April-May, 2012
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4
Thanksgiving and praise to the Lord for the recent Prayer Summit in Los Angeles attended by many people from Classis Cal South who testify to the power of the summit in re-energizing their prayer lives. Pray that the follow-up to the summit in congregations and in individuals will be spiritually enriching and will result in renewed dedication to prayer and its power in all of life. Many thanks to the organizers and leaders of the Prayer Summit on the beautiful campus of All Nations Church!
The Classis Executive Team (CET) has been working on the Strategic Plan for classis and has arrived at vision, mission and value statements which will be presented at the next classis meeting. Thank the Lord for their dedication to this project and pray that these statements may take on life as they are implemented in the local churches of the classis.
Thank the Lord for the growth of the Chinese church under the leadership of Yi-Ming Kao at Crosspointe Church in Chino. The Lord works in mysterious ways. In this case He used the popularity of basketball star Jeremy Lin to bring people to the worshipping group. May He continue to bless the ministry of this group, and may He grant a speedy and positive resolution to the visa issues of Pastor and Mrs. Kao.
Praise God for interest in planting new churches among Filipinos and Hispanics. The Lord continues to open new doors. May we His servants be open to his leading.
Thank the Lord for the good progress being made at ICOP (International Church of Praise) in National City as the building they rented is almost ready for occupancy. May the Lord continue to richly bless ICOP’s outreach to their community from their improved facility.
Please pray for strength and energy for those who love their ministry but find it hard to fulfill all the demands on their time and strength. May God bless them and give them peace.
Please pray also for the encouragement teams that go out to all of the churches in Classis Cal South that their purpose of encouragement and support may truly be realized. To God be the glory!
In our classis and in our denomination some churches are experiencing challenging situations of adjusting to new realities to meet the needs of a diverse population. Let us open our hearts and minds and lives to meaningful ways to minister to all who come to our churches.
“Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Glory be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
