If you have not completed your Siritual Life Survey, please do it. Your input will better equip us to develop committed followers of Jesus Christ. It will also give us a better idea of the spiritual health of our congregation. The health of a church is not just about the numbers. It's about the movement of people toward Christ, toward deep love for God and genuine love for others. We need to hear from you so please take time to complete the survey.

Like you, my heart breaks for the people of Haiti.  I am currently looking into ways that our church family can be involved in the relief effort there, but for now check out these two trusted organizations for opportunities to serve and/or donate money to the relef effort:

American Red Cross - www.redcross.org

Manna Global Ministries - www.mannaglobalministries.org

A book was realeased today that has already caused a big stir in political circles. The book is Game Change which recounts the presidential campaign of 2008. The book contains many quotes, including the now infamous quote from Harry Reid about Barck Obama's race, that has several politicians scrambling and apologizing. Again, the wisdom of God's Word is proven true: "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29).

If you weren't able to be here this past Sunday, please take time to listen to the sermon presented by Bill Pink and me as we reviewed the year at Alameda in 2009.  God blessed our congregation with a wonderful year of ministry, activities, and growth.  Our worship attendance grew by 5% and 100 new membrs were added to our church family.  Our Streams of Water assistance ministry served over 10,000 individuals this year, and many more people in our community were served through the various ministry projects that our members took on in 2009.  This year, we witnessed a great number of people put on Christ in baptism, and others  recommit themselves to the Lord.  It's been a great year, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do next!

"The Risen Son is the fixed point in whose orbit we move, the one who holds his people by his power and sustains them by his love, the one to whom, with Father and Spirit, be all love and all glory in this age and in the age to come."

- N.T. Wright, Justification

In the spirit of the holiday here are the top ten things about Alameda for which I'm thankful:

1. Our God who is actively at work in our lives and in our congregation

2. Our Savior Jesus Christ who fills our lives with meaning, joy, peace, and hope

3. Our members who sincerely strive to walk in the way of Christ each day

4. Our elders who shepherd me and inspire me through their incredible examples of faith

5. Our emphasis on grace

6. Our laughter that fills the air everytime we are together - Alameda is a joyful church!

7. Our generosity that shares the love of Christ with all people in practical ways

8. Our ministry and administrative staffs who have such a passion for the Kingdom of God

9. Our worship that lifts me up and focuses me on God

10. Our members who allow me the privilege of sharing in their lives and afford me the opportunity to make a living by doing something that I love to do - thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

There's an interesting blog entry from Richard Beck that has caused quite a stir in the blog world.  In it, Beck challenges the idea that we can "work on our relationship with God" in isolation from other people.  He claims that spiritual growth should be measured by how we treat other people more than by how often we warm a pew at church.  Here's his conclusion:

"My point in all this is that contemporary Christianity has lost its way. Christians don't wake up every morning thinking about how to become a more decent human being. Instead, they wake up trying "work on their relationship with God" which very often has nothing to do with treating peopl better. How could such a confusion have occurred? How did we end up going so wrong? I'm sure there are lots of answers, but at the end of the day we need to face up to our collective failure. I'm not saying we need to do anything dramatic. A baby step would do to start. Waking up trying to be a little more kind, more generous, more forgiving, more humble, more civil, more tolerant. Do these things and prayer and worship will come alongside to support us. I truly want people to spend time working on their relationship with God. I just want them to do it by taking the time to care about the person standing right in front of them."

Well, it's been awhile since I have updated this blog, and I apologize for that.  We are nearing the end of our sermon series "Overcoming Our Big 12 Struggles" and my prayer is that you have found hope, strength, and inspiration to overcome the giants in your life.  I want to share with you a passage that invites us to imagine the day when we have defeated our giants and overcome our struggles.  Read carefully these words from Job 11:13-20 from The Message translation:

"Still, if you set your heart on God and reach out to him,

If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home,

You'll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless.

You'll forget your troubles; they'll be like old, faded photographs.

Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring.

Full of hope, you'll relax, confident again; you'll look around, sit back, and take it easy.

Expansive, without a care in the world, you'll be hunted out by many for your blessing.

But the wicked will see none of this. They're headed down a dead-end road with nothing to look forward to - nothing."

Drinking, Drugs, & Smoking

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:15-18

There are just three days left for parents and volunteers to take our Children's Ministry Survey.  Your input is valuable to us, and this is a great way for you to share your feedback with us.  We already have a team of members in place who will assess the results of the survey and determine an appropriate plan of action based on the survey results.  A special "thank you" to Odra for providing this opportunity and for continuing to seek ways to make our Children's Ministry the best it can be!