EastLake eNews: End of Year Giving from EastLake Church of Chula Vista, Ca;ifornia, United States
The EastLake Church Network is a group of like-minded churches that work together to share the good news of Jesus more effectively by combining strengths. The Network represents churches that have chosen to agree on the essentials of faith but have room for individual expression and perspectives based on where they serve and who their leaders are. This network includes EastLake Churches in Tijuana, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, Temecula and Salt Lake City, as well as Torrey Pines Church, Venice Church and The Bridge Church.Questions About Year-End Giving?
Right around the end of the year we receive many questions about giving to the EastLake Church Network, documentation of your contributions, and how it all impacts your 2016 tax return. Here are a few details that may help answer questions you have.
Important tax tips:
In January, you will be receiving a mailed statement listing your contributions to the EastLake Church Network in 2016. Some of your contributions might not be tax-deductible if you file your tax return before receiving that written acknowledgment of your contributions.
Also, please be aware that to qualify for a 2016 tax deductible stock gift, be sure your stockbroker/advisor has initiated the transfer of shares to EastLake Church’s account by Dec. 31, 2016.
Year-end contributions:
The Accounting Department will gladly receive your year-end contributions through December 31, 2016. Please note that the church office will be closed from December 25th thru December 31st, so consider giving online no later than December 31, 2016. IRS regulations state that gifts must be postmarked or received by the 31st in order to receive 2016 tax credit. Please clearly mark your envelope “2016” for these year-end gifts. We’re unable to accept checks that are “pre-dated”. Checks must also either arrive at the church or be postmarked by December 31, 2016.
Giving online is easy!
There’s another way to give to the EastLake Church Network. Simply visit eastlakechurch.com and select "Give" at the top on the right side of the screen. This will take you to a secure server where you can put in your donation amount and bank account or credit/debit card information. After you submit, you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail and the amount will show up on your bank/credit card statement, payable to EastLake Community Church. You can give a one-time gift or designate a recurring gift. It’s that simple.
If you have any questions about year-end giving, please feel free to email Laura Randall at laura@eastlakechurch.com.
Thank you for your generosity and faithfulness to the mission of the EastLake Church Network - people helping people find and follow Jesus.
What Could You Do With a Life Beyond Regret?Happy New Year! Everywhere we turn, we hear it's a chance for a fresh start and a new beginning. But just because we turn the calendar page doesn't mean we are free from the feelings of regret that we bring with us from past mistakes, choices, and missteps. But our regrets don't have to keep us from the joy God has for our lives. We can actually learn to love our regrets, because through them we can see God at work. Our new series, "Starting Over," walks us through how we can live a life beyond regret as God takes our lowest points and uses them for good.
The Christmas Conspiracy Is Still In Full Swing!This has been a great month where we have seen our community unleash generosity on our region and the world. If you have already given, thank you! If you haven't had a chance yet, find out more, including how to give by simply clicking here.-------
© 2016. All Rights Reserved.
EastLake Church
990 Lane Avenue
Chula Vista, California 91914, United States
-------
MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us at TPC from Torrey Pines Church of La Jolla, California, United States
Advent Readings for Torrey Pines Church
From all of us at Torrey Pines Church...
It's time to celebrate!
It’s time to rejoice. The King has come. The Lord has sent his deliverer. Jesus has come. We who were not his people are now his people. We who were lost sheep are now sheep of his pasture. Rejoice, and again I say, Rejoice. The King has come!
Psalm 100:1-5 (niv)
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through
all generations.”
We pray you've enjoyed reading these devotions every day this month with us. We've loved leaning towards this day with you!
In this spot, we've had questions all month. But today, we're giving your thinker a break. So no questions for you. Just MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Thanks for celebrating Jesus with us at our weekend services yesterday
NO SERVICES TODAY AT TORREY PINES
Copyright © 2016 Torrey Pines Church, All rights reserved.-------
FINAL DAY OF ADVENT from Torrey Pines Church of La Jolla, California, United States "Advent Readings for Torrey Pines Church"
The final few days of advent...
DAY 24: Two pregnant women dancing around a room. That’s how I see this. Elizabeth welcomes Mary, John leaps in her womb, and Mary realizes someone on earth finally understands, the baby in her is from God. One prayer of rejoicing is followed by another.
Without a lot of words or explanation, can we just let the joy of this moment overtake us? Spontaneous, energetic joy at the great things God has done. As Advent draws to a close, can we let its culmination be that of joy and rejoicing?
“The Mighty One has done great things for us.”
Luke 1:46–50 (niv)
“Mary responded, “Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation,
to all who fear him.”
A FEW QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
List three incredibly great things God has done for you and then give thanks for those things.(It’s OK to get excited.)
Mary speaks of all who fear him. Proverbs says fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Can you quietly reverence the Lord in awe and holy fear this Christmas Eve?
Save the date and invite your friends and family for a great celebration! Christmas Eve services will be at 2, 4, and 6 pm on Saturday, December 24th!
Copyright © 2016 Torrey Pines Church, All rights reserved.-------
Join us for Christmas Eve at Torrey Pines Church from Torrey Pines Church of La Jolla, California, United States "Advent Readings for Torrey Pines Church"
JOIN US: You, your friends, family, crazy uncles, neighbors, and co-workers are all invited to join us at Torrey Pines Church for a wonderful Christmas Celebration. As you know, we have 3 identical services at 2, 4 or 6pm. All of them will be in the Sanctuary and we can't wait to see you there and celebrate with you.
If you're bringing kids or your friends are bringing kids...We have wonderful, age-specific programs for infant through 5th grade at our 2 and 4pm services. The kids program will be in the Berry Kids Center and Hashinger Hall.
At 6pm, we'll have full childcare available, but no official kid's programs. We will have activity sheets for them if they join you in service as well as a fun place to hang out in the Berry Center at the 6pm service.
Please plan a few minutes to get your kids checked in with a wristband before services start.
Plan a little extra time to park and make some space for others..It stinks when you're trying to get to church or coming for the first time and can't find a place to park. Let's make some space for our guests, the elderly, and families with small kids and park a little different. Consider coming with enough time to park on the street. If it's raining, don't forget to bring an umbrella and your puddle stomping shoes. Gonna be a GREAT day at TPC.
Copyright © 2016 Torrey Pines Church, All rights reserved.-------
ADVENT DAY 23 from Torrey Pines Church of La Jolla, California, United States "Advent Readings for Torrey Pines Church"
The final few days of advent...DAY 23:
In Seaport Village, there's a bunch of themed tourist shops. There's one that sells nothing but shirts. If you're in the market for silly socks, there's a store with thousands of them. One place sells only hammocks and another has coffee mugs with about a million different statements on the side. If you wander into that last one, you can find a cup on the shelf that reads: "I can only serve one God per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow does not look good either."
Some people in our world legitimately need this cup... or at least to read it while sitting across the desk from you. Truth is, it'd be good if we all read it in the mirror a few times. If we did, there would be no greater advent message among us. It was the message of John the Baptist when he proclaimed so clearly, "If you're looking for the Messiah, I'm not him. I'm just here to point you to him."
For us, it looks something like this:
I'm your mom, not your God.
I'm the boss of this business, but I'm not the One in charge.
I'm the captain of the team, but I'm not the King of Kings.
I'm your spouse, but I cannot be the source of your peace.
When we embrace this truth, we embrace the essence of advent: "I'm not your God. But I can point you to the one who is. His name is Jesus and he's coming again." May we be that kind of people today.
John 3:26-30 (niv)
“They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—
the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
He must become greater;
I must become less.”
A FEW QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
Where do you need to remind yourself that you have no Messiah complex and you're not God?
When we agree there are things we cannot do, we step into a holy moment of humility. What do you need to remind yourself is beyond your control and truly offer it to the God who is in control?
How can you bring more of your life to the "King of Kings", the "Lord of Lords", and the God who is "Immanuel: God with us" today?
Save the date and invite your friends and family for a great celebration! Christmas Eve services will be at 2, 4, and 6 pm on Saturday, December 24th!
Copyright © 2016 Torrey Pines Church, All rights reserved.-------
ADVENT DAY 22 from Torrey Pines Church of La Jolla, California, United States "Advent Readings for Torrey Pines Church"
The final few days of advent...DAY 22:
Joseph had to get really good at obedience. I mean really good. First, he’s ready to move on from Mary and he hears from God and he marries her. Later, he’s warned to get the heck out of Bethlehem because killers are coming and off he goes to Egypt. Then, after being told that it’s OK to return, another passage tells us he’s warned in dream that Jerusalem was still dangerous so he goes north to Galilee. That is a lot of obedience.
So often, God doesn’t give us the why. Sometimes he does, but it's rare. The norm requires a huge element of trust in our walk. He leads, we follow. He commands, we obey. And over time, his plan unfolds. Slowly, sometimes with fits and starts, it unfolds.
Joseph had to go to Egypt to fulfill the prophecy, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” He had to go to Nazareth, to fulfill the prophecy, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Get it? We don’t see the full arc of what God is doing. We hear the word and we obey. But, if Scripture teaches us anything, when we see the full arc, it will be beautiful.
Let's be the people of God who, like Joseph and Jesus, follow the Father's lead, no matter where he calls or what the cost.
Matthew 2:13-21 (niv)
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”
A FEW QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
What was the hardest step of obedience you ever had to take? How did that turn out? Have you seen the full arc or is it still shrouded in mystery to some degree?
What hard thing are you facing now? What can we learn from Joseph’s “ruthless obedience?”
Joseph's obedience was also directly tied to his pattern of listening to God. How is God speaking to you today? What are you doing to posture yourself to listen to God in this advent season?
Save the date and invite your friends and family for a great celebration! Christmas Eve services will be at 2, 4, and 6 pm on Saturday, December 24th!
Copyright © 2016 Torrey Pines Church, All rights reserved.-------
ADVENT DAY 21 from Torrey Pines Church of La Jolla, California, United States "Advent Readings for Torrey Pines Church"
Continuing the Advent JourneyDAY 21:
When was the last time you thought, "This person is not being honest with me... something's not right."? Maybe it was a salesperson whose pitch was too good to be true or it could have been that job interview where you felt like you were not being told the whole story. If you're a parent, it might have been when your kid answered the question, "What happened last night?" with an answer that just didn't add up.
Regardless of the facts of the situation, the truth is, none of us likes to be sold a bag of goods. The first century Magi didn't either. Herod acted the part. He sounded interested in the Messiah, but then they got word in a dream, "Beware. Herod's story is not adding up. He's got ulterior motives." So, they went the opposite direction.
Truth is, Herod was not the first to pose as a follower of Jesus and he certainly was not the last. Our world is full of people who only "follow Jesus" in moments of convenience. Perhaps, we all do at times.
But this Advent, as we approach the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let's choose to be like the Magi and not Herod. Let's be the people who authentically come to worship God, not those who only pretend to for personal gain.
Matthew 2:7-89 (niv)
“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,
they returned to their country by another route.”
A FEW QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
The Magi famously brought gifts fitting for a King to the baby Jesus. What are you offering to Jesus as an act of worship this Christmas season?
In your mind, what are the telltale signs that someone is just faking it as a follower of Jesus? What are some signs they are authentically following Jesus? Do you have personal examples from your own life where you found yourself on either side of that question?
Save the date and invite your friends and family for a great celebration! Christmas Eve services will be at 2, 4, and 6 pm on Saturday, December 24th!
Copyright © 2016 Torrey Pines Church, All rights reserved.-------
No comments:
Post a Comment