Jace Biendara Elder This last Sunday evening my wife called me out to the patio to talk. Now, I knew what that meant - something was bothering her and it was probably something I had, or had not done that needed discussing.
We had just finished a busy weekend with my parents in town, a Little League baseball game and team pool party at our house, Sunday church responsibilities, and a soccer tournament that required an all afternoon trip down to Yucaipa. Needless to say it had been quite a busy weekend, but not exactly unusual for us, with three kids who each have their own activities they are involved in. I can’t imagine what we’d do if we didn’t have our synced family calendars! What she wanted to talk about was our schedule. Not how much was on it, but rather what wasn’t - us. A quick look at our calendar last month showed only 3 days that didn’t have multiple events scheduled, and that’s because we were out of town for Memorial weekend! It’s not that the activities themselves are bad, we want our kids to be active, and we enjoy our commitments to church, but we hadn’t scheduled any time just for ourselves. We were neglecting the one thing that is most vital to the success of our family - each other. This was exactly the point Jeremy had made a few months ago during the Seasons series and his sermon on Raising Children. We are the primary example of a marriage relationship for our kids, and what are we teaching them if we’re constantly on the run, never making time for each other? Matthew 7:26 says, “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who has built his house on the sand.” That was us! We knew what we needed to build a strong foundation, but we were letting everything else on our schedule take its place. On the outside, it might have looked as if everything was “perfect”, but the foundation was starting to crack. If we continued to neglect each other, the whole thing could come toppling down. After some tense moments and some shed tears, we agreed that we needed to schedule time together, and not just say it, but actually make a plan and carry it out. We decided to meet every morning at seven to share a cup of coffee and do a devotional together. This way we could spend time together, and grow together spiritually. Often the conversation drifts from the devotional to other areas, and includes what’s happening later in the day, but that’s okay. It’s just been nice having that time to connect with each other and with God. When we’re done, we pray together, which is actually really cool. Awhile ago, in our small group, we talked about praying with our spouses and few of us actually did, even some commenting that it would feel “weird”. Sure, we prayed for dinner, with our kids, and individually, but not together. It’s really been encouraging to lift up each other and our family together in prayer. This stage of life is hectic, and without scheduling time for each other, the schedule can take over our lives. I'd heard the phrase from divorcing couples, “we just grew apart” and I always wondered how that could happen, but with three kids and a crazy schedule, it’s easy to see how that can happen if we don’t plan to “grow together”. It may seem odd to have to schedule time with your spouse, but what we noticed is that if it’s not on the schedule, it doesn’t get done!
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As Wednesday and Thursday came, we continued serving the people of Tucson and enjoying a little down time. We spent part of Wednesday at a waterpark called Breakers as we prepared for a night of VBS. VBS brought many families within the community to Westside church for food, bounce house fun and to learn about the Armor of God. On Thursday, we had the opportunity to paint a great deal of the interior at Westside church to give it a fresh new look. We also finished putting the baptistry in place in preparation for the contractor to come and pour cement. A few of us went to Gap Ministries (they provide food and clothes for many churches who support hundreds of families in Tucson) where we sorted various items for departure to dozens of churches in Tucson. The students have been having fun while working hard and though we are all very tired, the trip thus far has been extremely rewarding. It's amazing that our intention was to come here and bless people, which is indeed happening, but we are ourselves being blessed in such a huge way. Please continue to pray for a safe and successful trip. Thank you for all of your support. The youth mission trip to Tucson, AZ has been a great experience so far. We have had the opportunity to work at a couple of different sites serving a variety of ministries. We have started a construction project at Westside Church of Christ to put in a baptistry, meanwhile some of our kids were able to wash the feet of homeless people and give them new shoes, and some of us have been able to serve a ministry that supports many refugees from Nepal. The stories that I have been able to hear so far point to an already awesome experience and we are looking forward to serving the less fortunate throughout the week. Tucson is an area where only 4%-7% of the population are religious. They need to experience the love of Christ and so far we have been able to share the gospel with several people who do not yet belong to a church community. Thank you so much for supporting us through your prayers and those of you who contributed financially. I believe that this experience will change the lives of people in Tucson as well as our students who are serving. Please keep praying.....we have done a lot but there is still more to do. Check back later this week for more updates from the trip!
Neil Harris Technical Arts Pastor Every kid grows up looking forward to summer. I certainly remember counting down those final days of school and looking forward to...um... the blazing heat of summer in the High Desert? Actually, I don't really remember what I was looking forward to back then except that I wouldn't have to get up and go to school each morning. So jump to the past couple weeks when as a parent I got to witness the build up of excitement as my kids approached the end of their school year and the start of their summer break. It's been fun to witness this anticipation of summer at home, and just as much fun to witness it taking place in various ministries at Victor Valley. Having the pleasure of being on staff means that these last few weeks I've been witness to an ever-increasing stream of preparations as we head into summer at the church. Summer at VVCC really kicked off a couple of weeks ago with Promotion Sunday and watching as wide-eyed and newly-minted "First Graders" walk into BASECAMP for the first time. Seeing these little one's approach the climbing wall for the first time is one of those experiences that makes being a part of the BASECAMP team extra awesome (or so I hear). Equally awesome is the thrill experienced by former "sixth graders" who on that Sunday begin their Junior High journey and experience worship with a live band and hearing the occasionally odd-ball, often funny and always challenging weekly message from Bryan and the team over in Pathway. From Promotion Sunday it's full steam ahead into Summer Jam, which as I write this blog post, we are smack dab in the midst of. Formerly referred to as VBS, this is the week that Victor Valley plays host to over 175 preschool and elementary aged children. These kids schedules are full as they will sing, play, snack, craft and actively participate in discovering valuable lessons from God's Word over the course of this week. This year's theme sees kids heading to the Summer Jam CIRCUS where under the watchful eye of our ringmaster and 90 volunteer team members they will discover what the Bible has to teach them about strength, courage, peace, direction and finding a place with God. The team has been hard at work creating an awesome environment for kids to have an awesome summer experience and I'm confident it is going to have a huge impact in the lives of our kids. Almost as soon as Summer Jam ends, we'll be right into the next major summer event as Bryan leads a team of youth and youth sponsors on a missions trip to Tucson, Arizona. The team leaves at 8 AM this coming Sunday (June 15th) and will spend the week ministering to refugees from Nepal and presenting the gospel to local children in a one day Summer Jam like event they will be leading while there. Stay tuned to this blog as beginning Tuesday and continuing through the week as we will be working with Bryan to post trip updates, sharing the experience the team is having and how you can be supporting the team in prayer.
We haven't even begun to hit on the various Summer Camp for 4th-6th graders, the MIX conference for Junior Highers, and the Move conference for High Schoolers, all of which we'll be posting updates about here on the blog. I'm particularly excited about the upcoming teaching series in which we'll be exploring what the book of Ephesians has to say about a person's identity in Christ, so we'll have a bit of a sneak preview of that as it gets closer. We'll also have some exciting news on cool new online "stuff" coming for the VVCC community, and a few more things that I think I'll keep a surprise for the time being (because aren't surprises part of the fun of summer?) We're looking forward to a great summer at Victor Valley and hope you are excited to be a part of it! Tammy Grebel It has been my pleasure and privilege of serving, teaching and loving the children of Victor Valley Christian Church. In the past 20 years (15 on staff and 5 as a volunteer), it has been my joy to worship with the children, introduce them to Jesus and watch as their faith became their own and they made decisions to be followers of Jesus. I have also been so very fortunate to be able to work with an awesome team of volunteers who have greatly enriched my life as well as the lives of our children. I am forever grateful for the hundreds of people who have served along side me and had a heart for children.
The past few years have been a time in which many life changes have occurred and milestones reached for my family. I have felt God's nudging me to move into other areas of ministry. It has been a long and prayerful journey but I am excited about the new opportunity that has opened up for me. In the weeks to come I will be transitioning from Children's Pastor to Community Pastor. I am looking forward to the challenge of helping the people of VVCC connect with one another through Life Groups and Volunteering. I am also looking forward to helping our visitors feel welcome and connected. This a a new area of ministry for me and I am looking forward to working with and building up the teams already in place at VVCC. VVCC has been a home for our family for over 20 years and we love the people here. I will always have a special place in my heart for the children here, and am confident that Shane will do an awesome job leading our BASECAMP Team. Thank you for the privilege of serving with you. Jeremy Balleweg Lead Pastor So I made the mistake of clicking on the video posted by Elliot Rodger. In case that name does not ring a bell, Elliot is the young man who decided to travel to Santa Barbara last Friday, May 23rd, the day he referred to as “The Day of Retribution,” and execute as many young women and co-eds as possible. Before taking his own life Elliot fatally stabbed his three roommates and gunned down two young women and another young man in Isla Vista. Six young, promising lives snuffed out on one man’s desire to repay society for the injustices he claimed to suffer. In a YouTube video, the last he ever posted, he shared his hatred for women because in all of his 22 years not one young woman ever responded positively to his romantic or physical advances. He lamented in his loneliness and apparent jealously for others finding companionship with someone of the opposite sex.
While watching and listening to his rather lengthy, meandering, and misguided thoughts it became apparent that Elliot believed he was entitled to happiness and the lack of ever being with a woman caused him unhappiness. There was much more to Elliot’s video, but I could not get past this young man’s sense of entitlement. To him happiness (or lack thereof) was obviously of paramount importance, and that perceived happiness could only be found in the conquest of any woman who would respond to his advances. Mind you this was a young man who seemed to experience a fairly lavish lifestyle. His parents were both involved in the Hollywood entertainment machine; he walked red carpets, rubbed elbows with celebrities, drove a BMW. From an outsider’s point of view he seemingly had a lot going for him. But he was not happy and in his mind he deserved to be. So in his mind, because he was not any, all, and every woman must pay. So, was Eliott correct in his belief that he deserved to be happy? Really, does anyone deserve to be happy? Is happiness in life the end goal of the human existence? Did God put humans on earth for the sole reason to find and experience happiness? I do not know if Elliot believed in God or not, but it seems safe to presume that his spiritual beliefs notwithstanding, he believed happiness was the prized goal of human existence and source of worth. So, is it? Is God’s purpose for our lives ultimately measured in our individual happiness? Did Jesus leave his father’s side, come to earth, experience life as a human being, and die a horrific death, so you and I can be happy? No. At least that’s not the message I get when I read the New Testament. Happiness is something we as humans get to enjoy. To Elliot’s point happiness may be found within the relationship with a person of the opposite gender. However, Jesus tells us happiness is found in a life well lived in accordance to God’s will (Matthew 25:21ff) and in the repentance from sin (2 Corinthians 7:9). In the Old Testament men and women were happy in the birth of a child, a victory in battle, and God’s deliverance and protection from calamity. Clearly happiness can and should be experienced, but it is not our ultimate goal in life. Even though the announcement of Jesus’ birth was a joyful announcement (Luke 2:10) he did not come to make anyone happy; he came ultimately to make us holy (see Ephesians 4:24; 2 Timothy 1:8-10). Hebrews 12:14 encourages all who believe to, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (NIV).” Notice what this verse does not say, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be happy; without happiness no one will see the Lord.” Our happiness is very much dependent upon our external circumstances, but our holiness is dependent upon Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and the resulting grace therein. This is why the apostle Peter, who was one of Jesus’ best earthly friends, could write, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16).” The clarion call of the gospel message is to a life of holiness made possible only in a life with Jesus Christ. In fact, once we find our way to come to grips with God’s ultimate desire for us is holiness and we begin to live our lives under the authority of God through Jesus as revealed through the Holy Spirit then and only then will we experience true happiness; that happiness that is unencumbered by our external circumstances. Do not fall for the lie that happiness is the key to life. It is not. Jesus did not emerge on the scene in order to make people happy. He emerged to bring them life; life eternal and abundant. He came to offer lost souls a new, better way than the world offers. He came to demonstrate that there is so much more to life than what we currently know and experience. He came to make you holy so life as you know it has purpose and your destiny is firm and secure in the hands of a faithful, just God. Happiness is great. I admit, I long to be happy. I like to make people happy. But, when the pursuit of happiness supersedes one’s pursuit of holiness it can and will only lead to destruction. Unfortunately last week we all saw that play out. One man’s unstoppable pursuit of individual happiness drove him de-value the lives of women in general and to destroy any human life that crossed his misguided path. Seek holiness and find true happiness. By Jason Kleber
Elder Watching the Ranchero Overpass burn uncontrollably and come crumbling down presented a vivid reminder of how our best laid plans can dissolve so quickly in front of us. All of our work, preparations, and hopes in life can similarly become so easily and quickly engulfed in disaster. Sometimes all it takes is one small spark. In the midst of the emotions that accompany our personal disasters--anger, confusion, helplessness--comes a difficult choice. We can choose the hopelessness before us, or we can choose to trust God and force ourselves to see hope rising. The Book of Acts offers us a portrait of how God works for good in all things, even when things come crumbling down. In the beginning of Acts, Jesus ascends leaving Peter to lead his Church. The Holy Spirit fills the believers and Christ's Church begins to grow rapidly. By the end of Acts 2, "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Acts 2:42 NIV). Peter and John withstand the persecution, imprisonment, and flogging of the Sanhedrin and still march on healing in the name of Jesus, teaching, and growing Christ's Church. But then in Acts 6, a spark ignites a flame that seems as if it will devour the Church. Stephen is falsely accused of blasphemy, brought before the Sanhedrin, then stoned for proclaiming Jesus as Christ. "They all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul." (Acts 7:58 NIV) It looks as if the flames begin to devour the Church. "And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison." (Acts 8:1, 3 NIV) It looked hopeless. Everything appeared to be crumbling down, and where was God? He was working, once again. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). The dispersion of the church was not a victory over God and Christ's Church, but just another futile example of how the plans of man come crashing down. As Saul dismantled the church, he was actually already beginning to fulfill his purpose for Jesus and he hadn't even converted yet. The result of the "scattering" is that Phillip took the gospel "to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there." (Acts 8:1, 3, 5 NIV) Phillip then meets an Ethiopian on the road, leads him to Christ, baptizes him, and the message of Jesus as Christ now heads to Africa as Phillip takes the message on to Caesarea. From the firestorm that appeared to devour the Church, hope was rising throughout the world. God was taking what looked like a disaster and turning it into the vines of salvation for many nations. Then one man, who burned against the Church, would become one of Jesus' greatest catalysts. On the road to Damascus, Saul met Jesus. Hope was about to flourish. Too often we read of Saul in Acts and just see his hatred that raged against the Church as just a foil for the servant he would become in Paul. However, these are not chapters of just transition for God. In the midst of the disaster, He is still working for the salvation of a world bigger than the apostles had envisioned. In our circumstances it is easy to see ourselves. It is easy to see our agenda. It is easy to see our wreckage. It is not always so easy to see how God is still faithful, never forsaking us, but always working for his greater good. When everything is burning and falling, have faith. Hope is rising. By Bryan Ewing Youth Pastor On May 2nd from 7 to 8:30 pm Victor Valley's Student Ministry will be hosting a Youth Worship night as part of this year's 30 Hour Fast activities. The idea is to provide an evening where youth from around the valley can come to enjoy a time of worship and prayer. We have invited several youth groups from churches around the High desert to come and experience a worship concert led by VVCC's youth worship team. We have also invited another local youth pastor to lead a time of prayer where we will specifically focus on praying for the safety of our schools, the salvations of the students that attend those schools and for the families represented by those students, that they may find a local church to speak the gospel into their lives. The music featured during this evening will be contemporary Christian Rock and worship music that will provide an exciting atmosphere for students to center into a time of worship and to have a good time together. Feel free to plan on joining us as we launch what we hope will be an exciting worship event that could possibly take place several times a year at various locations throughout the High Desert. Download the event flyer here By Jeremy Balleweg Lead Pastor Easter is nearly here, so let me be the first to say "Happy Easter". Our hope is that this year you will experience the blessings and power of God as you celebrate the most world-changing, life-altering event in human history... the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This year as we gather to celebrate Easter at Victor Valley we will be reminded that the Easter story is really a three day story with three significant, identifiable days. Friday, Saturday and Sunday brought trouble, silence, and then finally, deliverance. Perhaps we can look upon the challenging events of our lives as three days stories as well with each day bringing its own dose of panic, confusion, and relief. Easter will also kick off for Victor Valley a new series called, Hope Rising. Through the course of this series we want to take the focus off of the turmoil in life and place it on the hope that can and will see us through these challenges in our stories. For some it seems as though all hope is lost while others rely on their hope to see them through a difficult spell. Obviously hope is crucial and it down not have to be lost. Our prayer is that as you consider the source of your hope this Easter, that hope will rise within you resulting in a renewed strength to endure and overcome through the power of Jesus' resurrection. So whether your "hope tank" is overflowing or running dry may you experience Hope Rising in the love of God, the life of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and in community with others. We hope to see you this Sunday at one of our Easter services. By Tammy Grebel Children & Women's Pastor A circus of fun awaits our preschool and elementary children. this summer we will be hosting a Summer JAM Circus. Where we will be learning how God is our strength in ALL THINGS!! During this exciting and fun filled week we will be learning about: Samson, THE STRONG MAN; Daniel, THE LION TAMER; Jonah, THE MAN SWALLOWED BY A FISH; Peter, THE MAN WHO WALKED ON WATER; and Zacchaus, THE ACROBAT. The Summer JAM Circus concludes with a special Midway of Games following Fridays activities where there will be even more snacks, games and prizes. Plan to have your child join us for fun, games, food and crafts. Your kid will not want to miss this Big Top Adventure, and be sure they invite their friends. We would hate for them to miss out! Our Summer JAM Circus is June 9-13; 9am-11:30 am. Registration begins for 3 year olds through 6th grade on Sunday, April 6. The cost is $10 per child if registered by May 25, and goes up to $15 if registering after May 25th. We can’t wait for this week of fun! To register you child visit Guest Relations and pick up a registration form, complete it and return it to Guest Relations along with your payment. For added convenience you can download the form, print it out complete it at home, and then drop it by Guest Relations the next time you are at church. |
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