Closing Program – Jesús MarÃa (a few pics)
We had a good closing program in Jesús MarÃa. Quite a few people, lots of smiles and laughs! Here are a few pictures. I’ll post some higher resolution versions later.
Prayer and Praise
The Next 14 Days
The next 14 days are actually the days leading up to (and including) Resurrection Sunday on the 5th of April. As we remember the life that Jesus brought to us, we’ll be sharing that life with people in our communities!
This week is the last week of classes (for this semester) in the community centres. My last keyboard class is on Tuesday.
In the middle of this we’re waiting to hear about the birth of a baby in Kenya, to Shari’s sister Amy and her husband Nate! Anytime in the next few hours!
Anyway, back to local events . . . next we have closing programs both in Jesús MarÃa and in Las Palmas on Wednesday and Thursday. We’re hoping for a good turnout at both events.
Our community centre motto is “Give more life to your life!” I would appreciate your prayers as I share a little about the life we have through Christ at each of the programs.
On Saturday we head to the airport to pick up a team coming from the USA! They will be serving with us for a week.
Teams like this one give us a special opportunity to connect with more and different people in the community. This time around, we’ll be doing soccer outreach, and once again we’ll be providing wheelchairs to people who are in special need.
And that’s not all – if I have a chance I can tell you more later!
This month I’ve been teaching the Sunday School class for the older youth at the church in Jesús MarÃa. We would appreciate your prayers as we decide what this class will look like in the months ahead.
And yes, Resurrection Sunday is a very special one! We’re still working out the details, but it looks like it will be a outdoor sunrise service with a special focus on worship and thanksgiving!
In short, there are some very important things happening over the next 14 days! May God use us all to share His Word and His Life here in Mexico City!
5 Years of Memories at Sendero de Vida JM (PICTURES!)
Yesterday we celebrated our five year anniversary as a church in Jesús MarÃa. Before (and actually during) the service, I gathered photos from the last five years, mostly ones that I took along with photos from Shari, Tina, and Rod. We played the PowerPoint after the service, while we enjoyed chicken and mole. 🙂
And yes, the presentation includes photos all the way from the very first service we had in 2010 to yesterday’s service, all in (more or less!) chronological order.
So if you want to see what the past five years looked like, feel free to watch! It’s probably more for those who actually know a lot of the people – it’s over seventeen minutes, and, if I remember correctly, about three or four hundred photos!
Plus you’ll have to play your own music in the background – there’s no sound.
But for those of us who really have an interest, it is amazing to see what has happened and who has been a part of the history of the church – Iglesia BÃblica Sendero de Vida Jesús MarÃa (Path of Life Bible Church Jesús MarÃa). So go ahead, crank up your music and watch – go full screen for a better view – and praise the Lord with us!
Adoration Services
Once a month at the local church in Jesús MarÃa, we have a special service that we call an “Adoration Service”. Well, except we say it in Spanish.
Sometimes the sermon is a little shorter – or longer – or there is no sermon. We have a communion service. Maybe some extra songs. Maybe some testimonies. It’s basically an opportunity to do things a little differently. And the entire church is together – all ages.
So this year the adoration services were assigned to me – leading the service, and preaching.
Now although we’re studying the Gospel of John this year in our regular services, the adoration service is not part of the series. Which means I can make the theme whatever I want (within reason… until someone gets mad and tells me to shape up!).
I was thinking this through while I was also thinking about what to do for a Sunday school series I’ll be doing later in the year. So I finally decided to do a series of themes from the Bible that would be especially relevant to the church here. Topical, that is – not focused on a specific passage, which is what we usually do (and which I usually prefer).
So last month we went through what the Bible has to say about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – dividing the service into three parts, of course.
This Sunday our theme will be “What is God like?” – hopefully a very different service from the last one. If I can get it all ready in time. 🙂
I would appreciate your prayers for this service – and for the first service of every month (which is when we have our adoration service). It’s a bit of a challenge to put together something that everyone will enjoy – and that will truly point everyone to the Lord.
I have something really special planned for the first Sunday in April – Resurrection Sunday (which will probably be a sunrise service – will anyone be awake enough to enjoy it? It’s also the Sunday of the time change – will half the church be an hour late?).
Anyway, I’d better run. We have a special outing today with friends – service prep will have to wait until tomorrow! That’s Saturday, right?
Encouraging Moments at the Community Centre
Sometimes you’re encouraged, sometimes you’re discouraged. But there are some interesting things happening at the new community centre, so I thought I’d share a little encouraging news.
Some of the classes have been well attended – some not. This Tuesday my keyboard class was one of the not-well-attended ones, and I thought I’d be packing up early because there were no students.
Then a few junior high boys stopped by. One of them asked me if playing the keyboard was anything like playing the melodica.
I didn’t even know what that was – and in case you don’t, here’s a picture.
And it’s used in the schools here for music education! Which means there are hundreds of junior highers who are already becoming familiar with the keyboard.
So this guy came back and showed me his melodica. And I asked if he wanted to take a keyboard class. And he did.
Because he was already familiar with the keyboard concept, I taught him some chords – 96 chords in all. And it was a blast to see his eyes light up as he realized how many chords he had learned in only a few minutes. And I flipped through a music book and showed him – “Look, now you know all the chords for this song. And this song. And this song. And…”
I guess I gotta get me a melodica to add to my class.
Shari has been handing out cookies – a “demonstration” of her upcoming baking class. Well, the class was today, and four women came! A great improvement from zero last time.
And Shari too was reminded of the joys of teaching something new. When you’ve never baked before, and you realize that yes, you can bake cookies – WOW! 😉
So Shari really enjoyed her time at the class today. Teresa helped out too, but escaped from the camera lens.
Speaking of Teresa, she apparently had a good time in her English class today. Shari said that the students seem to really like her. Teresa is getting a lot of English teaching in, and she’s making friends and connections which I’m sure will yield fruit in the future!
And activities continue with Tina, and Rod and Mayra Fry as well. Lots going on!
Yes, there has been plenty to be discouraged about. But God is working, and it’s gracious of Him to give us some encouragement along the way.
Reminds me of the verses we memorized in Sunday School a while ago. We were talking about how the Spirit is Someone who goes with us on the journey, encouraging and exhorting us.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (Philipians 2:1-2)
So how are the classes going?
The classes at the community centre at Las Palmas are going quite well. There have been about 33 scheduled classes so far this year. They average a handful of students, with people dropping by all the time to ask questions and get the schedule.
I had two enthusiastic students at my keyboard class this past week, where we worked on two Mexican classics РLas Ma̱anitas (a song typically sung for birthdays), and Mexico Lindo y Querido.
English classes, country dance, guitar classes, and craft classes are also in full swing.
Last night Shari dropped by with some home-made cookies – a little preview of what’s going to be happening at the baking class next week. The recipe is, I believe, galletas flores de cacahuate. I’ll leave it to you to figure out what that may be!
Later this month some of our team members will be starting up a kids’ club and Bible study in another area of Las Palmas.
Classes also continue at the other community centre in Jesús MarÃa, with a few at other locations as well.
Please keep praying as we network within the community and try to provide quality, useful classes, while at the same time sharing the love and truth of God.