Summer Camp

This Sunday the Shockwave Student Ministry is sponsoring a free spaghetti lunch and they would love for you to attend.
Daniel, Kristen, and their team will be telling you about their exciting summer camp that is coming up on June 20^th.
Some students need help with the $250.00 camp fee.
The Shockwave leaders want you to have a part in sending a teenager to this life-changing event.
Please join us right after the service on Sunday.

Please continue reading the book of James.
Our goal is to immerse ourselves in this wonderfully practical book.
This Sunday we will talk about how to make God-honoring decisions.

Faith That Works

This Sunday we are going to begin a new series called Faith That Works. We will be studying the book of James. We will be in this study all summer. To go along with the series you may want to read a chapter in James everyday. You will be immersed in the Word of God and you will be very prepared for our study each week. James is the most practical book in the Bible. It is literally a handbook for our lives as we follow Christ.

And…every Sunday morning the Coffee Bar opens at 9:30. Please join us for a latte, espresso, hot tea, or ice blended. It is a wonderful time to meet new people, catch up with old friends, and just enjoy the company of our church family.

Mother's Day

Sunday is Mother’s Day. That is just a friendly reminder just in case you had forgotten. I know that it is pretty hard to forget when just about every other ad on TV or radio is pitching a gift that your mother must have. I think Mother’s Day is a good thing. It is especially good when my wife and mother of my two sons selects a restaurant that I like. I am so blessed that my wife loves to eat steak! There will not be any foo foo brunch for us on Sunday. No, it will be steak and baked potato baby.

And I also realize that there are some who are skeptical and see Mother’s Day as just another “holiday” that was manufactured by Hallmark, FTD, and See’s Candies. That could be true, but here is how I see it. Every day should be mother’s day. Every day should be father’s day. We should honor our parents every day. As parents, we should honor our commitment to God to be godly mothers and godly fathers every day. So, make the most of Mother’s Day. Join us for our service. I will share with you Eight Things That Moms Need (that won’t cost you any money).

Summer Schedule

This week we will begin our summer worship schedule. We will have one service each Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Please keep these other ministry and fellowship opportunities in mind as you plan your Sunday.

The Berean Senior Adult Small Group will meet every Sunday at 9:00 AM.
If you are over 55 and would like to be in a small group Bible study this group may be for you.
Please contact Bob Tripp (rtripp7992@aol.com) or Tom Nichols (nichols10@verizon.net) for more information.

There will be a Prayer Meeting every Sunday at 9:00 AM in the Library/Conference Room. Please contact Richard Guerrero (Richard.Guerrero@imb.com) for more information.

The coffee shop will be open at 9:30 AM each Sunday.
Please come a bit early and have a cup of coffee, a bagel, or the beverage or snack of your choice.
It will be a great opportunity to meet new people and hang out with the church family.
If you bring a first time guest, make sure that you pick up a gift bag for them so they can use their free beverage card in the coffee shop.

And…beginning this Sunday there will be a new check-in procedure for your children.
Your child will be given a name tag and you will be given a claim check.
When you pick up your child your claim check must match your child’s name tag.

If your child is in Studio Green(Nursery) or Studio Blue (2 – 4 years old) you will drop them off at their Studio and they will get their name tag and you will get your claim check.

If your child is in Studio Orange, Red, or Black, they will receive their name tag and you will receive your claim check as you arrive.

Jennifer Villaryo will be there to assist you.

Beginning this Sunday and continuing each Sunday we are going to try something different with our elementary age children.
Children in Studio Orange, Red, and Black will now be in the Worship Center for the opening worship time at 10:00 AM.
They will sit with their parents during the singing and Communion and then they will be dismissed with their Studio Leaders to their studio for their game, craft, and lesson time.
This will offer a wonderful opportunity for you to worship as a family and to share in singing and Communion with your child.

You will pick up your child from the studio at the end of the service.

Choices

Life is about choices. At the end of the day our life is comprised of the sum total of our choices.
Success in life depends upon our desire to and our ability to align our choices with God and His Word.

In our series called Running On Empty we are talking about the pace of our lives and the fuel that is necessary to sustain the pace of our lives.

This Sunday we are going to talk about choices and the role that they play in the pace of our lives.
We don’t have the time, energy, or stamina to do it all.
We must choose.
It is my prayer that we will choose better.

Next Step With Purpose

You are to be commended on your response to our guests this past Sunday. You sent the Powell’s to Viet Nam with an $1,100.00 love offering!! That is fantastic and so I say, “Yea God!! Yea Venice!!” You have done well and should be proud of yourselves. I think that it is safe to say, based on the offering, that the Powell’s were a blessing to you. I am thankful for that as well. They were a real blessing to me.

Here is a very special announcement.
We are going to move to a Summer Worship Schedule beginning on Sunday May 4^th. We will have One Service @ 10:00 AM each Sunday from May through September. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our church family to worship together. The coffee bar will be open at 9:30 AM and I encourage you to come early for coffee, tea, breakfast and fellowship. The worship center will be a little more crowded so you will want to get here early to get “your seat”. With the new schedule we will have Prayer Meeting every Sunday morning at 9:00 AM in the conference room.

Now, let me encourage you with this. You are going to continue to hear about Next Step and so let me help us stay focused on what it is that we hope to see accomplished through Next Step. Venice Church is here to build a family of fully devoted followers of Christ that bring glory to God. To accomplish this mission we focus on God’s five purposes. God’s desire and purpose for us is that we would worship Him with every aspect of our lives, that we would be committed to this church family, that we would grow to be like Christ, that we would serve others in ministry, and that we would share the Good News of Jesus Christ with our friends, loved ones, and acquaintances that are far from God. So, when we talk about taking our Next Step we are talking about stepping out in faith to see if we can deepen our resolve to live out one of these purposes.

Let me give you an example of how this may look. Many of you, on Next Step Sunday, declared that your Next Step was to read and study the Bible more consistently or to kick up your prayer life a bit. I hope that you are doing well in sustaining your commitment. The goal of those commitments is to deepen your fellowship with God and strengthen your walk with Christ. In the fulfillment of that commitment you will grow to be more like Christ, you will be better equipped for ministry, you will be better prepared to share the Good News, your intimacy with God’s family will intensify and you will be more fervent in your worship of God.

So, take your Next Step and continue to worship, grow, serve, fellowship, and share your faith. You will be a strong follower of Christ and as we grow and are strengthened our church family grows and is strengthened. At the end of the day we will have reached our goal of loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and body and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Still Learning

Amy, Jennifer Villaryo and I spent Monday and Tuesday in Clovis with Pastor Otis Ledbetter and his staff at Sonrise Church. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with other pastors, children’s pastors, and their wives. We were given the opportunity to learn about other children’s ministries and we came home with some good ideas that may work for us here at Venice. It is always encouraging to see God working in other churches in other places and to see what is possible with God’s help.

We have come through the Easter season and Spring Breaks are coming to an end and we are looking forward to what God will do through the rest of this spring. Let me encourage you to be faithful to our worship services, your small group and your ministry. If you need to find a small group, please contact me and I will help you find one. And…if you still have not found a place of ministry, we can help you find that as well.

And…let me encourage you to invite a seeking person to a service. The best way to spread the good news and get the word out about Venice Church is word of mouth.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday. Our special guests will be Henry & Sandie Powell. I know that you will want to hear what God is doing through them in Southeast Asia.

Baptism

As you will note below there is a lot going on here at Venice and so I encourage you to get involved and stay involved. We will be baptizing in the Worship Center on Sunday just before the second service. If you are a first service attendee grab a cup of coffee after the service and then hang around for the baptism at 10:40 AM. If you are a second service attendee come a bit early for a cup of coffee and then head into the Worship Center for the baptism and the service to follow. It is always a blessing to celebrate with those being baptized.

Ten Things I Think

1. I think that it was a wonderful weekend here at Venice. In our three services the total attendance was 302. There were visitors here who had never heard the gospel. Please pray that their lives will be changed by the power of God and His Word.

2. I think that it is fantastic that our teenagers are going to be serving the hurting this Saturday. Adam’s team does a great job each month and it is exciting to see Daniel and Kristen encouraging the kids to join in.

3. I think that the Major League Baseball season started this week and nobody noticed…except maybe those who play fantasy baseball.

4. I think that this message series, Running on Empty, is extremely pertinent to people who live in west L.A. It is a great time to invite a friend to a service.

5. I think that we are having a great time in our small group study. We are studying 3:16. Max Lucado is leading us in a study of John 3:16. He makes this statement at the beginning of the study. “If you know nothing of the Bible start here. If you know everything about the Bible return here.” I am not a newbie and I certainly do not know everything about the Bible, but it has been good for me to return there!

6. I think that the “summer tease” that we had last week was great, but it makes me wish that we could skip June gloom.

7. I think that UCLA will fall just short of winning a national championship in basketball. They will probably make it to the final four and another final four appearance will be good but it is all about winning championships in Westwood. I hope that I am wrong about this prognostication.

8. I think that “Next Step” has been a success so far, but for it to really take hold we must follow-up and follow through to see our steps come to fruition.

9. I think that this is the best overall talent that there has ever been on American Idol. A good singer is going to go home every week. By the way, you might want to set your TIVO for next Tuesday night’s episode. Thanks to Sandra Pettway, Amy and I will be in the audience. I can’t wait!!

10. I think that I hate election years. It is only March and I am just sick of hearing about it. Don’t get me wrong. I love our country. I pray for our country. I think that we have the best process, but it just gets old hearing about it everyday. It is a bit disconcerting to see how polarized we are in America.

1.

Implement

So…how’s it going?
I mean, how’s it going with your Next Step?
Have you implemented it?
Do you have a plan to implement it?
Sunday was a great day and I do not have any doubt that it will be life-changing for you and for our church, but…we must implement.

I hope that you are enjoying your week. I trust that you are planning to join us for our Good Friday Service and one of our Easter Services. It is a great time to invite a friend to a service. It could be the weekend or weekend that their life and their eternal destiny is changed by Christ. It doesn’t get better than that.

Happy Spring!!

Upcoming Events:

Good Friday Service – March 21^st @ 7:00 PM

Easter – March 23^rd Two Services

Feeding the Homeless & Hurting – March 29^th

CLASS 101: Discovering Membership – April 5^th

Baptism – April 6th

What Is Your NEXT STEP?

Sunday is the big day.
What will it be for you?

• Accept Christ as Savior
• Get Baptized
• Read your Bible everyday.
• Pray everyday.
• Join a small group for encouragement and spiritual growth.
• Lead a small group.
• Host a small group.
• Attend Class 101-Discovering Membership and join Venice Church.
• Take Class 201-Discovering Maturity.
• Begin using your unique SHAPE to serve in ministry.
• Forsake a particular sin that you struggle with.
• Set aside a bad habit.
• Break free from addiction.
• Love God more.
• Love people more.

Spring Cleaning

March of 2008 is an interesting time. It is our first foray into starting daylight savings time one month earlier. Don’t forget to “spring forward” on Saturday night. You don’t want to be late for church. It is traditionally the month to go fly a kite, the month when grown men head to Florida and Arizona to play a kid’s game called baseball and it ushers in the freshness and beauty of spring. March is a time for planting gardens and new beginnings. It is a time for spring cleaning and golf!

The freshness of March should also signal a time of spiritual refreshment. The opportunity appears to be even keener this year with Easter arriving so early. Easter is earlier this year than it has been since 1818 and even most, if not all, of our grandchildren will never see it this early again. March and Easter is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts with God. It is a time for each one of us to be refreshed and it is a time for us to share Jesus Christ with those who need a new heart and fresh start with God.

This passage of Scripture continues to resurface in my study of Scripture. It has sprung forth in my personal time with God, in our small group study that centers on John 3:16, and in my message study as we head to the season of Christ’s passion. It is the truth that changed my life. It is the life-changing truth that is available to you and to your friends and loved ones.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

In this one verse we see the entire picture of Christ’s coming and Christ’s passion. Our hearts are deceitful and sinful and we are at odds with God. Jesus came to make us right with God. Jesus, the Holy Son of God, the One who knew nothing of sin, became sin for us. He literally became the offering and sacrifice for our sin. When we come to Christ by faith we are made right with God the Father. It is the essence of our faith and it is the message to be shared.

When you clean out that closet or sweep out the garage let the truth of who Jesus is sweep out your heart. Let the Holy Spirit remind you of what Jesus has done for you and then tell somebody. Invite somebody to the Good Friday service or one of our Easter services. They might need a fresh start or a spiritual spring cleaning.

Hear ye, hear he!

1. Men’s Ministry Service Project – As you have heard over the last couple of weeks the men of Venice are taking some physical and spiritual necessities to some men who need our help. The project will take place on Saturday March 8^th. If you have signed up to donate any of the items, please drop them off when you come to church this Sunday. And, if you have not bought items to donate, please take part in our project offering this Sunday. In addition to our regular offering we will be receiving an offering for this project.

2. The prayer meeting now meets on the first and last Friday of every month @ 7:00 PM in the worship center and the first and last Sunday of every month @ 9:00 AM in the conference room. Contact Richard Guerrero for more information. Richard.Guerrero@imb.com.

3. Next Step Kickoff Sunday – March 16^th – One Service @ 10:00 AM. Lunch will follow our service. Everybody is invited. Childcare will be provided up through 5^th grade. Our desire is to see every member and attendee of Venice Church take their “next step” with God. At the luncheon we will help you discover your next step and we want to give you the encouragement and tools that you need to take your next step. Make your plans to be with us.

Questions...

If you want to know where you should minister, you must know what you are passionate about. Here are some questions that will help you uncover your passion.

What do I care the most about?
What could I care less about?
What makes me happy?
What breaks my heart?
What do I dream about?
What motivates me?
What do I really want to do for God?
Where can I make the greatest impact for God?
What would release the passion in my life for God?
If there were no barriers or obstacles and no chance for failure what would I like to attempt for God?

Our heart will play an enormous role in our service to God.
Be real.
Get in touch with you.
Ask God to give you a passion for Him and for ministry.

Happy Valentine's Day

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.
(Perhaps a friendly reminder to all of you men who have not hit the florist or See’s Candy yet.)
Valentine’s Day is a day where we think about matters of the heart. Tomorrow we will think about it in the “love” sense, but the Bible speaks about the heart in terms of who we are.

Our heart is who we are. We are talking about our SHAPE on Sunday mornings right now, but as I said at the end of Sunday’s message we have to focus on what matters most. What matters most is who we are on the inside. If our heart is not in line with God’s there is no chance that we will use our shape for His glory in His Kingdom and church.

If we really want to change for the better and live lives that are pleasing to God we must start on the inside and work our way to the outside. Lasting change does not happen “out there”, but rather “in here”. Change happens in our hearts and is not dependent upon our particular circumstances.

If you want to be transformed do not wait for your circumstances to miraculously change you. Transformation starts with God and it continues in the humble heart of a human being.

So when you see one of those big old heart decorations or one of those nasty tasting little hearts with the quaint saying on them tomorrow, just pause for a moment and think about your heart. Does it match up with Gods? Is it filled with love for Him and others? If it is not…it can change. God can help. He will do for us what He wanted to do for Israel.

Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.

By the way, I received this encouragement from a daily devotional. They really can help.
They may even lead to a change of heart. Give one a try.

Shaped For Service

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday when we will begin a new series called Shaped For Serving God. God has created each one of us uniquely. God has created us to serve Him by serving others and our church. In this series I hope to help you discover and uncover your unique shape. When we know our shape we will be prepared to serve God and His purposes and when we do that it brings God glory.

Upcoming Events:

Women’s Ministry – February 9^th.

Men’s Ministry – February 16^th.

CLASS 201: Discovering Maturity – February 23^rd.

Storm Watch

As I am sure you know we are on “Storm Watch”. I hope that you are prepared. Things could get dicey. We may even get, like ½ inch of rain! I hope that you have a great week as you make the best of the weather.

There is a lot going on here at Venice. I want to encourage you to be involved.
This Saturday is CLASS 101: Discovering Membership. It is not too late to sign up. If you have not completed this class and you are interested in becoming a member I would love to have you join me Saturday morning at 9:00 AM. If you would like to attend and you have not signed up, please respond to this email and I will put you on the list.

Sunday evening at 6:00 PM is our Annual Business Meeting. We will review 2007 and look forward to 2008. I hope to see you then.

Sign Up

You are going to continue to hear about taking your next step with God and for some of you there is a tremendous next step opportunity coming up on Saturday January 26th.
Some of you have not committed to membership here at Venice. You have attended for quite a while and it may be time for you to take that next step. You know that God is leading you to join with us here at Venice. If that is you, please make plans to attend CLASS 101: Discovering Membership on the 26th. Some of you have friends and acquaintances who have been attending and they have not committed to membership to this point. Your next step may be to encourage them to attend CLASS 101. You may even want to attend with them to support them in their next step.

So here are the vitals.
CLASS 101: Discovering Membership

Saturday January 26th – 9:00 AM to Noon.

Continental breakfast will be served.

There is an event taking place at Mark Twain Middle School on that morning as well. Parking may be at a premium. We will have one of the back gates of the parking lot open for your convenience.

Please sign up by responding to this email or just mark the 101 box on the back of your response card this Sunday. I will see you there.

Resolve

Happy New Year!

I trust that your holidays were grand. I enjoyed being off last week, but I am looking forward to being with all of you again on Sunday. I need a Sunday off every once in a while, but for me, there is nothing like Sunday mornings at Venice. That is as good as it gets for me.

I am sure that all of your resolutions are in place for 2008 and I hope that three days in you are still on the wagon. I feel better after just three days of sane eating! I am sure that you made many good resolutions, however I want to encourage you to focus your resolve on Christ in 2008. My desire is that each one of us would love God more, know Christ more, worship Christ more, love our brothers and sisters in Christ more, and love our seeking friends more. I want us to be used by God more as individuals and as a church.

Middle Age

The average life span of an American male is 75.2 years. For my money that is long enough. I would rather have 75 good years than 83 with the last three years spent in a bib and a diaper. When you hit 45, like I did today, you may think about your life expectancy occasionally, but you don’t really think about it that often. Expiration is still too far away. There is still a sense of invincibility. I probably should think about it more often, because when you stop and think about being 45 you do realize that you are past middle aged. I hear people talk about middle age beginning like at 50 or something. If our life expectancy is 75.2 that means that middle age begins at 37.6. That was a long time ago now. Let’s be real. For an American male, whose dietary pyramid consists of bacon and eggs, In N Out Burger, Tito’s Tacos, and Cold Stone Creamery, 50 is near death. When you tack on being a fan of the Dallas Cowboys you can mark off a few more years. It is hard on the heart.

The weird thing is that I don’t feel 45. I certainly do not act 45 most days…more like 12! (I got Guitar Hero III for my birthday with the KISS faceplate.) I am enjoying life. When you think about the alternatives why would you be miserable? Life is too short. I plan to enjoy the rest of my “past middle aged” years with my “past middle aged” wife. (A woman’s life expectancy in America is 80.1!) She is a young 45. I can barely keep up with the pace that she is setting. God is good…especially at 45.