Volume 7, Issue 4 ................................................... May 2006

Newsletter for New Hope Christian Fellowship – A congregation of the Worldwide Church of God

Two New Hope Activities Right On Target!    

  Reclamation Retreat A Big Success

Good Turn Out for National Day of Prayer Service

Plus:

God Sees Our Tears  +  Prayer Help  +  Amazing Grace

From Pastor Dennis

The God Who Loves Us

Our church doctrinal summary states that “We believe in one holy, loving, all-powerful and gracious Creator God who exists in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (http://www.wcg.org) 

            Some don’t like to use the word, “Person” to describe God, but I do.  In chapter 5 of our online booklet, “God Is…” we explain: “One reason the word Person is helpful, if it is understood correctly, is that God interacts with us in a personal way.  It is wrong to say that God is impersonal.  We do not worship a rock or plant, or an impersonal ‘power that is behind the universe.’  Rather, we worship a ‘living Person.’  God is personal, but he is not a person in the way humans are persons.”

            How can one God exist in three Persons?  It is a mystery, with the limitations of our human minds.  In an article in Christianity Today Vernon Grounds said: “Explain the Trinity?  We can't even begin.  We can only accept it--a mystery, disclosed in Scripture.  It should be no surprise that the triune Being of God baffles our finite minds.  We should be surprised, rather, if we could understand the nature of our Creator.  He would be a two-bit deity, not the fathomless Source of all reality.”

            What God has made clear is that he is love (1 John 4:8, 16).  He has always loved us and always will.  Paul prayed that the church would be able to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:18-19).

            Because of his deep love for us, God came in the “Person” of Jesus as “Immanuel” – “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 ).  Jesus died for our sins, so that instead of death and eternal separation from God, we could have life and eternal fellowship with God.  Jesus promised he would be with us always (Matthew 28:20).  However, Jesus returned to heaven 40 days after his Resurrection.  But he kept his promise by returning in the “Person” of the Holy Spirit to be with us always.  Through the eternal Holy Spirit both the eternal Father and the eternal Son make their home in us.  The night before he was crucified, Jesus promised, “My Father will love him (all those who love and obey God), and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  (John 14:23-24)

            In his book, Trinity, Doubleday Pub., c. 2002, Joseph F. Girzone says, “The Trinity is not a theological definition.  It is the very nature of God.  It is the God we worship.  God revealed himself to us through Jesus, not so he could be imprisoned in a theological concept to be memorized… He revealed himself to us because he loves us and wanted to share himself, his inner self with us, so we could come to know and love him as he is… We would do better to welcome the Trinity into our hearts rather than struggling to define it.”

            Let us be thankful that a Holy God, the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of all things, is all-loving too.  He loves us and wants to be with us - Revelation 3:20 - "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”

All photos is this issue (with the exception of the building of Monrovia Canyon Park from their website) are from Christine Leon.

Reclamation Ministry

Retreat Offers Help In Reaching Out To Inactive Members

Thirty-three members of New Hope Christian Fellowship met at the Monrovia Canyon Park for a Reclamation Ministry Retreat on April 1^st.  Reclamation Ministry is an attempt to reach out to inactive church members who no longer attend our fellowship.

The day started off rainy, but the rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm or desire of any participants.  On the way up to Park some of us even saw deer grazing along the road.  

In the morning we discussed what our attitude should be towards inactive members.  We tried to identify some of the many reasons why people no longer attend church.  And then develop a plan to help people back into fellowship and church attendance.  John Siston and Sandy Blank conducted the morning sessions, which included a lot of great interaction.

By lunch time the rain had stopped which allowed a number of the participants to eat outside and take a stroll around the property.  The freshness of the clean mountain air added a great feel to the retreat.  The afternoon featured a clear and concise method of presenting the gospel message to inactive members.  It is important for all in reclamation ministry to know the gospel message and to be able to express it clearly.

Later a panel discussion including Dennis Pelley , Tom Hoban, Larry Omasta, and Sandy Blank answered questions asked by the group regarding reclamation work.  The retreat ended with prayers for NHCF’s reclamation efforts.

               A number of members commented positively on the Retreat.  Some were pleasantly surprised at how helpful the information was.  Bill Pixley said  “The reclamation classes were good, now to put it into practice.” Larry Omasta noted that “What struck me the most about our all day conference was the love that every participant had for their friends who had been hurt by our denomination's former teachings and wanting to restore their faith and trust in our Savior.”

Members seemed genuinely energized in their efforts at Reclamation.  An important component in Reclamation will be regular follow up sessions.  We wanted to have regular follow-up meetings afterwards to chart our progress, share experiences, and determine in what direction we need to move concerning reclamation.  And we wanted to provide a forum where those who were interested in reclamation ministry could ask more questions and seek more specific guidance should they need it.     

               The first such follow-up meeting was held Sunday, May 7th, after church services.  A number of people attended this meeting who were not able to participate in the April Retreat.  It too was upbeat and positive portending good things ahead for NHCF’s Reclamation efforts.  Should you be interested in those efforts please contact 
John Siston
 regarding future participation. – 
John Siston

He Knows My Name

The population of the world is now more than six billion. According to an article on wikipedia.org about one fifth of all the humans who have existed in the last 6,000 years are alive today. That’s a lot of people. But how many of them can you name? A hundred? Five hundred?

How many names of all the billions of people ever born on this earth are remembered today? All those names, faded on headstones (if they were on headstones), are now forgotten. Only the names of the famous and the infamous can be recalled, and only some of those.

How sad to think of all the lives over the centuries lost to the mists of history. How sad personally, to think no one will remember our names or the names of the ones we love. The reality is, not too long from now, our names will be forgotten. But there’s One who can remember every name of every person ever born. God knows and remembers each name of each human, and not only their names, but everything about them.

            The song “He Knows My Name” by Tommy Walker reminds us we won’t be forgotten to history. We aren’t just numbers in a database. God knows our names, even our middle ones. He knows our every thought, sees each tear and hears us when we call.

            It seems to be a basic need - we want to hear our own names and we want others to remember them. Anyone who works with the public will tell you to learn and say a person’s name when speaking with him or her. It adds a personal touch to a sales pitch. Hearing his or her name from a doctor helps a patient feel cared for. We don’t want to think others don’t care enough to remember who we are. Of course, as we get older, it does become harder to remember names! I often have to ask, even if I know the person. And then at times I can’t remember my kids’ or my own!

This world seems impersonal at times. It can be a sad and lonely place. Some days we all feel like we’re just a number, obscure and unimportant. We wonder if anyone really cares. But every time a tear falls from my eyes, God sees it. He understands and even cries with me. If no one else in the world cares, he does. Knowing God knows my name and will never forget who I am is a comforting thought.

Is life getting you down? Feeling a little sad, lonely, unappreciated? God knows and he cares. He knows your name and knows your pain. He has your tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8) and his heart is for you. He has even written your name in his book of life (Luke 10:20 ).

            Next time you feel like a number, like no one cares or remembers who you are, think of the One who saves your tears, has numbered the hairs on your head (Luke 12:7) and takes care of your every need (Matthew 6:30). He knows your name and hears you when you call. - By Tammy Tkach

Struggling With Prayer?

A wish that's sent straight from the heart, meant for God above, a moment of understanding, a feeling of special love, A thrill of joy in realizing that there's someone to care, a silent message of gratitude... all of these are prayer!

            Struggling with prayer -- who, what or how? Start with leaders and those in authority over us. Our President and the decisions he must make, our Pastor and church elders, leaders, teachers and our employers and fellow co-workers.

          Move onto world wide events- those who are in the war, fighting for freedom, gas prices going up, etc.; end with family, friends, all those who are special to you. It also helps to keep a pen and pad of paper handy, when watching the news, try writing things down to bring to our Lord. - By Kerry Ledbetter

Kid Takes

At the end of the day I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, "What'd he do?"          

Amazing Grace

            A Church Hymn goes like this:   “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”

            In the last ten years or more many of us have heard the word grace almost daily in our walk with Christ.  But what is grace?  Not enough space here in The Vine to write a book about it, but in summary, God's grace is truly amazing!

            “For by grace, are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. (Eph 2:5-8)  There are four items here: Grace, salvation, faith, and gift.  I'll take the two bookends ones:  grace and gift.   Of course, salvation and faith are gifts, too.

            A gift is 1) something bestowed freely, such as a present (wedding, birthday, baby shower, a thank you), 2) something given as a charity or an offering (sacrifices, tithes, donations), 3) an ability or talent, (skills, aptitudes), 4) and an action of investment and endowment.

“For God so loved the world, that He “gave” his only begotten Son . . .”(John 3:16 )

God the Father gave his Son. The Son, Jesus Christ gave his Life. God the Father raised Him (another gift).  Jesus ascended into heaven, so that another gift could arrive on our doorstep, the Comforter (the Holy Spirit).  All this fits the definition above of what is a gift.  It is bestowed freely, a sacrifice, a talent and a down payment.

What is Grace? It is God's amazing rescue from spiritual death, and acceptance into his eternal Kingdom, to live eternally with Him.  I like that kind of gift!  Don't you?

And the hymn continues:   “that saved a wretch like me.”  Grace focuses upon all that God gives to the sinner, which the sinner does not deserve; while mercy focuses upon all that God does not give to the miserable sinner which he does deserve.

God is gracious to the believing sinner in freely giving to him the gift  of Christ and all that comes with the gift of His Son (Romans  8:32), all of which he does not deserve. God is merciful to the believing sinner in that He has withheld His judgment and wrath upon him, all of which the sinner justly deserves.  God's kindness toward man which includes you and me is outlined in Eph. 2:1-3, and Titus 3:4.

God's Grace is truly amazing!

- By Don Hudson

Today

Today is a new, fresh day!

Today is what I make it!

Today I will thank God for another day!

Today will be a good day!

Today I will accomplish one of my goals.

Today I will appreciate the beauty around me.

Today I will count my blessings.

Today (and everyday) I will love myself.

Today I will not be stressed!

Today I will relax.

Today I will do my best at whatever I am doing.

Today I will not allow anyone or anything to ruin my day.

Today is a brand new, exciting, wonderful gift from God!

Today I will thank God for life.

 Today is my day!!!  No one can take that from me, unless I allow them to!  I thank God for today. Whatever I don't accomplish today, I will do tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day, and when tomorrow comes, it will be...Today!

- By Kerry Ledbetter

Everything I Need To Know About Life, I Learned From Noah's Ark

+ Don't miss the boat. 

+ Remember that we are all in the same boat

+ Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

+ Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

+ Don't listen to critics; just get the job done.

+ Build your future on high ground.

+ For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

+ Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

+ When you're stressed, float awhile.

+ Remember, amateurs built the Ark , the Titanic by professionals.

+ No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

- Submitted by Kerry Ledbetter

New Hope Happenings

NHCF Hosts National Day of Prayer

“In prayer we’re reminded we’re never alone in our personal trials or individual suffering.  In prayer, we offer our thanksgiving and praise recognizing our lives, our talents and all that we own ultimately flow from the Creator.  And in these moments of our deepest gratitude, the Almighty reminds us that for those to whom much has been given, much is required.” – President George W. Bush, National Prayer Breakfast, February 2, 2006           

Pastor Dennis Pelley welcomed members of NHCF and the community to Eagle Rock’s participation in the 55^th annual National Day of Prayer.

The Arechiga and Perez families offered prayers on behalf our country, our families and Churches.  Marlon Spurgeon a worker for the Los Angeles World Police, and Sam Wegner, president of PCC’s Campus Crusade for Christ led prayers for police and colleges & universities. 

Dennis Pelley prayed for those in media and little Nicolette Galvez prayed for those in military service.  An honor guard of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts opened the service.  The choir sang songs including a rousing rendition of God Bless America .

Guests included pastor Randy Carrillo, president of Highland Park Ministerial

Fellowship, deacons Marcus and Pat Williams of Friendship Baptist Church and pastor Heather Margaret Williams of Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church who gave the main message.  Speakers noted the pleasure of hearing a number of children praying. 

There was also time for members of the audience to pray privately and in groups.  It was an inspiring service with a good turn out.  Afterwards participants from a number of other church organizations were able to meet and talk with each other and get to know each other little better. 

- John Siston

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