Moving Forward

 

By now you have probably read an article in the paper or heard someone comment about our new property purchase (good and bad). It seems everyone has an opinion about what God wants to do in downtown! The reason for this is really quite simple--the greater the movement of God, the greater the opposition. So for this reason we rejoice and  we pray… (really hard!)

How do we respond to this newfound attention and at the same time show people what the church is really like? Let me suggest a challenge and an opportunity for your consideration…

First, the challenge--Let’s keep our eye on the “main thing.” It would be easy to respond to criticism with “righteous indignation”, but I do not believe this is what God wants us to do. We are not here to enter into politics or drawn out public debates. If we panic or respond in a reactionary, knee jerk or emotional way at the first blush of opposition, we will never be able to withstand the bigger battles that are ahead.

Yes, I did say bigger battles. We cannot be naive to the reality that there will be some who will be opposed to whatever we propose for our property and others may even lie about us (I believe the bible calls it persecution), but this is not our problem nor should it be our focus. Please keep in mind that there is a much bigger picture/perspective here that is seen in II Corinthians 10:3-5…”For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. on the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We are Christians and our job is to pray, bless, and love. We will continue to do what we do best—help people find hope in Jesus, restore marriages, bring healing and comfort to the sick and oppressed, help those in need and listen to the voice of God to lead us in all our endeavors. We will be what the church is supposed to be!

Now for the opportunity! When someone mentions our new property to you (for good or for bad), think of it as a teachable moment. Don’t shy away or lash back, but in a spirit of love, ask questions that promote healthy dialogue, and see this time as an opportunity to point people to the God you know and love. Here are some possible talking points, or questions to ask, for your consideration…

• What have been your experiences with churches in the past? What do you know of Clayton Community Church?
• Where are you at in your own faith journey right now?
• What would you like to see in Downtown? How could the church work with you/the city to come up with a mutually beneficial plan?
• What do you think is the role of the church in today’s society?
• Don’t you think we should hold off judgment until we see an actual plan?
• Could I share with you how Clayton Community Church has impacted my own life?
• Would you like to come with me to church this Sunday and see what it’s really about?
  

OK, so maybe you’ll get a chance to ask questions like this and maybe you won’t. But I do think God has given us a unique opportunity to share his love for such a time as this.

So will you join me in truly being the church that God intended us to be? Like I said, we have a challenge and an opportunity. I pray we will use both wisely.

Your pastor, Shawn

Congregational meeting

Feb. 11 at 12noon-To approve the purchase of property in downtown Clayton.

 Make sure you’re on the Membership Roster so your vote will count! 

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Scott’s Stuff

Some time ago I came to realize that I did not love the people next door.  They were, by any standards, dangerous and unpleasant people—ex-bikers who made their living selling drugs.

They had never tried to harm my family, but the constant traffic of people buying drugs, a number of whom sat in the yard while shooting up, began to wear down my patience.  As I brooded over them one day, indulging my irritation, the Lord helped me see that I really had no love for them at all, that after “suffering” from them for several years I would secretly be happy if they died so that we could be rid of them.  I realized how little I truly cared for nearly all the people I dealt with through the day, even when on “religious business.”  I had to admit that I had never earnestly sought to be possessed by God’s kind of love, to become more like Jesus.  Now it was time to seek.

-Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship

I enjoy indulging my irritation.  Even in the midst of a busy day when there are too many tasks to accomplish, indulging my irritation is sort of like the old ad jingle: “There’s always room for JELL-O.”  There always seems to be time to be perturbed, annoyed and exasperated.

I find irritation goes best with friends.  Irritation needs companionship and agreement to find its greater purpose.  To share with someone, to point out the specific behavior that runs contrary to all human reason and decency, to climb that mountain of understandable outrage – that is feeling well finished.

It isn’t as if the irritation isn’t well-deserved.  Dallas Willard talks about irritation at his neighbors who sold drugs and had buyers using right in their front yard!  I know how he feels.  We have a neighbor that always parks in the guest parking spot right across from our condo.  A clear violation of HOA rules.  He also leaves his garbage cans out in front of his garage doors, yet another grievous daily annoyance that flies in the face of the rules of our association.  Sometimes, when I am at my house working in our office, I’ll look across the street and see that guy’s car just sitting there in that guest parking spot – mocking me, taunting my knowledge of the home owner’s association rules.  I’m with you, Dallas.

I’ve thought of ways to address this situation:

• Go over to his condo and confront the scallywag face-to-face.  Mano y mano. Tete-a-tete. I figure if I give him the what-for and the how-to he will have no option but to park in his own space.
  
  

• Taking a clue from Gideon, I could go over under the cover of dark and place a note with a copy of the HOA page that outlines “PARKING” details under his windshield wipers.  Whereas Gideon got help with this, I would act on my own.
  
  

• An option to the above thought: write a note asking him not to park there in consideration of our community standards.  I could end the note with, “Thank you for caring.”
  
  

• Report him to the HOA so that they will send a note—protecting my identity, of course—telling him to refrain from his coarse actions or he will be fined according to HOA rule 5b(1c)12.
  
  

• Add a sign to the one already there.  The sing now reads, “Guest Parking Only.”  I could tape a sign under it that reads, “This includes you, Mr. Chrysler 300.”  This, too, would best be done at night.
  
  

So far I’ve done nothing except to indulge my irritation.

Like Dallas Willard, I sensed the Spirit speaking to me about my attitude.  Did I care about my neighbor?  Did it irritate me that he may not know the grace and mercy of Christ or know what it is to be forgiven?  Did it irritate me that I had not uttered a single word of prayer for him?  Did it irritate me that he could face eternity outside of God’s embrace?

Why wasn’t I indulging this holy irritation?

Because I would rather be judgmental than act redemptively.

I have to confess here that perhaps Dallas Willard had a more blighted set of neighbors than I have.  Drug dealing ex-motorcycle gang members trump HOA violating parkers when it comes to having bad neighbors.  I believe, however, and perhaps you can too, that there is a similar issue here.

It was as if the Holy Spirit nudged alongside of me and asked, “How could you ever speak about God’s love for him in Christ if your main concern is his parking in the guest spot?”

That the Holy Spirit should even have to address issues of guest parking seems like a cosmically bad joke.  Of course, it wasn’t the parking spot being addressed; it was where I had parked my heart, mind, time and emotions.

In the broader picture I could justify my irritation by appealing to the underlying issue: parking in the guest spot shows an indifference to how we function as a community and the consideration we hold for guests.  Though small, the frequent and flagrant disregard for this rule reveals a deeper disdain for those that honor the covenant of our little spot in the world.

To hold to my irritation, however, meant my willingness to disobey God’s promptings.

Jesus could not have summed it up any simpler, or more complex:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:34-40  NIV

The apostle Paul and James understood and reinforced what Jesus taught:

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."   Love does no harm to its neighbor . Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.  Romans 13:8-10 NIV

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.  James 2:8 NIV

Much more essential than a guest parking spot is the heart and soul of my neighbor.  My life before him must be lived in a manner that respects him and gives him dignity (see I Peter 2:11-17).

It isn’t always a beautiful day in our neighborhood, but every day is one in which God is calling me to see the beauty He has created in each person of our neighborhood – a beauty He longs to restore and redeem.

So, Lord – by Your Spirit I will not indulge my irritations.  I will press in to the calling you have given me in the neighborhood you have parked me.  I repent of my hardness of heart and my over concern with minor issues.  Help me love those around me, my neighborhood, even as you love them.

Now, that is a holy irritation to be indulged.

Amen.

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	Dear Church Family:
Stewardship	Before each annual budget cycle, I review the recent trends in giving and hazard a guess at what giving will be the following year.  This allows our staff and leadership to prepare a budget that is balanced and well thought out.  The truth of the matter is I am always wrong, sometimes a little high or sometimes a little low.  As giving fluctuates, adjustments are made in our spending to lineup with giving.  However, for the calendar year 2006, your generous giving and our watchful spending were in balance.  We are ministering within our means and we’re not issuing T-bills or bonds to support deficit spending.
Generous Giving	Do you know what’s so fantastic about that?  On top of receiving over $1,000,000 in general fund money we also received over $500,000 in capital campaign funds.  That is an increase in overall giving of more than 50% over the previous year.  WOW!!!  Now, that’s generous giving.  My prayer for you comes from Nehemiah, following Pastor Shawn’s lead: “Remember them for this, O my God, and do not blot out what they have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.”  Neh 13:14
Our Ministry	Clayton Community Church invests its talents, time, and treasures into a diversified portfolio composed of Maturity, Community, Service and Outreach.  From these investments, our goal is to raise up fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  When we put God’s money to work, we desire that the interest earned on His money will be a church family who worships God with a fullness of knowledge of our God and are so changed that they too will invest in serving Him and reaching out to those who need to know Him.
Good to Great	We are a very good church, doing many things right: a strong sense of church family, meeting the needs of our church family, and our Sunday morning gatherings.  However, we want to be a great church, which means even more focus and commitment to what we believe God wants us to become.  That means knowing our passion.  That means building on our strengths.  That means creating an emotional/spiritual connection to our ministries.  Let’s make this the year that we became better than very good because we serve a God who is GREAT.
Grateful Hearts	Thank you for joining us in our work and serving Jesus together,
	Brad
	Brad Carter Director of Operations
Please Review Your Giving Statement	Your year-end contribution statement may be separated into several sections.  Tax reporting rules require us to assign checks greater than $250 to the individual who signed the check.  All other contributions are assigned to the contributing family.  If you have any questions regarding your contribution statement, contact Jennifer Lutz at 925.673.9060 or drop by our church office.

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Worship Arts

CORPORATE WORSHIP

There are so many blessing to be found when we meet together for corporate public worship.  It’s interesting to note that the origin of corporate worship is found in the book of Genesis, the book of beginnings. Enosh, the son of Seth, was the first preacher, ministering to the first congregation.  God’s people have been continuing their gatherings together ever since.

In our culture there are many who would argue that they can enjoy just as meaningful a Sabbath, and just as meaningful a relationship with the Lord in their own home, alone or solely with their families, but I believe God’s word tells us differently.  In the Psalms, special honor is accorded to church worship gatherings.  God loved the public assembly of His people on Mount Zion more than all other gatherings, because this was a loud proclamation of His name:

"The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob"  -Psalm 87:2.

Throughout scripture God seems to give more blessing when many are together than at other times:

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" -Matt. 18:20

God actually tells us that it’s important to meet together.

“Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.”   Hebrews 10:25

And isn’t it true that although we may plan to spend time with God in our own homes, reading our bibles, praying, or having some quiet time, distractions far too often pull us away and our best intentions fall by the wayside.  

The following sermon excerpt is from a preacher named Andrew A. Bonar, and was delivered to his congregation on Sept. 1st, 1889.  I find it interesting that over a hundred years ago, he was encouraging his congregation regarding the importance of corporate worship just as I am today.

 

“In the sanctuary God has special blessings, which we must lose when we forsake the assembling of ourselves together. God likes (we may say) to give His best blessings to more than one at a time, on the lines of Ephesians 3.18: "With all saints." And while this is the Lord's rule, you will find also this to be true in your own experience that the blessing you get along with hundreds of others is far more plentiful, and, perhaps, far deeper, than what you get alone. Suppose a shower of rain falling falls only on you, it would give you some refreshment, no doubt.  But if, at the same time, it soaks the ground all around you, and makes every tree and every blade of grass drop with moisture, and softens the ground all around, the coolness and the refreshing is wonderfully intensified. When God's people come thus together in the name of the Lord, the Lord makes this His special time for sending down a plentiful rain.”

What better time than the new year to make a decision to commit to gathering together with others on Sundays, setting aside one day a week for worshiping together, encouraging others and being encouraged and uplifted yourself?  See if God doesn’t pour out His blessing on you as you commit that time to Him!

 

WORSHIP TEAM OPPORTUNITIES

VOCAL TEAM

The new choir season has just begun, and will continue through the end of May.  If you are looking to get involved more and you enjoy singing, why not devote your Tuesday nights and two Sundays a month to singing with the worship team?  This is a fun group to be a part of!  Not only do we work on our voices and the music for Sundays, but we learn to grow deeper in our own personal worship, pray for and encourage one another, and do fun social events outside of church too.   For more information on joining, contact Patti Engle at Pmengle220@astound.net

DATA TEAM

Our data team is in need of two volunteers to run the computer on Sunday.  One would be on a once a month basis, running the data (no input required) during sound check, plus first and second gatherings.  Even if you only have minimal knowledge of computers, we will train you to run the program.  The second volunteer would be needed every time there is a fifth Sunday.  This occurs only a few times a year.  For more info on becoming a part of this team, please contact Lauri Beltran at BeltranLe@comcast.net

MUSICIANS

Our music team is in need of a bass player. The rotation would either be every other week, or every three weeks depending on the month, with a Tuesday night practice prior to Sunday.  If you are an experienced bass player or know of one, please contact Bob Giverink at bobandmariko@gmail.com. 

EASTER CHOIR

If you love to sing, but just can’t make the once a week Tuesday commitment, you can join us just for Easter Sunday.  There will be two rehearsals (TBA), with a time commitment on Easter Sunday for both gatherings.  For info, keep an eye on the church bulletin in February, or contact Pmengle220@astound.net

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Children’s Ministry        

 

Children’s Ministry Team

 

It’s a New Year and in Children’s Ministry we have some new staff members!  We now have a four member Children's Ministry Leadership Team headed by Patty Robinson and includes, Carrie Elgazzar, Raimee Gould and Lois Wullenweber.

Raimee Gould is our newest member and at present she will be in charge of our Early Childhood program.  This includes the Nursery, Toddlers and Preschoolers.  Now that Raimee is on board, Patty Robinson will be taking the lead of Children's Ministry as the Director over all the programs from Nursery through Fifth Grade. 

Carrie Elgazzar is currently coordinating the Small Group and Large Group components of the K-5th grade program.  To round out the team there is Lois Wullenweber who is currently in charge of Communications, Community and Special Events. 

 

While the four staff on the Children's Ministry Leadership Team prepare and organize and oversee the programs that your children attend, we want all our families to know that it is the dedicated volunteers who turn the programs into Ministry.  From holding a child in the Nursery, to helping a Preschooler with a project, to leading children in worship and teaching a small group of children a Bible lesson, these incredible people demonstrate the love that Jesus has for all of us through their gifts and time.  The next time you encounter one of these volunteers, please let them know how appreciated they are for the work they do with our children! 

We welcome any parent, older sibling or family member to join in the fun and experience the joy of seeing children coming to know Jesus by sharing your gifts, talents and time!

 

If you have any questions about Children's Ministry, please contact any of the team members and we will help you with your question or lead you in the right direction!

Mt. Hermon Junior Getaway

March 2-4, 2007

3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Kids

 ARE YOU READY FOR FAITH and fun to collide? When you get 3-5 graders in a weekend adventure at Mt. Hermon’s Redwood Camp, the results are undeniably life-changing. Wild games, goofy skits, sweet worship music, yummy food and more await.

                 

Mr. J and The Kid Band will rock your socks off! They’re back by wild demand and ready to wow you with the adventures of Junk Yard Dogs: a story of the freedom that only Jesus brings to God’s people. Campers will learn they weren’t made for the junk yard; they have been set free to serve their new master…Jesus!

Your kids will LOVE Mr. J and the Kid Band.  He was the leader a few years ago, and after going to camp 4 times, the camp he did was THE BEST!

This year we are asking parents to pre-register their kids by completing an interest card for camp.  Last year we were not able to accommodate all the kids that wanted to go at the last minute, so we are starting early this year so we can reserve our spots before the registration begins!

COST IS NOT AN ISSUE with this camp.  Mt. Hermon provides scholarships, and we want all our kids to go this year!

Even if you are a maybe, please send your child’s name and grade Lois Wullenweber Claytoncckids@comcast.net so we can include your child in the pre-registration count!

Going to Church

           

I am not a morning person, and despite two alarm clocks set for various times in the morning, it takes me a long time to emerge form my nice warm comfortable nocturnal rest.  Add to that the fact that it is a weekend and I want nothing more than to turn over one more time to hit the snooze button.

When my children were old enough that I could take them out in public (they were born 10 weeks premature and spent the first 6 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) we usually didn’t get out of the house until noon.

I wanted to take my children to church, but the services where in the morning, on a weekend. Getting two infants up, changed, fed and burped, along with packing a double diaper bag, getting them situated in two car sets, and loading two strollers was difficult enough to accomplish by noon, but to be some place by 10:45?

But we did it.  We were regular attendees for a very long time. I still remember the same woman holding my daughter through the entire service, because if she wasn’t held she would cry.

As they got older, they would come home with their piece of paper with an outline of a sheep with little cotton balls that they had glued on with a little help.  They learned songs about Jesus and heard stories from the Bible.  We started to know some of the other families and made friends.

One Sunday there came a desperate call for volunteers in the Nursery.  I started helping out once a month and didn’t feel like much of a helper, because with a ratio of one adult to three children, I mostly spent my time volunteering teaching my own children about Jesus.  Then I started realizing just how important it was for me to be spending my time teaching my children about Jesus.  It was easy to teach babies about the love of Jesus, just by loving them.

After a few years, I accepted a part-time job as an administrative assistant for the Children’s Ministry Director.  At first I didn’t think that I was doing a lot to teach the children about Jesus, but found that by gathering the supplies that the teachers needed on Sunday, was helping them teach the children about Jesus.

After 6 years working as a volunteer, an administrative assistant, as a Children’s Ministry Director and various other positions, I have found that not only have I helped take part in teaching children about Jesus, but I have grown in my understanding of Him and why it is so important to go to church.

By going to church…

• I have formed close and dear friendships.
• I have seen my children reach out to other kids at school and invite them to come to church.
• I have seen my husband get up early on a Sunday to set up chairs and feel like he is serving God.
• I have gotten to know hundreds of kids and parents who have gone to our Adventure Camps and attended Sunday School who I see in the community and at my children’s school.
• I have been served meals by people who I did not know, but who cared about me and my family.
• I have served meals to people I do not know, because I care about them.
• I have an extended list of potential babysitters.
• I have an extended family that I can count on in times of need.
• I am blessed to hear my children singing songs of worship to our Lord.
• I am able to answer my children’s questions about Great Grandma going to Heaven.
• I am able to ask highly educated Pastors if they know if dogs go to heaven.
• I feel a sense of purpose.
• I feel loved.
• my children know that Tyler and Axel and Rachel and Bethany and Benjamin and Lexie and Chandler and Josh and Jake and Avery and Aidan and Joey and Julia and Tori and Michelle and Miranda and Elise and Spencer and Kaitlyn and Taylor and Ashley and Blake and Matthew and Erin and Nicky and every kid from birth to college at church are part of their church family.
• my children learned how to pray, and where prayer partners for Belize team members.
• I can thank that woman who held my daughter when she was a baby so she wouldn’t cry.
• I can return the blessings that have been given to me and my family.
• I can thank God for His church and for helping me get out of bed every Sunday so I can be a part of it.

Serving His Children Together,

Patty, Carrie, Raimee and Lois

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Jr. High Ministry

Thank you Tobey!

As our interim Junior High Director, Tobey Nichols, begins a new season in his life at San Francisco State we are extremely grateful for all he has done in serving our junior high students and their families. Seeing Tobey go off to college is both exciting and bittersweet. He has been such an enormous blessing to our staff and our church family. I am confident that the seeds he has planted in the hearts of our students these past few months will bear fruit for many years to come. You will probably see Tobey around on a Sunday from time to time as he comes home to visit so give him a big bear hug and thank him for a job well done. We love you Tobey and we pray God’s blessings on you in all that you do!

Welcome Mike!

I am so happy to introduce Michael Basil as our new Director of JH ministry. Mike and his lovely wife, Juliana, come to us from San Leandro where they have been serving as Children’s and Junior High ministers. We are very excited for Mike and Juliana to join the CCC family! Mike’s first Sunday with us will be February 11th. Because of Mike’s experience in elementary ministries as well as junior high he will also be overseeing our 4th/5th Grade ministry. All parents of fourth through eighth grade students are invited to meet Mike and Juliana at a lunch in their honor on Sunday, February 18th at 1:00pm at the CCC office.

Welcome to the CCC family, Mike. We know God has called you and Juliana to serve him here and bless our students and families with the gifts he has given you. We pray for his wisdom and strength to guide and support you in all your endeavors. May you find the Lord’s warmth, faith and grace in your new church family!

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Five17 High School Ministries

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

(II Corinthians Five17)

Ski Frenzy #10 Coming Up

February 22-25

If you’ve been around Five17 for a little while you know that we do a lot of memorable events. We do a lot of fun stuff like scavenger hunts, broom hockey, Spring Formal and days at the beach or the delta. We also share some more meaningful experiences like serving at City Team or traveling far and wide to share God’s love in places like Mexico, Belize and New Orleans. I cherish every minute of every singe thing we do together. But I must confess there is one event that is nearest and dearest to my heart and that’s Ski Frenzy. What I love so much about our winter retreat is that it is the one thing we do each year where our whole Five17 family is under one single roof for three days playing, worshiping and learning about Jesus together. I get to see seniors getting to know freshmen and everyone in between mixing it up and becoming family. I hear testimonies of God’s love at work changing lives around. I witness young men and women accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It’s a dream weekend for me.

Plus we’re in Tahoe – God’s most incredible playground!

This year we’re blessed to have our very own Tobey Nichols - Five17 class of 2005 -speaking to us on why our world is in desperate need of a savior. And we’ve got Art Heckman once again to lead our worship time. Plus you get a cool sweatshirt. So please don’t miss out on my favorite weekend of the year!

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Small Group & Big Group

Thursday nights our small groups meet at host homes from 6:00-7:45pm. And then from 8:00-9:00pm we all meet up at the CCC office for worship, big group discussion and games. Our theme this quarter is Real Life, Real Power as we discuss how we can apply God’s incredible power to our lives in ways that make a difference.

 Please contact Rick (673-2163) if you are interested in joining a small group.

We have lots of exciting events and activities coming up…here’s a few important dates to mark on your calendar:

January

26-Fri                                Broom Hockey at Dublin Iceland

                                                        11:00pm-1:30am

                           

                            February

                            16-Fri                                City Team Service Night

                           

• 10th Annual Ski Frenzy!

March

16-Fri                                ‘Sweet 16’ Celebration

                                         

                            29-30 Thu-Fri                  30-HOUR FAMINE

                                                       

Look for event flyers with all the details coming soon!

In Christ’s love,

Rick Nylund

Pastor of Student Ministries

673-2163; rick.nylund@claytoncc.com

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College Group

The spring semester of 2007 finds the College group of Clayton Community Church in both transition and discovery. Transition:  we've moved our location from the home of the Englund's to our new residence across the street from the Church office at "Cup O' Jo".  Far more than just a transition of location, this change also brings to a close a very treasured season for the college group.  With the growth and success of the Tea Cottage, both the Englunds and the Barnetts have recognized, through much prayer and consideration, the need to focus their full attention on their business.  The deep sense of "Home" that they created for the past few years will be deeply missed. It is in this "transition" that I have had the privilege of joining this fellowship of college students in hopes of continuing the warm atmosphere that has been such a defining marker of this group.  Having recently moved to the area from the city of Chico (you might recognize the city when I add the words "State University" to it), I look forward to being a part of the Clayton Community family. Discovery: As a college group, we are currently tackling a study of
the book of Ephesians.  Our emphasis will be on truly getting a firm understanding of our identity in Christ, and how that applies to the manner in which we live our daily lives in the context of our
relationships.  In the midst of our study, we will focus on the amazing journey of discovering what it means for us as a group to be the hands and feet of Christ to the College age community of the East Bay.


So if you are a college age student (i.e. pretty much if your in or approaching your 20's) who is looking for a great place to connect with other students, have a little fun and maybe discover some meaningful truths in the process, join us at Cup O' Joe's on Wednesday nights (starting at 7 p.m.).  We're looking forward to meeting you!



Blessings,

Rod de la Sotta



Calendar of upcoming events:


February 10 - Day in the City!  Meet us at Cup O' Jo's at 10 AM for a fun day of randomness

                       in San Francisco.


March 30 - City Team outreach


April 6 - 8 College Retreat in Lake Tahoe

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MEN’S MINISTRY

 

January’s Men’s Breakfast was our most highly attended breakfast to date. Pastor Shawn was the speaker, and we had a great time of eating together, hanging out and getting words of wisdom from our pastor!

Our next breakfast will be the first Saturday in February, which will be February 3rd.

Don’t miss it! We’ll expect a big crowd and make sure we have enough food to feed a bunch of hungry men.

Our annual CCC Men’s Retreat will be March 9th through the 11th, at Mt. Hermon this year.  The registration table is out front at church each Sunday morning.

We are excited to have Pastor Scott Downing as our speaker this year, and I know it’s going to be one of our best, most memorable retreats.

Pastor Scott will be speaking on the three-fold role of man: Priest, Prophet and King.

You will come away from this retreat challenged and changed.

WE WANT YOU THERE!  Do not let money issues be the reason you think you cannot attend. Scholarships are available.

For more information about the retreat, contact Ed Cleland:

To reach me, Shahram Ameli, director of Men’s Ministries, e-mail: shahram.ameli@claytoncc.com.

May God bless you,

Shahram Ameli

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COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

Brenda Ameli

The Community Ministries team of greeters has grown to a group of 33 welcoming, warm, wonderful people! 

It is a great joy to be the first contact our church members and guests have as they arrive at church on Sunday mornings. I feel as though I’m welcoming people to my home---one that I just happen to share with several hundred other family members!

We have enjoyed hosting Snack Sundays once a month as a ministry, and are thrilled to see the fellowship that occurs when people gather around a table of goodies.

The “coffee ministry” now comes under Community, so a big welcome to all of you who get up extra early to make sure we have our coffee, and to those of you who stay after to take the containers back to Starbucks!

We are hoping to have a “Community Bulletin Board” in the near future, set up near the Welcome Center to give a quick look at what’s happening at CCC.

Community Ministries will be having a team gathering in February. If you would like to join the team as a greeter, part of Hospitality ( read “FOOD!”), or part of the coffee team, I would love to talk with you!

Please contact Brenda Ameli at: community@claytoncc.com

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DANCE MINISTRY

Brenda Ameli

Our CCC Dance Troupe continues to meet weekly to practice, brainstorm ideas and create dances. 

We have a group of 8 gifted young women currently active in the troupe, with several more troupe members away at college and one working at Disneyworld temporarily.

As director of the dance ministry, I meet regularly with the Creative Planning team to brainstorm ideas for Shawn’s upcoming messages.  I take back some of the ideas, message themes and Scriptures to the dance troupe and from there we once again brainstorm ideas.

The dance troupe brainstorming, however, is often “thought-in-motion”; we toss around ideas, then get up and start playing with movements. It’s wonderful to see how the group has become secure and free enough to take risks and not be afraid of trying out movement ideas. We have tried new ways to express and support the message being taught, and I am thrilled that the dancers are so involved in the process.

 Each week we begin troupe practice with prayer and a devotional. Sometimes the devotionals are devotions in motion, and sometimes we get deep into conversations about the Scripture or message theme we’re currently working with.

Our Dance Ministry also offers free community dance classes for young girls ages 3 to 7.

These are open to the public and are currently Wednesdays from 3:45 to 4:15.

There is nothing more beautiful than a roomful of tiny dancers joyfully dancing around our CCC community room!

If you’d like any more information about the CCC Dance Ministry, please contact Brenda Ameli at:

community@claytoncc.com

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CCC MISSIONS

 

Missions News From Belize

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to update all of you on how things are going here in Belize.

The children are back in school and I am praising God for the routine back in place! I discovered how much I appreciate the structure of school (ok...and the peace and quiet it brings)! hahaha...

Report cards went out last Friday and the way they do it is wild! I have to go to every child's classroom and pick up their report card and speak to the teacher about the results.  Most parents go to one or two classrooms and they are done...I was there ALL day!!  I had 10 classrooms at the Primary School, 5 at the high school here and 3 at the high school in Belmopan!  Good gravy! What a day!!  But I was so thrilled at how well they are all doing.

I took all 36 of us to the Circus last Saturday night and we stopped for fried chicken afterwards.  That was the biggest outing we've done, since my arrival.  What a fun time we had.  There were NO real animals, but people dressed up in animal costumes and there were clowns that made us laugh.  A woman that lives here at the Home with us, Miss Vanjy, she's 78...we think??  She laughed so hard at the clowns...I thought she'd fall off the wooden bleachers!  There was a tight rope walker and a woman on a trapeze and knife throwers...Oh! Did I mention that everything was spoken in Spanish? hahaha...most of us didn't know what they were saying...but hey! we were at the Circus, right?

There are a few new Christians living here now!  Angel accepted Christ last Sunday and Clifford and Nicole gave their lives to the Lord over Christmas break!  I am jumping for joy at the changes I'm seeing already.  God is so faithful and so GOOD!!!

I've been using my massage skills to help the people in the village.  I've already gone to 8 different houses.  Most of them are elderly and in a lot of pain.  It's cool to see how God prepared me for this place.

I started a Girl's Bible Study on Wednesday nights in my dorm.  We call it our hour of "GRACE."  So far, all the girls are attending (10).  We are studying what Grace really means and we start our study on Proverbs 31 this week.

I asked a young man from the church to pray about starting a GUYS Bible study on Friday nights and he came to me on Friday and said he would like to do it!!  His name is Byron and he plays on the Worship Team.  I think they will start at the end of the month.  He comes from another village and he and his father are trying to move to Ontario Village.  Please pray for that.

The weather here has been very mild! The Belizeans even say it's COLD!!! Ya right! I'm still in shorts and sleep with my fan on...but ok!  I am enjoying the cooler nights and the light rain and the bug bites are down to about 4 or 5 a day.  Not bad when you consider I was getting about 10 to 12 a day when I first arrived!! :o)

God has been teaching me to rejoice in all situations.  I'm still working on it, but I'm doing better.  I've had some tough weeks here and felt drained from all joy.  I realize now, just how important it is to spend even MORE time in prayer and in His Word.  Encouragement is not always easy to find here...but God has an endless supply.  Please keep me in prayer with this.

There is a Country Christian Band that found me on MySpace and they are touring Belize in February.  They have scheduled Feb. 8th to come here and put on a concert for us.  We are all excited and look forward to our first concert in Brooke's Hall (our new church!).  Brooke's Hall is a BIG building that was made for us by a church in Arkansas.  We still have work that needs to be done in there, but it's done enough to hold church in.  We are all thankful that it's loaded with ceiling fans!

Well, that's it for now.  Thank you so much for your love and support and especially your prayers!!  God is doing some wonderful things here and you need to know that you have a huge part in it!!

God bless you and fill you and use your life for His glory!

Love,

Kristy xo

Pastor Mario & VisionMexico

This year has been one of important advances in the work of God here  in Ensenada. First and foremost, we give thanks to God for all the blessings he has provided in every one of the people who have participated in this important work.

In the material aspect, God was very generous in providing for the construction of the new building that currently is 80-90% finished. In fact, we have already used it for several activities. We want to thank God for all the work that Dale participated in on the various trips he made, and also for the participation of the different groups that visited.

If you have visited Ensenada on any occasion, you know that we do not have a sewer system in the community. Thanks to God, this year we already have the piping installed in the street. Although we do not have permission to connect to it, we expect it soon. We are able to do this, thanks especially to the people who participated through paying for the permit.

The sewer service has been paid for with the new bathroom project in mind. We are stalled at the moment, but I know that soon we will continue working until they are finished completely. Although they lack a roof, plaster, toilets and sinks, I know that with your prayers we will continue forward.

In the spiritual aspect, this year was excellent. Currently I am leading a group of five churches of different denominations. Every six weeks we meet in order to have services together. Each one of our united meetings has been a great blessing. Some people have come to Christ, others have reconciled with Christ, and still others were affirmed in their walk of faith. The pastors are enthusiastic with the meetings to such a degree that they want to invite other pastors to meet with us. If this happens, in a little while we will be even more churches united for the glory of God.

In regards to our family, all of us are participating in the church: My wife, Elena, as the director of the children's Sunday school, my son Joel as a musician, my son-in-law Manuel as the youth leader, and my daughter Eunice as treasurer of the church.  My other daughter, Rebeca, works with the kids ministry when she comes home from school.