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I can’t believe that Memorial Day weekend is upon us. This year is moving briskly and what a year that it has been. God has been extremely good to us at Venice Church. He has blessed us in so many ways. We have seen many give their lives to Christ. We have baptized a few of you. Maybe your next step is church membership.

If you are an attendee of Venice Church and you are interested in church membership or just knowing more about Venice Church, CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family is for you. I teach the class and it is being offered on Saturday morning June 4th from 9:00 to noon. I would love to see you there. We will provide coffee and a light breakfast. If you want to sign up you can respond to this email or just mark the “101” box on your response card on Sunday.

Venice Church has a new fan page on Facebook. Head over there and “like” our page to get updates on everything happening with our church family. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Venice-Church/165528453498230


Upcoming Events:

June 4th – CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family

June 5th – Rockstars & Senior Adult Breakfast

June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House

June 19th – Father’s Day

June 22nd – EPIC Camp

June 26th – Missionaries Dave & Nan Walter

July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

August 31st – Men’s Ministry Road Trip

Membership

Ladies, your Women’s Ministry Service Project is this Saturday @ 10:30 AM. You are going to put together care packages for the men and women of our Armed Forces. Your help is needed. Please contact Denise Jensen if you have any questions. Bjensen623@verizon.net.

If you are an attendee of Venice Church and you are interested in church membership or just knowing more about Venice Church, CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family is for you. I teach the class and it is being offered on Saturday morning June 4th from 9:00 to noon. I would love to see you there. We will provide coffee and a light breakfast. If you want to sign up you can respond to this email or just mark the “101” box on your response card on Sunday.

We continue our family series on Sunday talking about “Family Matters”. I look forward to seeing you then.


Upcoming Events:
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 4th – CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
June 22nd – EPIC Camp
June 26th – Missionaries Dave & Nan Walter
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale
August 31st – Men’s Ministry Road Trip

Men & Women

The next couple of weeks present us with some very important opportunities.

It all begins this Sunday following the morning service. Men’s Ministry wraps up its season with a BBQ at Bob Tripp’s house. (1089 Palms Blvd. Venice 90291). There will be great food, great fellowship, the season wrap up, and information about the upcoming trip and season.

And ladies…you have an important Women’s Ministry Service Project coming up on Saturday May 21st @ 10:30 AM. You are going to be putting together care packages for the men and women of our Armed Forces. We need you to participate. We need to know that you are going to participate. We need you to sign up at the information counter right after the service on Sunday. If you are not able to attend on Saturday the 21st, please bring your donations this Sunday. There will be ladies out there to assist you and to answer your questions. Contact Denise Jensen if you have any questions. Bjensen623@verizon.net.

We roll on with our series Family Vacation this Sunday. We are going to talk about your view of God and how it affects your family.

Upcoming Events:
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 4th – CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
June 22nd – EPIC Camp
June 26th – Missionaries Dave & Nan Walter
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale
August 31st – Men’s Ministry Road Trip

Hats!

This is a special Ladies Edition Touching Base! Men you can read it…I just don’t know that you will find it that interesting.

Okay ladies…first of all this Sunday is Mother’s Day and in the spirit of Mother’s Day…and to prove that the Brits have nothing on us with their fancy Royal Wedding…we are inviting all the ladies to wear hats on Sunday! Guys, you can wear a hat if you want, but we would love to see the ladies in a fancy hat on Sunday. It will be a lot of fun! I hope that you all will participate. Men wear team jerseys on Father’s Day. Ladies can wear hats on Mother’s Day.

And ladies…you have an important Women’s Ministry Event coming up on Saturday May 21st @ 10:30 AM. You are going to be putting together care packages for the men and women of our Armed Forces. We need you to participate. We need to know that you are going to participate. We need you to sign up at the information counter right after the service on Sunday. There will be ladies out there to assist you and to answer your questions. Contact Denise Jensen if you have any questions. Bjensen623@sbcglobal.net.

We roll on with our series Family Vacation this Sunday. We are going to talk about foundations that matter. I will see you then.

Upcoming Events:
May 8th – Mother’s Day
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 4th – CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
June 22nd – EPIC Camp
June 26th – Missionaries Dave & Nan Walter
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

Another Big Day Is Coming

We live in a very complex world. The complexity of our world puts a lot of pressure on the family. Sunday I will begin a new five week series called Family Vacation. I hope to help us establish a foundation and acquire the necessary tools to have a strong and loving family in our complex world.

And…at the end of the service on Sunday we will baptize. If you have accepted Christ, but have not been baptized Sunday is the day. If you would like more information about baptism or want to be baptized that day you can sign up by responding to this email.

And…this Sunday right after the service is the EPIC Youth Ministry Camp Fundraiser Lunch. Lunch is free, but we need your help to send teenagers to camp this summer. Make plans to attend the lunch and bring your checkbook and help sponsor a camper. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Upcoming Events:
May 1st – Baptism
May 1st – EPIC Camp Fundraiser Lunch
May 8th – Mother’s Day
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 4th – CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
June 22nd – EPIC Camp
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

Passion Week

I hope that your Passion Week is going well and that you are planning to be with us for our Good Friday Service @ 7:00 PM and one of our two Easter Services on Sunday @ 9:00 or 10:45 AM. We have some good services planned for you. Come and invite somebody to come with you.

One week from Sunday, May 1st, is a very important day here at Venice with two very significant events taking place. We will baptize at the end of the service on May 1st. If you have accepted Christ, but have not been baptized May 1st is the day. If you would like more information about baptism or want to be baptized that day you can sign up by responding to this email.

Also on May 1st is the EPIC Youth Ministry Camp Fundraiser Lunch. Lunch is free, but we need your help to send teenagers to camp this summer. Make plans to attend the lunch and bring your checkbook and help sponsor a camper. Your help is greatly appreciated.


Upcoming Events:
April 22nd – Good Friday Service – 7:00 PM
April 24th – Easter – 2 Services @ 9:00 & 10:45
May 1st – Baptism
May 1st – EPIC Camp Fundraiser Lunch
May 8th – Mother’s Day
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 4th – CLASS 101: Connecting With God’s Family
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
June 22nd – EPIC Camp
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

Greeting Ministry

We have been praying that souls would be saved and lives would be changed during this time leading up to Easter and throughout the Easter season. God has blessed and we have seen 17 people give their lives to Christ just this month. This coming Monday and Tuesday our 40,000 Easter door hangers will go out. Please pray with me that they will land in the hands of people who need Jesus and are seeking God.

And…make your plans to be with us next week for our Good Friday service and for one of our Easter services.

God has been so good to us to send us many visitors to our services. Many are finding Christ. Many are finding a home here at Venice. Thank you for being so welcoming as a church family. It really makes a difference.

With Easter approaching and more and more visitors expected we want to be more organized in our effort to greet our guests, attendees, and members. If you are interested in participating in a more formal greeting ministry, please plan to hang around for a few minutes on Sunday right after the service. If you are interested in greeting at the front door, dispensing information, passing out bulletins, or helping with some ushering this meeting is for you. All that is required is a warm handshake and a friendly smile. My wife Amy will lead this organizational meeting. Please meet her near the piano in the worship center. If you have any questions you may contact Amy at amersh55@yahoo.com.

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8) But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8


Upcoming Events:
April 22nd – Good Friday Service – 7:00 PM
April 24th – Easter – 2 Services @ 9:00 & 10:45
May 1st – Baptism
May 1st – EPIC Camp Fundraiser Lunch
May 8th – Mother’s Day
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

Men's Ministry This Sunday

We had another great Sunday here at Venice. We had a good attendance with many first-time visitors and 6 more people give their life to Christ. God is so good. Thank you for sharing, serving, and inviting. Please keep praying that God will continue to move in a great way. Continue to pray for lives to be changed through our Easter outreach.

Men…our April Men’s Ministry Meeting is this Sunday following the morning service. Hot wings are on the menu. Creation is the topic. We will be viewing the film The Privileged Planet. Make your plans to hang out with the fellas this Sunday.
As you can see below…there is a ton of stuff coming up here at Venice. Make your plans to be involved. Enjoy the rest of your week.


Upcoming Events:
April 10th – Men’s Ministry
April 15th – EPIC Girls: Revolve Tour
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th – Easter – 2 Services @ 9:00 & 10:45
May 1st – EPIC Camp Fundraiser Lunch
May 6th – EPIC All-Nighter
May 8th – Mother’s Day
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
June 22nd -25th – EPIC Summer Camp
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

God is so good...

Our prayers are already being answered! We had a wonderful attendance of 186 and 7 of those people accepted Christ in the service on Sunday. It doesn’t get any better or more exciting than that.

If anything can come close it is this. I am hearing story after story of how people of Venice are being given opportunities to share the Good News and they are taking them. People are stepping up in big ways to share their faith and to encourage others with God’s grace. That is a beautiful ting. That gets me fired up! I am excited about what God is going to do among us and through us here at Venice.

Finally, I want to say thank you. Amy and I thank you for 15 wonderful years here at Venice Church. We look forward to at least another 15 serving God and this community with you. Enjoy your week. I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Upcoming Events:
April 10th – Men’s Ministry
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th – Easter – 2 Services @ 9:00 & 10:45
May 1st – EPIC Camp Fundraiser Lunch
May 8th – Mother’s Day
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
May 21st – Women’s Ministry
June 18th – Rockstars Concert & Open House
June 19th – Father’s Day
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

Light On a Hill

We are about to embark on a four week run up to Easter. This season comes with unique opportunities to share Jesus Christ with others. With that in mind I would like to encourage you in a couple of ways. First of all pray for the forty thousand door hangers that will go out the week of Easter. They will undoubtedly land in homes and in the hands of people who need Jesus in their lives. Pray that this Easter season would be the time of their salvation.

And…pray specifically about with whom you can share the Good News or invite to an Easter Service. God has called us to this assignment. I know that most of us are just like most everybody that God called out in the Bible. When God calls somebody to an assignment you almost always notice three things. 1. They offer God a long list of excuses. 2. God doesn’t seem surprised by their excuses. 3. God doesn’t change His mind. Jeremiah told God that he was too young to be a prophet. God told him to do it anyway. Timothy told God that he was too immature to lead. God told Timothy through the Apostle Paul to stop making excuses and lead by example. We are going to be flooded with reasons why we cannot share Christ this Easter. The truth is we are the light of the world. We cannot, we must not be hidden. That’s what Jesus said.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14) You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15) No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16) In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:13-16.


Upcoming Events:
April 10th – Men’s Ministry
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th – Easter – 2 Services @ 9:00 & 10:45
May 15th – Men’s Ministry
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

As I was thinking about the people of Japan and praying for the people of Japan I could not help but think about how chaotic our world is right now. I am thankful to know the true and living God who is the Creator of all of this. I am thankful for His Word that assures me that He has this all figured out and He knows exactly what He is doing. It seems…and He is God and I am not so only He could say for sure…it seems that God allows something like this every so often to remind us that we are not in control and we do not have this all figured out.

I know this. There is nothing more important than getting the truth of who Jesus is in the hands and hearts of people who are far from God. There is nothing more important than helping people find Jesus so that their sins are forgiven and their eternity in heaven is secure and their life here on earth is fulfilling and they live with the peace that only comes from knowing Jesus as their Savior.

Amidst all of the bad news there is Good News. Jesus came to save sinners. The thing about good news is it is only good news if it is shared. Share the good news today. Pray for the people of Japan and share the good news today.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20) Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.


Upcoming Events:
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th - Easter
July 16thth – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale

Care Packages

The Men’s Ministry will deliver the care packages to the men of Love Lifted Me Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday. Thank you to all of you who gave so generously to this project. You are a blessing to these men and I know that God will bless you for your willing spirit to give.
Men, we are meeting at Venice Church at 9:00 AM on Saturday to load up and car pool. I will see you then.

And…then don’t forget to set your clock forward one hour on Saturday evening. Daylight Savings Time 2011 begins early Sunday morning.

The Women’s Ministry is going to be sponsoring a Parking Lot Sale on Saturday July 16th. So you have plenty of time to get your Spring Cleaning done and pile up some stuff to sell. Ask your neighbors to donate items for you to sell as well. The proceeds will go to Christmas gifts for our Missionaries.


Upcoming Events:
March 12th – Men’s Ministry Service Project
March 13th – The Truth Project
April 9th – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th - Easter

I am always looking for ways to grow in my faith. I hope that you are as well. Let me encourage you to read one Proverb a day for the entire month of March. It is only the 2nd so if you forgot yesterday you can get on track today.

We are offering you a wonderful opportunity to grow in your faith as you learn more about God’s plan. The Truth Project begins on Sunday March 13th at 8:15. If you will commit the time to attend this 12-week series you will be blessed and you will enjoy it. You can sign up at the information center on Sunday and for more information check out the website. http://www.thetruthproject.org/

If you are partnering with the Men’s Ministry to provide for the men of Love Lifted Me Missionary Baptist Church you need to bring your items this Sunday. The guys will be in the lobby to assist you. The “care packages” will be delivered next Saturday March 12th. If you are unable to bring the items on Sunday you will need to bring them during the week.

The Women’s Ministry is going to be sponsoring a Parking Lot Sale on Saturday April 9th so get your Spring Cleaning done and pile up some stuff to sell. Ask your neighbors to donate items for you to sell as well. The proceeds will go to Christmas gifts for our Missionaries.


Upcoming Events:
March 6th – Communion
March 12th – Men’s Ministry Service Project
March 13th – The Truth Project
April 9th – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th - Easter

Get Some

I love how straight forward the Bible is. God doesn’t pull any punches. I love what He says here.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. Proverbs 4:7
This Sunday we are going to talk about getting God’s wisdom. It is an essential element to a successful life.

This is your last chance to get your question in for our relationship Q&A at the Men’s Ministry breakfast this Saturday. You can still get a question to us by responding to this email. You can ask about dating, marriage, parenting, dealing with family and in-laws…anything. We would love to hear from you.

The Men’s Ministry is also sponsoring a service project and all of you are welcome to participate. We are partnering with Love Lifted Me Missionary Baptist Church to provide for men who are in recovery. You can “adopt” a man by going to the information counter on Sunday. You will receive a “bio” on the man and a list of his needed items. The needs of each man could become somewhat cost prohibitive so you may want to partner with another individual or family or with your small group. Thank you for considering this ministry opportunity.

And finally…the Women’s Ministry is going to be sponsoring a Parking Lot Sale on Saturday April 9th so get your Spring Cleaning done and pile up some stuff to sell. Invite your neighbors to come and sell. The proceeds will go to Christmas gifts for our Missionaries.


Upcoming Events:
February 26th – Men’s Ministry Breakfast
March 6th – Communion
March 12th – Men’s Ministry Service Project
March 13th – The Truth Project
April 9th – Women’s Ministry Parking Lot Sale
April 22nd – Good Friday Service
April 24th - Easter

Men's Ministry Stuff

I am thankful for the rain today. I hope that you are dry and enjoying a week of winter.

The Men’s Ministry breakfast is coming up on Saturday February 26th. All of the women are invited as well. This is not just for couples. This is for all men and all women. The cost is $16.00 per person and you can sign up and pay at the information center on Sunday. Amy and I will be doing a Relationship Q & A at the breakfast. We would like to have your questions in advance. You can get a question to us by responding to this email and you will have another opportunity with your response card on Sunday.

The Men’s Ministry is also sponsoring a service project and all of you are welcome to participate. We are partnering with Love Lifted Me Missionary Baptist Church to provide for men who are in recovery. You can “adopt” a man by going to the information counter on Sunday. You will receive a “bio” on the man and a list of his needed items. The needs of each man could become somewhat cost prohibitive so you may want to partner with another individual or family. Thank you for considering this ministry opportunity.

Upcoming Events:

February 26th – Men’s Ministry Breakfast

March 6th – Communion

March 12th – Men’s Ministry Service Project

March 13th – The Truth Project

April 22nd – Good Friday Service

April 24th - Easter

Breakfast

Sunday is a very important day here at Venice Church. We are going to wrap up our SEXpectations series with a talk about homosexuality. I covet your prayers for this important message and service on Sunday.

There is a lot of important stuff coming up. I encourage each one of you to be involved. The Men’s Ministry breakfast is coming up on Saturday February 26th. All of the women are invited as well. This is not for couples. This is for all men and all women. The cost is $16.00 per person and you can sign up at the information center on Sunday. Amy will be doing a Relationship Q & A at the breakfast. We would like to have your questions in advance. I will tell you how to get your question to us when I talk with you on Sunday.

There is other good stuff coming up. Be sure to read your handout carefully on Sunday.


Upcoming Events:
February 26th – Men’s Ministry Breakfast
March 6th – Communion
March 6th – The Truth Project
March 12th – Men’s Ministry Service Project
April 24th - Easter

Special Project

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. We mailed our tax junk to our tax guy today. Hopefully, prayerfully, everything is in order and I will hear back from the tax guy very soon that everything looks good and the chances of us being audited are very slim.

This past Sunday we held our Annual Business Meeting. Everything went very well. God was very good to our church in 2010. We are excited about what God will do in us and through us in 2011. As you have noticed there are many guests visiting our services. Please pray that many will receive Christ and will join our Venice Church family.

And…here is a matter of prayer. Last year our worship center sound system “blew up” and with the help of an experienced sound technician we were able to get our sound system functional. The truth is we are just functioning where our sound system is concerned. To run at an optimal level there is a lot more work for us to do. And unfortunately that requires a fairly significant investment. To get the system where it needs to be we need to spend about $13,000.00. We have not budgeted for this in 2011. To do this work we need for God to provide in an amazing way. Please pray with me that God would provide so that we can tackle this special assignment. And…if I could drop a not so subtle hint…if any of you have been blessed in an amazing way and would like to contribute to this special project, please contact me. I know that God will bless you in your generosity.


Upcoming Events:
February 6th – Communion
February 26th – Men’s Ministry Breakfast
March 6th – Communion
April 24th - Easter

Business Meeting

I hope that this week’s email finds you all well and I hope that you are enjoying, learning, and growing during our series SEXpectations. To this point the message has been very basic and probably just about what you expected. The last three messages are a bit more dicey. Please pray that God will use the messages to educate, grow, heal, convict, and change. This Sunday we are going to talk about Single Sex. And then…

We will have our Annual Business Meeting approximately 15 minutes after we are dismissed from the service. I hope that you have a great week and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

As always…if you have any questions about Venice Church, it’s methods, the messages, or any thing else, please respond to this email and I will do my best to answer your question and/or concern.


Upcoming Events:
January 28th – Women’s Ministry Retreat
January 30th – Annual Business Meeting
February 6th – Communion
February 26th – Men’s Ministry Breakfast

Purpose Driven

2011 is in full swing here at Venice Church and this year is quite a bit different than most because so far we have focused on the end of the world and now we are talking about God’s most intimate creation…sex. Because we are taking a bit of a different approach I want to remind you of these truths.

We were not created exclusively to have sex. We were created to live out God’s five purposes. We were created for worship, community, growth, ministry, and evangelism. Venice Church is a purpose driven church. These five purposes lay beneath any and all events, activities, teaching, and methods that we employ.

Our desire is that as we stay connected to God moment by moment that we learn to love Him more. That is worship. I pray that we grow closer to one another. That is community. I pray that we grow closer to Him by knowing Him better. That is growth. I pray that we serve God and others with passion and humility. That is ministry. I encourage you to share the life-changing truth of who Jesus is every time that you are presented with the opportunity. That is evangelism.

Living in and living out God’s purposes is not easy, but it is simple. Let’s keep it simple and honor God through our lives and our church.


Upcoming Events:
January 28th – Women’s Ministry Retreat
January 30th – Annual Business Meeting
February 6th - Communion

Cruisin'

This is always a special week for Amy and me. Every year we get to go a little Baja cruise with some other pastors and their wives. It is a great time of fellowship and encouragement for us. Pray for us while we are away this week. The church office will be closed.

Sunday is the big day! We are going to begin a series called “SEXpectations”. We are going to see what the Bible says about God and sex, single sex, married sex, same sex, and all kinds of other aspects of sex. It will be a great time to invite a friend. Just a warning…this series will be PG-13 in some regards. If you have a Middle School student with you in the services you may want to plan to have some conversations with them that center around the messages.

And on Sunday there is a ½ Marathon that runs down Venice Blvd. It will affect traffic and possibly your route to church. Please go here for more information. http://www.131marathon.com/13_1_Los_Angeles.htm

As you can see in the calendar below there is some good stuff coming up. Make your plans to be involved. As always you can go to our website for more information. Venicechurch.com


Upcoming Events:
January 16th – Venice ½ Marathon
January 16th – Men’s Ministry
January 16th – Women’s Ministry Retreat Information Meeting
January 28th – Women’s Ministry Retreat
January 30th – Annual Business Meeting
February 6th - Communion