessed break. While the Christmas holidays are awesome, it is nice to get back to business as usual here at Gaarde Christian School. We are heading towards the end of our second academic quarter at the end of this month (January). We are also looking forward to our Grandparent and Special Friend days on the 23rd and 24th. It is such a blessing to meet and spend a little time with the grandparents of our students. So often it is the grandparents who have helped make it possible for the student to be able to attend a private Christian school like GCS. This is a great provision for the kids, and we know it has a powerful impact on their lives. Parents and grandparents both make up a large part of our volunteers who do so much to make GCS what it is. God Bless You! Frank Canepa, Administrator YOUR CHILDREN, OUR CALLING Important Dates Jan. 6th - School Resumes Jan. 13th - Re-enrollment for Current GCS Students & Siblings Only Jan. 20st - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (No School, Daycare Closed) Jan. 23th - Grandparent and Special Friends Days Pre-school 3 s TTH, AM PreK, ADK-8th Grades Jan. 24th - Grandparent and Special Friends Days 1/2 Day K, Pre-school MWF 3 s, 4 s & PM PreK Jan. 30th - Community Open House 7 PM Jan. 31st - Teacher Work Day (No School, Daycare Open) Feb. 4th - Open Registration Begins Feb. 17th - Presidents Day Holiday (No School, Daycare Closed) FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE GCS WEBSITE! www.gaardechristian.com 11265 SW Gaarde St. Tigard, OR 97224