Christmas Update

We didn’t do anything unusual (program, outreach event, etc.) this Christmas. We just had our normal morning service with some special Christmas music and messages. We had about 70 in the main service. There was a fun energy and the singing was very good (despite several humorous musical snafus). In the evening we did do something new – we had 28 people come with us to carol at a nursing home. We spent about an hour singing in their two dining rooms. So it was a good Christmas Sunday, and it was nice not to have the pressure of a big program or event. The megachurch in Menifee pays to thoroughly advertise their special Christmas services each year, so we generally don’t try to advertise special events at Christmas.

Now we are preparing for a very important congregational meeting on January 6, and the start of our third Sunday night fellowship group.

California, Immigration, and Growth

There is a helpful article in today’s LATimes about population growth in California. They especially note how the housing downturn and lending crisis have pushed a lot of people out of state. Look on the left side of the page for a link to a very interesting interactive map called “California Population Growth.” (Some of the stats are by county – we live in Riverside County – the long, narrow county that stretches all the way to the Arizona border)

A Pastor and His Money

How a pastor handles his money can make or break his ministry. At a time when things are financially rough for a lot of Southern Californians and very tight for our church, it’s especially important that we model contentment and carefulness in how we handle our finances. For Kristalyn and I, one piece of software has made a huge difference for us. It’s a $29.95 program called “Budget“, available from www.snowmintcs.com . We’ve used the budgeting setups in Money & Quicken; we know that there are other budgeting services available online, some for free; but in our opinion, nothing compares to “Budget.” It has completely transformed how we handle our money, and we highly recommend it.

The Threesome

It’s not the most amazing photo in the world, but it does let you catch a current glimpse of our elder team at GBC. The Franklin kids on the left are Justin, Jacob, Jared, Julia. Kyrk and Michaela Wilkinson are in front of Kristalyn (and if Heather wasn’t hidden, you could plainly see that Wilkinson #3 is well on his way). Katie and Abby Lovegrove are on the right.

Update on Eric & Alicia

Eric & Alicia True are very busy in preparations for come to California. There are several large “hurdles,” such as the preparation of a deputation presentation, Eric’s preparation for ordination, selling their home, and making plans for the transition of Eric’s business. Needless to say, it’s a busy time for them! They would appreciate your prayers as they plan toward a spring arrival in Menifee – right now it’s looking like late March is a good possibility.

Spiritual Gifts

As part of our study on personal discipleship, I knew I needed to include a study on spiritual gifts. But I wasn’t excited about that! I knew it would take a lot of prep, and I knew that it would involve hot-button issues. Once I opened my Bible and got started, God’s grace got to work in my heart. I realized that the spiritual gifts are a remarkable blessing from God for the church family. They are wonderful, essential tools for a healthy church. My attitude went from “I guess I need to teach about this” to “Praise the Lord for spiritual gifts!”

Signs of the Times

The largest local real estate company recently opened a large new office a couple miles from our home. Today large commercial moving trucks were lined up outside, and after only a few months the office is closed. They had another office in 3000 sq. feet of retail space near the Menifee Target – that too is closed. Those are signs of the times, as the Menifee housing market finally bites the dust. Here in California the market always seems to resurrect itself, but it may take years. In the mean time, we might have enough people to keep us busy – 60,000 in Menifee, and at least 350,000 within 30 minutes!