june clarion
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newsletterTRANSCRIPT
The Clarion
Clarion Page 2
Associate Director of Missions Claudio Medina
Bruce Hitchcock Church Growth Strategist
Director of Missions Deryl Lackey
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made
Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
What a privilege it is to be used by the Lord. He has allowed us the opportunity to work and serve on His behalf. May we continue to plead and implore those that are lost with the message of His saving grace.
Here are some of the exciting programs that went on this month:
Two more new church starts for a total of 14 for the year. We started our next session of Equip Biblical Institute, (EBI seminary) and I want to encourage you to think about the possibility of hosting an EBI program at your church. Sunday School Director training, Deacon training, Leadership conference, Desert Area Bible Workshop, Assisted with several outreach programs, Hispanic pastors breakfast, Second Evangelism Trailer up and running.
I pray that all our fathers will have a wonderful, restful Father’s Day this month.
Reaching out to those in the community is love demonstrated. Healthy churches are not only determined to grow spiritually but they are known for their love for the community translated though programs and projects that meet needs. Spiritual growth as identified in the Great Commandment and Great Commission does not take place in a vacuum. There can be no growth without a clear sensitivity to community needs. There can be no perception of the community’s needs without an outward love for the community.
In his book “Breakout Churches” Thom Rainer found that the churches that had broken out of mediocrity were forward thinking, and forward acting in their visions and mission. Inwardly they were dedicated to the spiritual development of the congregation. Outwardly, they cared about their community and were actively involved in meeting its needs. Unfortunately the comparison (plateaued) churches were one dimensional. They were inwardly focused.
--- Thom S. Rainer, Breakout Churches, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA, p. 101
Over 750 people in attendance, over 200 families and numerous professions of faith! This all took place because our second evangelism trailer is now available, due to your support as well as assistance from our State Convention. The first trailer is booked up for most of the rest of the year and the second one is booking up quickly. If you need the trailer contact the office a.s.a.p. As these trailers go out, we hear of wonderful testimonies as lives are changed and churches experience the joy of reaching out to their communities. It is also worth noting that as of today we have had 14 church plants this year! That is a high number,
God is truly moving in the hearts of His people! Once again due to your support we are able to help in such ways as printing outreach materials, leadership development on many levels, connecting these new church starts with existing churches who have sent teams to assist, and the list goes on. We are simply privileged to be the extension of your church as you support us in so many ways, reaching the 4.5 million people in the Inland Empire marked by wonderful diversity. I would also like to share that we are seeing many of our churches go back to a time of regular time of corporate prayer, I praise God for this and look forward to this passion for prayer expanding into more of our churches!
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Martin Leach Church Growth Consultant
Ministry Trailers!
Vacation Bible School We want to express our appreciation to Cindy Enlow for a great Vacation Bible School clinic last Saturday, May 14
th. We had about 175 in attendance. It was a time of equipping, encouragement and excitement.
Cindy always does a wonderful job. She is willing to assist any of our churches with V.B.S. You can contact her at [email protected]. If you would like to have V.B.S. decorations from other churches, we have a good number on the list who will give you their decorations. We asked the workers who attended the clinic if they would be willing to “link up” and help with V.B.S. in another church. There are lots of people who indi-
cated that they are ready to come to your church to help. Contact Cindy or myself if you would like to sign up for some work-ers or decorations.
And the winners are… Congratulations to Blake Withers from Wildomar and Linda Brown from San Bernardino. They each won a $100.00 gift card at the bookstore drawing at Equipped for Excellence. In addition, Ashley Bratton of Ontario won the $50.00 VISA card for giving us her contact information at Equipped for Excellence. Pastor’s and Sunday School Director’s Planning Workshop On Saturday, July 9
th, we will host our annual workshop. This year we will be meeting at Palm Baptist Church, 6807 Palm
Avenue in Riverside. There will be a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:00 noon. Richard Young, Minister of Education at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Ontario, will be leading our meeting. The purpose is to help you make plans for growth this fall.
Save the dates! The Sunday School Preparation and Training Conferences will be on Saturday, September 10
th at First Baptist Church in
Rialto and Saturday, September 17th
at Hemet Valley Baptist church in Hemet. The Adiestrados para la Excelencia His-panic training event will be on Saturday, October 1
st.
Trailer 2 (Does not include stage)
Standard receiver with a 2" ball hitch
Mixer Board
Tables (3)
Snake Cord (6 connections)
B-52 Sound System -two
speakers, mixer board, power cord, two speaker cords
Generator (5500)
Gas can
Popcorn Machine
Cotton Candy Machine
Snow Cone Machine
Two sets of lights
Bounce house/blower
The Association has started up a 2nd ministry trailer because of the
high demand of the 1st one. The 2nd trailer is ready for use, and
churches have already started booking it! If you want to use either
trailer, please call the Association at 951.784.2655.
Trailer 1
Standard receiver with a 2 5/8 ball hitch
Stage (six 4x8 platforms) -two sets of
stairs
Mixer Board
Tables (3)
Snake Cord (100' with 24 connections)
B-52 Sound System -two speakers, mixer board, power
cord, two speaker cords
Generator (5500)
Gas can
Stage Skirt
Popcorn Machine
Cotton Candy Machine
Snow Cone Machine
Two sets of lights
Bounce house/blower
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Page 5 Clarion
Church Updates:
The Inland Empire Baptist Association has had 14 new church plants since January 2011. Thank you for your support as we continue to reach the Inland Empire!
Gracepoint Riverside Church currently has 30 UCR students taking a weekly course on Christianity, including Christian students as well as some who are learning about Christianity for the first time. They praise God for 2 students who became Christians last quarter!
Lakeshore City Church in Corona has moved from Sunday night service to Sunday Mornings at 10am. Also, their worship team has just about finished with their 6 first worship CD. All songs were written and composed by their worship team
Set Free Church Yuciapa has seen multiple salvations weekly through church services, outreaches, and every day ministry. They average about 15 baptisms a month and baptize every other week. They are working on planting a Set Free church in East San Bernardino and Redlands. Pray for those new church plants.
Congratulations to Pastor
Julius West for graduating
from Golden
Gate Seminary
with his
Doctorate.
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Church in the Spotlight The Branch Church Update
San Bernardino The Branch Church is really focusing on love. I know that sounds commonplace or obvious for a church, but Pastor Francis Chan recently said something during John Piper's pastors conference in 2010 that has sparked a resurgence to love others. He said, "I have to be really honest with myself and ask, 'I see the person I'm talking to standing in front of me, but do I really love that person?'" I think an answer to that question takes some real self-examination. Do we love the members, regular attenders, and visitors to our church, or do we "like" it when they come and form a consistent and growing crowd? Are we into planning and executing stellar church events, or are our minds jumping ahead to ways we can love people in our everyday lives? The scenarios are endless, but they all lead back to Chan's question: "Do I/We love the person or people that God has placed directly in front of me at any given moment?" Paul's famous love chapter's first three verses are translated this way in The New Living Bible "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 From great resources like Francis Chan's book Crazy Love, David Platt's book Radical, and especially God's Word, The Branch Church is finding itself at a really humbled and simple call to really love Jesus, and really love people. From Sunday's worship services, to midweek youth, to ladies' bunco, and every single soul in between, we feel Je-sus calling us to love with a fervor like we've never seen before. Love, love, love without calculation, and watch God move. -Pastor David Medina
Iglesia Bautista Sierra Vista celebrated their 10th Anniversary this month. The church was started in May of 2001, and called Pastor Jesse Peneda as pastor in June of 2003. They have grown from 100, to over 150 members, and are reaching the Spanish community in Riverside. They have also had a few ministries that have really stood out to them as they look back upon the past 10 years. They have a couples group, “Matrimonios,” that meets on Mondays, they practice playing different sports on Sunday afternoons with a ministry they call, “Tardes Deportivasm” and they also have Wednesday night services and Awanas. On May 1, the church held their 10 year anniversary service and had 215 in attendance, and almost did not fit in the building! They were able to use the service to reach out to Riverside and tell them about the ministries that the church offers, as well as look back on the past 10 years and celebrate how God has used them. The church has started a ministry called "Vision una milla a la redonda," in which their focus will be to visit every house within a one mile radius of the church sharing Jesus with the community. Pastor Jesse Peneda says, “Thank you Lord for this ten years of blessing.”
Iglesia Bautista Sierra Vista’s 10 Year Anniversary!
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Visit our website @ www.iesba.org
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
FOR THESE DATES!!
Clarion (UPS 044-370) Inland Empire Southern Baptist Association of
California
6857 Indiana Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506
Telephone: (951) 784-2655
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June 11 Kid’s Day Camp
July 9 Pastor’s & S.S. Directors Planning Workshop
October 1 Adiestrados para la Excelencia
Clarion
Inland Empire Association Staff
Deryl Lackey Director of Missions
Claudio Medina Associate Director of Missions
Bruce Hitchcock Church Growth Strategist
Martin Leach Church Growth Consultant
Bobbie Brooks Ministry Assistant
Brenda Lackey Office Manager
Angela Mantzey Graphics Specialist
(951) 784-2655 • Fax (951) 784-2656