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JUNE 2015 • 1
Set FreeInterview with Christian Liong / Devotional by Michelle Handoyo / Q&A: Dear Genesis
IFGF Pinole Monthly Newsletter
July 2015
02 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER
Once I heard a story of a chicken who loves to take adventures. The chicken
would roam around the backyard, so free and happy--until it discovered that it
could only roam as far as the backdoor gate. Turns out, there was a rope tying its
foot to a pole. As long as it did not roam any further than the length of the rope,
the chicken experienced false freedom. It might have felt happy and comfortable
just like the eagle that fl ew above it. However, it did not realize that it was
actually living in bondage.
From
Pastor’s
Desk
Shown on Front Cover: Jessica Sanjaya
Jesus told many Jews of his time that they were under the
same predicament. The Jews were insisting that because
they are the children of Abraham, they must be free people.
Jesus, on the other hand, told them that they were slave
to sin. Unless they knew the Truth, they would stay under
bondage no matter who their ancestors were and what they
believe (go read the story in John chapter 8).
Many of us think we are free. But unbeknownst to us, our feet are tied with many
lies that prevent us to live in the freedom that God has provided to us. The only
way we can be set free is by knowing the Truth from Jesus, rejecting the lies of
the devil, and the bad infl uences of the world.
This month we will learn what this Truth is so we can be really free. Then we can
go on accomplishing what God has intended to do through his freed servants.
Freedom for God’s glory!
JULY 2015 • 03
So, What have you been doing recently?Recovering from back surgery!
What happened?It’s kind of complicated... But to sum it up, I have bulged
disks, so disks in your back begin to enlarge due to either
emotional stress, physical stress, or playing sports things
and over time it just got worse and began blocking off
nerves that were going down my legs. So, I fi nally took the
time take care of that and get it fi xed. So far it’s been
good. There are still some minor problems, but all in all it’s
been getting better.
How does that aff ect your work?I took quite a few days off work to recover. I’ve been at
home laying down and walking around. Really can’t do
much in terms of physical activity, like lifting and bending.
That has been pretty much cut down to nothing. Yeah it’s
been slow!
I heard that you were born in Indonesia but you were raised here in the States. Can you shine some light upon that?I was born in Indo, but our family moved out to Michigan
when I was 5 or 6 months, and from there we moved to
California and been here since 1996. I pretty much don’t
recall anything from Indo. Living here is all I know, so
there is not much to really compare to!
Where did you go to school and what major did you take?I went to Albany High – same as Maxwell. I graduated in
2008 then I went to San Francisco State University. Then
I was actually a business major for several years... Then
I decided to switch to Psychology. It was a pretty big
switch and my parents did not like the idea. They kinda
found out through Facebook too through my sister...
Wow. What were you trying to do through Psychology?Originally I wanted to work in MFT (Marriage and Family
Therapist) so I started working with YMCA, since it was
big in community work such as counseling and mentoring.
So when I got in, I thought I would be working as a
therapist, but that has slowed down a bit and I found
myself wanting to work more in schools and other family
needs, but not necessarily pertain to therapy. I provide
them with resources and support revolving around kids,
housing, jobs. Anything that really helps the family. As
of now, it’s geared towards schools because I have had
This is Our Church
Christian LiongFamily Advocate / Local Ministry Lead / Care Group: Warriors
04 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER
Where and how did you fi nd IFGF Pinole?Willie Soedewa (some of you guys know him). We used
to hoop together. My sister Catherine went a couple of
times with my cousin. So I’ve known IFGF Pinole for a
while. But yeah hanging out with Willie more, and then
just understanding where the church is going and where
my passion is. I believe it was really a God-led move. So
I can’t really take the credit for moving here; I think God
had it all planned out.
Were your previous churches Indonesian-based as well?Super Indonesian! It was very family-oriented, but there
was barely any youth. So growing up, I was kind of in the
middle of a few people who were my age. Either they were
10-15 years younger or older. I got a chance to learn a
lot from the adults, then now I fi nd myself able to apply
those things at a different stage in life.
Growing up here, is there anything that you have struggled with, by being a part of an Indonesian-based church?Finance for sure. I think it’s not just me but it’s part of the
culture. Growing up, I was used to a fi ve-dollar meal two
days a week at most. But switching over to IFGF Pinole:
if we have nothing to do, it’s easy to go spend $10-$12
on a meal. It was pretty hard to keep up with that and I
defi nitely felt it. My wallet felt it! (Laughing) More than
that exposure. But, who knows! Maybe MFT may still be
something down the road but as for now i don’t see it just
yet.
As a graduated Psychology major, do you have any advice that you would suggest to future pursuers of Psychology?Talk with people! It will be very hard as a Psychology
major to stay quiet and feel that it is all theoretical type
of work, unless you want to get into Research Psychology.
They always say that communication is a necessity in
Psychology: you have to read people, how to understand
them, pick up on the infl ux of their voice, reading their
body language. Both verbal and non-verbal communication
is huge. Practice it, try it. Enhancing these skills will
defi nitely help you down the road.
So is IFGF your fi rst church?No it’s been my second... and a half. I was in one church,
City International Harvest Church in Daly City. I grew up
there– went to Sunday school, youth group, discipleship
training, served, learned how to play drums. Basically I
learned everything that I know there. Then they merged
with C3, Christian City Church. When that happened, I saw
that as an opportunity move a little closer to East Bay, and
also establishing something more local. So that why I said
“two and a half” churches because there was City Harvest,
C3 was a short time, and then IFGF Pinole since then.
Chris chilling at his hood,
El Cerrito Hills.
JULY 2015 • 05
certain things are not going to be done if I am not a part
of it. That’s where I have to take a step back and have
God speak to me if I need to include myself in certain
tasks. But at the end of the day, when you do God’s work,
you are going to feel very satisfi ed regardless of the
struggles.
Are there any last wishes that you have for current ministers, or the church in general?Just be confi dent in your identity, because that is how
you are going to dictate your life inside and especially
outside of church. I don’t know who is reading this and
what struggles you have gone through. But whatever they
are, I’m sure that they are legit, that they are real. But put
your trust and insecurities in Jesus, knowing that he has
made you a very certain way; exactly the way you are. He
created you to be you so you can accomplish something
as you are, not as someone else. Be bold in your faith and
step out. Don’t be afraid to say that you are a believer of
Christ, because people need to know; whether you are in
school with your friends, family, or even work. Your family
and friends are going to put a label on you, but ultimately
God places the ultimate label on us saying we are His
and we are beautifully and wonderfully created. Don’t
back down from it, just live a very exciting life and enjoy
Him to the fullest.
money issue, I think it’s just a big culture shift in my
opinion.
Defi nitely. I heard you started a Christian club with a local high school through IFGF?Yeah. Pastor Jeffri and I were just talking about how a
pastor from Albany High have wanted to start a Christian
Club but didn’t know how. During that time I was still
looking for work; so I had a lot of downtime. Pastor Jeffri
pushed me to just go for it. Fortunately, our friend Andrea
had a couple of friends who were still in Pinole Valley
High. We connected with them and took it step by step.
We did it one week, and didn’t know if it was going to
happen the next week. But through faith we just did it
again to a point where as we speak today, we celebrated
our one year mark! I can honestly say that we’ve only
missed two weeks. God opened up a way for us to be in
there. So now we just have to pray for the next steps and
strategies. But what really matters is just trusting God
that he’s going to open up doors and continually grow the
kids there.
I also heard you helped launch our second Sunday Service? How has that been?Yeah, we launched it on Easter Sunday. It’s going well!
People probably feel that it should be big, hip, popular
but the truth is, it’s going to take time. So it shouldn’t
be something that blows up for 3-4 weeks; be around
for 5 months and you don’t see the church anymore. We
want to be in the community for a long time. For that to
happen, it is going to take time. We’ve been working to
build our foundations, so I have been really pleased with
it! It’s been a blessing to be on the team that started that
service and really I feel like I’m not worth starting or doing
something as big as this. We just need to continue be
faithful in the small things, such as coming in to set up at
8 in the morning, playing music and rolling cables every
week, picking people up, load and unload stuff. Basically
all the little things! The amount of people that show up is
up to God. It’s just been a huge blessing for me.
What are your current struggles as a busy minister that juggles all these things?Stress for sure! We all hear it so often that God is going
to take care of things, along with all the other great
things He promised. But I feel that there is such a fi ne line
of letting God take care of things and me not going to do
anything and just wait around. It takes a very sensitive
spirit to manage both of those extremes, and sometimes
I get carried away at wanting to do everything: High
School Club, Service, Care Group, meetings and my own
work. And when I get caught up in the “doing”, I feel like
When you do God’s work, you are going to feel very satisfi ed regardless of the struggles.
Put your trust and insecurities in Jesus, knowing that he has made you a very certain way; exactly the way you are.
Joining IFGF Pinole in 2011, Chris quickly Joining IFGF Pinole in 2011, Chris quickly immersed himself in the church life through the immersed himself in the church life through the fellowship and multiple ministries. God gifted fellowship and multiple ministries. God gifted him with a heart for the community and together him with a heart for the community and together with Ps. Sugi and the team, he started Open Arms with Ps. Sugi and the team, he started Open Arms Christian Club in Pinole Valley High School and Christian Club in Pinole Valley High School and helped launch the second Sunday Service for the helped launch the second Sunday Service for the locals. Currently, he works at YMCA Potrero Hill locals. Currently, he works at YMCA Potrero Hill Urban Services as a Family Advocate.Urban Services as a Family Advocate.
06 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER
if God is so powerful, why can’t He defeat evil?
LET’S PRAYFOR JULY
with Joan Wirolinggo
Our pastor and leaders that
they abide in Him.
Our church that it will be fi lled
with a passion for His name
and an evangelistic heart.
Our Care Group gatherings.
Let’s pray that Jesus will be
the center of each Care Group
and relationship where our
brothers and sisters in Christ
will be built up.
Our new friends who are
new to the States or just
transferred. Pray that they
may fi nd a new family in
Christ through this church.
Our friends who are looking
for a job.
Pastor Sugi and his team who
are in mission for Nepal. Let’s
pray for God’s protection and
anointing upon them, that
through them the Gospel will
be spread.
Healing and comfort for
nation of Nepal, especially for
the victims of earthquakes.
We believe that God is so powerful that He has defeated the devil.
He defeated the devil before Jesus’ time (1 Kings 18, 1 Samuel 5:4).
He defeated the devil when Jesus was on earth (Matthew 4, Mark 5).
God is even still actively beating the devil to the pulp up until today.
The Cross is the foundation for Satan’s Final defeat (Hebrews 2:14-15).
A follow-up question might be:
Hey Church! We are starting a new column where you could ask questions about God, life, family, relationships, and other issues. If you feel like it is a good point to talk about, please send it to us at tinyurl.com/DearGenesis.
You can address the question to our columnists (Jeffri, Chris and Nita) or to ANYONE (pastors, leaders, or even friends). We will publish it here with our answer and we will try our best to provide godly guidance for you, so ask away!
Got a burning question?
Dear Genesis,
go to tinyurl.com /DearGenesis
Dear Genesis,
if God is victorious over the devil, why can I still see evil all over the place in this world?
We can still see evil and suffering in the world because SIN still exists in this
world. The devil is still the “god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4) and many people still
to choose to be under the devil’s infl uence.
God is omniscient, omnipotent, and sovereign over the heaven and the earth
(to name a view of His characteristics); however, he still has not seized the
devil in eternal fl ame and instead, give everyone the freewill to choose to
follow God or be enslaved under sin.
But the time will come, when he will seize the devil forever in the eternal fl ame
and completely get rid of sin from this world. And this will happen when He
comes again the second time (Revelation 20-22).
JULY 2015 • 07
What is freedom? Many times, I hear people talk
about the freedom from sin that Christ has bought
for us at the cross; I’ve always known this, but
have never truly understood this freedom. I didn’t
feel any more “free” than I was before I accepted
Christ. I prayed, searched the Bible, and browsed the
Internet, but didn’t seem to receive any revelation.
Little did I know what God had planned ahead.
I was invited to organize an event in Vietnam, but have
rejected the offer due to fi nancial reasons – at least
until my mum, knowing how much it meant to me,
insisted me to go despite the plane ticket price. Within
minutes, I confi rmed my availability and was told to
wait for an approval by the Vietnamese committee.
I immediately regretted my decision. What have
I done? I selfi shly took up the offer – but at what
cost? It was too late to undo my decision, so I naively
prayed: “God, if it is good let the committee approve
my travel, but if not, let it be rejected. I don’t want
my mum to be broke because of me. Please.”
If I go to Vietnam, not only do I have to pay for the
plane ticket, but I also have to request a four-week
leave from my internship – that’s if they don’t fi re me
on the spot! Part of me wanted to be rejected so as to
save myself a lot of trouble– but guess what? Both my
employer and the committee gave me the green light!
I should be happy right? This was something I wanted
deep down, and God is giving me the go ahead!
But no, I was frustrated. I feared that the money I
was going to spend would become the straw that
breaks the camel’s back. What if my sister couldn’t
study in the US because of me? What if my mum
couldn’t fi x the house because she has to support
me? I panicked, worried, and panicked all over again.
Then I felt God say, “I love you. That’s all there is to it.
This is my gift to you, and it is good, What God has
given, it is given; it wouldn’t affect your uncertain future.
That money you worry about – if it is truly My will, do
you think that money from a fl ight ticket could stop
your family from going bankrupt? But this is a free gift
for you, so be thankful because I have given it to you. “
Then, I realized – this entire time, I was upset about
getting what I wanted! The worry of the future grips onto
my mind, binding me to the confi nes of this world when
in truth, God has set me free from the law that governs
earth. I also realized that it’s not my circumstances
that defi ne my freedom, but how much I let trust or the
confi nes of the world control my thoughts. To prove
a point, even though I fi nally got what I wanted, I was
worried about its future impact and was far from being
at peace. However, once I understood that God was
in control and had authority over my life regardless of
the ways of the world, I was no longer bounded by the
“logic” of this world. It was bliss, and I tasted freedom.
by Michelle Handoyo | Care Group: Legends
Devotional
Freedom to Go
08 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER
IFGF Pinole MORNING SERVICE EVERY 10 AM
ALEX CLARK ROOM
880 TENNENT AVENUE
PINOLE, CA
AFTERNOON SERVICE EVERY 2:15 PM
2885 PINOLE VALLEY ROAD
PINOLE, CA
CARE GROUPS
PRAYER GROUPS
PASTORAL TEAM
JULY BIRTHDAYS
MINISTRIES
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 Friday)
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
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
IFGFGISIEASTBAY@GMAIL.COM
IFGFPINOLE.ORG
(925) 609 4343
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Mariska Tjoeng
Fendy Soegiono
Catherine Santoso
Christian Hendric
Jonathan Sumarto
Adi Julianloo
Shirley Ng
Stanley Subiantoro
Jason Chang
Brandon Budidjaja
Imanuel Junaedy
Nick Soenarto
Larry Susanto
Andrea Djitowibowo
Jessica Adeline Wijaya
Melanie Thio
Nickson Dalimarta
Joan Wirolinggo
Florencia Kristiani
Yudhi Tanaka
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 3 & 17
July 11
Caregroup Gathering
Corporate Prayer Meeting