IFGF Pinole Monthly Newsletter

March 2015

I Am WillingInterview with Bob Sutedja

Devotional by Glorio YuliantoSummer Mission Trip

Church Ministry Recruiting

The amazing story of our Christian lives starts when God is willing. Out

of His own will, no pressure from anyone, He is willing to do everything in

His power to save us. It is His own initiatives to come to earth, meets us in

our messy sinful circumstances, and makes us fit for heaven by washing

us with His own precious blood. This willingness is because of His love. We

can say, it is the nature of God to love because He is love. And to love is

to sacrifice whatever necessary for the object of His love.

This initiative is not the end of the story, however. The final

outcomes, or the end of the story as people called it, is

determined by how we, the object of God’s love, respond to

this initiative. The best course of our action is to respond to

this willingness and offer of redemption by accepting Christ

and His redemptive work at the cross.

The blessing of receiving the gift of eternal salvation is also

complemented by the blessing of victorious living while we are on this

side of eternity. And again, how far we can experience this victorious

living is determined by how we respond to God’s provided opportunities.

The quality of our Christian lives is directly proportional to our willingness

to respond to the opportunities to serve others, to share the good news to

others. Through each positive response to these opportunities to minister,

we come to know more and more, and grow deeper and deeper, in love with

the lover of our soul, Jesus Christ. Are we willing to respond?

From

Pastor’s

Desk

Shown on Front Cover: Emmanuel Calica

Hi Ko Bob, how are you? Tell us a bit about your background. Where you are originally from? What made you stay in the US?

Hi Irene - I grew up in Bandung (the best city to live in

Indonesia!) and came to the US, like many of us here, after

high school. I’ve been living in quite a few places here,

actually - I spent half a year in Oregon, then 3 years in

Michigan, attending Western Michigan University where

I got my degree in Industrial Engineering, and then the

Bay Area. I wasn’t planning to stay in the US, actually, but

things change after a while and I guess I got used to live

here - the Bay Area is a great place to live!

What made you move to the Bay Area?

Mainly the food and the weather! I applied to Cal and got

accepted, so I moved here.

So are you currently working in industrial engineering related job, ie: IEOR-related?

Haha, I was! My first job after Berkeley was actually at a

factory. I worked for four years but then the factory got

closed down. That’s when I moved to Boston..

You’ve lived in Boston?

Yes, I went to Babson College in the Greater Boston Area

for my MBA. Although, Bay Area has always been my home

- I spent all my Christmas holidays and summer in the

Bay Area, and I came back to the Bay Area as soon as I

graduated.

Well, great choice! So you’ve been in the church for a while. Share with us how IFGF Pinole like in the past. What was your experience like when you first came here?

The first time I came to the Bay Area, I actually went to

the SF church, IFGF SF. Then after a few months, IFGF

Pinole was having a special Sunday Service to celebrate

their anniversary. So I went there with my friend. It was a

simple celebration with maybe one or two presentations. I

still remember Pastor Sugi was in one of them. I went again

the following week for the regular service, and that was

when I felt in my heart that this is the church where God

wants me to serve and grow. The church was much smaller

at that time, maybe about 20-25 people.

This Is Our Church

Bob SutedjaAnalyst at Levi’s / Church Advisor / Care Group: Frontier

Was it at the same place?

Yes. We only used one side of the room, though. The

service was simple, only one musician who played a

keyboard or the big piano. Pastor Fendy from IFGF SF

preached almost every week - our Pastor Sugi was not an

ordained pastor yet at that time and only preached once

in a while. For the next several months, I was actually still

attending both churches, IFGF Pinole and SF every sunday.

I see. Is there any particular reason why you joined two churches?

Well, I had made a lot of friends in IFGF SF since I moved

to the Bay Area. There were a lot more people there,

maybe 100. They were having a revival and it was so

exciting. Every Sunday Service was packed and you would

not get a seat if you came late - you would have to stand

in the back. At that time we (Pinole) were much closer with

SF - we did our Bible Studies together and a lot of other

activities together, like camping for example.

What is one of the most memorable experiences for you seeing how the church has grown so far?

Because we were much smaller, we were closer with one

another. I remember we started our prayer meeting with

just three of us, Pastor Sugi, myself and my roommate

who is now in Indonesia. From there it grew to 15-20

people, which was almost the whole church, joining. It was

an exciting time - we would fast, pray, and ate together

06 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER

Bob, a veteran

member of our church,

accompanied by his peers

Edo and Martin.

every week. Sometime we even had an “all-night” prayer

meeting where we prayed together until very late at night.

I can testify that our church started to grow as we started

having our prayer meetings. It grew to a point where

we split and started a new church in Hayward. We were

probably about 70 people at that time, and 20-25 of us

went to open that church in Hayward.

What about care groups?

When I first joined IFGF Pinole, there was no care group

yet. Later on, a couple of friends started a care group in

Emeryville and I joined them. After that few others started

a care group in Pleasant Hill, and then SF.

So the Summer Mission is coming soon. Just wondering, have you ever gone to any mission trips?

Yes. I joined Indonesia Summer Mission twice and also to

Nepal once.

Can you share a little bit about your experiences?

All three of them are memorable. The first one was the

most eye-opening, life-changing experience for me,

maybe because I didn’t really know what to expect - the

whole experience was totally new. There’s no doubt that

God wants His children to come to Him. People are also

seeking and longing for Him. And through the mission

trips, we had the privilege to connect them, preaching

the Gospel to people and leading them to God. It was

such a rewarding and blessed experience. I would say if

you have opportunity, you should go. Do not worry or get

discouraged by the cost or any other challenges. What’s

important is your willingness. Just keep praying about it.

God can open the way. God can move people to willingly

support financially, parents & employers become favorable

and supportive. It happened to me and I have seen it

happened to other people as well.

Great! Tell us about one of your early ministries in Pinole back then. What did you do?

I did the announcement, no video yet during that time. I

was usher too at that time.

Were the ministries similar to today’s dynamics?

There were not as many people back then, so one person

could serve in several areas of ministry and sometimes

served in multiple services. For example, praise and

worship team that served in Pinole might also served in

Hayward on the same Sunday. There was even a season

where PVCC, our host church, was lacking a worship

team. So our worship team ministered at their services on

Sunday morning before ministering at our own services in

the afternoon, and then went to IFGF Hayward to minister

over there as well - 3 times in a day.

Can you play any musical instruments?

Yes. I played drum. At the time, we did not have any

drummer in our church so we had to rely on IFGF SF

musicians. But a lot of times they had to rush back to

IFGF SF for their 5pm services. So I started to learn to

play drum - it was fun.

Wow. I did not know that. Do you have any advice for the new generation people particularly in ministries and serving God and his church?

For me, ministry is a privilege. Some of my friends who

used to minister here while in the US are not ministering

anymore after they went back to Indo. They told me how

they want to, but they didn’t get the opportunity. One

person even told me how he really missed ministering.

In Indo, if you go to a big church, most ministries are

already filled in and it’s harder to join - they are more

selective. So, since we have those opportunities here, why

not use them. Just be sensitive and always be ready to

serve - you will see the needs and opportunities. It’s really

a privilege to be used by God.

Any last words for the church?

We are one big family now. Get to know each other

and do not hesitate to talk to those who are older - the

working people, parents, families. Most of us were foreign

students too before. So ask questions, get insights, and

learn from our experience, so you don’t make the same

mistakes we did. And of course, keep serving Him and one

another as there are opportunities •

MARCH 2015 • 05

Bob Sutedja is one of our veteran members of our church. Originally from IFGF SF, Bob felt God’s call to help grow His church in Pinole. Bob has been involved in important decision makings regarding the growth of IFGF Pinole.

LET’S PRAY FOR MARCH

with Joan Wirolinggo

Our pastor and leaders

that they abide in Him.

Our care group gathering.

Let ’s pray that Jesus wil l

be the center of each care

group and relationship as

brother and sister in Christ

wil l be built .

Our new friends who are new

in the States that they may

find a new family in Christ

through this church .

Our friends who are stil l

looking for a job.

Easter drama production:

Let ’s pray that all members

that is involved wil l be fil led

with extra joy of the Lord

and have a good time

management. And also for

each person who wil l come

to the event wil l have a

personal encounter with God.

Care group Warriors.

Let ’s pray for their

planning to launch the

second service and people

who are wil ling to help.

Speed recovery for our

friends and family members

that are sick .

One day a son was asking his father,

who always teaches him to follow

Jesus and to live his life faithfully,

a question: “Hey dad! Why does our

life seem to be more challenging

than others’ who do not believe in

Jesus?! His dad remained silent,

and unexpectedly, instead, invited

his son to go hunting in the woods.

The son was confused about this

invitation, but he followed his dad

without question. While hunting,

his dad asked his son one question:

“Hey son, what do you want to hunt

today?” Son responded, “A deer?”

His dad replied nothing and smiled.

A few minutes later, his dad pointed

out and said: “Look son! there is a

dead deer over there.” Son answered

with confusion, “Yeah... I see the

dead deer.” Then the dad said,

“Didn’t you say you want to hunt a

deer son?” The son replied with a

disappointment, “Yes dad, but I want

to hunt a living deer not a dead one.”

The dad said, “Exactly! We want to

hunt something that is alive! Not

dead! This is exactly what the Devil

wants. It wants to hunt someone

that is alive not dead. We are alive

because we believe in Jesus!” The

son looked at his father and smiled.

He has now gotten the answer to his

question. Jesus never promised that

our life will be free from challenges

once we believe in Jesus. However,

He said that He will be with us until

the end of the world.

And Jesus came and spoke to them,

saying, “All authority has been

given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of

all the nations, baptizing them in

the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching

them to observe all things that I

have commanded you. And surely

I am with you always, even to the

end of the age.” Matthew 28: 18-20

Look at the last word before Jesus

went up to heaven, he said I am with

you always, even to the end of age.

Isn’t that beautiful?

Devotional

Following Jesusby Glorio YuliantoCare Group: Heroes

Interested? Come join our mission trip to Nepal this summer to serve God and his people on June 28 – July 8, 2015. Talk to your care group leaders so we can get you registered!

Briefly describe one memorable thing about your summer mission experience.

There are so many memorable things about the trip,

travelling in a helicopter, enjoying the Himalayas at

such close distance from the helicopter, and of course,

seeing so many people getting saved! We had a few

crusades during the mission trip. One of the most

memorable thing from the trip was a crusade that we

had in Lukla. Lukla is a small town located at 9,383 ft.

Because it’s located at such high altitude, we could

feel that theair was thinner there. But that’s not the

point... Back to the crusade that we had in Lukla. When

we arrived at the hall where the crusade was scheduled

to happen, it was full of people, we believe there were

around 2000 people there. Ps. Danny started preaching,

translated by Ps. Phillip who is the pastor from IFGF

Kathmandu. At the beginning, we could feel that not

many people were listening, the atmosphere was very

chaotic. Ps. Sugi and myself were sitting on the stage

and we started praying, speaking in tongues, after a

few minutes, we began to feel that peace started to

fill the hall. We could see that more people started to

listen attentively. At the end of the crusade, dozens of

people asked for healing and were healed, hundreds

of people raised up their hand and accepted Christ

as their Savior. The Holy Spirit is just so amazing, He

transformed the chaotic atmosphere and touched so

many souls.

How different is it to share gospel here versus in Nepal?

I would say that both here in the US and in Nepal,

we need to show the love of God when sharing the

Gospel. However, due to different circumstances that

people experience here vs. over there, the way we show

God’s love is a little different. Over there, many people

don’t even have access to basic necessities, such as

healthcare. Thus, during the trip, we organized dental

camp in several villages and provided free dental

service for the people in and around the villages.

Summer MissionTestimony by Nita Stephanie Lie

As people came and received dental care, we would

pray for their needs. This was such a huge blessing for

the people there as some people had actually been

experiencing toothaches for years without knowing

what to do.

Any message God gave to you personally through the mission trip?

During the mission trip, God allowed me to see that

there are so many people out there who have not heard

the Gospel and are in need of this Good News. He also

showed me how fortunate we are here in the US. We

have access to any kind of resources we need that we

sometimes take them for granted, whereas there are so

many people out there who don’t even have access to

basic needs.

As I’m writing this, I am reminded of a song by Matthew

West called “Do Something”, this is what it says “So, I

shook my fist at Heaven and said, ‘God, why don’t You

do something?’ He said, ‘I did, I created you’. Let’s be

the salt and light that God has created us to be and be

a blessing for others.

08 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER

Sound System

WHO ARE WE?

We are the coolest people in the church.

HOW COME?

Because we do our work behind the scene.

WHAT DO WE DO?

We set up the whole sound system in the church during

services and special events like Valentine’s day, Easter

and Anniversary. We make talented singers, guitar

players, pianists and drum players to be heard. We make

them sound better with our little touch.

WHO CAN JOIN SOUND SYSTEM MINISTRY?

To be honest, everyone who has the heart to learn and

serve. If you have no experience at all, don’t worry, we

were once in the same position. We are here to learn

and to serve. Together stronger!

P.S. We use the most advanced technology to control

our sounds: iPad!

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Contact Glorio (Om)!

Ministry RecruitingThere are numerous ways you can contribute to the life of the church.

Through sound, refreshments, and many others, you can find ways to help

God’s house function better. Here are some ways you can be involved at church.

These ministries are currently recruiting!

Contact : Glorio Yulianto (922-222-8675)

09 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER

Genesis

WHO ARE WE

We produce the monthly newsletter (online and paper

copy). We unite church congregation and welcome new

members through testimonies, articles, and devotions.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR...

A passionate graphic designer who has the basic skills

in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustration. We are also

looking for two people who are keen to be our journalists

and writers.

TESTIMONY

Catherine Santoso said, “What I learned from

this ministry is that good communication is

required to produce something great. Without the

communication the relationship inside of the team

is not clear and creates a lot of confusion.”

Contact : Irene Chandra (510-612-3394)

Website & Social Media

WEBSITE

Develop a website platform and design for

ifgfpinole.org.

SOCIAL

Publish content through Instagram, Facebook page

and group, and ifgfpinole.org website.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR...

Digital designers and programmers who are motivated

and able to self learn with the current design trends

and technologies, and people who are passionate about

our church and social media.

EXTRA INFO

Some people has already come to our church by

finding it through the website, the content of our social

media postings really encourage and strengthen the

message that has been given in the sermon. It has

gone all over the world reaching people on the other

side of the world.Contact : Yosia Urip (206-459-7566)

10 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER

Revelation Videos

WHO ARE WE?

We help to make sure that the church would know

of the various upcoming events through the weekly

video. We would do things such as scriptwriting, video

directing, video editing, and filming.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR...

We are looking for creative people that will commit to

be the director, producer, scriptwriter, videographer,

and video editor of Revelation Ministry. Not having any

idea on how to direct or edit a video is never a problem

because many of us started from not knowing anything

too, but as we commit ourselves in the ministry, our

skills keep on growing as well (it means that we will

teach you how to direct, write a script, and edit videos).

TESTIMONY

Maxwell Chen said, “Through serving in the revelation

ministry, I’ve learned that when you use teamwork,

you are able to achieve goals far greater in quality,

and more imaginative than you could ever do yourself.

And those two qualities are, in my opinion, the most

important qualities to possess when serving in this

ministry.”

Documentation

WHO ARE WE?

We’re in charge of keeping up with the life of the

church through capturing important events. We update

pictures on Facebook and IFGF Pinole Flickr.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR...

Documentation ministry is hiring people who are

passionate in people and journalistic photography.

Contact : Eric Timotius (510-712-8401)

Contact : Jessica Tjahjady (925-334-2289)

IFGF Pinole 2885 PINOLE VALLEY ROAD

PINOLE, CA 94564

(925) 609 4343

IFGFGISIEASTBAY@GMAIL.COM

IFGFPINOLE.ORG

SUNDAY SERVICE EVERY 2:15 PM

CARE GROUPS

PRAYER GROUPS

PASTORAL TEAM MARCH BIRTHDAYS

MINISTRIES UPCOMING EVENTS

CG FAITH

SAN FRANCISCO

Melanie 925.586.7770

Jason 925.305.1278

CG KING

SAN FRANCISCO

Jessica 415.758.8645

Benny 510.367.0664

CG WARRIORS

PINOLE

Maxwell 510.374.2686

Chris 510.837.7867

FAITH (Every Thursday)

Melanie 925.586.7770

KING (Every Monday)

Vincent 925.356.1375

HEROES (Every Thursday)

Alus 408.904.8001

Nicky 650.417.8228

LEGENDS (Every Thursday)

Shirley 415.990.8178

Evelin 925.289.6785

WARRIORS (Every Wednesday)

Jeffri 510.499.5966

FAVOR- HOPER (Every Thursday)

Melvin 510.708.0540

Documentation - Eric Timotius

Genesis Newsletter - Irene Chandra

Men’s Ministry - Christian Liong

Multimedia - Melanie Thio

Praise & Worship - Adi Julianloo

Prayer & Intercession - Joan Wirolinggo

Refreshments - Nathalia Prasetyo Jo

Revelation Videos - Jessica Tjahjady

Sound System - Glorio Yulianto

Sunday School - Jen Hendric

Sunday Service Coordinator - Emmanuel Calica

Transportation - Leonardo Saerang

Ushers - Renaldi

Website - Yosia Urip

Women’s Ministry - Karen Liong & Elissa Irma

SUGI HENDRIC Senior Pastor

JEFFRI HALIM Associate Pastor,

Biblical Teaching

Mar 5-7 BASS Church Workers

Convention

www.bassconvention.org

Mar 14 Corporate Prayer Meeting

Mar 6 & 20 Caregroup Gathering

CG LEGENDS

BERKELEY (SISTERS)

Shirley 415.990.8178 (Freshmen)

Evelin 925.289.6785 (Transfers)

CG HEROES

BERKELEY (BROTHERS)

Alus 408.904.8001 (Freshmen)

Nicky 650.417.8228 (Transfers)

CG FAMILY

PINOLE

Ps. Sugi 510.724.5400

CG FAVOR

PLEASANT HILL

Rebecca 925.482.5562

Jessica 925.334.2011

CG HOPER

PLEASANT HILL

Karen 925.577.6634

Melvin 510.708.0540

CG FRONTIER

SOUTH BAY

Antony 408.685.1540

Adi 415.463.9010

03 Ivan Salim

06 William Tjandra

07 Karina Soenjoyo

09 Jessica Tjahjady

10 Reynaldo

19 Angelin Susanto

22 Nathaniel Wilson

23 Irene Chandra

25 Philbert Wiradjaja

26 Jeannie Natasha

30 Raechel Soebandi