APRIL 07 LAMPSTAND

Taft Avenue Community Church Lampstand Online
April 2007 * Volume 9 * Issue 4

A few words from Pastor Bob...

Our denomination—or probably more correctly, fellowship of churches—the Evangelical Free Church, is a relatively new denomination on the scene of American Christianity.  There are older, and more mature groups that have longer heritages and traditions; nevertheless, the Free Church also has special characteristics that identify us and flavor our churches.  I’ve heard many of you say when on vacation, “I attended the Free Church in ______________, and I felt like I was at our home church.”  Part of this may be what we call our “Distinctives.”  We become familiar with our doctrinal statement in our membership class; however, there are other, certainly less important, but vital characteristics of the Free Church that characterize our movement.  The national office has identified six distinctives of our family of churches that characterize us, in addition to our doctrinal statement, as an Evangelical Free Church.  Some are inferences from biblical texts, while others, I believe, are distinctively and necessarily biblical principles that should characterize every local church.  I have included the list from our national office, with their explanation. -Pastor Bob      Distinctives of The Evangelical Free Church of America "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ." -- Chrysostom 1. The Evangelical Free Church of America is inclusive not exclusive. The great heritage of the Evangelical Free Church people around the world includes the fact that fellowship and ministry opportunities in the local church are based solely on one's personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, trusting in Him alone for salvation. Membership requires commitment to sound doctrine as expressed in our Statement of Faith. However, a person is not excluded from membership because he or she does not agree on every fine point of doctrine. Within the Evangelical Free Church, there is allowance for legitimate differences of understanding in some areas of doctrine. 2. The Evangelical Free Church is evangelical but not separatistic. The Evangelical Free Church was born out of a heritage of commitment to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. We have deep convictions based on the authority of God's Word, but we do not draw battle lines over minor points. Nor do we make minor issues of doctrine a test of fellowship in the local church. We are evangelical. We believe in separated living and personal holiness. But we are not separatistic. 3. The Evangelical Free Church of America is ecumenical in spirit though not in structure. We believe in the spiritual unity of the church, though not necessarily in structural union. We join with other Christians and other denominations of like precious faith in common goals and ministries to accomplish the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. But we believe that there is strength in diversity and that it is important to preserve our Distinctives. We recognize that union in structure does not guarantee unity of spirit. Our foremost concern is unity of spirit with our Lord, with each other and with other Christians. 4. The Evangelical Free Church of America believes in liberty with responsibility and accountability. We believe in Christian liberty, but freedom always has its limitations. Responsible Christians do not abuse freedom. The Apostle Paul wrote forcefully about Christian liberty in the book of Galatians. He shattered the legalists with the doctrine of grace. But in First and Second Corinthians and Romans, the apostle also rebuked believers when liberty was abused. He declared boldly the principles of Christian liberty but spoke with equal forcefulness about Christian accountability. The Evangelical Free Church desires to preserve our freedom in Christ and encourage our people to be responsible, godly men, women and young people who desire to live under the control of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to the principles and precepts of God's Word and in harmony with God's will for life as revealed in the Scriptures. 5. The Evangelical Free Church of America believes in both the rational and relational dimensions of Christianity. We believe the Scriptures must be applied to our individual lives with warmth of heart, warmth of message and warmth of concern. We believe it is essential to have solid biblical content in our doctrinal understanding of faith, but it is equally important to have a dynamic, vital relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son and to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sound Christian doctrine must be coupled with dynamic Christian experience. Ours is a ministry of love and reconciliation. 6. The Evangelical Free Church of America affirms the right of each local church to govern its own affairs. The Evangelical Free Church is committed to a congregational form of government as stated in Article 10 of our Confession of Faith: "We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Head of the Church and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs." Strong pastoral leadership coupled with discerning and well-equipped Christian lay people can produce spiritual growth as well as significant church growth. The New Testament emphasizes the importance of the Body of Christ ministering through the spiritual gifts that have been given to each believer. "Congregational in government" means that each local church governs its own affairs. Within the local church, the highest human authority rests in the congregation.

 

Celebrate the Risen Lord!

Join us for this year’s Good Friday service, at 7:00pm on Friday, April 6th. On Easter Sunday, April 8th, our daybreak service will begin at 7:00am, followed by a continental breakfast at 8:00am. Our main worship service follows at 9:00am. There will be no Sunday School classes.

 

Easter Lilies

We are hoping to fill the church with lilies this Easter Sunday. Visit the Flower Cart between services on Sunday the 1st to purchase one in honor of or in memory of a loved one for $7. You will be able to take your lily home right after the second service.

  

SCRIP!

Unless you take the bus, you need to buy gas for your car.  Don’t worry about having enough cash, buy scrip!  You have your choice of Arco, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell, or Texaco scrip are available to purchase every Sunday morning. Starbucks and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf scrip are for sale to satisfy the java junkie.

 

A Note from the Littles

Dear Church Family, In October of 1992 we launched our first “business as missions” enterprise in Iasi, that being the very first second-hand clothing store. Within two years we had opened three stores. From that humble beginning, God has been faithful over the years the bless the work of our hands. A huge part of that blessing has been our home church’s participation in tirelessly gathering clothes from the flock and carrying them to our mini-storage unit in Orange. Many among you have labored on our behalf. It seems fitting to mention in particular the unflagging support of Bill & Christie Runion (that’s Bill of “Bill si Dan”), whose heartfelt diligence has kept things going between container loadings. For all of this and all of you, we are eternally grateful. Our church family’s sacrifice of service has helped turn our original $15,000 investment into more than $1,000,000 of profits for Romanian ministry over the years. Furthermore, some twenty Romanian Christian women continue to have full-time employment in our three stores. More importantly, we have seen customers com to Christ in our stores through the witness of our people. Unfortunately, due to ever-increasing costs of doing business, a glut of such thrift stores, an emerging clothing market in Iasi, and the monthly cost of the Orange mini-storage, we have made the painful decision to shut down our gathering operation in Southern California. We appreciate so much all of your help in getting the existing merchandise to Northern California from where we pray it will be shipped to us in Iasi. Gloria and I remain profoundly humbled by our home church's ongoing support of our ministry in Romania and Moldova. As we have prayed that 2007 would be a year of spiritual harvest, we are entering harvest season. You are all a huge part of every disciple made for Christ through the work of our hands. We remain, In Iasi for Christ, Jeri & Gloria Little

 

Friends in Christ: ABF-Adult Bible Fellowship

Join us in the Fireside Room Second Hour April l- Koinonia Sunday April 8- Easter Sunday (no class) April 15- Resurrection Revelation 1 “He is Risen” April 22- Resurrection Revelation 2 “A Meeting on the Road” April 29- Resurrection Revelation 3 “Joy and Amazement"

 

Taft Avenue Partner School

It's been a great year so far with thirteen students and we are graduating three students in June.  Registration is now open for next year's class.  Come by the office to pick up information and registration forms or call us at 637-3220 ext 257.  We thank all of the Taft Avenue congregation for a successful first year!

 

Business Meeting

Sunday, April 22nd at 12:00pm, following second hour classes, come join your church family in the Worship Center to hear about current business matters.

 

Kitchen Cleaning

For those willing to help, there will be a kitchen cleaning on Monday, April 16th at 9:00am. All are welcome, contact Diane Stoneman at church or by calling 714-998-7802 for more details.

 

Help Needed

Steven Delbridge is looking for a woman attendant for his wife, Hazel, who is a stroke victim.  It is a  part-time position beginning in the fall and requires two afternoons and one night per week. If anyone from the church is interested, please call the church office at 714.637.3220.

 

Submerge: Book Review by John Adams

Johns Hayes’ new book, “Sub-Merge,” has recently been published and will soon be available in the TACC library. John and Deanna Hayes are TACC supported missionaries who are currently working among the poor, in London, UK. John’s book follows their ministry from Minnie Street in Santa Ana, to Cambodia, to the Cambodian community in Long Beach, to the projects of San Francisco.  It is a must-read book explaining the founding of InnerCHANGE and the international ministry they have developed.  It is an intellectual, yet experiential description of the ministry, which also includes  numerous testimonies of God’s work among the poorest of the poor.

  

Men's Ministries

“No-Greens Dinner”: Men, save the evening of Saturday, April 21st, 6:00pm, for an evening of excitement, inspiration and surprise. Greg Pennick, principal of Lutheran High School of Orange County, will be speaking on “Faith, Family and Christian Education.” Watch for tickets on sale at the Workbench!

 

Women's Ministries "Becoming Women of Excellence" Proverbs 31:10-31

Bible Study Reminder! The Bible study groups will not be meeting on Wednesday April 4th or Thursday April 5th. Tell your cohorts. Get Scrap-Happy: Contain yourselves women. The time has come once again for an enjoyable day of Scrapbooking! Join us in the Fireside room on Saturday the 14th from 9:00am to 9:00pm. Come prepared with your arts, crafts, whatever your heart desires to work on, along with a snack to share. There will be a time of devotion around lunchtime.   "Sitting at the Feet of Jesus": Want to do God’s will for your life but don’t know what it is? Get some help from your church sisters at our One Day Retreat, Saturday, April 21st. Registration begins at 8:30 am, and the Retreat goes from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Cost is $15.00 & includes a Continental Breakfast, Box Lunch, and materials. Sign up at the Flower Cart on Sunday morning. Make sure you dress comfortably & bring your Bible. See You There!  Touching, Loving, Caring: Would you like to be a part of a Christ-honoring ministry with a heart-guided team?  TLC ministry helps the members of our church in their time of need with providing meals, a smile, a hug and a prayer. Give EB Adams a call at 771-1669 if you would like to be added to the list of helpers.

 

Youth  Ministries

H.S Mission Trip: The High School students are having their annual missions trip to Los Angeles on Friday, April 20th to Sunday, the 22nd. Pray for our students as they participate in various ministries throughout Los Angeles.   There’s a Pulse! There will be a High School Pulse meeting on Sunday the 29th at 5:00pm. Don’t let your student miss out on this time of prayer and praise. Ultimate Sports Night: Jr. High will be having a special event during their regular Wednesday night meeting time, 7:00-8:30pm, April 25th.

Jr. High Camp was a big success, thanks to all who helped!

 

 

Missionary Moments by Faye Vaughan

Your Missions Board wishes to express its appreciation to all those members of our congregation who came to the Missions Conference to support, encourage and gain new insight to the meaning and scope of our mission efforts here at TACC. As we realize the wide and varied doors of opportunity the Lord has so graciously opened to us, our passion for diligence in His service is refreshed. Our motto for this conference, “GO or SEND,” is one that we should take seriously. We pray that the words and challenges from conference speaker, Murray Decker will stay with us. His Sunday morning message from Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9-10, was a wonderful illustration of God's progressive revelation. If you missed the conference, there are CDs available in the office. For further information on our missions strategy, ask Pastor Bob or one of the board members, who will be glad to share. It is obvious that within our church family there are those who, in the right timeframe of life, could GO. For the rest of us, the privilege to SEND is ours with vital prayer and financial support. If each person in our TACC family chose one missions effort to become their consistent responsibility, we would surely see God’s hand of guidance multiply greatly. We are pleased that our evangelistic efforts are not focused on only “other peoples in distant lands,” since in our own local community, people of our church family tirelessly serve others.  For example, many of you work with Children’s or Youth Ministries, to teach and be examples to our younger generation. We appreciate and thank God for those who serve in retirement home ministries, On Eagles Wings, TESOL, prison ministries, and C.E.F., among many other outreach efforts throughout our community. It is clear that no matter our age or status in life, the Lord has an area where we can all serve and bring honor to His name.

 

Lampstand Financial Report