02 February TODAY Newsletter

www.peopleschurch.org

Our Church FamilyFebruary 2010

Borden Wry & Pastor Terry Townsend

February 2010PCToday2

Dew covered the car, so I turned the windshield wipers on. For the next ten minutes, as I drove to the church, droplets of water trickled down the windshield.

Observations: 1) droplets of water following the path of previous droplets of water picked up speed/momentum as they joined with droplets along the same path; in fact, they almost doubled in speed as they joined with other drops; 2) droplets choosing to leave the path of previous drops slowed almost by half their downward movement.

Missional lesson: missions in the worldwide Church would be a lot more effective if all of the Church followed the path Jesus laid out for us to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

The word “world” here in Mark ’s writing of the Great Commission is from the Greek word kosmos. Kosmos describes something that is ordered, such as an ordered political system, a sphere of influence or sphere of friends.

When it comes to missions, it isn’t what others do; it is what we all do. It is part of God’s kosmos, His system of order, that we all go, be and do missions wherever we are. It is not the work of the few but of every believer.

When every believer joins in God’s kosmos, following God’s order, like droplets of water following one another down the windshield, momentum picks

up. God’s work is accomplished through His Church.

When only a few do the work, the Church gets off course as relates to God’s kosmos and, like droplets of water heading off in another direction, momentum is slowed. God’s purposes are hindered.

As we go into this most important month with our missions emphasis, remember it is not only about sending others, but a lso about our being missional in the places we live, work, shop, and play. Those places are part of God’s kosmos—His ordered plan.

May we be as droplets of water following God’s kosmos.

Blessings,

Pastor DougExecutive Pastor

Missional Lesson

Learned a missional lesson from leaving my car outside last night. (No, it wasn’t stolen.)

I wrote this prior to the January 31 presentation of the Senior Pastor Candidate, Dale Oquist, to you, the church congregation. Most likely, this is the last one of my letters for PCToday, since that will be Pastor Oquist’s opportunity. It’s been a joy serving you in this way, sharing things that God’s been leading me in.

IPC Selma

IPC Biola

IPC Fresno

Borden Wry & Pastor Terry Townsend

Equipo Vision

February 2010PCToday 3

Last month Iglesia Peoples Church (IPC) celebrated their fifth anniversary.

Today, in addition to their Sunday worship service, the group, whose goal is to reach out to the greater Latino community, has three adult Sunday classes and mid-week activities for men, women, students and children.

But they haven’t stopped there. IPC has birthed outreaches in two more communities.

Beginning with a home Bible study in 2007, today IPC Selma welcomes 50 people at their Sunday evening meetings, under the direction of Josue Guevara.

Last month IPC Biola began, under the leadership of Jesus Hernandez. In their first service they had 60 adults and ten children in attendance. (Several came from IPC Fresno to offer their support.)

IPC Fresno has also had a tremendous influence through Equipo Vision (Vision Team – an Amway group for Spanish speakers). Pastor Terry Townsend (who oversees the IPC ministries) takes a team of people (his wife Lila ministers to the ladies, Borden Wry interprets and Josue and Isaias Guevara lead worship), and shares biblical principles that relate to marriage and family. Then they hold a voluntary church service on Sunday morning. In 2009 they ministered in six conferences where over 4,000 people came to Christ.

IPC now has a national reach as people from 25 to 30 different states have come to know the Lord, and there are even people who come from Mexico to attend the conferences.

Pastor Terry remarks, “In over 30 years of ministry I’ve never seen a year like 2009. It’s overwhelming what the Lord is doing through the ministry of Iglesia PC.”


Every Day – Global

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible

means I might save some.

1 Corinthians 9:22

After several tours in Portugal with LightStream, my heartstrings were tugged, and gradually I sensed this was where I belonged. I felt very strongly about the needs of young people and the usefulness of creative/artistic ministries in the process of evangelism and discipleship – relatively unheard of at the time (1983).

Being the a r t ist ic t ypes, Lurdes and I never intended to be church planters. We began to simply respond to specif ic needs of people around us, both Christian and non-Christian, and gradually realized God was developing a church. A home format came as a natural response to the kinds of people we were involved with – those who would not darken the door of “institutional” formats. There are stories of people from agnostic

and New Age-type backgrounds who have come to Christ in this atmosphere. One of these is Teresa, who is now leading a Bible study. An agnostic/secular couple, João and

Ana, discovered it was possible to reconcile and heal their marriage in Christ and now raise their daughter as a Christian. There are so many spectacular unspectacular moments…the things life in Christ are made of…a strong sense of community and a practical meeting of needs, both physical and spiritual.

Without the support of Peoples Church and people like Pastor G.L. Johnson and Pastor Doug Holck listening, encouraging, and praying,

and the countless prayers and f inancial support offered through Peoples Church people, it would not have been possible to stay here for 27 years.

Portugal

Dale Chappell (serving with

wife Lurdes and son Christopher)

Every Day – Global


EurasiaWith fewer than one follower of Christ for every 20,000 people, we

have one aim: be available to the Holy Spirit every day to share Christ with someone, and strengthen the work established by national pastors and churches from Muslim background.

When we came 35 years ago, foreigners were a curiosity, and people wanted to get to know you. Today Islam is fighting for the hearts and minds of the people. We take advantage of every opportunity to meet people, talk with them, pray with them, and do as much as possible through local believers, which is a new but necessary way for us to walk in a country that is becoming increasingly Islamized.

We are not discouraged by the Muslim world and the events taking place there. More Muslims are reading the Bible, watching the “Jesus” film, tuning into Christian satellite TV, and logging onto Christian websites than you can imagine. While so many Muslims are embracing violence and deception, those same things are turning many Muslims to look outside Islam for an answer that satisfies the emptiness of their hearts - an answer that is only found in Jesus. And we are the "earthen vessels" where they often start that search. What a privilege!

Many thanks to the Peoples Church family for partnering with us.*Due to the sensitive nature of their work, names and exact location have

been omitted.

PC Missionaries in Central Eurasia*

Benny DeLaPeñacelebrates 40 years at Peoples Church


. . . a nd some of t he s t a f f s ay, “Thank you!”

G.L. Johnson, Pastor Emeritus - Very often people look at a church and think of the importance of pastors, singers, and teachers. Little do they realize the people in the background that are important to the successful ongoing of the church. Benny knows more about the computers, telephones, water lines, gas lines, electrical issues as well as construction factors and a multiplicity of other parts of the physical facilities.

Through the years, Benny and Irma have been very close to Jackie and me. We have observed him under times of physical incapacities, serious distresses, and frustrations with the facilities. But I have never seen him lose his “cool” or respond with lack of sensitivity.

Some of us are aware of his extreme physical challenges as a result of stepping on two land mines in Viet Nam. We have seen him face, l ive with and overcome some of these painful and frustrating stresses with a deep abiding faith in our Lord.

I must mention his wisdom and insight in his counseling with others. His deep concern for hurting people has been a blessing to Jackie and me, as well as countless others.

We love him and appreciate him for all he means to so many of us and hope he will be with us for another forty years.

Doug Holck, Executive Pastor - Benny DeLaPeña is a fr iend l ike whom Shakespeare spoke of when writing, “Those friends thou hast and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel.”

W h e n y o u have Benny for a friend, you have a friend who will do anything for you. Together we have ta lked, laughed, c r i e d a nd e v e n disagreed. We are friends.

Thank you, Benny, for your 40 years of tireless service to Peoples Church, for knowing where every pipe, conduit, light switch and load bearing wall are on this campus. AND, thanks for the gift of friendship. Carol and I love you.

Dorothy Sigler, Church Operations Administrator - Benny came on staff as a young man just returning from Viet Nam where he had sustained severe injuries. Though Benny was f luent in English, he couldn’t read or write. Our facility manager at that time looked beyond Benny’s “handicaps” and saw potential. He was right! Benny is a survivor...many surgeries related to his injuries, completion of night school for his high school diploma (he was class speaker), and serving Peoples Church faithfully as our Facility Manager during much of our growth.

More impor t a nt t ha n a l l h i s accomplishments is his love for the Lord and his service to others. It has been my privilege and joy to work with Benny.

Pete Gavrilis, Minister for Men - I have known Benny for over 30 years. We traveled to Mexico together at least 40 times. His heart for the people and the churches we ministered to always amazed me. When there was a need, Benny was usually the first to step up

and see that it was met, often beyond the call of duty.

He was instrumental in planning and setting up the base camp where PC youth stayed and prepared for ministry and built relationships with the people there. He was, and still is, their spiritual leader.

Benny has always been a servant and mentor, serving his Lord and Peoples Church to the best of his abil ity, always there with a word of advice and instruction. I’m proud to call Benny DeLaPeña my friend!

Willard Neufeld, Facility Manager - Over the years that I have been on staff, we’ve experienced tremendous growth in our campus operations. Benny has worked diligently to keep the technical part of these operations going while encouraging our facilities staff to organize data and to learn all we can from him about the workings of the campus. We thank him for his dedication and service.

Lynne Mushines, Office Administrator - Benny can fix anything. He knows what to do, what to try, and doesn’t give up. I can go to him with anything – the phone system, my computer, a broken stapler – he does it all! And he’s a phenomenal friend and encourager.

Benny and Irma

ACQUIRE THE FIRE 2009//2010


Stephen Davis & family in the loss of his mother, Marilyn Davis.

Terry Gaston & family in the loss of his father, Bob Gaston.

Carol Graham & family in the loss of her father, William Briggs.

Sandra Hernandez, Ruth Castro and families in the loss of their father, Antonio Espinoza.

Family & friends in the loss of John Hogendorn.Paula Jacobson & family in the loss of her mother,

Tawana Miguel.Laura Newton & family in the loss of her father,

Aubert Johnson.Debbie Ramirez & family in the loss of her

husband, Mario Ramirez.Family & friends in the loss of Martha Raught.Irene Seaver & family in the loss of her husband,

Billy Seaver.MaryAnn Stumpf & family in the loss of her

daughter, Janice Stumpf.Family & friends in the loss of Robert Willis Sr.

Blood DriveMark your calendar for the next blood drive. Sunday, February 7 9:00 am to 1:00 pm North Lobby

Contact Lynne to register: 298-8001, ext. 268.Adventures In Drumming New session begins the week of February 22 for beginning, intermediate, and advanced (returning) drum students. $120.00 for 7 weeks. Contact Brenda Myers: 930-1784 or email [email protected].

Prayers & Sympathies MemorialsMadison Alberta

Von & Sheila Garabedian

William BriggsRichard & Marian

GriffinEleanor Hardin

Shirley LancasterPreston & Ellen Streit

Rose MacAlpineLouie & Marguery

Martina

Mabel MascarenasJim & Betty Scheidt

Margaret MillerFresno Printmakers

Guild

Marilyn SeabergKen & Kathy

Higginbotham

Janice StumpfDorris Long

Jimmie CrossKlyne Ann AddingtonTim & Barbara

BaloianDiane BrownGail ByasMarie ByasCamelia CrossEarl & Jan GiacoliniHazel JohnsonElaine KarmarkovicBob & Harriet LichtiWillard & Judie

NeufeldJeralyn PalmerPaul & Lavonne

PresparePaul & Betty ReadSharon ReedPreston & Ellen Streit

Central Valley Weekend of Champions Freedom BanquetFind out about prison ministries and how you can have a part in spreading the gospel to local inmates. Saturday, February 27 6:00 pm, Ground Zero Bill Glass, speaking

For tickets contact Tim Moore: 277-1838

Marriage ConferenceConferencia Matrimonial

February 19 & 20 - 19 y 20 de febrero $85 per couple - $85 por parejaFor more information visit our

webpage: www.iglesiapc.com Para más información visite nuestra

webpage: www.iglesiapc.com Para más información visite nuestra

webpage: www.iglesiapc.com

página de internet: www.iglesiapc.com

Youth Conference 2010 March 5 & 6

Volunteeers needed to help Volunteeers needed to help Volunteeers needed to help Volunteeers needed to help Volunteeers needed to help Volunteeers needed to help with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference, with the conference,

Volunteeers needed to help with the conference,

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Volunteeers needed to help Volunteeers needed to help with the conference,

Volunteeers needed to help

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Since this publication went to print,

the Spanish Language Marriage Conference

has been postponed

PeriodicalPostagePAID

at Fresno, CA

Volume 17, Number 2“Our Church Family Today” (#USPS 438-910) is published monthly byPeoples Church, 7172 North Cedar Avenue,Fresno, CA 93720-3368. Phone: (559) 298-8001.Fax: (559) 299-8182. Website: www.peopleschurch.org.E-mail: [email protected]. No subscription fee.

Executive Pastor: Doug HolckEditor: Ginger NiemeyerGraphic Designer: Ryan HolckHolck photo courtesy of Milne Photography, Fresno, CAPeriodical Postage is paid at Fresno, CA 93706.

POSTMASTER:Send address changes to “Our Church Family Today,”7172 North Cedar Avenue, Fresno, CA 93720-3368.3,900

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02 February TODAY Newsletter