Jan. 17 – Love Your Muslim Neighbor
(John B. and Ken S)
Did you know that Islam was the #1 religious topic in the news in 2011? Did you know that there are about 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today, and that 1 in every 100 people in California is a Muslim? Come Learn the basics of the religion of Islam and how Muslims practice their faith. We will discuss ways in which we can be good neighbors to Muslims both near and far. John and Ken will present both a global outlook on the world of Islam and share stories of befriending and living side by side with Muslims. Read What’s So Radical About Loving Muslims for background.

Jan. 24 – Go Where They Are
(Mosque visit with John B.)
The best way to learn what Muslims believe is to get to know a Muslim. We will be visiting the largest Mosque in the Bay Area in Santa Clara www.mcabayarea.org. Our visit will involve a personal tour, short lecture and Q&A from a Muslim leader of the Muslim Community Association. This will be a time for us to learn from Muslims about their faith and enjoy building a relationship with local Muslims. We will meet at the PCC and then car pool to Santa Clara.

Jan. 31 – Proper Theology
(John Sagum)
Jesus told a story of two men. Each man constructed his home so that the inside and outside of one was exactly like the other. A critical difference between them was exposed when a storm came. As heavy rain fell upon its roof, and flood water and strong wind thrashed its walls, one house did not fall because its foundation rested upon solid rock. The other house was built upon sand, which shifts easily—likewise, the house built upon it easily crumbled. One thing is as vital to construction as to your knowledge of God: a solid foundation.

Feb. 21 – Love Your Buddhist Neighbor
(Sharon Seeberger)
Buddhism: A Sponge that Absorbs Many Popular Religions and Culture. Why are there so many forms of Buddhism?  Why does the western Zen Buddhism look so different than the spirit driven form of Thailand?  Learn how Buddha’s original teaching has changed and evolved over the years in varying ways in different cultures.   Find out how you can discern examples of Buddhism in conversations with your friends as well as the people you meet while traveling the world.  Discover commonalities on which to build relationships and lead people into discovering the grace that Jesus only offers.

Feb. 28 – Love Your Hindu Neighbor
(John B.)
14% of the world’s population consider themselves Hindus – that’s 800Million people. Is Hinduism a religion, philosophy or culture? Where do most Hindus live? Come learn the basics of Hinduism and its people. Taste some spicy vegetarian food and enjoy sweet chai. John will present a global and local outlook on Hindus and encourage us to take an active part in living out the Good News of Jesus to our Hindu neighbors both near and far. There will be plenty of stories of life in a Hindu community.

March 13 – Healing & Restoration in Sexual Identity
(Sarah Allis Yang)
In 1994, on the brink of killing herself after years in sexual identity confusion, God changed Sarah’s life in a supernatural encounter. Since that life-changing moment, she has undergone a dramatic transformation after she discovered her true identity, God’s design for sexuality, and what true love is really all about. Come hear her story and interact with questions on how to love others in the gay community. Check out this 5 minute video on her life story.

Mar. 20 – Mission India Recap

Mar. 27 – Internet Missionaries: Reach the unreached through the world wide web or world wide adventure
(John with Global Media Outreach and Scripture Servants)
Did you know that you can impact the world for Jesus without ever leaving your house? Millions of people every day from nearly every nation are searching the internet for answers about God and faith. Learn about how you can be an online missionary (www.globalmediaoutreach.com). Did you know that the majority of people of the world are still are without a Bible in their language? Did you know that over 60% of the world’s population are oral learners and wouldn’t read a bible even if they had one? Learn about new innovative ways the Gospel is getting to people in the least reached parts of the world through volunteers just like yourself check out www.storyrunners.com/serve/scripture-servants .

April 3 – God’s Power to Heal Through Prayer
(Israel Soler)
What does the Bible have to say about healing and the power of God? We’ll look at the redemptive work of Christ in depth and see how He “went about doing good and healing all…” (Acts 10:38).
We’ll look at God’s will in regards to healing and our role in bringing it to others. We’ll discuss questions like are there hindrances to healing? This will be a very open and interactive session.

April 10 – Human Trafficking Film: “Olivia’s Song”
(Ruby Jacques)
TBD

April 17 – God’s Revelation and Atheism
(John B. with Peter Payne)
TBD

April 24 – God’s Revelation in Reason, Science, and the Enlightenment
(John B. and Peter Payne)
TBD

May 8 – Internet Missionaries: Reach the Unreached Through the World Wide Web or World Wide Adventures
(John B.)
Did you know that you can impact the world for Jesus without ever leaving your house? Millions of people every day from nearly every nation are searching the internet for answers about God and faith.  Learn about how you can be an online missionary (www.globalmediaoutreach.com). Did you know that the majority of people of the world are still are without a Bible in their language? Did you know that over 60% of the world’s population are oral learners and wouldn’t read a bible even if they had one? Learn about new innovative ways the Gospel is getting to people in the least reached parts of the world through volunteers just like yourself check out www.storyrunners.com/serve/scripture-servants

May 15 – Commit to PCC
(Todd Gumbrecht)
Join us on a Tuesday, May 15th to gain a more intimate understanding of our church community, denomination and values in order to fully commit as a member. Plenty of food, fun conversation and discussion about being the church. To learn more watch this video: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=38465118477 .
And fill out this application.

Click HERE for every Tuesday night descriptions.

Questions on topics?

Email:
sharons@wearepcc.com
John B
tonyg@wearepcc.com

There is a critical distinctive of PCC, and it is one of our core essentials; we don’t see gathering every Sunday as the end all.  Sundays are crucial to our mission, but they are not our mission!  Sundays are a means to a greater end.  As people changing communities, our goal on Sunday is to encourage, equip, empower, and then deploy you to join Jesus on mission here on the Peninsula and in the world.  Whether it is the 10/40 window or the 9-5 window, we want to equip you as Christ’s ambassadors, wherever you are.

This week I was reminded of how people notice when we actually act like Jesus.  The New York Times did an article featuring our role in working with the PE program in the Redwood City schools.  That work is the fruit of a partnership with Serve the Peninsula and our Community Center.  It is an amazing partnership meeting real needs.  You can read the article here.

Jesus was very clear in His first sermon to His hometown crowd (His “homeys”!) that He was all about good news for the poor.  I believe that means both spiritually poor people (like me!) and physically poor people.  I have discovered that when I prioritize what Jesus prioritized, both on Sunday and every other day of the week, I get a sense of living into the very reason I was placed on Planet Earth.

I want to invite you to join in on what God is doing on the Peninsula: being good news to the poor.  Join the food distribution at Hawes or Garfield Elementary Schools where a store of food from Second Harvest Food Bank is set up and people who have been screened by the county are served.  These are families who attend one of those schools and are on the free or reduced lunch program.  They are beautiful people who you will have the opportunity to both serve and get to know.
The distributions happen at Garfield School, Menlo Park the 2nd Tuesday of every month and at Hawes Elementary, Redwood City the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month.  They start at 3:30 and go until 5pm, but you can participate for any portion of that time.

I will never forget what one pastor in Mexico told me as we were building a kitchen for his church to hold a feeding program in his poor village, “These people need food in their stomachs before they get Jesus in their hearts!”

This weekend, we will look at the close of Jesus’ inaugural sermon to His homeys in Nazareth.  How was it received, you ask?  Read for yourself in Luke 4:22-30.  I look forward to being with you and thank God we have no cliffs on our campus!

I love being your pastor!

All…were amazed at him…  All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.    Luke 4:22, 28

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” – Luke 4:14-21

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  Luke 4:18-19

Good Afternoon PCC!

Last week, my wife Anne forwarded the following blog, written by Barbara Rainey, to me from a great website focused on marriage and families.  (Family Life) It brought tremendous insight to me and I offer it to you, in the context of Valentine’s Day, to equip and encourage you in your marriages. Enjoy!

—-

So often, a man thinks romancing his wife means buying a certain gift or doing a certain thing or creating a certain situation. And, yes, all of these things can communicate romance to a woman. But romance for us is all about relationship and time, about feeling safe and accepted, about simply being together.

So when I think of a true, romantic memory, I’m taken back to one September when Dennis took a whole day off work–not to clean the garage or go fishing or catch up on some writing, but just to spend it with me and do whatever I wanted to do.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. We worked in the yard for a while, feeling the first cool snatches of fall through our flannel shirts. Then we went inside, cleaned up a little, hopped in the car and just took off. We drove for several hours, stopping where we wanted, doing what we wanted.

And in a sense, it was almost like being on our honeymoon to me. For those few hours, we had no responsibilities. No one else to worry about. We were just out having fun together. On an autumn afternoon, I had Dennis all to myself, away from the everyday demands of work and parenting and pressure. We talked and laughed together all day long. It was absolutely wonderful.

No, it wasn’t the typical sweep-me-off-my-feet moment. I didn’t feel like I was being carried to the castle to live happily ever after. It was much richer and sweeter and deeper than all of that. It was romance in its purest form, being chosen as my husband’s delight, seeing his love for me in the joy he found by spending a day . . . just with me.

—–

That’s good isn’t it?  Want some homework?  Why not take some time as a couple answering this question: What does romance look like to you? After the discussion, why not ask God to renew your desire for each other’s company and give you sheer delight in spending time together.

This weekend, I look forward to gathering together and focusing on Jesus’ inaugural address, so to speak.  Hang out in Luke 4:14-21 and come hungry on Sunday.

I Love Being Your Pastor!

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. – Luke 4:1-2

Greetings from Chicago where I am attending the Covenant Midwinter Conference.  This annual conference is such a wonderful time to be re-tooled and refreshed.  I am attending with a small team of PCC pastors and it has been rich!

I am also in some meetings regarding children in the Congo and fully expect to come home on Sunday with some exciting news! Did I say exciting?  I meant exponential news for how our heart and ministry for orphans in the Congo is literally about to be multiplied with God-sized proportions!

Please pray as I have meetings today, tonight and tomorrow with denominational leaders, Congolese Covenant church leaders and the leadership of World Vision.  I have already met with Mossai Sanguma and he has told me that the orphanage we are funding through our God’s Heart for the World offering has its foundation laid and walls are being put up.  When finished, they will be able to house, educate and care for 80 orphans!

What I am involved in here, what God is bringing about, has encouraged me with the spiritual principle of Kingdom Investing.  God has an uncanny way of multiplying whatever we invest in His Kingdom.  That is true with our time, our talents, and our treasures.

With all the news we have lived under for so long regarding a down economy, with the grim reality of how
401(k)’s and other investment accounts have shrunk, be encouraged that what we have all sacrificially invested  through PCC is not only growing incrementally, it is growing exponentially!

I look forward to being together this Sunday, not only to share the news above in a more concrete way, but also because we will be studying Luke 4:1-13.  To be human is to be tempted, right?  We will look at how to deal with temptation, learning from Jesus Himself.  May you follow in the dust of the rabbi this week.

I love being your pastor!
Gary

Sermon Notes – 2/5/12 [download]

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. –Luke 4:1-2

 Click here to download

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” – Luke 3:21-22

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” – Luke 3:21-22

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Love and sympathy  To wife Jeeti; daughters Joanna, Nina and Sheila; and son-in-law Bryan Cortnik for the passing of George Gill on February 14. The memorial will be on Saturday, March 10 at 1:00pm at PCC.

MOM TO MOM ESL Looking for a way to impact our community for Christ?  This is a unique opportunity to love our Hispanic neighbors by teaching them English in a very relational setting. Our focus will be on creating meaningful connections while learning English.  Join us TODAY at 12:00pm in Room 301 to see if this is for you. Spanish not mandatory, but Spanish speakers are welcome.  Contact Angie Ibarra.

CONNECT WITH THE COX’S Trent and Tabby Cox  are on furlough from Ethiopia and will be in our area from February 18-March 14.  If your small group or Sunday class would like to invite them to share or join you for a meal, you can contact them here to set a date and time.

SAVE THE DATE! The annual PCC All Church Retreat is coming this May 4-6th!  Mark your calendars and get ready for an unbelievable time together as a church family at Mission Springs Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains.   Questions?  Contact  Janet.

CHURCH OFFICES CLOSED In honor of President’s Day, the church offices will be closed on Monday, February 20.

LEARN ABOUT BUDDHISM  On Tuesday, February 21, join the class “Buddhism: A Sponge that Absorbs Many Popular Religions and Culture.”  Dr. Paul DeNeui, professor at North Park University and a leading scholar on Buddhism, will Skype in.  Learn how Buddha’s original teaching has changed and evolved over the years in varying ways in different cultures. Discover commonalities on which to build relationships and lead people into discovering Jesus.  Led by Sharon Seeberger, this class meets in Room 20 at 7:30pm.

EVERY MAN’S BATTLE Sexual integrity is a daily battle for every man.  Our focus will be arming men with weapons for victory and freedom led by guest speaker Jason Martinkus.  Men of all ages, join us on Saturday, February 25, 9:00am-3:00pm, Worship Center.  Cost is $25 (lunch provided).  Register here.

HIGH SCHOOL MEXICO MISSION  HOUSE is headed back to Ensenada, Mexico from March 30 – April 7! The registration deadline is February 29. Download the application packet at facebook.com/pcchs. For questions about registration, email Kristin.

FREE DONUTS!!  Plenty of parking, convenient shopping, great fellowship and always free donuts to those using the Shuttle Service.  Take the Ride to Rite Aid and make available campus parking for guests, families with young children, and those with special needs.  Sign up today at the literature rack, or online.

PLUS SERVICE COMMITTEE  We have a team of smiling volunteers with willing hearts ready to provide our PLUS community with individual one-day, one-time projects that they are unable to accomplish due to physical or other restrictions.  The committee will supply the labor and the time.  Contact Bob and Patty Moorhead at 349-0587.

MISSION TABLE:  MOM to MOM ESL   Looking for a way to impact our community for Christ?  Find out who you can serve our Hispanic neighbors by teaching them English in a setting where building relationships is the focus.  Stop at the mission table in the back of the sanctuary to find out more about this exciting opportunity.

SUNDAY BULLETIN ARCHIVES (recent)

Last year a curiosity grew in the Gaddini household, fueled by the TLC show Hoarding: Buried Alive. Our daughters had only watched the show a handful of times, but it brought a ton of questions into our family dialogue. “Is this for real?”   “How mainstream is it?” It even gave me new language for the chores! Cleaning your room became motivation to not have TLC show up to film a new episode for their hoarding show. While being sensitive to the mental health aspect regarding hoarding, I still have a degree of perplexity as to how anyone can live with and be blind to such extreme clutter.

You can imagine how shocked I was this week, while studying for the weekend’s gatherings, God convicted me of hoarding!

While not a physical hoarder, I am a spiritual one!  I hoard so much of what God has entrusted to me.  I hoard spiritual gifts, material blessings, and prayers.  (So much of my prayer time is centered on me and my needs instead of interceding for others and for the world.) If that isn’t convicting enough, I am most convicted by how I hoard the word of God.

Like John the Baptist in the verse above, God’s word has been entrusted to me.  I probably own 25 Bibles (I won’t even mention my electronic library of Bibles and commentaries!), and like you, God’s word is my lifeline.  I need it every day and have developed a discipline of starting my day soaking in it.  Without that rhythm, I have no hope of being transformed into the character of Jesus.

While I am constantly adjusting my intake of the word to meet the season of life I am in and where the Holy Spirit is directing me, I have a growing conviction that the word was given to me as a stewardship.  I am a conduit to pass God’s word on to others.

This is exactly what John the Baptist did.  Read further into Luke 3 to see what John did with the word that came to him: And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

I know what you’re thinking.  “John’s job was to preach the word.  Of course he took what was given to him and gave it away.”  In a sense you are correct, but isn’t there some truth here for us all to grasp?  Let me close with some questions.

Are you a spiritual hoarder?  How often do we come to God’s word?  How often do we come with the mindset and prayer, “God, I want to soak in this, not only for my character development, but I am also trusting that you will use this time so I can minister to others”?  How are we deploying all that God has entrusted to us?

I pray that we are a church that soaks in the word.  But may we never be a church that hoards the word.  May it flow through us into a hurting world looking for life!

This is going to be a great weekend together.  Soak in Luke 3:1-12 and come prepared to meet the man who, in Jesus’ opinion, was the greatest man who ever lived!

I love being your pastor!
Gary

Wednesday, February 15

7pm – 8:30pm

In the Worship Center

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. – Luke 1:3-4

Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of things you have been taught. Luke 1:3-4

On Sunday we looked at what it means to Live in the Dust of the Rabbi. Disciples of Rabbis in the 1st century demonstrated three traits:

1. They lived in community.
2. They mastered the text.
3. They had a passion to become who the rabbi is.

I have been praying that these are exhibited  in our lives as we live into and out from the presence of Jesus. This morning I read the following in a devotional I would highly recommend  titled: Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young. It related so well to what we studied on Sunday I wanted to share it with you today. The devotional provides Scripture and then a meditation written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to the reader. Here is that meditation:

Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed. A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness. Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind. As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you. I see you with a steady eye, because My attention span is infinite. I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting love. Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My presence. 

That’s good stuff isn’t it? I know that as we live in His presence and gaze on His character; we will be transformed, renewed. Isn’t that the whole point of life?

This weekend, we continue in our study of Living in the Dust of the Rabbi by looking at some defining truths. Read up in Luke 1:1-4 and I look forward to being together this weekend. Important Musings Follow…

I love being your Pastor!

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. – John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. – John 15:16

Discipleship was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry, so it is not surprising that the word disciple is used more than 250 times in the New Testament.  But is the disciple-making mission of Jesus and His followers as clear, compelling and effective nearly 2000 years later?  Not really.  Western Christianity doesn’t always make discipleship central to the faith.  To Jesus and His disciples, following Jesus was a life totally committed to obedience — to walk as the Rabbi walked, to become like Him.  Just as God empowered the early disciples with the desire and power to become more like Jesus the Rabbi, He desires to do the same with us today in 2012.  So let’s walk in the footsteps of the ancient disciples for a season.  Let’s explore the practices of first century rabbis and their disciples…their methods, loves and passions.  Let’s walk through those experiences from the perspective of Luke.

The book of Luke is addressed to a man named Theophilus, who was probably some sort of government official.  His title of “most excellent” is used for governors in other places in Acts (cf. Felix and Festus in Acts 23:26; 24:2; 26:25).  Luke was from Antioch, but traveled with Paul all over modern-day Southern Europe and the Middle East.  The title “most excellent Theophilus” would suggest that the Gospel was sent to some Roman center of government like Rome or Antioch.  Throughout church history, some have speculated that becauseTheophilus means “love of God,” if you want to grow in your love for God, then reading Luke prayerfully, carefully and repeatedly is absolutely imperative.

After finishing our study together, we would expect the following outcomes:

1. A renewed call to a wholesale reorientation toward Jesus expressed in faith, repentance, and commitment (Luke 9:23, 57-62; 14:25-35).
2. A renewed call to follow Jesus on mission (Luke 24:47).
3. A renewed call to love God and to love our neighbors.  Jesus demonstrated in His daily life that His disciples are to be neighbors to all, without distinction of race or class, and are to follow Him in reaching out to others (Luke 5:31-32; 15:1-32; 19:10).
4. A renewed call, in the face of opposition, to remain steadfast and faithful to the Gospel (Luke 8:13-15; 9:23; 18:8; 21:19).  Disciples are to fear God, not man (Luke 12:1-12), recognizing that the Lord will return one day and that they are responsible to Him (Luke 12:35-48; 19:11-27; 18:8).  They must hear the word, cling to it, persevere, and bear fruit until Jesus comes again (8:15).

It all starts this Sunday! I look forward to being together.

I love being your pastor.