Joy to the World! It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The Monthly Newsletter of St. David’s Church Volume 26, Issue 10 � December 2012

We are

A CommittedBody of

Christians

whosemission

is:

To LiveJesus

To ShareJesus

To TeachJesus

To TakeJesus

to Others

In the Powerof the

Holy Spirit

At a Glance:Thank You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2Youth Group.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3The 17:17 Men’s Ministry. . . . . . . . page 4Children’s Ministry Corner. . . . . . . . page 5“Dangers of Raising Nice Kids”.. . . . page 6Hope Farm Coffee.. . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7News From the Mission Field. . . . . . page 8The

Joy to the World!It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

by Laurie Leney

Let’s celebrate St. David’s Children and spread the Joy onSunday, December 16. Every member of St. David’s Family isinvited to our Christmas Party! It’s a party for our kids,

complete with games and crafts, it’s a good meal for all,prepared by the Men’s Ministry and it’s an opportunity to sharethe light of Christ with the seniors at Four Season ConvalescentHome!

We will begin at 3:00pm in the Parish Hall where Darleneand Fr. Bill will warm up our voices before we pile in cars and goCaroling at the Four Season’s Convalescent Home. At 4:30pm we will arrive back at St. David’s fora fun filled time led by Stephen Rometti. Stephen’s got some great Christmas fun planned for thekids and even the adults can join in! It will be topped off with a delicious meal and thesatisfaction of a day well spent, in the company of your dear friends!

Please sign up for this event, there is no cost, in the Parish Hall.

Christmas Eve Service

On Monday, December 24, Christmas Eve at 7:00p.m. the entire St. David’s church family will gathertogether on the eve of the Nativity of our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ to celebrate His coming to earth as alittle baby, abandoning all of His heavenly glory to takeonto Himself the form of man. As Isaiah the prophet saysit “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.”

A fantastic service is being planned with carols,readings, Eucharist and a grand celebration. Our kids willbe participating in the service this year too! We invite allof you to be present and prepared to celebrate. It is a greatopportunity to invite family, neighbors and friends to be

with you and rejoice. It is a great opportunity to introduce St. David’s family to many, not theleast some who will generally be alone during Christmas. Let us come together with joy tocelebrate Jesus!

The Messenger is a monthly publication ofSt. David’s Church11605 Magnolia BoulevardNorth Hollywood, CA 91601Phone: 818.761.8633Fax: 818.761.1626www.stdavidsnh.org

Rector: The Rev. Jose [email protected]

Administrator & Editor:Janet L. [email protected]

Sexton: Michael ChungSenior Warden: Primi EsparzaJunior Warden: Hugh Palmer

Deadline: 15 of each month. Articles should notth

exceed 200 words in length. The Messenger iscreated using WordPerfect X5 for Windows.

Thank You!!!!by The Rev. Jose Poch

Iwould like to take a few linesof this newsletter and as thiswill be the last newsletter of

2012, to express my gratitudeto all of you for your ministries,your faithfulness, your financialsupport, your friendship andyour encouragementthroughout the year. Withouteach and every one of you 2012would have been very different.As a Church, we have servedone another, we have prayedfor one another especially in

moments of great personal or family crisis. We havealso rejoiced with one another in moments of greatcelebration such as weddings, births, anniversaries, etc.We have served the world through the missionaries wesupport and even sent a mission team to Honduras. Wehave served the homeless and many others in diverseneeds.

I thank you with a sincere heart for all yourinvolvement in ministry in the name of our preciousLord, and I pray that the Lord returns to you blessingsupon blessings. May you have a wonderful end of yearand a renewed sense of the Lord’s presence in your lifeand with your family. Let us have a wonderful 2013together. Thank You!!!!

On December 2 a new Liturgical Calendar and anew Liturgical Year begins. December 2 will bethe First Sunday of Advent and it begins the

Season of Advent which will last for four Sundays,ending on December 23 and followed by Christmas Dayand the Season of Christmas. The word Advent is Latinfor “Coming” or “Arrival,” and it is a Season ofpreparation for the Birth of Jesus Christ on ChristmasDay. It also helps us look backward to the actual birthof Jesus and forward to His Second Coming.

Each of the four Sundays of Advent is themed asfollows: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love and is celebratedwith the reading of special lessons directing our heartsto these themes and the lighting of candles in theAdvent Wreath. Normally we invite families in ourChurch, including children and youth, to lead us in theAdvent liturgies. This new Season of Advent 2012 alsobegins for us our reading and study of the Gospel ofLuke which we will use throughout the rest the year2013.

We invite you to come and worship with us eachof the Sundays of Advent (December 2 – 23) and toprepare yourselves and your families for a joyous andmeaningful Christmas Day. Welcome the “Coming” ofour Lord in your hearts and homes this Advent Season.

The Messenger 2 December 2012

Manna Closet After

Manna Closet Before

Thank You for Giving!by Deborah Chase

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…(Matthew 25:35)

My friends, we asked and you responded.

On behalf of Fr. Jose, I would like to thankyou for your extreme generosity. Our

cupboards werebare as you cansee from thepicture to theleft and youresponded asyou always do. When ourbrothers andsisters who arein desperate

need come to the office during the week seeking food,they will not be turned away, and it is all because ofyou. For over 20 years we have had our own version ofbringing in the Harvest (Harvest Festival), and I am stillblown away by your generosity.

Fr. Jose expressed during his Thanksgivingsermon that we should not just thank God for things,but we should thank Him for those people that havebeen placed in our lives. No matter how little we may know each other, we should be thankful for each other.I believe that we know each other in the measures thatGod desires. The most important thing is that we showthe love of Christ to one another.

See the before and afterpictures of theManna Closetand thank ourheavenly Father for all the blessings that He gave you so that you are able to bless others. Doesn’t that feel good?

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, whendid we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and giveyou something to drink…..? “The King will reply, ‘Truly, I

tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of thesebrothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

(Matthew 25:37 & 40)I want to thank you for you and I pray that you

forever continue to care for those in need. We also wantto thank our “friends of St. David’s” who join you ingiving each year because they have seen how much youcare. No matter how little you give, it will be a blessingin someone’s life. As the song goes, Make me yourservant, Humble and meek, Lord let me lift up those whoare weak, And may the prayer of my heart always be,Make me your servant. Make me your servant, Make meyour servant today.

by E. J. Dharmaraj

If you are a young person looking to learn about what it means to be a Christian, you are invited to join the youthat the Discipleship Room, adjacent to the Parish Hall. The Youth meet every Sunday between 11:00 a.m. and12:00 noon. You are encouraged to stay in the church till the sermon. The youth will go back to the church for

Holy Communion at 12:00 noon.If you have a young person under you care, please encourage them to become a part of the St. David’s Youth

Group. Besides learning from God’s word, they also participate in many enjoyable, engaging and fulfilling activities.For more information contact me at [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

The 17:17 Men’s Ministryby Spencer Johnson and Tom Leney

Thanksgiving Turkey Cook-Off

Abig thank you to all thosethat cooked turkeys forthe Hope of the Valley

Rescue Mission this pastThanksgiving. We exceeded our20-turkey goal with severalcooking two turkeys, a blessedthank you to everyone. They

were able to use our turkeys to feed their 50+ guests onThanksgiving evening.

Family Christmas Dinner and Caroling

On Sunday, December 16, the 17:17 Men ofSt. David’s will be cooking dinner for our annualfamily Christmas party and Caroling event.

Families will be gathering at 3:00 PM and will beheading off to the nursing home to deliver holidaycheer. Dinner will follow at approximately 5:00 PM. Ifyou are interested in helping out with dinner please seeSpencer Johnson or Tom Leney.

January Breakfast and Tour ofthe Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission:

On Saturday, January 19, the men will be meetingfor breakfast at 8:00 AM at St. David’s. Afterbreakfast we will be heading over to the Hope of

the Valley Rescue Mission for a tour. This is anopportunity to tour the facility and get a betterunderstanding of how we can help out the HOTV in2013.

Tool Box Ministry:

St. David’s started the 17:17 Tool Box Ministry tohelp members of our church in need. We areready and available to assist with various tasks

such as handyman work around the house / apartmentsuch as changing fire alarm batteries, a ride to adoctor’s appointment, picking up groceries, etc. If youare in need and would like some help, or if you knowsomeone from St. David’s that needs help, please fill outa connection card during the Sunday Service andexplain what you want us to do or you can call Janet atthe Church office. One of our team members willcontact you to discuss your request.

The Church SquareThe Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow. ~ Bill Gates

by E.J. Dharmaraj

Well, friends, the tomorrow is already here (if you have not got the memo already). If you have not noticedyet, Google is not just a noun, but has become a verb. If you don’t know what facebook, twitter, pinterest is,you would have to google it (my apologies to all you purists out there). The dizzying pace at which news is

created and information is transmitted is proof of the fact that tomorrow has indeed arrived. We did not want to be left behind, technologically speaking. And we did not. St. David’s Anglican Church has a

website and has had one for quite a while now and many among you found the newsletter on the church’s website.I would like to invite you to visit the website more often. News and information is constantly updated. It is

truly what I would like to call “The Church Square.”While you are at the church square (aka the website), check out Fr. Jose Poch’s weekly blog post. On the

sermon/media page, you will find short YouTube messages from Fr. Jose that you can listen to and forward to afriend or a family member. Tour the website as often as you can.

Do let us know what you think, a candy for your thoughts. Drop us a line at [email protected].


http://stdavidsnh.blogspot.com/

http://stdavidsnh.org/


We will finish Advent with lessons on Joshua and the Promised Land, Judges and Kings, and the Prophets and Israel in Exile.

Children’s Ministry Corner

by Stephen Rometti

In preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation, our children have been learning how God has moved throughhuman history to save and restore his creation. Fall has become a short course on the Old Testament! Along the way,we’ve had treasure hunts, simple stories, music, games, and special guests from the Bible. Here’s a glance at what we

have learned and will be learning in the weeks leading up to Christmas:

GOD’S STORYFall 2012: Genesis – the Prophets

Lesson Memory Verse What we learnedabout God

What that means for us

Creation andDisobedience

This is love for God;To obey his commands.I John 5:3

God is HOLY andGOOD

We can obey hiscommands (becausehe knows what is bestfor us)

God makes aPromise toAbraham andSarah

The Lord is faithful to all hispromises.Psalm 145:13

God is a PROMISEKEEPER

We can believe God’sWord (because hewill always do whathe says he will do)

God Cares forJoseph and hisfamily

Trust in the Lord with all yourheart; do not depend on yourown understanding.Proverbs 3:5

God is ALWAYS withus

We can trust God tocare for us (no matter whathappens)

God rescuesMoses andsends him torescue theIsraelites

The Lord is my helper;I will not be afraid.Hebrews 13:6

God is BIGGER thanall our problems

We do not have to livein fear (becausenothing is too hardfor God)

Important things to note:

1)Children may come directly to the parish hall at 10:30 on Sunday mornings as we will no longer beprocessing out of the sanctuary during the opening time of worship. We will continue to return to thesanctuary for communion.

2)You are invited to come and learn with us on any Sunday. We’d love to receive you as our guest, and wehope to recruit you for our ministryJ Check it out, and see what you’ve been missing!

Continued on next page


3)Coming soon: take-home materials with lessonsummaries and interactive questions for ourchildren to discuss with their family members

and friends. Our children have many questions.They cannot all be addressed on Sunday mornings.That’s where you come in! The equipping of our youngsaints for life and ministry in the Kingdom of God is atask that belongs to the whole church. I hope you willjoin in this most important work.

4)I hope you will take time to encourage ourchildren as they prepare to celebrate with usand minister with us and to us at the following

events:

December 16 – Meet us at 3pm for an afternoon ofcaroling and a Christmas Party and dinner afterward.There will be singing, games, stories, and crafts. Comejoin us as we minister and celebrate together as achurch family.

December 23 – 10:30 service. Our children will beleading us in worship during the lighting of the AdventWreath candles.

December 24 – Christmas Eve Service. Some of ourchildren will be among the readers for Lessons andCarols, and all of them will minister to us throughdance. You won’t want to miss it!

“Dangers of Raising Nice Kids”with Timothy Smith – Family Coach

Mark Your Calendars! Saturday, February 23, 2013 from 9:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m.. Our Marriage and Family Ministries will join with ourbrothers and sisters at St. James Anglican Church, Newport Beach to

bring to you a Parenting Conference that is sure to bless you and yourfamilies.

We have invited Pastor Timothy Smith to be our keynote speakerand presenter. Tim is an experienced Pastor with many years of workingwith children and youth. He is a popular conference speaker, President ofLife Skills for American Families, an organization dedicated to innovativelycelebrating and empowering the family. He is the author of several booksand has an MA in Educational Psychology.

About this conference, we are entitling “Dangers of Raising NiceKids”, he writes:

“It challenges the common idea that 'nice is enough' as a parenting goal. It calls Christian parents todisciple not simply discipline their children, with a long-term developmental plan based on internalqualities of character, courage and competency - attributes that will prepare them to shape their world(vs. being shaped by the world).”

Please mark your calendars, plan on being there and invite other parents you know to attend with you. Thiswill be a one day Conference that will not require hotel accommodations or being away from your family for toolong. A children and youth program will also be provided while the Conference is going on. Bring the kids with youand let them also be equipped. The total cost of the Conference will be $20.00 per person, children and youth willbe free. Lunch will be provided as well. If you have any question, please speak with Fr. Jose at your earliestconvenience.


Prayer List Reminder

Please be remindedthat you’ll find a listof individuals

printed in thisnewsletter who are inneed of our prayers. Weask you to print out thispage and take some time

throughout the month to pray for these people.

Prayer Requests for healing will be listed in theNewsletter on a monthly basis. Please be sureto contact the office before the beginning of thenext month if you wish to resubmit a name.We’d also appreciate hearing how theindividual is doing as a testimony of God’swork in their lives. Thank you!

The Sacrament of BaptismSunday, January 6

On Sunday, January 6 atboth the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services we

will be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. There will be a baptism class on Saturday, January 5 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Parents and Godparents ofsmall children and any adults wanting to be baptizedare asked to attend this essential meeting.

Baptism is “an outward and visible sign of aninward and spiritual grace,” an act of obedience, apublic statement of faith. At St. David’s the sacrament isoffered to anyone interested in making thiscommitment to the Lord. Parents and godparents makethis pledge for small children.

If you or someone you know wants to be baptized,please speak to Fr. Jose by calling the church office at818.761.8633.

Hope Farm Coffeeby Alex Falo

As we come upon a mostblessed time, the celebration of the

birth of our Lord andSavior, we are reminded ofjoyous and fun times spent with family and friends; however, equally as important should be thoughts of those thatmay not have in their lives the blessings we enjoy.

The children of La Esperanza de Jesus inHonduras, although in a loving environment under thewatchful care of Mike and Kim Miller, don't know whatit is to see a shiny new bicycle or doll house under theChristmas tree. You can help bring them the joy andhappiness of Christmas with purchases of Hope Farmcoffee.

La Esperanza de Jesus, an orphanage, owns andmaintains a coffee farm nearby, aptly named HopeFarm. Sale of the coffee helps provide support for thechildren. Giving packages of this great tasting coffee asa gift this holiday season, is a great way to show yourfriends and family how much you care about them andthe children of La Esperanza de Jesus.

Please join me and Deborah Chase in purchasingseveral packages of coffee to add to your gift basketsand other Christmas gift lists. Deborah and I will beavailable during fellowship after the 10:30 a.m. familyservice; however, you can place a pre-order at any timeby contacting me via e-mail [email protected] or by calling the churchoffice (818.761.8633).

Thanks for taking a moment out of your busy dayto read this. We appreciate your cooperation andparticipation. Above all, it is the children of LaEsperanza de Jesus who truly appreciate your kindnessand charity.



Potluck andAnnual Meeting to

Elect New Vestry MembersSunday, January 27, 2013

St. David’s is governed by a board of directors also known as the Vestry.It is the responsibility of the Vestry to manage and maintain our churchfacilities and finances. Currently our Vestry is composed of 9 members,

each of whom serves a 3-year term. Elections are held each year to vote in 3new members. This year’s elections will take place at our Annual Meetingon Sunday, January 27 immediately following our 10:30 a.m. service (we’llhave only one service on this day).

Our meeting will begin with a potluck meal – so be sure to bringenough to share with others. Following the meal will be the elections andthe presentation of the 2013 approved budget as well as the Treasurer’sReport for 2012. Those qualified to vote are anyone age 16 and older who

has been an official member of St. David’s (has attended the New Members Class and signed our MembershipCovenant) for at least 2 months prior to the meeting and who faithfully attends the services of the church. Weencourage every member of St. David’s to participate in this election process.

News from the Mission Fieldby Deborah Chase, Outreach Coordinator

St. David’s, you have been very supportive in prayer and financially of our brothers and sisters who are being obedient to the Lord,by serving others outside of the United States. We ask that you correspond with them so that there is more of the family involvedother than the office personnel. They would love to hear from you. If you ever have any questions about any of our missionaries,please contact me and I will share any information that I have. May you be forever willing to help others! Here are some notes thatwe received recently:

Ana ReidLa Esperanza de Jesus – Honduras

Hello Deborah,Thank you for

your phone call last night; itwas good to touch base and beupdated on what is happeningon your end. I was glad to hearthat we will be seeing severalof you at the New Wineskinsconference in April. I will lookforward to that reunion!

Thank you also for approving our request toallow us to use the funds donated toward finishing thesoccer field, toward a presently more pressing need,dressers for the children's rooms. The girls speciallywill be ecstatic to finally find places to keep theirpossessions. I will make sure to send you pictures.Please give our thanks to Fr. Jose and to all involved.Many thanks and many blessings!

Dear Friends of Ana Reid,Ana has now begun her second year at

The Hope of Jesus Children’s Home in El Venado,Honduras. It has been a year filled with manychallenges and many reasons to give thanks to God. Iwill fill you in a few of her upcoming projects andneeds.

Ana has met a group of teenage boys in thevillage who have become interested in hearing moreabout the gospel. Ana has taken them to church andinvited them into her home to play games. They havetaken on the role of looking out for her andencouraging her with little gifts like an orange. She hasinvited adults to come to her home for Bible studies.They always say “yes” but don’t show up. These boyswill come! So Ana is planning on going through ThePurpose Driven Life with them.

There are a number of families in the village that

Annual

Meeting


have little ones. Some of these families would benefitfrom learning parenting skills. Ana used a Nurturingprogram in her past job and is planning to start agroup in the village. Please pray for this.

The biggest need Ana has right now is forreliable transportation. She lives on top of a 2000 ftmountain about an hours drive from the city of SanPedro Sula. The road is steep and rutted. It becomesmuddy and washed out in areas during the rainyseason which is nearly upon them.

Ana needs a truck or a jeep that can handle theroad on her many trips up and down the mountain.The area is impoverished and there have beenproblems with thieves and gangs taking advantage ofthose in broken down vehicles beside the road. So sheneeds a reliable vehicle.

It is quite difficult to get a good used vehicle inHonduras or to find deals like one we can find in theStates, and there are no lemon laws. Mike Miller, thedirector of Hope of Jesus, is looking for an honestmechanic to help her make a good decision. It will costher at least $9000 to get what she needs.

If each “friend” was able to give a gift of $55 wewould have the money needed for Ana’s jeep! If youwould like to give there are several ways to do so.Online go to www.sams-usa.org. Click on “Send andPray” then “Ways to Give” and then “Give Online”. Select Ana Reid as the missionary and you must writein the comments box “For Ana Reid’s TransportationFund”. 100% of the money will go to that fund.

If you wish you can send a check made out toSAMS. Send it to SAMS, P.O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA15003. Again, designate it for “Ana Reid’sTransportation Fund”.

Last but not least, if you attend CTR you can put acheck in the offering plate made out to CTR butdesignated for Ana Reid’s Transportation Fund.

Other needs - a PC laptop to downloadeducational programs that the students will be able touse in the study room Ana has set up. If you have agood used one or are able to donate a new one, you canlet me know and we will get it to her.

Also, due to changes in some of her donors’situations and the difficult economy several of Ana’sdonors have not been able to continue to support herfinancially. She has about $200 a month to make up.Please pray that these needs will be met and considerwhether you might be able to help.

Lastly, the holidays can be a difficult time to beaway from home, friends and family. Happily, Ana’sdaughter, Moriah and her husband David will be withher this Christmas. And you can contact her directly [email protected]

Ana is very grateful for each and every one of youwho have come along side her. Your support means somuch. Thank you for supporting her!

The peace of Christ to you,Wendy Wyman & Judy del Rosario

Fr. Bryson and Deborah Samboja – Kenya During our Missions Month this year you heard from Fr. Bryson what a blessingyou have been to the Digo children (Kenya) in helping to build a school, a kitchenand a dining room, so that they could be able to cook, serve and eat inside.

Isalute you all in Jesus' name,

I am excited as I write this email! I am reminded that from time immemorialGod has been touching His people in different ways for the propagation of His

Kingdom. I am overwhelmed whenever I think of you people and how much you have done for God's ministry.However, there could be someone outside there who could be wondering how he/she could be of use for God'sglory; With that in mind the attached is for your prayers and for distribution to anyone who comes into your mindwhom you think God would be willing to use for the expansion of his Kingdom. Be assured of my prayers.

If you would like information about the aforementioned attachment, email Deborah Chase [email protected] and she will forward it to you.

Please see next page for more News From the Mission Field


http://www.sams-usa.org



News From the Mission Field

The Rev. David Alenskis – Belize

Dear Fr. Poch,Greetings from

Belize! I am writing toyou, on behalf ofSt. David's, praying thatyou all are well, and thatas we move soon intoThanksgiving, Advent, andChristmas, that the Lord ispouring down his graceand peace upon you all!

I wanted to sit downhere at the beginning of November and send St.David’s a quick “thank you” for the financial supportyou’ve sometimes been able to send my way, and foryour prayer support for my ministry abroad. It hasbeen a busy and exciting year on the mission field as Ihave transitioned from Argentina to Belize, and Godhas been overwhelmingly faithful and good throughthis process. I'm deeply grateful to him and to you as acongregation for the fruit that I have been seeing in myministry, particularly here in Belize, and your giftshave definitely been a part of this work.

Though I am still waiting for final writtenconfirmation from the Bishop of Belize, I have spokenpersonally to him about my future here, and it appearsthat the Lord is calling me to continue serving in Belizefor a longer period of missionary service. However, theregular giving to my mission declined a lot at thebeginning of 2012, and I am looking to regain somefinancial support before continuing here much further.As you are planning out your budget and finances forthe year ahead, I would ask St. David's to take this intoaccount and prayerfully consider giving again insupport of my service for the Lord on the mission fieldin Belize.

May God richly bless you! Yours in Christ,

Fr. David

Rev. Canon Eridad NsubugaUganda – Diocese of LuweeroUganda Christian University

We will be forever grateful to Bishop Kisekka and theDiocese of Luweero for taking us in and showing us somuch love and kindness, when we separated from theEpiscopal Church. Here is an update on the students wesponsored at UCU (Uganda Christian University).

Dear Fr. Jose,Greetings to you and to all of St. David's

Parish.It has been a while since I last communicated,

sorry about that. We are doing well in Luweero and arelooking forward to the 9th of December on whichthere will be an ordination and priesthood service atthe Cathedral.

Guess what! Damalie Nakamoga successfullygraduated with a Bachelor of Divinity at UgandaChristian University, Mukono.

Thank you very much to St. David’s Parish forsponsoring her. she has been posted here at theCathedral as Curate in charge of the schools chaplaincyaround the Cathedral.

Canon Stephen Kigozi, who also graduated fromthe UCU last year, also courtesy of St. David’s, has beentransferred from Kiwoko Archdeaconry to LuweeroDeanery, and Canon Eridard from the Cathedral toNdejje St. John's as Archdeacon of NdejjeArchdeaconry, with effect from 1st January 2013.

I do hope all is well with you at St. David’s. Bestwishes for the approaching Advent season.

Kind regards,Eridard Nsubuga (Rev. Canon)

Luweero Diocese (Anglican C.O.U)




Diganta Maity, India

We have received threat call from the Hindufanatic group last night (which is beginning of

the ten hand goddess Durga festival) around 10 ofthem came to us for money. Although we got scaredbut humbly we refuse to give any money for the idolworship.

They told us to remove our car from the ground(close to their idols place). They wanted to take ourmotor bike and wanted to attack our families.

Group was very angry, middle of the night weremoved our car in different location. Any time any

thing can happen to us.(Group name: Pragati sangsadclub.)

We never receive such a physical threat before,they also abused us very badly because we areChristian. We are very afraid to come out of our house.Even going to the shop to buy things not easy at thismoment. Our wives and children got scared.

We need your prayer support. We are havingthree days Revival meeting during this hindu (biggestfestival in our state of West Bengal)

Diganta and family

David & Shari Ogg, Papau New Guinea

Gwandambi Comes Home

After about three months in the hospital out intown Gwandambi arrived

home today. It was sooowonderful to see him and his dad,Rison, again today. They areenjoying being home again andcatching up with relatives. We’rethankful Gwandambi is alive andstill has his leg. However he stillcan’t walk and it looks like he willhave a long road ahead of him tofully recover. Please pray that hewill regain his strength and thathe will be able to start walking again soon.

“Glorify God in your bodies”

We have been teaching through 1st Corinthiansand last Sunday the lesson was inchapter 6. Verses 19 and 20 say: “Or doyou not know that your body is atemple of the Holy Spirit within you,whom you have from God? You are notyour own, for you were bought with aprice. So glorify God in your body.” TheSimbari believers know that they areredeemed by the blood of Christ andthat they belong to Him. This teachingfrom 1st Corinthians is strengtheningthe church so that they can continue to

bring honor to God even in the face of trials andtemptations.

This was the case with Gwandambi and his dad,Rison. Throughout this whole trial they have justlooked at it as an opportunity to trust God more andgrow in their faith. And God was glorified throughthem as many of those who shared hospital beds nearthem saw and heard testimony of their unwaveringfaith.

David and Shari Ogg




Lee Mullins, Thailand

Dear Friends and Family of St. David’s Church,

God is moving! Singapore hasofficially accepted me in as amissionary priest for Thailand! Itraveled to Singapore in thebeginning of November to meet withthe various leaders of the Diocese ofSingapore who oversea the missionswork in Thailand. They are anamazing group of brothers and sisters with a tremendousheart for reaching out to their local community as well asthe rest of South East Asia.

As of now, I am currently making every effort tolearn the language fluently. This has been a challenge,but St. Andrews Cathedral in Singapore has offered topay for my Thai classes, which is an absolute blessing. Ihave improved significantly in a short amount of timewith high marks. The aim is to develop my Thai to apoint that I can fluently preach, teach, and discipleleaders in Thai.

In addition to studying, I am still continuing in myservice to Cornerstone Study Center in Bangkok. Wehave made some great headway. We sent 10 Thaistudents to Singapore for a couple weeks on a retreat andseveral of them came back wanting to know more aboutChrist. It is quite clear that God is at work in theirhearts! I have also had many great conversations

with the local Thai population and havea friend who will be attending churchfor the first time this coming week! It isan exciting time for him and I, as we seewhat God has planned in his life.

In regards to our mission efforts,we are now preparing to launch theoutreach center in the beginning of2013. However, we lack the laborersneeded to get it going, therefore we arepraying for God to bring us people who

are called to serve (even on a short-term basis). We arelooking to establish a space where we can offer a placefor local kids to go after school, offering tutoring, games,extra-curricular activities, and chapel. Yet, this type ofeffort requires many hands and a variety of gifts as weattempt a great need. There are a large number of singlemothers who have to work late to support their family,leaving the children unattended, roaming the streets. Webelieve that by providing a safe place and fun place forkids to go, we can get them off the streets and into thearms of Christ!

If you are interested in supporting our efforts inThailand in prayer, manpower, or financially, pleasespeak with Fr. Jose Poch. Any support you have to offerwill be most graciously accepted!

Most sincerely,Rev. Fr. Carl Lee Mullins

Mike & Kim Miller, Honduras

Please join us in welcoming two new members to our Hope Family.MAURA ALEMAN is the new housemother of Casa Pedro, our boys' home. Maura is a

loving, energetic Christian woman who is quick to praise and nurture our boys. She is creativeand always has a smile on her face. The boys LOVE her bedtime stories! Maura has been raisingchildren her entire adult life and has raised several children who were not her own. Sheunderstands the special emotional needs of our boys and we are blessed to have her with us.

DAVID is Maura's son whom she has raised since he was anewborn after he was abandoned by his mother. David is 9-years oldand just passed the second grade. He enjoys learning and is a very wellbehaved little boy. David loves his new home and now refers to ourlittle Eduardo as his brother. They are inseparable!

At the Children's Home, we celebrate Thanksgiving as a day togive thanks to the Lord for his abundant blessings. Our Thanksgiving Day was blessed withlamb, turkey, and pork from our farm and 28 hungry guests gathered around our table! Each ofus took turns expressing our gratitude. All of us are extremely grateful for each of you whomake this ministry possible. THANK YOU!

Blessings, Mike and Kim Miller and family.... all 20 of us!

Maura Aleman -Housemother

David at his FIRSTThanksgiving feast


Grow in Your Faith

Deepen Your Love for the Lord

Strengthen Your Church Family Ties

The church of Jesus Christis not a building where

people come together for a religious service, but it is a gathering of people who come together in

order to worship God and tobuild each other by mutualfaith and strength.

– Donald Grey Barnhouse

Tuesdayse 7:00 p.m. - North Hollywood

818.421.4412

The Rev. Jose and Maly Poch

meets weekly

Study: 1 Timothy

Wednesdayse 7:30 p.m. - Oak Park

818.707.6973

Spencer and Luisa Johnson

meets weekly

Study: Experiments in Prayer

Thursdayse Noon - Studio City

818.506.8842

818.980.4634

John Mattingly and Don Eitner

meets weekly

Study: “Life and Letters of St. Paul”

Fridayse 7:00 p.m. - North Hollywood

818.762.1934

Bill Coburn

meets 1 and 3 Fridayst rd

On Hiatus

House Churches

Small Group Discipleship Opportunities

Pastor’s

Bible Study1 & 3 Sundayst rd

1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

in the Discipleship Room

Study: The Book of Acts


Prayer Requests for healing will be listed in the Newsletter on a monthlybasis. Please be sure to contact the office before the beginning of the nextmonth if you wish to resubmit a name. We’d also appreciate hearinghow the individual is doing as a testimony of God’s work in their lives.Thank you!

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays: 8 Naomi Martinez10 Cary Tan11 Amanda Guevara14 Ken Simmonds19 Robert Aguirre19 Melissa Taggart26 Armando Vergara

Baptisms: 1 Don Eitner 1 Ken Simmonds 1 Carol Waterman 2 Eileen Allen14 Bill Coburn14 Pam Guidry24 Janet Palmer25 Otmara Martinez

Confirmations: 5 Olney Sulker-Hall 7 Ken Thomas 8 Alwyne Palmer17 Darlene Fray17 Amanda Guevara17 Otmara Martinez17 Michael Okene19 Pam Guidry

Marriages: 2 Hugh and Alwyne Palmer

December Prayer Needs

Healing:Eileen AllenDante BabayanKent BridwellPat BurnsGarry ChristieGloria DelgadoEthan Alfred DerickFrank DurhamDon EitnerRandy ElliottEberardo FonsecaGeorge & Sonja FrayForrest & Faye GreeneKeith and Chris GregoryRuss HaneyJames HansonRev. Tom HeinzelGinger Johnson-McNamaraLuisa JohnsonPat LavetBill LeneyBeverly LongAllison MauryKathy McCabe

Daniel MoranJoan MochonForrest MoyerNathan NewmanAndrea NovickiAngelina PhillipsCarol ProffittDorothy RideouttCrystal RobertsJeanette RocaHarout SarafianWanda ScottSuarez familyAmanda TaggartChristiana ThielKen ThomasTompkins familyVincent TompkinsMia TruxawKevin WaferMyrna WeekesSally WillsCheryl YaneyRev. Cathie YoungDevyn

Serving in the Military:Benjamin James Bisetti,Michael Phillips, Andrew Rohrback,Nataly Yoncee

Missionaries toHonduras:Mike and Kim MillerAna Reid

Missionaries to Kenya:The Rev. Bryson andDeborah Samboja

Missionary to India:Diganta Maity

Missionary to Recife,Brazil:Gustavo Branco

Missionaries to Simbari, Papua New Guinea:David and Shari Ogg

Missionary:The Rev. David Alenskis

Organizations:Sudan Sunrise; Barnabas Fund; SOMA (Sharing ofMinistries Abroad);Anglican Church in NorthAmerica (ACNA); Diocese of WesternAnglicans; Hope of the Valley RescueMission; St. Michael’s in the City,Pasadena


Joy to the World! It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

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Transcript of Joy to the World! It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!