Dear Friends,
Jesus’ fame spread through the testimonies of the first believers. Your testimony is the account of what God is doing in you and through you. This week, I have asked members of our Emma Circle to share with you an excerpt of some of their experiences. GOD IS STILL SPEAKING . . .
Best — Jonathan Tarman, Student Pastor of Youth
As most of you know, the Emma Circle and chaperones had the opportunity to attend the three day UMW School of Christian Mission in Redlands. There were 22 Emma Circle ladies and 11 chaperones. First of all, we wish to thank all of you who helped in any way to make this miracle a reality. Your generosity has helped to show all of us how God is at work in this beautiful world that we live in. I feel sure we will never forget the lessons we learned or the new friends we made along the way.
Althea A.: My experience at SCM was unique and special. I loved every moment of it. I enjoyed the knowledge I gained from the lectures about Native Americans as it opened my mind and heart to their past and culture. The Sacred Spa was one of the most spiritual and special experiences of my life. I felt close to God and at one point I thought I saw God through the words of Lenita and Kim. This experience caused my faith and love for God to grow.
Ester A.: It was a great opportunity for our girls to experience attending one of the big events of the UMW. All our girls enjoyed and learned a lot of things. They even had a chance to make new friends. On our last day they were able to experience working together and raised $580.00 by singing dancing and cleaning the tables in the cafeteria for the “Nothing but Nets” program.
Ingrid D.: I thought the whole experience was a great opportunity. We learned about Native Americans and what they went through. On cultural night the Navajo dancers were really cool and did tricks with hoops. It was cool meeting new people and getting to know them. My favorite thing was the spiritual Spa. I felt like I saw Jesus.
Miah F.: This was my first time at SCM and I really enjoyed it. It was not the way I expected it to be. It was fun getting to meet new people and learning more about the Native American culture. I truly enjoyed the interesting ways of the Native Americans.
Al & Betty L.: We enjoyed all portions of the SCM. Especially the “I Believe in Jesus Study.” The studies by Rev. Samuel Domingo were inspiring but while listening to him speak we could hear the Emma Circle girls laughing and having fun in their classrooms behind us. To hear them enjoying themselves while learning about UMW mission work was full reward for the effort to get them there.
Richard & Jennifer P.: We all enjoyed the experience of SCM. Chaperoning the girls was fun. The kids enjoyed the school, dancing, arts and crafts, cheerleading and the teachers were wonderful. We all enjoyed “I Believe in Jesus” classes and it was wonderful to share. We also enjoyed the Sacred Spa.
Ester O.: The thing that truly attracted me to the School of Christian Mission is how these wonderful teachers used age related material to share their knowledge and know-how to the young Emma Circle ladies who I feel will become strong powerful leaders of our church and the UMW of tomorrow.
Alma Q.: It was a wonderful experience at SCM. I enjoyed the Sacred Spa most of all because it was spiritually uplifting. The speaker was wonderful. I also gained knowledge about Israel & Palestine that was interesting and inspirational. The speaker was exceptional and I am looking forward to next year’s meeting.
Pam S.: I hope each member of our church family will attend next year’s life altering SCM.
Florette S.: School of Christian Mission has left me with two profound statements that are and will continue to be my companions: (1) people need to loose the animosity in their personalities, and (2) there are two kinds of rules. The Jesus rules and the rules of religions institutions. If following the Jesus rules and rocking the boat as opposed to following the other rules makes you an outcast within your church, so what. Jesus was an outcast and he continues to rock the entire world!
Lucy T.: Attending the school of Mission was a big help to the Emma Circle to learn more about the UMWi especially the involvement of our church in mission work. This experience will always be remembered and will be a very good foundation to be a better member of the church and of UMW.
August 5th, 2008
Rev. Joanne Satterburg
Reading: Matthew 14:13-21
17:01 | 10.8 MB | Play Sermon
August 3rd, 2008
Dear Friends,
As summer begins to wind down there is one thought that occupies my (and most other students’) mind; it’s almost time for school to begin. It seems like it has only been a few weeks since I finished my last exam. Although school can sometimes seem tedious, I want to remind all students that each new year brings us closer to our goal; a degree. Whether it is a high school, college, or graduate school, you can’t finish what you don’t begin.
This year, Claremont. School of Theology has nominated me to be a standing committee member of the Young Adult Seminarians Network; an organization under the umbrella of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. YASN is a network of United Methodist seminarians ages 35 and under and those concerned with the issues of those 35 and under. I was honored to accept the nomination, even though it meant that I would have to travel a bit more than I would like to during the school year.
I believe that my new relationship with the YASN and the GBHEM is a tremendous opportunity for myself and our church. One of the reasons I was chosen was because I serve in a diverse congregation. I will be relied upon to share how we at FUMC Torrance are able to worship as one body, and embrace our differing ethnicities. Our church will be in the spotlight because of what you have accomplished. I ask that together, we embrace this new attention and use it to show other churches that we are all a part of the same Body; the Body of Jesus Christ.
Peace and Blessings,
Christopher Carter, Student Pastor of Discipleship
July 29th, 2008
Dear Friends,
We’ve been undergoing several adjustments in our offices recently. This past week, our new student pastors have now occupied the space previously held by Rev. Mark Sturgess. Jon Tarman and Chris Carter will be now sharing that office. Thanks to the Endowment Committee and the leadership of Duane C, we will be purchasing different types of desks and accessories to better suit their needs. I would like to thank Bob M. for preparing the office by personally taking the time to scrub and steam clean the carpet.
The Endowment Committee has been great in supporting our requests for other improvements. Several months ago the committee gave me the go ahead to purchase new furniture for my office. I now have a conference table and chairs, an end table, and two zen type step shelves. These additions have helped to make my working area more welcoming. Also added were a printer, a flat screen monitor, and a laptop with a docking station. Moreover, to further the reach of our wireless internet capabilities, a more powerful router was acquired. We can now better access the web upstairs, in the fellowship hall, in Byham Lounge, and in the sanctuary. Kudos to Kathie A., Bill L., Gary W., and Scott W. for making this all happen.
We are truly grateful to many of our church members who gave generous donations and memorials to build up our endowment reserves. I would also like to express my appreciation to those good stewards on the committee who manage the funds. These improvements will greatly enhance our ability to do ministry and foster a very pleasant working environment in the present and for the future.
– Pastor Bob
July 22nd, 2008
Rev. Bob Isip
Reading: Genesis 28:10-19a
17:09 | 10.8 MB | Play Sermon
July 20th, 2008
Dear Friends,
It’s that time of the year again when I gear up for my annual bike trip. I will be taking two weeks of vacation from July 22 to August 3. This year’s tour of the Cascades will run from July 25 to August 2, beginning and ending in Everett, Washington. Prior to the trip I plan to visit a cousin in San Francisco on the way up.
What I love about bike touring is that it is a combination of sightseeing, taking in some history, communing with God’s wonderful creation, engaging in extreme sport, and being in fellowship with a great group of people. There are about 30 . of us signed up, mostly United Methodist from Southern California, including one of our church members, Marliese W. As in years past, we will stay at motels and churches along the way and carryall our stuff on our bikes. We will average around 60 miles a day and climb some challenging hills. I especially look forward to concluding the trip along the coast and spending a day at Orcas Island.
Chris Carter, our Student Pastor of Discipleship, will be preaching on July 27, and Jon Tarman, our Student Pastor of Youth and Education, will be preaching on August 3. Rev. Joanne Satterburg will be presiding over the sacrament of Holy Communion on that first Sunday of August.
If you need to reach me, I will have my cell phone and the number is 626-487-2329. Some areas may have little or no reception, but texting would be an effective option.
– Pastor Bob
July 15th, 2008
Dear Church Family,
Our church was rumbling with activity from June 23rd to June 27th as the hearts of our children were truly UNDER CONSTRUCTION during this summer’s Vacation Bible School. This summer’s theme was Habitat for Humanity and the children, ages preschool to fifth grade, were gathered each evening from 6:30 to 8:30 to learn how to build a community of caring people learning to follow Jesus.
Each evening began with a meal provided by a different family or church organization. After dinner, we entered into a time of praise and worship followed by a puppet show. Through the puppet show, we were exposed each day to the story of a family that was in need of a home. We entered into this family’s life by becoming part of the process that moved them from their “house” into their “home.” Following the puppet show, each class moved into their individual classrooms to learn that day’s Bible lesson. The day’s construction culminated with an exciting craft activity. On Friday, an offering was taken to benefit the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. This construction project had an average attendance of thirty children daily.
On behalf of the Christian Education Committee, I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making VBS such a huge success! Our church family showed support on every level. We had between twelve and fourteen youth helpers each evening as well as eight classroom teachers and many other adult helpers. We can truly give thanks to God for this opportunity to build His kingdom by ministering to His children.
Blessings,
– Jonathan Tarman
July 8th, 2008
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