Pastor’s Column (Page 8)

Dear Friends and Family, Happy New Year!!  I send this message with wishes for a blessed year of good health, good family and good faith to each one of you.  I know that there were many rollercoasters throughout 2017 with struggles and challenges, but as I look at 2017 as a whole I see a multitude of blessings throughout it and those are the memories that I am choosing to focus on as we move into a new year. What…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! William Butler is quoted as saying, “Education is not the tilting of a poll, but the lighting of a fire.” Education can come in the classroom, but ll also comes from the experiences In our life and our education does not stop when we receive a degree or certificate, but education is a life-long process Each day is an opportunity for us to be set on fire by the learning that takes place. We…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! There are many things in life that excite me, and ministry is one of those things. I get excited when I see smiling kids running around the church for Vacation Bible School. I get excited for Filipino Heritage Sunday when the church comes alive with passion and praise for our heritage. I get excited when the choir sings and the children dance. I get excited when new people visit our church, and, especially, when…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! This Sunday is Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian church and it comes just a week after I celebrated both my girls’ birthdays. I have been neck deep in baking cupcakes, buying decorations, planning games, making goodie bags and wrapping presents. A birthday is not about any of these things, but these are the things that help us to celebrate such a wonderful occasion. On Pentecost we wear red, hear the scripture and songs…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! The difference between knowledge and wisdom comes from experience. We learn knowledge from books and classrooms, but we gain wisdom from living life. Week after week I teach and preach from the Bible, both from the knowledge I have gained in my training, and also from my experience of God through my life and through my faith. There is one experience that I long to have to increase my wisdom and that is the…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! The journey from ashes to lilies is almost upon us. Ash Wednesday is March 1 this year and Easter Sunday is April 16. Between those two days we are challenged in our faith and in our life to make sacrifices and become more disciplined in an effort to grow closer to God and to fully realize the impact of the cross and empty tomb in our life. On Wednesday, March 1, we will gather…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! I recently found this poem by Aleena as I was reflecting on the meaning of a new year and wanted to share it with you. Read it and consider what possibilities are on the horizon for 2017. What goals do you have? How do you desire to grow and change in the coming year? What steps will you take to fulfill these desires? The year is ripe with possibilities and I am excited to…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! Thanksgiving isn’t here yet (while I am writing this), but my brain, my desk and the church are already full speed ahead planning and preparing for the Advent and Christmas season. In the spirit of speeding ahead, I want to dedicate this article to the year 2017. In 2017 I am planning on focusing on three simple words: Invite. Welcome. Disciple. Invite. I walk outside the doors of our church and I see houses.…

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! Christmas is creeping ever so close as the countdowns have begun. Here at church we are already getting ready for Advent and the Christmas season. The Worship committee has chosen “The Redemption of Scrooge” as our worship and study series for Advent, as we use the timeless classic A Christmas Carol as our launching point for the message of Christ’s birth and our redemption through his life and death. The Christian Education committee has…