Church Picnic

We are having a picnic on Saturday and it will be tons of fun. We will be at Kronenthal Park (http://www.culvercity.org/Government/PRCS/Parks/ParkSites/KronenthalPark.aspx) in Culver City from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Everybody is welcome. There is a great playground for the kids. There is shade. Bring your own lunch and beverages. You may not bring your own grill, however there is some space to grill there at the park. For those that are interested there will be a soccer match at 10:00 AM sharp. Softball will follow lunch at 1:00 PM. Come on out and enjoy the mild summer temperatures and the lovely company.

Men! Our road trip is coming up September 12th – 14th. Space is filling up quickly. You better get signed up! We are going to be houseboating on Lake Mojave. It will be spectacular.

Upcoming Events:
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 5th – Richie Henson Speaking
September 12th – Guest Speaker: Robert Hatch
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip
October 16th – Disco Night

Upcoming Stuff

If you are into surfing or are learning or want to learn our Seek N Surf ministry may be for you. They are meeting again this Saturday July 24th at Lifeguard 43 El Porto at 7:00 AM. It is a great way to connect with people here at Venice Church. If you want more information hit them on Facebook. Just search Seek N Surf.

Our church picnic is just over a week away on Saturday July 31st at Kronenthal Park in Culver City. We will have a great time. Bring your own lunch and beverages. You can find more details in the handout on Sunday.

Have a wonderful week.

Upcoming Events:
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 5th – Richie Henson Speaking
September 12th – Guest Speaker: Robert Hatch
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip
October 16th – Disco Night

Sound System

I trust that your week is going well. Mine is going quite well, thank you. I hope that you are enjoying our study in Philippians. To date we have talked about living with joy in our relationships and in our circumstances. This Sunday we are going to tackle our attitudes. Our attitudes have a lot to do with our joy and Paul will teach us the attitudes that lead to joy in our lives. To whet your appetite you might want to read Philippians 2:1-15.

If you are into surfing or are learning or want to learn our Seek N Surf ministry may be for you. They are meeting again on Saturday July 24th at Lifeguard 43 El Porto at 7:00 AM. It is great way to connect with people here at Venice Church. If you want more information hit them on Facebook. Just search Seek N Surf.

Make your plans to be with us for the church picnic on July 31st. We had a great time last year and you can expect more of the same this year. Bring your own lunch and beverages. You can find more details in the handout on Sunday.

And…Lord, willing our sound system repair and upgrade will be completed this week. God is good.

Have a wonderful week.

Upcoming Events:
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 5th – Richie Henson Speaking
September 12th – Guest Speaker: Robert Hatch
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip
October 16th – Disco Night

Complaining??

Okay…so here is my question today. Why is everybody complaining about the weather? It’s just a little mist. I know. I know. It’s supposed to be summer, but would you rather be in New York where it is 105 with humidity? I don’t know about you, but I can’t be out in the weather right now anyway…cause I’m working. And you can be sure of this. We will all be complaining when we are paying for this in October when it will be 90 on the Westside. I’m just sayin…

Here is a quick sound system update. We are making good progress. We survived on Sunday despite a couple of hiccups. We have one more Sunday with some of the older equipment and by Sunday the 18th…we should have all of our new equipment in place and up to speed. Thank you for your patience and prayers.

And…make your plans to be with us for the church picnic on July 31st. We had a great time last year and you can expect more of the same this year. You can find details in the handout on Sunday.

Have a wonderful week.

Upcoming Events:
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 5th – Richie Henson Speaking
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip
October 16th – Disco Night

July 4th

Please join us for a portion of your 4th of July this Sunday. We are going to begin our series in the book of Philippians. For the remainder of the summer we will be discovering how to live with great joy. Please invite somebody to be here with you. As always, our service begins at 10:00 AM.

You may or may not know that we are having some serious difficulties with our sound system. We have enlisted some very good professional help and we are hoping to be functioning at an optimum level in the very near future. I would appreciate your prayers in this matter.

And…make your plans to be with us for the church picnic on July 31st. We had a great time last year and you can expect more of the same this year. You can find details in the handout on Sunday.

Have a wonderful week.


Upcoming Events:
July 4th – Philippians: 9 Secrets to Expressing Great Joy
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip
October 16th – Disco Night

EPIC Camp

The Touching Base is coming out a little early this week because I am taking a little vacation time. We are going to spending some time with my parents who are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary. God has been very good to our family. I will miss seeing you on Sunday. My friend Dennis Carlson will be here to preach. I know that you will enjoy Dennis and Sandra. They are great people.

The teenagers leave for camp on Wednesday. Pray for their safety and that God would work in their lives during their special time away.

Have a great week. I will drop you a line next week at the regular time.

Upcoming Events:
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip
October 16th – Disco Night

Father's Day

This Sunday should be a great day at Venice Church. It is Father’s Day and we encourage you to honor the dads by wearing your favorite sports team gear. Make your plans to arrive early. The Sunday Blend, our coffee bar, will be serving FREE Krispy Kreme Donuts and Coffee.

If you did not have a chance to get connected with our surfing ministry this past week you have another opportunity. Seek N Surf will meet this Saturday at 7:00 AM just off of Ocean Park at Hollister. For more information you can find Seek N Surf on Facebook.


Upcoming Events:
June 19th – Seek N Surf
June 20th – Father’s Day – Wear your favorite sports team gear!
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip

Seek N Surf 2010

God is blessing Venice Church in many wonderful ways. One of the ways is with guests. Since Easter Sunday we have given out over 100 gift bags to first time guests. That is amazing. Here is the cool thing. Every single guest is a person that God loves and wants in His family. Please pray that many who visit will come to know Christ and will find a church family with us here at Venice.

We need your help. We are looking for people who are interested in serving by greeting our guests and our church family before our Sunday services. If you are looking for a place to serve, energetic, and friendly we would love to have you join our team. If you are interested, please respond to this email.

Our Seek N Surf ministry kicks off it’s 2010 season this Saturday. They are meeting at the Manhattan Beach Pier from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Saturday. Go check it out. It is a great time in the surf. You can find Seek N Surf on Facebook.

And…men…I know that it seems early but you need to start making your plans and signing up for our Men’s Ministry Road Trip that is coming up on September 12th. Details will be coming your way in the next few weeks.


Upcoming Events:
June 12th – Seek N Surf Summer Kickoff
June 20th – Father’s Day – Wear your favorite sports team gear!
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip

Information

There is some very cool stuff coming up in the next few days and weeks. This week’s email will serve to remind you to get connected and stay connected and to get involved and stay involved.

This Saturday our Ladies Ministry and our Rockstars Children’s Ministry is combining to assemble 100 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. It will be a great time and is a wonderful opportunity to bless some less fortunate children in the world. It all starts at 1:00 PM here at the church.

This Sunday, immediately following the service, is our EPIC Student Ministry Camp Fundraiser. Lunch will be served and you will have an opportunity to bless one of our students by helping them get to camp. The cost of camp is $200.00. Please make plans to attend the lunch and please pray about the part that God would have you play in helping a teenager go to camp. You may want to give a full scholarship or a1/2 scholarship. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Our surfing ministry, Seek N Surf, will kick off the 2010 season on Saturday June 12th. They will be hanging ten at the Manhattan Beach Pier from 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM. For more information check them out on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/seeknsurf?ref=ts

Sunday morning we continue our series Too Good To Be True. Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good. Is everything good? Is it too good to be true? We will discover the truth together on Sunday. I will see you then.


Upcoming Events:
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 12th – Seek N Surf Summer Kickoff
June 20th – Father’s Day – Wear your favorite sports team gear!
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip

Big Time Blessing

You guys are unbelievable!! Your generosity is beyond belief. Your response to the Lyons family was fantastic. You honored them with a $3,019.00 love offering. What a blessing to that family and what an awesome testimony to your faithfulness. I am so proud of our church.

Please pray with me as we consider the Lyons family for full-time support. I believe that they would be a fine addition to our Missions family and they fit precisely with our Missions vision.

This week I will begin a new series called Too Good To Be True. There are some things in the Bible that have become cliché and in some cases they seem to be too good to be true. This Sunday we will talk about faith. Did Jesus really say, “if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could move mountains,”? Is that what he really meant? What did he mean? Is it too good to be true? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Have a wonderful week.

Upcoming Events:
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 20th – Father’s Day – Wear your favorite sports team gear!
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip

Big Week

It will be our pleasure to have Luke and Kelly Lyons with us on Sunday. They will be telling us about what God has called them to in the Philippines. If you would like to learn more about them in advance you can go to impactingasia.org.
We will be receiving a love offering for them at the end of the service. This is how it will work. We will receive our regular offering at the usual time in the service and then we will have the folks bring the baskets by a second time and we will receive a separate offering for the Lyons. I wanted to give you a heads up so that you are prepared. I know that you will enjoy meeting and hearing from the Lyons.

And…God has added another to our church family. I am pleased to tell you that Alex and Christy Sears are the proud parents (and Colton the big brother of) another beautiful boy. Sebastian was born Tuesday morning and weighed in at 9 lbs. 8 oz. The Lord has truly blessed the Sears family.

I pray that you are enjoying your damp week. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Upcoming Events:
May 23rd – Missionaries Luke & Kelly Lyons
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 20th – Father’s Day
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip

The Time Is Now

I told you that it was coming and it has arrived. God has presented us with three wonderful mission projects that I would like to tell you about.

Gospel Alive is an organization that sponsors youth camps in Great Britain. The youth of England need desperately to know the truth about Jesus. Dale Peterson and Gospel Alive take the gospel there every summer. 53% of the students who attend the camp give their lives to Christ. We have the privilege of sponsoring 4 students that will attend a camp this summer. We are sending $1,000.00 to assist these students so that they can hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are also getting in on the ground floor of the Boston Project. The Boston Project is designed to start 5 new churches in the greater Boston area over the next 10 years. There are two churches that have started in the last five years that are doing well and will serve as the sending churches for the new church plants. Our Leadership Team believes that this is a worthwhile endeavor. Think about this. There are more Christ followers residing in Bagdad, Iraq than there are in Boston, Massachusetts. I know. That’s crazy right? We want to partner with other churches to start new churches in Boston. Support of this project will begin when the infrastructure is ready to receive funding.

And…Luke and Kelly Lyons will be with us on Sunday May 23rd to tell us more about what God has called them to do in Metro Manila in the Philippines. God is doing amazing things in the Philippines and I know that you will want to hear more about what God is doing through this young couple.

God is using us here to reach the people of Venice and the surrounding areas. God is using us to partner with others to reach around the world. I want to encourage you to continue to give your tithe to Venice Church so that we can reach our neighbors with the gospel, but let me encourage you to give to our missions program as well. I am excited about the new opportunities that God has and will put before us. Not all of us can go, but most of us can give. If you want to give to support projects like these make sure that you designate your mission offering on your envelope.

Have a great week and tell somebody about Jesus.


Upcoming Events:
May 23rd – Missionaries Luke & Kelly Lyons
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 20th – Father’s Day
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
June 27th – Guest Speaker: Dennis Carlson
July 31st – Church Picnic
August 15th – Guest Speaker: Bob Henson
September 12th – 14th Men’s Road Trip

Missions

Over the next several weeks and months you will be presented with opportunities to impact the lives of people all over the world. You can read about the Operation Christmas Child project below and coming up on Sunday May 23rd a fine missionary couple, the Lyons, will be here to talk to us about what God is doing in Manila. More opportunities will be presented in the future.
It is our desire to put more missions opportunities before you on a more regular basis. So…this is what I would like for you to do for now. I believe that God would like for Venice Church to do more to support missions in our country and around the world. Would you pray with me that God would work in us and show us who to partner with? Would you pray about what God would have you do in the area of missions? It could be that you give to missions here at Venice and you will be moved to give more. It could be that you have not been giving to missions and God will move you to begin. For now…let’s pray together and see what God will do.

I am excited about the Rockstars Childrens Ministry and Ladies Ministry missions project. The kids and the ladies are partnering to send 100 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year. The project takes place on Saturday June 5th. There will be a flyer with details in your handout this Sunday. Even if you are not a kid or a lady you can participate. Contact Amy (amersh55@yahoo.com) for more information.

Get connected.
Stay connected.

Upcoming Events:
May 9th – Mother’s Day
May 23rd – Missionaries Luke & Kelly Lyons
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 20th – Father’s Day
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp
July 31st – Church Picnic

Mustache Challenge...Over

I kept it for three plus weeks, but it bugged.
Mustache Challenger...over and out.

Men's & Women's and Kid's Ministry Oh My

This Sunday our Men’s Ministry season wraps up with a BBQ at Bob Tripp’s house. Men, let me encourage you this way. If you have been attending the meetings this year…finish strong. Make the last meeting. Enjoy the fellowship. If you have not been attending the meetings…start with this one. I promise this. You will enjoy the food. You will enjoy the fellowship. You will not be lost during the lesson. You don’t need to have been at the meetings or read the book to follow this lesson. Most importantly, you will get your foot in the door, get acquainted with the guys, and you will hear about next season. Next season is going to kick off with a fantastic and fun trip. You will want to hear about it and when you hear about it you will want to go.

I am excited about the Rockstars Childrens Ministry and Ladies Ministry missions project. The kids and the ladies are partnering to send 100 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year. The project takes place on Saturday June 5th. There will be a flyer with details in your handout this Sunday. Even if you are not a kid or a lady you can participate. Contact Amy (amersh55@yahoo.com) for more information.

There is a lot of good stuff going on at Venice.
Get connected.
Stay connected.


Upcoming Events:
May 1st – Rockstars Portrait Party
May 2nd – Men’s Ministry
May 9th – Mother’s Day
May 23rd – Missionarires Luke & Kelly Lyons
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 20th – Father’s Day
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp

Kids...

Dreams do come true! We have and have had many dreams for Venice Church. Some of them are big dreams and some of them seem to be fairly simple dreams, but when they come true it is thrilling. I have always dreamed that God would fill our church nursery with babies. It seemed like it might never happen, but alas it has happened. We have new babies and more on the way. God is so good.

We have dreamed of a ministry for children that would be growing and thriving and God has blessed us with more and more children to minister to. This past Sunday we had 29 kids and 10 leaders working with them. We thank God for Richie, Becky and their entire team. I believe that God has bigger and better things in store for our kids and their families. Check out their upcoming events in the calendar below and look for details in the handout on Sunday.

And…we have dreamed of a youth ministry that is marked by love for God and love and acceptance of others. God has delivered there as well. Daniel, Kristen and their staff do a wonderful job. I am excited about what God has in store for the EPIC Student Ministry. Their camp is coming up on June 23rd. Please pray that God will have his hand on the camp. Please join them for their camp fund raiser after church on June 6th. You can be a blessing to a kid by giving to help them go to camp.

There is a lot of good stuff going on at Venice.
Get connected.
Stay connected.


Upcoming Events:
May 1st – Rockstars Portrait Party
May 2nd – Men’s Ministry
May 9th – Mother’s Day
May 23rd – Missionary Luke Lyons
June 5th – Women’s Ministry & Rockstars Christmas in June
June 6th – Epic Camp Fundraiser
June 20th – Father’s Day
June 23rd – 26th – Epic Camp

We Must Be Doing Something Right....

I guess you can file this under…we must be doing something right. My pastor friends tell me that when God begins to move in a church or in a community that adversity is right around the corner. I know that when God shows up many times the Devil shows up too. This past Friday night our sign was “tagged”. On Sunday night, somebody threw a piece of concrete through one side of our sign. It will be repaired today and we will move on.
And…we will not be deterred from what God has called us to do. God placed Venice Church right here on this corner to bring people to Christ and then help them grow to be like Him. We will continue to do what God has called us to do.
Pray that God will continue to provide for us. Pray that God will protect us. Pray for the people in our neighborhood who are far from God. And take advantage of your opportunities to share Christ. At our Men’s Ministry meeting this past Sunday we were challenged with the truth that each one of us has been given a platform for sharing Christ. Your platform is your home, your job, your school, your team, your club…wherever God has put you. Help somebody find Jesus. Tell somebody about Jesus. Tell them what He has done in your life.

Don’t forget that we are baptizing on Sunday the 18th. If you would like to be baptized just respond to this email and I will add you to the list. If you have questions about baptism then respond to the email and I will do my best to answer your questions.
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. We will wrap up our series talking about The Mystery of God’s Glory. Have a great week.

There is a lot of good stuff going on at Venice.
Get connected.
Stay connected.

Upcoming Events:
May 2nd – Men’s Ministry
May 9th – Mother’s Day
May 23rd – Missionary Luke Lyons
June 20th – Father’s Day

God Showed Up

The email is coming to you a day early this week because…well…I cannot contain this news any longer. God came up big for us this past Easter weekend. We had a total attendance of 439 (79 more than last year) and 9 adults marked their card that they had given their life to Christ! God is so good and we give Him all the glory for what was accomplished this past weekend.
You are to be commended. Many of you had a guest or guests with you. Thank you for caring for your friends and family and inviting them to a service. Special thanks to our Communication Team. They did a wonderful job on our door hanger and campaign. Many visitors came because of the door hangers. Again we praise God for working in us and through us here at Venice Church.

This Sunday our Men’s Ministry will meet right after the service. We are having hot wings for lunch. We always have a great time. Don’t miss out guys!

And don’t forget that we are baptizing on Sunday the 18th. If you would like to be baptized just respond to this email and I will add you to the list. If you have questions about baptism then respond to the email and I will do my best to answer your questions.

There is a lot of good stuff going on at Venice.
Get connected.
Stay connected.

Passion Week

It is Easter week and this week is always an exciting time in the Kingdom of God. It is an exciting time here at Venice Church. I hope that you are planning to be with us for our Good Friday Service. It will begin at 7:00 PM and there will be free coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies served immediately following the service. Plan to hang around for a bit and enjoy your friends and church family.

Of course Sunday is the big day. We have two services at 9:00 and 10:45 AM. Free coffee, hot chocolate, and Krispy Kreme Donuts will be served before each service. I hope you are planning to attend and have invited somebody to come with you.

And…we would like to have a concerted effort to welcome those who arrive on Sunday. If you would like to help by greeting those who arrive or by passing out handouts, please let me know by responding to this email. When you respond, please let me know which service you will be attending. Thank you.

Get connected.
Stay connected.

Upcoming Events:
April 2nd – Good Friday Service @ 7:00 PM.
April 4th – Easter – Two Services @ 9:00 & 10:45 AM.
April 11th – Men’s Ministry
April 18th – Baptism
May 1st – Men’s Ministry
May 23rd – Missionary Luke Lyons

Years and counting...

Amy and I hit another milestone this week. This Sunday will mark our 14th year here at Venice Church. God has been so good to us and to our church. It is a pleasure to serve with all of you here. We look forward to what God has in store for us in the future.

Our Easter door hangers are being delivered this week. Please pray that God would use them to turn hearts to Christ. When a person grasps the true meaning of Easter it can literally be life-changing. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Our desire, with these door hangers, is to seek out some who need to be saved.

This Sunday we will wrap up our series called Connecting With God. This week…The Prayer of Fulfillment. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday at 10:00 AM.

There is good stuff going on at Venice. Get connected. Stay connected.


Upcoming Events:
April 2nd – Good Friday Service @ 7:00 PM.
April 4th – Easter – Two Services @ 9:00 & 10:45
April 11th – Men’s Ministry
April 18th – Baptism
May 1st – Men’s Ministry
May 23rd – Missionary Luke Lyons