URC Weekly 11/28/10: The Whole Church Taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World
Hi Family,
This is the grave of Vivienne Ahn’s father, Soon Ki Chae, in the countryside of Mongolia. He and his wife lived there as missionaries and planted three thriving churches in a land where Christianity was almost non-existent just a couple of decades ago (his wife continues to lead the churches to this day). It’s shocking to Grace and I that we have only a month left with the URC Family that we love, and as I prayed about the final message we would leave behind, the Lord quickly answered that we are to plant the seeds of missions. This weekend, we’ll have a Bible study, sermon, and Mission Focus, all on the call for “the whole church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world.”
1) CG: THIS FRIDAY @ 7:00 PM @ SAMLENE’S. This will be our last Bible study of the year, since the following CG, we just wanted to have people over for food and games, and the one after that will be canceled for New Year’s Eve festivities. In our previous Bible study, we learned that missions was God’s plan in blessing the world from the beginning of time, and this wee, we’ll learn how to constantly move outward with the Gospel.
Last CG, Michelle Won’s Fried Rice Delight stole the show, and I’m wondering if one of the young guys can cook and dethrone her…
2) ANNUAL MEETING: A WEEK FROM SUNDAY (12/12) AFTER WORSHIP SERVICE. Let’s pray for God’s leadership and a unity only the Holy Spirit can provide in our critical Annual Meeting. We’ll introduce the 2011 Coordinators, vision/plans, and budget, all up to the approval of all of you in our URC congregation. Everyone, please plan to be in attendance.
3) COORDINATORS’ MEETING: THIS SUNDAY AFTER LUNCH. For all the 2011 Coordinators, please be sure to meet with Pastor Hyonroh (clicking facebook “like” button) to cover plans for next year and the Annual Meeting.
4) DISCIPLESHIP BREAK UNTIL 2011: Because of Mission Focus, Annual Meeting, Winter Retreat, and our last Sunday in the next four weeks (a lot going on!), we won’t meet for discipleship until the New Year. Please be intentional about talking to and praying for one another, especially within accountability groups, as true discipleship happens during and outside of Sundays.
5) CHRISTMAS PRESENTATION: The plan is for three things to be going on at once: 1) One person (angel) will narrate segments of the nativity story; 2) For each segment, a chorus of URC members singing a medley of Christmas songs that correspond to the story; 3) A movie that we make of the nativity story (either classic or modern-day) will be playing on the screens of the main sanctuary. It’s a beautiful plan, but requires a lot of work. Let’s plan to work on it each Sunday afternoon, until the performance on Christmas Eve.
6) 2010 WINTER RETREAT: TWO WEEKS FROM SUNDAY (12/19-21) @ CAMP MARANATHA. I just talked to our guest speaker, Dave Choi, and he’s prepping for what will be a phenomenal time. Dave constantly travels around the world to preach at mega churches and big-time events (he just spoke last week to business leaders from an Asian country who employ hundreds of thousands of workers), and he’s coming to preach to us, baby! Pastor Moses from Sheepgate will be our praise leader, and I can’t wait.
Please set aside the dates and bring $100 (URC is supporting $55!) to Won by 12/12!
7) SCRIPTURE READING/OFFERING: Won Lee
8 ) DEVOTIONS: Hosea 13-Amos 1. We’re speeding through the Minor Prophets. Amos is about social justice as a form of worship, not just formal worship in the temple. In between Hosea and Amos, however, is Joel, a book about a swarm of locusts coming to devour Israel for its disobedience, and the call to repent for God’s mercy. From Joel 2 is the great vision of the Holy Spirit pouring out on the people after God’s deliverance:
28 “And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.
Church, I pray that each of us continues to grow in taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.
