The View From Here:
Allow me to share several things with you that are on my heart and I will right quite a bit to assure you are well informed.
As we take time and celebrate this Saturday our freedom, please join me in keeping our country, our leaders and all our military troops in your prayers. I am thankful for the freedom we enjoy and the protection we experience because of individuals who are willing to serve our country with a selfless heart to serve both at home and abroad.
We also remember the eternal freedom all of us have been offered through Jesus Christ. Galatians 5:1 reminds us:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (NIV)
We only appreciate freedom more when we realize the price associated with it. For our freedoms many dear people have laid down their lives. For our eternal freedom, it was purchased by Christ Himself and as long as we believe in Him and as long as we cling to Him we are able to possess this incredible gift. We are called to Stand In our Freedom. Don’t miss that. We are invited to possess it and stand on it. This is not merely standing and twiddling our thumbs but like staking a claim to a great and valuable spot, we are to stand and mind out all the riches below us. These riches are the freedom we have in Christ. They are found in scripture, through prayer and an ongoing and growing love for Jesus Christ. They are enjoyed through worship, surrender and serving the Lord and others. Let us dig out all the riches we have been given in Christ. It is my prayer that as we enjoy ourselves at Los Alamos Park (I hope you will join us there- it is a great way to connect with your LFC family and a great opportunity to bring unchurched friends with you) that we will remember the freedoms we enjoy. I certainly hope you will join us at Los Alamos Park and also at the Movies Four Parking Lot (south end) if you are not going to Huyck Stadium for the Fireworks Show. Thanks to all of you at LFC who gave financially to make sure the ball was rolling well and the show could go on. LFC gave 10,500 dollars towards the show and other churches came along as well, taking the number up to over 17,000 with businesses and civic groups giving too.
New Faces: We are seeing so many new faces coming to LFC and this is great. What we always need are more and more of you to simply reach out and get to know them. Don’t hesitate to become greeters. Most assuredly our greeting team does a great job at this, but did you know your greeting means more – guest expect greeters to greet them, but they often gauge a church’s friendliness by the people in it, not the greeters or the pastor. So, it is up to you to go out and greet them. It is also a great season to invite others to church with you.
Small Groups: Our Summer Semester of Small Groups is going well. The church was buzzing last night with people who are learning various books of the bible, financial practices, marriage and family, reviewing the Sunday teaching and more. Our kids were having a blast at Kid’s Time last night (which by the way is open to all kids and not just those whose parents are involved in small groups). Next Wednesday our Kids Time will feature the Police Activities League Climbing Wall. If you did not get on board now, don’t miss out on the fall semester – watch for signups.
For All: Connections Building: We are closing in on the finish line for our New Connections Building. Power was turned on this week and the entire outside is painted (over the stucco) and soon the cabinets will arrive for the kitchen. We still need additional funds for completion which includes: landscaping, equipment, video and sound, furnishings for the café as well as complete cookware and utensils for our kitchen. In conjunction with this new facility we will also be remodeling our current and well-used kitchen in the annex which is vital to Sunday operations, our Monday Night feedings of those who are underesourced, youth and college ministries too. We have two essential planting days coming up, July 11th and July 25th and possibly additional days as well. We need many of you to join in. If you have not given yet to this valuable and needed facility we invite you to partner with us with a generous heart.
For Team LFC – July 18 at 5pm – If you currently serve on a team at LFC, I really want you to be here with us as we honor you with a BBQ, some special moments as the team from New Hope and Pastor Wayne Cordeiro share some Hawaiian Aloha with us. It will be a blast. Don’t miss out TEAM.
For all: Friendship Sunday – July 19 at 8:45 & 10:45 am (note two services that day) A special day with Pastor Wayne Cordeiro and a 20 member team from New Hope, Oahu Hawaii. Pastor Wayne has been with us at LFC on three other occasions and is a dear friend of mine. His teaching, leadership skills and the books he has written have impacted many lives – including mine. Use this opportunity for you to invite an unchurched friend to church. His team will lead worship that day and there will be Hawaiian dancers and we will provide some free goodies after the two services. Who will you invite? Pray now and consider someone. Invitations available this Sunday in your bulletin!
For All: Summer Outreach:
We did so well last Saturday handing out over 4,000 bottles of free ice cold water to parade goers at the Flower Festival Parade. Our team of over 100 were smiling and sharing and wearing our red ‘Serve Team’ shirts. A red sea of servants! But there are two more opportunities for you to serve with the rest of your LFC family, even if for one day or one night. Come to a meeting on July 12th, following third service (about 12:15) to hear about these opportunities and how you might fit in. They are: National Night Out, Tuesday August 4th from 5 – 7 PM, We partner with the Lompoc Police Department and will be in a neighborhood providing hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, games and more. We need people with trucks, those willing to set up or tear down and those willing to join in with our concessions team. The next big event is the Lompoc Police Department Special Olympics Car Show, Saturday September 5 from 9-3pm with set up happening earlier in the morning. This is a great day, with over 300 cars, and we organize and run the silent auction, the concessions, some games and more and Special Olympics benefits greatly.
There is a lot going on at LFC and many places for you to connect with others, plug in and use your gifts, grow and learn and become better connected to God and others – go for it. LFC is all about a church family who shares our heart together for Jesus.
My heart is full – let’s keep moving forward.
My life would not be the same without you in it. Hope to see you at the BBQ and again on Sunday,
Pastor Bernie