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News from a Light in the Valley
The San Jose Congregation of the Worldwide Church of God Summer, 2001
Vol. 5 No. 3
Matt 5:14-16 "Ye are the light of the world...Let your light so
shine!"
TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Editors Desk…
Steve Orr Ordained
Personal from the Pastor
Personal from the Pastor’s Wife
Out of My Comfort Zone
From Our Sister Churches to the North
Teen Scene
Church Happenings
The Younger Set
From Our Sister Church to the South
Did You Know?
Mel Dahlgren gives testimonial at Good Friday service
On With the “New” and Off With the “Old”
Greetings from Estonia!
Fulfilling Our Commission and Making Disciples
Caring for People God’s Way Video Series
Women’s Ministry
Newsletter Staff
From the Editors Desk…
Welcome to the Summer edition of a “Light in
the Valley!” I hope you are staying cool and comfortable in spite
of the heat, blackouts, and not being able to afford to run your air conditioner.
We have some special treats for you in this issue of our newsletter. Anthony
once again does a great job in his “Did You Know?” column. Be
sure to read it to find out who owns you. Betty Shamus has a line-dancing
ministry and she shares an experience of how that led her “Out of
Her Comfort Zone.” Aimee McNally gives us some thoughts in renewing
our minds in “Off With the Old and On With the New.” John Jester
tells us how we came to be involved in the “Jesus Video” project
in his article on fulfilling our commission. Myra and Jeremy Stokes explain
more about their mission to Estonia. It’s a power packed issue, so
grab a glass of lemonade, sit in the shade, and read all the news from
a “Light in the Valley.”
Steve Orr Ordained
In an emotionally charged ceremony, Steve Orr was ordained an elder on
June 23 during church services. Steve and his family, wife Jeanette and
children Matthew, Danielle, and Jessica are in the process of moving to
Bozeman, MT where Steve has accepted a new job. After Steve and Pastor
Mel counseled with Worldwide Church of God (WCG) District Superintendent,
Guy Englebart and Gerald Schnarenburger, District Superintendent for the
Montana area, it was decided that Steve would start a small Bible study
group for those who formerly attended WCG church before it was disbanded
for lack of a pastor. Of course, new believers will also be invited to
attend. It is hoped this will eventually become a house church. If it
does, Steve will be the lay pastor and go to Pasadena, CA for further
training. Even though Bozeman is not in our geographical area, it is considered
a mission project for the San Jose church. Your prayers for the success
of this mission are deeply appreciated.
Personal from the Pastor
By Mel Dahlgren
Are You Sick and Tired?
Heart Disease is the #1 health problem in America. Cholesterol and
clogged veins are the culprits. And when a heart attack or stroke strikes
like lightning in a thunderstorm, “WHAM!” your life is often
changed forever. Aren’t you sick and tired of all this? Is God telling
us something?
There is no doubt that the American diet of fast food and other high fat,
processed foods are taking its toll. But it is becoming more evident
that the biggest factor is stress and what one author describes as hurried
sickness – being on the go all the time with no rest and constant
abuse of the body’s adrenal system. God tells us “the curse
causeless shall not come” in Proverbs 26:2. Is there a spiritual
lesson glaring us in the face?
I say a resounding “YES”!!!
Isn’t it interesting that the #1 spiritual health problem is also
a heart problem!!!!!!! God cries in Deut. 5:29 “Oh, that there
were such an heart in them that they would love me and keep my commandments!”
Isn’t it interesting that clogged veins are also the culprits?
Our veins are clogged with the cares of this life. These cares cling to
our veins like cholesterol. As a result, many Christians are “sick
and tired.” They are sick of the rat race, but too tired to
go to church. You’d have to be blind not to see the difference
in traffic on a weekday morning versus a Sunday morning. Are we
sick and tired? Better yet, are YOU sick and tired? Are you
sick from the pressures of this life, but too tired to pursue the solution.
Yes, we all want a heart like David. When we read the Psalms,
we see just why David had a healthy heart! He kept his veins clean
through a constant flow with God. Psalms 55:17 shows that he exercised
that flow morning, noon and night. Love for God flowed in David’s
veins. His heart panted after God. He had God flowing through his heart,
and this gave him the heart of God. And God lead him by still waters and
green pastures when his world was crashing around him.
How can we, too, have a healthy heart? How about exchanging the
fast food of quickie Bible studies and on the run prayers for a passion
for wholesome meals in the Word of God and getting to REALLY know the
only One who has everything to give that really satisfies.
Don’t put it off any longer! Don’t tolerate being sick
and tired. Exchange the cholesterol of busyness for a commitment to a
small group that is studying God’s Word in depth. Or even start your
own small group with a friend or two, and ask God to bless it as only
God can bless. For God’s Word shows you the way to a healthy
heart. Your friends will also thank you for leading the way to a
healthy heart and avoiding a spiritual heart attack. And then you
can kiss good-bye to being “Sick and Tired.”
Personal from the Pastor’s Wife
By Barbara Dahlgren
Does Your Idol Have Clay Feet?
One of my favorite images in the Bible comes from Daniel 2:31-36. The
king had a dream. He envisioned a great idol with a head of gold, a breast
and arms of silver, a belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron. It
was a stately image with the strength of metals and ores. However this
seemingly strong idol had feet made of part iron and part clay. Therefore,
when a stone smote the image at this most vulnerable part it broke into
pieces and the idol fell down. You see, dried clay is easily fragmented
when hit just the right way.
And so it will happen with every person we love whether it be mother,
father, sister, brother, mate, child, or friend. And so it will be with
each person we set up as an authority figure, each person we admire, we
mentor or who mentors us. It’s the people we are closest to or look
up to the most that have that ability to hurt or disappoint us the most.
It may happen in a tone of voice we don’t like, or a comment that
hits us the wrong way. Or maybe they just flat out make a big mistake
and it doesn’t matter how much they apologize, we just can’t
forgive or forget. Let’s face it. All people are human and have clay
feet. And when that rock of offense hits those clay feet the wonderful
image we have of a person comes tumbling down.
We focus on scriptures like Matthew 18:6 or Mark 9:42 that say it would
be better to drown than offend one of God’s little ones. We focus
on scriptures like 1 Corinthians 8:13 which tell us not to deliberately
offend. But rarely do we focus on scriptures like Psalm 119:165, which
says, “Great peace have those who love thy law and NOTHING shall
offend them.” We are not the “little ones” in Christ. We’ve
been around awhile. We might even be considered, perish the thought, the
“old timers.” If we are too quick to impute a wrong motive,
look for the hidden meaning, or over evaluate every statement people make
perhaps we are lacking in some of that peace that comes from loving God’s
law.
Even Paul said to follow him as he follows Christ.
(1 Corinthians 11:1) Paul knew he was human and would make mistakes. Paul
had the ability to disappoint. He even disappointed himself with his own
humanness. (Romans 7:18-21) But he also knew that Jesus Christ never made
mistakes. Jesus Christ never hurts people. Jesus Christ has a pure motive
in how He deals with us. Jesus Christ does not have clay feet. And guess
what? Jesus Christ just might live in that person you think is deliberately
offending you.
Maybe we should cut each other a little slack. Maybe we should accept
that apology. Maybe we should overlook that comment. Maybe it wasn’t
their tone of voice that was off but our hearing. Maybe they didn’t
even say what we thought they said. Maybe they are just struggling to
live the Christian life like we are.
I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll try not to throw stones at your
feet, if you’ll try not to throw stones at mine. Of course, I may
slip up. You know, my feet are made of clay.
Out of My Comfort Zone
By Betty Shamus
When the nurse from Hermann’s Sanitarium (a mental hospital) called
and invited me to come and entertain the patients at their annual Country/Western
Barbecue, I thought it was a joke!! But, it wasn’t.
I talked with Edrie Felts about what reactions I could expect from the
patients. Armed with more information, and praying about it, I said, “Yes!”
When the big day came, Larry, my “sound man”, my four line dancing
partners and I set out for the hospital. I was scared! I had never done
this before! Sure, I’m a line dance instructor at two senior centers,
but this was different! Very different! Why did the nurse call ME out
of all the instructors she could choose from?
There were about 50 patients in the lovely garden courtyard. The sun was
shining; the weather was beautiful. I said another quick prayer to our
Father and said “I know you brought me here, Father, so let’s
sing and dance with these friends.” And we did.
The surprise sing-a-long idea that God added to my line-dancing program
was a big hit. The patients joined in, not only singing, but also clapping
their hands. Some were smiling and stomping their feet. I loved how they
enjoyed the music. Some even joined in the dancing, along with the nursing
staff. (However, I couldn’t help but notice a few patients asleep
in the wheelchairs! Right in front of me! Oh, well, you can’t win
them all.)
I noticed an 80-year-old man singing with all his heart. So, I went over
to him, sat next to him and placed the microphone so all could hear him.
He knew every word to the songs!! A real showman!
We were invited to stay for the barbecue and had some tasty hamburgers
and beans.
I thanked God for getting me out of my comfort zone. I loved being able
to bring those patients some joy. So, when the invitation came for a “back
by popular demand” performance on June 8, I wasn’t afraid to
say, “YES”.
From Our Sister Churches to the North
by Jim Roberts
A Coyote Pentecost
As Pastor Mel put it, Coyote Hills was an appropriate venue for a combined
church service celebrating Pentecost, because it featured an ongoing “sound
of a mighty rushing wind.” In spite of windy conditions, nearly 20
campers and about 70 members overall enjoyed the day on Sunday, May 27.
Three local congregations were represented, as well as visitors from Sacramento
(Arletta Carr family) and Pasadena (Houstons).
Hazel Roberts served as camp coordinator and planned the activity well.
We began the adventure Saturday afternoon as members arrived to set up
their campsites, and others came for the San Leandro Women’s Ministry
meeting and potluck meal. Campers remained on site for a great campfire
“Bible discussion” before they retired to their tents for the
night.
Church services began at 11am Sunday, with Jo Barnard as worship leader.
The speaking portion consisted of Pastor JR’s introduction to the
topic, “how did the Holy Spirit work in the early church, and how
has the Spirit been at work in your life since last Pentecost?” Robert
and David Jackson, Larry Shamus, Joanne Burnsides, and Cliff Higgins then
gave testimonials. Finally Pastor Mel completed the Services with a discussion
about yielding to the Spirit’s lead to help us do our part to carry
out the Great Commission.
Following Services, Bambi Green, Rouel Lacsamana and company grilled chicken
and presented a great meal. Everyone enjoyed Coyote Hills Regional Park
in his or her own way during the afternoon. About 15 campers remained
for the evening campfire circle with roasted marshmallows and campfire
games. On Monday we enjoyed a great breakfast together before we broke
camp and headed home.
Pentecost at Coyote Hills may well become an annual event, now that we
have enjoyed it the past two years. Camper or not, you may want to consider
spending Sunday on the edge of the Bay with fine outdoor Services, food,
fellowship, and the rushing, mighty wind, a reminder of God’s presence
with us.
Teen Scene
By Aaron Burnsides
Now that we have reached the end of the school year it also marks the
end of the Youth Opportunities United (YOU) year until August. The year
has gone really well and plans for next year’s program have already
begun. I would like to take a moment and thank the rest of the YOU staff
for all their dedication and hard work. This year the Funstens were
the YOU coordinators and Remy Zebrowski was the President and Nathan Zebrowski
served as Vice President.
One of the highlights from the last few months was that we got to go on
a three-day backpacking trip to Yosemite. The trip would have been perfect
if it hadn’t been for the mosquitoes eating everybody. On the trip
we got to hike up one of the domes in Yosemite and could almost see the
entire park in a breathtaking 360-degree view. Also on another trip we
were able to go canoeing for an afternoon at nearby Anderson Lake after
church for about 5 hours or so.
The youth also had the opportunity to hold another Youth Day service for
church. The service included a skit named “The Broken Heart”
and we also had recognition for the graduating seniors from high school.
They all spoke briefly about what YOU has meant to them and goals for
their future. YOU Coordinator, Bill Funsten, and Pastor Mel Dahlgren presented
each graduate with a new Bible. After services, they shared refreshments
and a congratulatory cake in the fellowship hall.
Plans for the youth this summer include going to camps such as our Summer
Educational Program (SEP) in Orr, MN, Camp Gwinwood in Olympia, WA, or
Mt. Lassen in Redding, CA.
Of course it’s fun to stay at home and relax away from school, too!
Church Happenings
April 2001
Sacramento Teens & Worship Team Visit
The Sacramento, CA worship team and teen group visited on April 28. They
shared testimonies, skits, and music. A video of the youth camp in Redding,
CA at Mt. Lassen was shown.
Myra & Jeremy Stokes
Myra & Jeremy Stokes home for a short visit spoke briefly about their
Peace Corps experiences in Estonia. They share more with us in an article
they wrote for this edition of the newsletter.
May 2001
Mother’s Day Tribute
On May 12 our church service was dedicated to Mothers. Victoria Doerr
shared a Mother’s Day reading and mothers were treated to chocolate
kisses. Nain and Abby Hulog presented each mother with a long stem rose.
Women’s Ministry Family Dinner
On May 5 over 60 people came to the family dinner sponsored by Women’s
Ministry at the Summit Steak House. Please see Myrna Paulino’s article
for more information about Women’s Ministry.
Coyote Hills Campout
On the weekend of May 26 & 27 there was a campout at Coyote Hills.
On Sunday, a church service was held commemorating the first Pentecost.
Please be sure to read the related article by Jim Roberts.
June 2001
Northwest District Conference
Several from the San Jose area were able to attend the Worldwide Church
of God district church conference in Portland, OR from June 8-10. Guest
speakers included Joe Tkach, Dan Rogers, Ron Kelly and former San Jose
member, Tina Kuo.
Sons of Jubal
Watsonville church member, John Merriner, gave Church Life on June 9.
He’s a member of the Sons of Jubal, a band whose ministry is to play
hymns in a “big band” style. What a blessing for us to listen
as they praised God with their music.
Father’s Day
On June 16, the video “A Father’s Love” was played during
services in honor of the Dads in our audience. The popular video showed
God’s love for us. The video can be ordered by calling Crown Video
at 1-800-661-9467.
Youth Day
June 16 was also Youth Day at church. The teens led worship, did a skit,
and honored the graduating seniors. Please see Aaron Burnsides’ article
for more information on Youth Little Danny Helstrom was prayed for during
a “blessing of the little children” ceremony while big sister,
Jessica, sang special music. Children’s Church coordinator, Candace
Shore, gave plaques to all the preteens who participated in Children’s
Church last year. All youth leaders, and Children’s Church teachers
were given gifts of appreciation for their service.
Going Away Party
On June 23, a going away party and social was given for the Orrs and the
Shores who were moving from the area. Steve and Jeanette Orr with children,
Jessica, Danielle, and Matthew have been faithful servants in our San
Jose fellowship for several years. More recently, Steve has been in charge
of our Discipleship program and giving sermons when needed. His final
heartfelt sermon was given on June 23 right after he was ordained an elder
in a moving ceremony. Jeanette has headed up our fundraising scrip program
and serves tirelessly behind the scenes at every function. Danielle and
Jessica have been reporters for our newsletter. The Orrs will be moving
to Montana where Steve has accepted a job offer.
Daniel and Candace Shore and children Sara and Davis have only been in
the area a couple of years but they have been very active in serving our
fellowship. Candace has been in charge of our Vacation Bible School program
and our Children’s Church coordinator. Daniel plays guitar and sings
special music on occasion plus entertaining us at variety shows. They
will be moving back to Tennessee to be closer to their families.
Everyone shared fun, fellowship, games, and a catered meal at the social.
Many gave testimonies about the Orrs and the Shores.
Both families will be greatly missed! But we know that our loss
will be another area’s gain because wherever these two families
go, blessings will surely follow.
The Younger Set
By Danielle Orr
This year of Children’s Church was a blast. We sang, prayed, put on
a play, and learned a lot. We really enjoyed ourselves!
Student, Matthew Orr said his favorite activity this year was doing the
play on stage during church. He learned the Lord’s Prayer this year.
He would like to do more plays in the future. Kristen Burnsides said she
liked making cookies in one of the classes and learning about the Good Samaritan.
Mike Sherrod enjoyed the cookies and learning about the Good Samaritan too.
Teacher, Debbie Sanders said she enjoyed teaching and hopes we
will have more teachers in the future. Teacher, John Sherrod said one of
his favorite activities was teaching about the 10 Commandments. He hopes
we have more kids attending Children’s Church in the future. Teacher,
Abby Hulog enjoyed the singing. She was glad to get to know all the children.
We, children, would like to thank all our teachers. We’d like to say,
“Good-bye” to Children’s Church director, Candace Shore,
who will be moving with her family to Tennessee. Thanks to everyone who
helped make this a special year for all of us.
From Our Sister Church to the South
by Mary Webb
News from Watsonville
Many enjoyable activities have been going on in our active group. One
outstanding one was a potluck in honor of the graduation of Joanne Burnsides.
Joanne just received her Master’s Degree in Psychology. It was
at the home of Maria Ramirez, and hosted by Rodger Bauer. Congratulations
for achieving your goal, Joanne!
One very important blessing from God was the healing of Isabel Merriner.
She had to be rushed to the hospital on a Sabbath morning due to heart complications.
She says that due to the prayers, she now feels better than ever!
We’ve had many answered prayers in our cell group as well. What
an awesome God we have!
Our cell group, facilitated by Gary Clark, has been studying the making
of disciples. This not
only includes our own areas, but also to go to “the uttermost parts
of the earth”. Gary is
putting these lessons into action by being involved in “Project Caminal
Felix”, i.e. “The Happy Home.” A group of skilled workers
in the building trade will be erecting housing for displaced children and
foster parents in Oridia, Romania. Gary is leaving on June 28th and
returning on
July 12th. He would greatly appreciate your prayers for the group’s
protection and for a
successful mission.
Did You Know?
By Anthony Garsides
Did you know that God owns us? He has two ownership certificates on us:
a) He created us.
b) He saved us by paying for us with His blood.
As hard and agonizing as this was, Jesus was happy to give up all of His
blood for us. God is the most amazing giver. In fact because Jesus and the
Father are one (John 17:21), God gave us all of Himself when His Son died
on the cross. In dying on the cross God gave us all of Him, not just a part
of Him.
I often reflect on this when I’m at the Red Cross donating just one
little pint of blood in the sterility and human comfort they provide. It’s
far different from how Jesus donated all of His blood in harshness and human
hostility. We give just a little—but He gave every drop of it for everyone.
How readily then we should honor Him by giving ourselves completely back
to Him. How amazing that He clearly has ownership but still wants us to
voluntarily give ourselves to Him!
How much do we really give to Him? Do we treat Him like a minority stockholder
in our life? Does He get the occasional vote at our annual meeting? Perhaps
we go so far as to treat him like a majority stockholder or even a board
member with a powerful vote. Or do we, as we should, make Him our sole owner
by giving him all of ‘our’ time, all ‘our’ emotions,
and all ‘our’ wealth? As Christians we all have gone through a
time when we were a liability to Him, a consumer of His gracious blessings,
rather than an investment asset. But we have to get to the position through
His Holy Spirit where He fully owns us an investment asset.
It’s a matter of trust and faith and this may take time, but during
our life we should consider everything we own to be His for His service.
When we buy a new computer can we offer it in prayer to Him to use as He
wishes? Will He use it? Of course! If we offer our entire bank account to
Him will He use it? Of course! Can we trust Him with it? Is God the God
of love or not? Is He the Rock? Deut. 32:4 says He is! “He is the Rock,
His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does
no wrong, upright and just is He.”
If He is a faithful God why should we hold back? Wealth is often a problem
to the wealthy, as most of us are compared to the rest of the world, but
it should not be. After all in the New Testament Jesus asks only for 10%
of it. Yes, this is a bit of a surprise reminder to us but giving 10% remains
a New Testament command straight from Jesus himself—whom I’m sure
we’ll remember gave us 100%.
Matthew 23:23 (NIV) says, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin.
But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,
mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting
the former.” Jesus doesn’t mince words. The New Living Translation
states, “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law
and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest
part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law—justice,
mercy and faith. You should tithe yes, but you should not leave undone the
more important things.”
Does He need our money? No, He has quite a lot of it! The most important
thing is justice, mercy and faith. But He does want us to have His attitude
of giving, and He does want us to be as generous as He is.
And did you know—it does cost something to run a church?
Mel Dahlgren gives testimonial at Good Friday service
from the Worldwide News, May, 2001
SAN JOSE, California—Pastor Mel Dahlgren gave a testimonial at a Good
Friday service sponsored by the San Jose Willow Glen Ministerial Association.
The 35 pastors who comprise the association are hosts for a yearly combined
Good Friday service.
This year there was an opening for a testimonial about personal forgiveness.
No one volunteered, so Mr. Dahlgren offered to share his personal testimony
about the transformation of the WCG and the “overwhelming love and
acceptance” he has experienced from the ministerial association and
the forgiveness and favor the WCG has received from the Christian community.
About a dozen WCG members attended the service.
“After the service,” Mr. Dahlgren said, “it was most inspiring
to experience the love and the joy that was expressed to me personally.
To God be the glory for what he has done for our church in reconciling us
to our extended family of Christians.”
On With the “New” and Off With the “Old”
By Aimee McNally
(The following is a condensation of a speech given by Aimee McNally at the
Christian Business Leader’s Meeting
on June 18, 2001)
One form of renewing our minds occurs when we lay aside the old self and
run with the new. In Ephesians 4:22-24 it says “to put off, concerning
your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the
new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
We need to put OFF yesterday’s stresses, offenses, inflated egos, false
comparisons with others and preoccupations with performance. We need to
put ON today’s spirit of denying oneself and following Christ, letting
go of our old self and allowing Christ to live in us.
We need to humbly renew ourselves before God, so we don’t get caught
up in the pride of life. The pride of life manifests itself as being independent
and overly self-confident. It’s very easy for the old self to get caught
up in pride when we live in a country that is blessed financially, intellectually,
and physically. Proverbs 16:18 warns that “pride goes before destruction
and a haughty spirit before a fall.” In Matthew 26:31-35, we see that
Peter was proud and confident in himself and he did not even realize it.
Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of
Me this night.” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are
made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” We
know that Jesus’ prediction came true and Peter denied Christ. Peter
was overly self-confident and proud of his heartfelt conviction towards
Christ. Christ tells us to trust Him and empty ourselves of everything including
pride and confidence in order that we may depend on Him for everything.
Satan tries to inflate our egos and influence us with false confidence,
which is hard to recognize because it humanly feels good. However, we must
be diligent to ask God for confidence in Him and a humble personality.
Some of us might fall into the opposite realm of not feeling valuable, or
feeling like something is wrong with us, or feeling like we are not able
to do anything right. Again, we need to renew ourselves daily by putting
off our old self and asking God to help us with our workplace struggles
and personal inadequacies. We can look at the example of Moses in Exodus
4:10-16. Moses did not feel he could do the job God wanted him to do because
he was not eloquent. He was “slow of speech and tongue.” But God
said, “I will be with your mouth and TEACH you what you shall say.”
But still Moses asked God to send someone else. God responded by saying,
“Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well.
Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be
with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will TEACH you what you shall
do.” In this example, we see that Moses had feelings of inadequacies,
yet God responded mercifully. First, God ENCOURAGED Moses by pointing out
that he was the one who created his mouth and would provide him with the
right words. Second, God provided Moses with the right RESOURCES by sending
his brother Aaron to be his spokesman. Third, we know God EDUCATED Moses
when he said he would “TEACH him what to say.” In other words,
Moses took Speech 101 with God as his professor. We learn from this example
to trust God for who we are, disabilities or physical flaws and all. We
need to be careful not to let Satan’s lies make us feel of little importance
to God or those we work with. We can be encouraged by our true identity
in Christ which is expressed in Ephesians 1:3-14. We are holy, without blame,
accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. Furthermore, God TEACHES us His will.
In His mercy and love, God overlooks all of our inadequacies. We need to
ask Him to blot out our weaknesses and give us faith in time of workplace
struggles.
It is not as great a challenge to manage things and people at work, as it
is to manage the self. The greatest burden is the self. That’s where
we must hand ourselves over to God’s care. Galatians 2:20 states, “I
no longer live, it is Christ who lives in me.” Let’s remember
to make a daily commitment to renew our minds by denying the self and following
Christ.
Please visit our San Jose Church Website--wcgsouthbay.org
or mcnally@cblw.org for more
information on the Christian Business Leaders
Association
Greetings from Estonia!
By Myra and Jeremy Stokes
Myra and Jeremy are serving in the Peace Corps for two years in Estonia.
Recently they were able to make a short visit to the San Jose area, where
they were able to see their families and speak briefly to our congregation.
They accepted a donation from our local church activity fund to further
their work in Estonia. Here they tell us a little more about the area they
are serving.
Estonia is the northern most Baltic state. It borders Russia on its eastern
border, Latvia on the south and the Baltic Sea & Finland on its north.
It has been our home for a year now. At first glance, if one visits one
of the two largest cities in Estonia - Tallinn (500,000 people) or Tartu
(100,000), one might think that this is not a developing country - so
why are we here as Peace Corps volunteers? Well, in some ways you’re
right. On the surface and in the cities it may look very much like other
western European cities with such “modern” conveniences as the
ubiquitous cell phones and Internet banking to a greater degree than even
in the US. Estonia gained independence in 1991 from 50 years of occupation
by the Soviet Union. So Estonia is now making the transition to democracy
and free enterprise. So this is why the US Peace Corps and many other
development agencies and missionary organizations have come to Estonia
in the last 9 years - to assist in its development, and help undo the
last 50 years of separation from the rest of the world.
However, if one takes another look and sees the needs of the average Estonian,
there are struggles. For example, co-habitation is more popular in relationships
than marriage. Of the 5,590 marriages that took place in 1999, 4,561 divorces
took place (some say the highest of all countries), and affairs are generally
accepted. There are more abortions than live births. Alcoholism is rampant,
there is a 14.2% unemployment rate, and it also has one of the world’s
highest suicide rates for men 30-50 years old. Depression, skepticism,
and fear are all parts of everyday life due to their grim past and uncertain
future.
The largest churches are Lutheran or Russian Orthodox with many other
denominations planting churches here in the past few years. A humble Worldwide
Church of God congregation exists in Tartu with about 12 members who meet
every other Saturday in a room at the public library. Mr. Carl F. Aas,
the pastor for the Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland and
Estonia is able to visit us about once every quarter. The church does
not give financial support for a full-time ministry so he must also work
a secular job and coordinate the Nordic ministry as well. We spoke with
him about the needs of the congregation here in Tartu and he mentioned
that what the members here need most is encouragement and prayers. Many
have experienced health related trials. There is also a need to find a
full-time Estonian pastor for the church to grow. Mr. Leo Kaagjärv
conducts the services here in Tartu, but he is retired and not able to
fill the need for a pastor. Leo is also assisting in the translation of
a booklet called “The Soul & the Spirit.“ It will be given
out at a publicly advertised lecture of the same topic. The lecture will
be held during the Feast of Tabernacles for anyone who would like to attend
and hear about this topic and receive the book in Estonian. This is currently
the only tool being developed for evangelism.
There are other books recently written by Mr. Aas such as “Why God
allows Suffering,” but as he writes in Norwegian, any publications
must be translated first into English and then Estonian. It is important
that these publications are translated into Estonian since most of the
members, and Estonians in general, don’t speak or understand English.
It is also a good approach for these countries to produce their own literature,
as many “western” topics and the way they are presented don’t
address the Estonian culture. The literature campaign will be a part of
the evangelism efforts here coupled with public lectures given by Mr.
Aas. The monies given by the San Jose congregation will be donated in
support of the printing of these booklets. We will let you know the details
regarding these efforts as soon as we know more.
Thank you for your prayers!!
Jumal õnnistagu kõigile! God bless you all!
Myra & Jeremy Stokes
Myra and Jeremy’s journal is linked to our website
(wcgsouthbay.org) under Estonian
Journals.
Fulfilling Our Commission and Making Disciples
by John Jester
Since we started our evangelism program in San Jose in 1998, I continually
pray and look for the best possible ways of reaching others with the gospel
of Jesus Christ. Some time after this, I became aware of the “JESUS”
video. At the time, we were preparing doorknob hangers, making a brochure
for all of us to use in inviting others, producing business cards, and eventually,
getting on KFAX Christian radio, and mailing postcards and a letter and
brochure, “How to Become a Christian,” to our church hall neighbors.
After the letter and brochure mailing last November we needed an additional
way of reaching the public with the gospel message. Pastor General
Joseph Tkach gave the statistic at an evangelism seminar last year that
it takes approximately 7.68 approaches with some form of the gospel message
before an individual eventually responds. We may need to use many
different ways over time of reaching people in order to be most effective.
People respond differently to a variety of forms of evangelism.
After a number of months, and many meetings on the subject of evangelism,
and realizing the need to continually be active in reaching out, the thought
of proposing that we distribute the “JESUS” videos again came
to mind. It would be the most expensive evangelism project we had
entered into, but it would also be the most powerful.
The “JESUS” video has an incredible track record of success.
Warner Brothers originally produced the “JESUS” film in 1979.
In 1992, Bill Bright, then the head of Campus Crusade for Christ, had the
dream of placing a video in every home in America. More than 4 billion
people have now seen it worldwide, more than any movie in history!
Of all movies to be at the top of the all time list, I’m excited and
thankful that it is one about our Lord and Savior!
The video IS the gospel message! It is taken from the book of Luke,
is in the modern version Good News Bible, and has a powerful segment after
the video encouraging people desiring to do so to commit their lives to
Jesus Christ. Statistics show that approximately 21% of the homes
receiving the video have at least someone praying the prayer to become a
Christian suggested at the end of the video.
The “JESUS” video gives each of us the opportunity to help fulfill
the great commission of making disciples. A disciple is a learner
or pupil of Jesus Christ. By watching the video, viewers are hearing
the words of our Savior and are given the opportunity to learn from Him,
by the words He spoke, and by His life, death, and resurrection. They
are then prompted to commit their lives to Him.
How can we participate?
1) Your PRAYERS can help open hearts and minds and also prevent Satan from
taking away a gospel seed that has been planted (Mark 4:14-15).
2) Giving the videos to friends, relatives, associates, neighbors, and yes,
even to strangers. They in turn might also make them available to
others, and further spread the gospel message.
3) Financially. This too is a powerful way of serving. Without the generous
contributions that have been made, we would not be able to offer the videos
to others.
We are also offering the video on our website (wcgsouthbay.org). The
first request came from Indonesia! Yes, we are worldwide! Perhaps
God was trying to tell us something by showing us we can give the gospel
message out to another part of the world! We don’t need to be
overly concerned whether they’re coming to our congregation; we do
need to be concerned, and excited and thankful, that they are coming to
HIM!
He can open doors for us to share “JESUS” with anyone, anywhere,
anytime. Our vision? Reach as many people as possible and never
limit what He can do through us!
Caring for People God’s Way Video Series
By Alicia Carrillo
Counseling another person is a unique challenge and blessing, one that God
helps us with, with His Holy Spirit. He provides tools to equip us with
His knowledge and understanding, so we can help our brothers or sisters
who are hurting. Several members of our congregation, beginning in November
of last year started attending a video series called
“Caring for People God’s Way.” Each
Saturday, we would meet an hour before services to find out how to better
serve people by watching videos presented by experts in their fields. Topics
such as counseling, repentance, grief, depression, and spiritual gifts were
covered. I thought the reflections of those who attended these sessions
would be of interest to you.
Rose Deterding: “I thought it was a good program, that gave good techniques
of how to communicate ideas to people. I also appreciated the segment on
knowing when we can’t handle a particular type of counseling we can
refer a person to experts in that area. I especially liked the topic of
psychiatric care. Just listening sometimes is the most helpful. The convenience
of viewing the videos at the fellowship hall helped me gear up for church.”
David Essenmacher: “I liked each one of the speakers’ honesty
around the topic they discussed. Much of the information provided reinforced
what I knew of helping others.”
John Jester, who viewed some videotapes at church and also listened to the
audio version in our library had the following comments: “The video
on depression (psychiatric care) was the most clear, so well done. I feel
it would be applicable for the public to see. Each speaker addressed the
audience in a broad way that the general public would understand.”
Chester Harris: “My life was changed about myself by Christ as I watched
these videos. One topic about the lies we believe was particularly impressive.
We have to go back to God for the truth.”
Steve Orr, who was responsible for setting up the videos each week and took
the lead to help get each session started, as well as having some of us
ask a prayer before each session had this to say: “These videos presented
true professionals with experiences that no church could put together. It
brought home the need we have for Christian counselors in their specific
areas of expertise. It’s very helpful for any church. The detailed
experiences they shared far exceeded anything a local congregation could
do. This shows the value of a para-church ministry.”
On a personal level, this training also became an important tool for my
new job as a substance abuse counselor. The challenges of seeing many people
struggle with their addiction have made me appreciate these videos all the
more. One of my clients asked for prayers recently when he was in a car
accident. We never know in which situation this information can be helpful,
with God placing us in strategic places to accomplish His will. When we
gain such knowledge, we begin to realize the great responsibility we have.
Women’s Ministry
By Myrna Paulino
May 5th over 60 people enjoyed the Family Night Dinner at the Summit Steak
House which was sponsored by the San Jose Women's Ministry. It was their
final activity for the year.
This year’s Women’s Ministry has been fruitful and enjoyable.
We acknowledged the immense contributions of two women in our San Jose
church for the opportunity of women to get together, eat, fellowship,
and most importantly grow spiritually through Christ.
With sincere thanks to our dear Betty Shamus SJWM’s chair person
and beloved Barbara Dahlgren for the interactive Bible study and her wise
counsel.
We will continue to have this Women’s Ministry and we invite women
of all ages in San Jose congregation to join us in our upcoming meetings.
For suggestions, comments and/or topic discussion for future Women’s
Ministry, please contact Betty Shamus or Myrna Paulino. They will be delighted
to hear from you.
Women of Faith Conference
“Boundless Love”
Friday, Aug 10, 2001 (Evening)
Saturday, Aug. 11, 2001 (All Day)
San Jose Area
Cost: $55
Newsletter Staff
Editor: Barbara Dahlgren
Assistant Editor: Linda Smith
Church News: Barbara Dahlgren
Circulation: Edrie Felts
Did You Know?: Anthony Garside
Features: Alicia Carrillo
Photographer: Betty Shamus
The Younger Set: Danielle Orr
Teen Scene: Aaron Burnsides
San Leandro/
San Francisco: Jim Roberts
Watsonville: Chris Cepin/Mary Webb
Women’s Ministry: Myrna Paulino
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