Weekly Newsletter 11/03/2022

Shalom dear church!

1. On behalf of the PCSBA and the GFC Elder Board, a huge thanks to everyone who served last week in planning and holding the convention at our church. Starting with the parking lot, kitchen, ushering, and stage, you all, beloved, created an excellent celebration for our guests. We know that this was done by you for God’s glory, and we’ll remind you that this was your investment into many other churches which are part of the PCSBA. Seeing how the church functioned and how every person was doing their part well, served as a good witness and instruction to our guests on how to organize various ministries in their own churches. Praise the Lord!

2. The Elder Board retreat was held from Sunday through Tuesday. The brothers had the opportunity to focus on prayer, study Scripture, and analyze the ministries in GFC. We have such retreats twice a year and they play a key role in forming the team and giving clarity on how God wants us to care for the church. This time, the foundation for our prayer was the Gospel of John. We studied this book for examples on how Jesus offered teaching and discipleship on an individual level. This is an important topic and we see how God is showing us, ministers, that we are called by God to invest into people on an individual level through teaching, counseling, and even simply showing attention and care to specific people in need.

God is blessing our church with new people and new ministries, but if we as pastors won’t invest in a timely manner in potential leaders, those already serving, and even simply the members of the church with the goal of equipping them for help and ministry toward each other, then we will very quickly be unable to manage the ever-growing needs of those demanding attention.

Here are a few observations that we made while studying the Gospel of John:

• The discipleship of Christ begins with the words, “Come and see.” Discipleship is the passing on of life and is impossible without time spent together and transparency.
• The goal of discipleship is the nurturing of faith.
• The teacher uses all of life’s circumstances to influence the disciple.
• Disciples are not attached to the teacher their whole life. Very often their relations are there only for a season.
• The Gospel is crucial in discipleship.
• The teacher must sometimes be capable of allowing himself to depend on his disciple. This is also discipleship.
• Good questions awaken and give hope to people.
• Discipleship does not always bring immediate results. It takes time!
• Discipleship is leading by example.
• The teacher must be able to empathize, sympathize, and understand the pain and suffering of people.
• The teacher raises the authority of his disciples.
• The teacher may also allow his disciple to fail somewhere.

Behind every one of these statements are examples and teachings from the life of Jesus Christ. He showed the best example on how to disciple. We humbly understand that we have much to grow in discipling, but we rejoice that the Holy Spirit rebukes, corrects, and teaches us how to grow in discipling. We truly believe that God will use this retreat for the edification of GFC.

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Let us repeat what we recently learned:

Jeremiah 9:23-34
²³ Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 
²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 
¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 
¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Lamentations 3:21-23
²¹ But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness

Thursday (6:30 PM) – Children’s Bible School (open to all but required for parents), followed by Bible Study (Proverbs) for the whole church at 7:30 PM.
Friday (6:30-10:00 PM) – Evening Prayer Night for all sisters and girls from 9th grade and up.

Sunday Services

• Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM
• Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM

Upcoming Events

• November 13 (6:00 PM) – Family Evening Service