GENESIS: Fruit of the Spirit

AUGUST 2015 • 1

IFGF Pinole Monthly Newsletter

August 2015

Fruit of the SpiritInterview with Wilhan Winata / Welcome to IFGF Pinole

02 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER

The festive atmosphere of the place was intoxicating. The smell of the exotic

food, the colors of different fabrics, and the argumentative tone of tourists

bargaining for deals— all of which added to the excitement of Bangkok night

market during our recent vacation trip to Thailand. And then there it was, a

shiny and polished handbag with a well-known brand logomark that I will not

name. The best part is the price tag. Not thousands, not hundreds but a mere

figure in the low forties. The problem is, this handbag is what they call ‘genuine

imitation’. It looks and feels genuine. Unless you are a trained aficionado, you

won’t be able to tell that this item is simply fake.

From

Pastor’s

Desk

Shown on Front Cover: Emmanuel Calica

Christianity can be like that sometimes. We sing the songs,

attend places, hang out with the people, but deep inside

we lack the necessary transformation Jesus commanded

his disciples to adopt. We play all the bells and whistles as

in some religious festivals, yet all feel like “resounding gong

and clanging cymbals” to our spirit. Something is wrong

somewhere in the course of our journey with Christ. Some

because of our own doing, some because of the enemies’

trickeries we are so happy to fall under.

But all is not lost. We have the purifying fire of Holy Spirit. We have the

everlasting promise of Christ to be with us until the end of age. We just need

to dig our heel into the sure Word of God, and run toward the city of refuge, the

community of God, that provide protection and safety.

Together, we will produce the fruit of genuine love, first toward God and second,

toward His body, the church. Let’s grow together in Christ so we may produce

good fruit in its season.

Pastor Sugi

AUGUST 2015 • 03

Hi Wilhan! What’s new with you these days?I am preparing myself to go back to Indo.

Actually that is the reason why we are interviewing you. Is that finalized?It is finalized but there is still uncertainties. Nothing fixed

yet; where to work, what to do...

So you will quit working soon?I quit. You know what? Actually I got laid off.

What? My company needed to downsize. They were not doing

well systematically so a lot of people from many

departments, two-thirds of them were laid off. It actually

worked well for me because I got severance money and

they paid for my return ticket. All of my bosses were very

supportive and gave me recommendation letters and

some of them even gave me job referrals. Everything

worked out in the end. My plan was to work until the end

of July, but since I got laid off, now I have time to work for

my Mom’s architecture projects.

So I guess you are relaxing now and enjoying your last days? When is your last day here?I am trying to make myself useful, doing some research,

but mostly making a good use of my time. Time goes very

fast now. I will be leaving on August 26.

How long have you been here in Pinole?6-7 years. Since 2009.

Time flies. What have you learned the most in the past 7 years you are in the US and in this church?I learned a lot. One thing I noticed is how the generations

changed. I look now the new generation came, when I

first came to church I was like that, more shy and less

talkative. Now I guess I am changed, more confident to

speak.

Staying connected to church, I think, is the key to change.

I’ve been through things that dragged me away from God.

What keeps me coming back is the people at church who

are there for me. Of course, it is God who sets everything

together.

This is Our Church

Wilhan WinataArchitect / Care Group Coach / CG Hoper / Local Ministry Lead / Care Group: Warriors


about the school that his parents built in Indonesia

which allows more fortunate people to sponsor the less

fortunate kids. I was also inspired by Jefferson Bethke

whose school teaches the rich to help the poor. I always

like the idea of having a school that teaches what the

Bible says.

And you will build and design your own school [architecturally]?Amen! I am also thinking about how people grow in the

church. It is because of relationship. Since I first came

here, I have had Ko Jeff(Jeffri Halim) who always oversees

me, advises me and enables me to look up to him. I wish

kids can be taken care of in such way in school where

somebody can really look after them (perhaps this can

prevent bad things such as bullying). I shared this to

some people but they say it is not going to work because

school tend to focus on the academic improvements and

associate that with the quality of the school. But I think

character development is more important.

It is, for sure, a different concept or at least it is uncommon. Of course, I hope it will go somewhere. For now, it is still

in the back of my mind. So when I go back, I will start

my own architecture business [first]. I will need to look

There’s a lot of transformation happened in you. Today, you minister in so many different ways – finding your calling and having heart for people.What do you think you can share to the readers about your transformation process? I think it is less about me learning, but more about

knowing. Most of the transformation happens when I finally

understand what God wants in my life. I have been here

for 7 years, involved in church for a long time, but I never

thought I would knew God [so deep], especially 2 years ago

when I was at the lowest point in my life. I realized that all

these times it was God who sustained me. He is the one

who gives, I am the one who receive. I feel undeserving.

That was when things started to change.

How did that change influence your dreams of moving back to Indo?I always have this dream which will be the biggest goal

in my life: I want to build a school. I was so inspired by Ps.

Andrew Scarborough who came here last week and shared

He is the one who gives, I am the one who receive. I feel undeserving. That was when things started to change.

BOYS TO MEN:Wilhan has grown in faith alongside his friends through different seasons in IFGF Pinole.

AUGUST 2015 • 05

for mentors and get some training. Whatever questions I have, I will look for

answers. From that point on, I will start working on this goal. So we’ll see. That’s

my big goal.

Did you tell your parents about this?I told them about the school but not the programs, like what will happen. I

think I have a lot of things to learn as well. How to raise kids, how to teach. But

I think this is exciting, because it is like leaving a legacy.

OK. I think you have grown so much, I am glad that I have known you here and being encouraged in my faith through you. I don’t know what are you doing in Indo but I am looking forward for hearing more good stuff.

Amen. I am hopeful. Pray for me.

Last Question: What would be your last words for the new generations in Pinole? What is your message to them?Love one another. If there is a friction, don’t run away, talk it out with the

person you have conflict with. Whenever we are together, there will always be

friction but always confess our hearts out so we can be reconciled and grow

together and have each others’ back.

Love one another.If there is a friction, don’t run away,talk it out with the personyou have conflict with.

Regarded as a big brother to many, Wilhan relentlessly invests himself to growing the faith and well-being of Care Groups especially in Pleasant Hill. Wilhan graduated from UC Berkeley a couple years ago and recently worked at Blu Homes in Vallejo as a Project Designer.

LET’S PRAY FOR AUGUST

with Joan Wirolinggo

Our pastor and leaders that they

abide in Him.

Our church that it will be filled 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 find 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.


by Scott Williams

Devotional

Spiritual Check Up

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-

control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Each of these is a

characteristic of the Holy Spirit’s active presence in

our daily activities. Let’s look at each one and ask

some diagnostic questions to make sure we’re healthy.

1. Love. This word for love doesn’t refer to warm feelings

but to a deliberate attitude of good will and devotion to

others. Love gives freely without looking at whether the

other person deserves it, and it gives without expecting

anything back. Question: Am I motivated to do for others

as Christ has done for me, or am I giving in order to

receive something in return?

2. Joy. Unlike happiness, joy is gladness that is

completely independent of the good or bad things that

happen in the course of the day. In fact, joy denotes a

supernatural gladness given by God’s Spirit that actually

seems to show up best during hard times. This is a

product of fixing your focus on God’s purposes for the

events in your life rather than on the circumstances.

Question: Am I experiencing a joy of life on a regular

basis, or is my happiness dependent on things going

smoothly in my day?

3. Peace. It’s not the absence of turmoil, but the

presence of tranquility even while in a place of chaos.

It is a sense of wholeness and completeness that is

content knowing that God controls the events of the day.

Question: Do I find myself frazzled by the crashing waves

of turmoil in my life, or am I experiencing “the peace that

passes all comprehension” (Philippians 4:6-7)?

4. Patience. Other words that describe this fruit are

lenience, long-suffering, forbearance, perseverance, and

steadfastness. It is the ability to endure ill treatment

from life or at the hands of others without lashing out or

paying back. Question: Am I easily set off when things

go wrong or people irritate me, or am I able to keep a

godly perspective in the face of life’s irritations?

5. Kindness. When kindness is at work in a person’s life,

he or she looks for ways to adapt to meet the needs of

others. It is moral goodness that overflows. It’s also the

absence of malice. Question: Is it my goal to serve others

with kindness, or am I too focused on my own needs,

desires or problems to let the goodness of God overflow

to others?

6. Goodness. While kindness is the soft side of good,

goodness reflects the character of God. Goodness

in you desires to see goodness in others and is not

beyond confronting or even rebuking (as Jesus did with

the money changers in the temple) for that to happen.

Question: Does my life reflect the holiness of God, and

do I desire to see others experience God at a deep level

in their own lives?

7. Faithfulness. A faithful person is one with real integrity.

He or she is someone others can look to as an example,

and someone who is truly devoted to others and to

Christ. Our natural self always wants to be in charge,

but Spirit-controlled faithfulness is evident in the life of

a person who seeks good for others and glory for God.

Question: Are there areas of hypocrisy and indifference

toward others in my life, or is my life characterized by

faith in Christ and faithfulness to those around me?

8. Gentleness. Meekness is not weakness. Gentleness

is not without power, it just chooses to defer to others.

It forgives others, corrects with kindness, and lives in

tranquility. Question: Do I come across to others as brash

and headstrong, or am I allowing the grace of God to flow

through me to others?

9. Self-control. Our fleshly desires, Scripture tells us, are

continually at odds with God’s Spirit and always want

to be in charge. Self-control is literally releasing our grip

on the fleshly desires, choosing instead to be controlled

by the Holy Spirit. It is power focused in the right place.

Question: Are my fleshly desires controlling my life, or am

I allowing the Spirit to direct me to the things that please

God and serve others?

AUGUST 2015 • 07

Inside the Leaders’ Hearts

What do you wish to see this coming semester at our church?

“As a church, we are blessed with many

visitors who later become members of our

community. This is a uniqueness which is the

strength of our church: openness and friendliness

to others. Yet this uniqueness is not without

challenge. We do have our problems of conflicts,

disagreement, and misunderstanding amongst

people in the church.

Someone put it succinctly: The more people,

the more problem. But this should not stop us in

building relationship with others. My expectation

is that we will build a strong foundation of faith

in Christ, and then express the love of God in our

interaction with one another as we conduct our

lives in our church.

This is the reason we will spend much of the

next semester studying the different expression

of love that God has given to each of us. How

wonderful our church-life will be if each one of us

can love one another sincerely, serve one another

unselfishly, and develop relationship biblically.

Let’s build our church based on love.

”

“ Real Community Feel: Less corporate driven

gatherings, but more organic ones, where people

can show up at each other’s house without any

corporate-driven reasons.

”“ Fire & Revival. It seems like it has been a while

since I saw our church to be so on fire for the Lord.

I miss the old days where the we did more casual

gatherings at church, or home events where

everyone are creating new memories and having

fun. The laughter and joy is one of my favorite

things to share with this IFGF family.

”

Ps. Sugi & Jen Hendric

Senior Pastors of IFGF Pinole

Ps. Jeffri & Olivia Halim

Associate Pastors of IFGF Pinole


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 AUGUST 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

[email protected]

IFGFPINOLE.ORG

(925) 609 4343

01

02

08

12

17

17

19

22

23

24

Hendry Yang Sukir

Joshua Sumampouw

David Ng

Joshua Yonathan

UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug 7 & 21

Aug 8

Caregroup Gathering

Corporate Prayer Meeting

Emmanuel Calica

Tiffany Hendric

Wilhan Winata

Giscielle Carlisa

Anh Luu

Nathania Tan

GENESIS: Fruit of the Spirit

Documents

Transcript of GENESIS: Fruit of the Spirit