Receiving New Church Members
Dear church, last Sunday evening, during our service, we were delighted to welcome a new group of brothers and sisters into our church family. Today, we want to remind you to notice these new members and show them special attention and love. Below you will find a few practical steps that you can take.
1) Invite them to your home. This is a wonderful way to get to know them, pray together, and perhaps answer any of their questions (1 Pet. 4:9).
2) Ask them about their needs so that you could potentially help where you can or at a minimum begin praying regularly for them. At the bottom of this letter you will find their photos and names.
3) Invite them to your home group. Help them become acquainted with more people.
4) Invite them to your ministry. God has blessed our church with many ministries, and if you invite them and they have a desire and ability to serve, this will become a blessing for all.
5) Whenever you go out for the weekend, invite someone to go along with you. Vacation is a good time to spend with others. This is a relationship.
6) If you yourself need help, humbly ask the new members. We’re all called to serve. Oftentimes it can be more difficult to ask for help, rather than help someone else! Humble yourselves!
7) Start greeting everyone in the church. This is specifically meant for those who consider themselves to be introverted. Begin with a little. You won’t even notice how with time, even simple greetings will lead to substantial discussions.
Remember, these things are not simply good manners or good Christian ethics, they’re a biblical understanding of how to behave in a church:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25)
Announcements
Scripture To Memorize
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:9-17
Upcoming Services and Meetings
- Thursday (7:00 PM) Bible Study (Proverbs) and prayer in cafeteria
- Sunday services:
- Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM
- Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM
Marriage and Family seminar “The Art of Communicating Love Within the Family”
- Start: 6:30 PM
- 1st Session: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM – “How a Husband Communicates Love to His Wife” (D. Zherebnenkov)
- Break
- 2nd Session: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Q&A for Pastors
Saturday
- 1st Session: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – “How a Wife Communicates Love to Her Husband” (I. Oselsky)
- Break
- 2nd Session: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – “How Parents Communicate Love to Their Children” (I. Sheremet)
- Break
- Q&A Session: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Send your questions about family and marriage to (916) 572-6755
The seminar will be in Russian, but English translation will be provided