New Year’s Eve Game Night – 7:00 pm
Everyone is invited to join us here at the church next Saturday evening beginning at 7:00 pm for a Family Game Night. Please bring your favorite games and snacks to share. You can stay until midnight and ring in the New Year with us.
Christmas Eve Service – 6:00 pm
We hope you will all join us Saturday, December 24th for our special Christmas Eve Service at 6:00 pm.
Steps For Life 2020
Dear Sunnyside Community Church,
I hope and pray you are all doing well and managing through this difficult time we are in and trusting God through it all. I miss seeing everybody every Sunday, worshipping together, fellowshipping, and being fed the Word as a church body in the presence of one another. Pastor and family are doing a wonderful job supplementing our routine every week to stay connected, not to mention Brent with his exceptional IT skills to make it possible and Julie’s faithfulness putting all the communication pieces together for us. A big “THANK YOU” for it all and giving us a sense of togetherness in today’s world that is full of isolation.
Fundraising at the best of times can be intimidating. Even more so in the middle of a pandemic! Asking people to give in times like this may feel daunting, or even insensitive. In the midst of uncertainty, our natural response is to pull in and hunker down. And, for the sake of our vulnerable neighbors, we are being asked to do exactly that.
At the same time, we know that generosity is an antidote to anxiety. It unlocks our joy and shifts our attention to the generosity of God in Christ toward a world He loves. We are already seeing this crisis inspire incredible acts of courage and self-giving.
The “why” of giving is never clearer than in a crisis. There is a continued crisis/need every moment of every day, even during this pandemic. We have to remember the unborn lives that are at risk constantly.
“Steps For Life” gives us that opportunity to shift our focus from all the uneasiness we may feel and show our love of Christ to the ongoing need of the unborn through giving to the “Pregnancy Resource Centers” where women get the chance to see their baby on an ultrasound and choose life because of it, where the broken who need to know forgiveness and healing from a past abortion decision go through the biblical recovery group “The Heart”, and for those who have experienced sexual brokenness and need to know Jesus through “The Reality Project”. These three programs through First Image focus to not only encourage women to choose life, but to minister and guide the lost to choose JESUS, then impacting their lives and the lives of the unborn today and the ones God already knows because HE is great!
Even though there will not be a community walk/run event this year as in years past due to our current circumstances, there will be a webcast on May 23rd at 10am followed by your personal walk/run with your family AND the fundraiser is going on now!! I have created a church team titled SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH. I think this is the easiest way to let everybody have the opportunity to get involved and/or donate!
To start, simply go to https://fundraise.first-image.org/event/steps-for-life-run-walk-2020/e271178 and choose “register today” or “sponsor a participant”. If you want to register to fundraise and be eligible for prizes, choose “join a team”, choose our church name, choose a walk or run (there is not a charge), follow the prompts and fill out the form. Let the fundraising begin! At this point you call, text, IM, Facebook, Instagram, etc. OR whatever you kids are doing these days to reach out and encourage your friends and families to support you in supporting this great cause!
To simply make a donation after going to the same link, choose “sponsor a participant”, choose our church name, follow the prompts and fill out the form. If you don’t have access to a computer and want to donate, please contact me). You can also encourage friends and family to support the cause and send them the link to donate, just tell them how! There are no limitations on giving!
I really do encourage you to pray about this and donate as you are led. Thank you for your support in the cause and making it a success! Stay safe and healthy!
Blessings,
Angel Powell
STEPS FOR LIFE 2020
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matt 25:40
Sunnyside Community Church Ministry Update – April 12, 2020
He is Risen!
He is Risen indeed!
Greetings dear ones, on this glorious resurrection morning.
I trust that, in His unfailing faithfulness, the Lord is encouraging your mind and heart with His truth. We thank Him for His continued goodness. We thank Him for the wonderful Spring weather. Who’s not ready for some sunshine and warm temperatures? The blossoms are beautiful, and I especially enjoy hearing the birds singing and the doves cooing; all signs of God’s wisdom and goodness.
I trust that the Lord is using the services to enrich your hearts and encourage you. Thank you for your expressions of appreciation. It does encourage us (it’s kind of like standing at the door after the service, shaking hands and visiting briefly). May the Lord bless His Word to the edification of your soul.
As far as we know, this is going to continue on into May, so we will all keep on keeping on. The men’s Monday morning ZOOM prayer meetings and the ladies Thursday evening ZOOM session continue. I encourage you to jump into that, if you haven’t already. Just so you all know, the youth group has also been “meeting” each Wednesday, via ZOOM.
Thank you for all your continued efforts to reach out to one another, to pray, and to support the church’s ministry financially. May the Lord bless you with joy in your serving.
May the Lord bless you as you live in His presence this week. May He enrich your mind and heart with His word, empower your faithfulness by His Spirit, and lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
In the love of Christ,
Pastor Guy
Sunnyside Community Church Ministry Update – April 5, 2020
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
—Zechariah 9:9
Dear Sunnyside Community Church,
Blessed Palm Sunday, to one and all. Today we commemorate our Lord’s celebrated entrance into the City of Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion; that entrance by which He presented himself, unmistakably, to be the Messiah, the Son of David, the Fulfiller of the Prophets words. I trust that the Lord will encourage you with the glorious reality of which that entrance speaks, not only of Jesus being the Messiah, but, of God’s redemptive plan and purpose accomplished in and through this Messiah; of the reality that we have hope in the face of all our challenges because the Savior has come, the King has arrived, the Victory is secured.
We thank the Lord for His continued faithfulness and the confidence we have from His word that he will never leave us, nor forsake us, and that He is sufficient for everything that concerns us. I trust His word continues to be your daily bread and that prayer is a place of encouragement for your own mind and heart and ministry in the lives of others as we uphold one another before God’s gracious throne.
One thing that we are especially thankful for this morning is that THE NO PARKING SIGNS ARE UP; THE TRUCKS ARE GONE! As everyone knows, this has been an on-going concern for a couple years now. But this last week, an ODOT crew came through and installed the signs prohibiting the parking of any vehicle 7’ or taller. We thank the Lord for this answer to prayer. We thank the officials at the Oregon Department of Transport for responding to our concerns and requests. And, we thank all of you who took action on this issue, writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls.
Please continue to pray for the general encouragement of our church family, and indeed, for all God’s people, as this situation continues on. Pray the Lord to uphold our hearts in peace and joy in Christ as we endure this extended time of being separated. The Lord is teaching us just how precious our comings together are, whether as a congregation or one with another.
Pray the Lord’s blessing on all the efforts that are being made to carry on the work of His church; all the efforts being made by local churches to continue ministering to their members and to their communities. Pray that the preaching of God’s word, however that is carried out, would be effective for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
Pray for the leaders of our nation; for the President and Vice President, for governmental leaders at all levels, for health officials, for one and all charged with the responsibility to give leadership to our nation in this time. Pray for wisdom and discernment in making the momentous decisions that they are called upon to make; for the encouragement and strength of their hearts and minds to bear up under this protracted situation. Pray that the Lord would work in their hearts to direct them to acknowledge Him in all their ways.
Thank you, one and all, for your continued, faithful support of one another. I continue to be encouraged as I hear of people connecting with one another, reaching out to check on one another and help however they can. I appreciate the cards and texts that you have sent to me and to our family. They encourage us greatly.
Also, thank you for your continued faithfulness in sending in your contributions. The Lord has bountifully supplied this last month. We thank Him and we thank you.
Thank you to all who have been seeing to the cleaning of the church building. We appreciate your faithful and conscientious service.
As you are well aware, I’m sure, the restrictions on gathering have been extended, at least, until the end of April. So, at least for this next month, we will not be gathering, but will continue to be posting our Sunday morning worship service online.
Some “gatherings” do continue, however. The men’s Monday morning prayer group has been gathering via ZOOM. We will be meeting again tomorrow. There was quite a group of ladies that “met” Thursday evening and enjoyed a time of sharing and prayer. It’s great to see these things happening. If you would like to be a part of these meetings and do not know how, please reach out to Julie or myself.
One thing I want to let you know about. On Friday we will be posting a “Good Friday Service.” The focus will be on the events surrounding and including our Lord’s Crucifixion. There will be music and Scripture reading and a short message. This is an opportunity for you to spend some time reflecting on this most crucial event that is the keystone of the Christian faith.
Again, I want to express my appreciation for those who have taken on additional work during this time to help facilitate the on-going life of our church family. Thank you to Julie Urback and to Brent Stapleton for their extra efforts.
May the Lord bless you with peace and joy and hope in the week ahead. May He grant you wisdom in all your responsibilities and opportunities. May you know the encouragement of His Word and the empowering of His Spirit to walk faithfully with Him. May He empower you so that in every respect our Lord may be glorified in and through your life.
In the Love of Christ,
Pastor Guy
Sunnyside Community Church Ministry Update – March 29, 2020
Psalm 89:5-8—”Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?
Good morning beloved,
I trust the Lord continues to enrich your minds and hearts with His truth and to rejoice you with His loving-kindness and faithfulness. His goodness is evident all around us in the bursts of new life that we see during these early days of spring.
I’ve mentioned before that there is a grove of cottonwood trees along the route I walk. They give off the sweetest fragrance as the first begin to bud. Well, they began to bud this week and every time I walk by I can’t help but thank the Lord for this little witness to the sweetness of His kindness and goodness. The blossoms are in full array along the street up by Vern Duncan Elementary school and the red-winged black birds are in full throat in the water reserve down behind Rock Creek Middle School. All of these are demonstrations of the goodness of the Creator.
I trust you are bearing up under the restrictions imposed because of the virus. At the present, we continue to honor these, which means, there will be no gatherings at the church or with any of our ministries. It is important that we set the example and, also, demonstrate love for our neighbor by abiding by these limitations.
In the midst of these restrictions, we thank the Lord for technologies that enable us to continue to “meet”. The ladies enjoyed a great time “together” on Thursday via ZOOM, the conferencing app. Another meeting is planned for this coming Thursday evening. So, if there are any others who would like to be a part of that you can check with Julie or Geni. It does require a Smartphone or a computer and access to the internet so not everyone may be able to participate. But, there’s always the good old fashion telephone =).
Thank you to all who have been sending in or dropping off their contributions. That is very much appreciated. You can either mail them to the church’s address or drop them off at the church. Our mailbox is secured so there is no concern about that and I am at the church most mornings so you can also drop it by. If you come and I’m not there, just drop it off at the parsonage. If you would prefer to have it picked up, just let Julie know and we would be happy to do so. Once again, thank you.
Thank you to each and every one for your faithfulness in staying in touch with one another and encouraging one another. I’m encouraged when I see or hear that happening. It’s a sign of spiritual health and maturity in a church body when the members are reaching out to one another in that way. Keep on keeping on!
Please continue to pray for the many in our congregation needing prayer, as well as for our Missionaries.
I trust that the music and message for today encourages you and helps to equip you for the week ahead. Our God is enthroned in the heavens and His dominion rules over all things. He is the Master of every situation, including this one. His steadfast love is sure, never changing. And we can anchor in that truth and share it with those around us, so many of whom are anxious and have no place to really turn.
In the love of Christ,
Pastor Guy
Sunnyside Community Church Ministry Update – March 23, 2020
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all you iniquity, who heals all your deceases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and faithfulness, who satisfies you with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”—Psalm 103:1-3
Here is a call to the innermost depths of our being to speak out in praise to God in view of the glory of His being as manifest in His works; particularly, in His works of redemption. Out from the very root of our being there erupts blessing to God; an eruption of blessing evoked by the incomprehensible wonder and beauty of who and what He is; the incomprehensible wonder and beauty of perfect goodness—benevolence, patience, forbearance, grace, mercy; perfect wisdom—only, always, ever doing what is wise and good; doing what is best; perfect power—effecting, flawlessly, all his good purposes; acting in kindness toward us so that we find ourselves fully satisfied; our inner being fully provided for, our mind and heart at rest; full peace. In view of such blessings, bestowed by such a One, the call to bless Him is appropriate.
I pray that the Lord will encourage your heart anew today in the truth of His goodness, His wisdom, His power;
As we look to the week ahead, more changes are coming. The Governor is expected to issue a state-wide stay-at-home order later today. This will mean the shutdown of even more business and services. Obviously it means that we will be continuing with our adjusted approach to the life of our church family. We will continue to send out regular updates to pass along pertinent information to keep people informed. Thank you for all that you are continuing to do to stay in touch and to reach out.
Some of us men “met” for prayer this morning via Zoom. Brent and Travis and I met for about forty minutes and it was a real blessing to see faces and hear voices. We are looking to set something up for this Thursday at 6:00am. So men, if you have a smartphone, you can download the basic Zoom app from the app store, register and you’ll be all set to join us for prayer on Thursday. If you do register, please send your email to Julie so that she can send out a list for the other guys to add to their Zoom contacts. If you do that in the next day or so, then Brent can send you an email with a link that will take you directly to our 6:00 meeting. It’s really slick.
Just so the ladies don’t feel left out, Geni is working on putting something together for Thursday evening; she’ll be in touch.
For those who don’t have the ability to link up via Zoom there is still the simple phone call. Eric and I “met” via telephone last week to read God’s Word together and it great.
I trust that yesterday’s message was an encouragement to you (linked below). In these extraordinary times, God is not drawing back from what He has purposed to accomplish in and through His creation; His Kingdom purposes are advancing, both in their breadth and in their depth. God is growing you. The challenges that confront us are His instrument to work that growth and we can count them nothing but joy as we understand that their end is to perfect me in Christ-likeness; the goal of the code by which we live as those who hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Keep on keeping on!
In the love of Christ,
Pastor Guy
Sunnyside Community Church Ministry Update – March 18, 2020
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”—Psalm 27:1-5
Dear Church Family,
The board members met last evening, together with their wives and a few other members, to discuss how we are going to proceed in view of the situation with the Covid-19 virus and the restrictions that are being called for. Our desire is that the Body life of SCC continue to function; that we go on ministering to one another, being encouraged by one another and helping one another, and, together, being available to help those around us. Obviously, the restrictions that we are working under will require us to be creative and unconventional in the ways that we do that. Last night we discussed some of those ways.
First of all, I encourage you to stay in communication, reaching out to one another in whatever ways are available to you. We can call one another. We can text or email. We can pray together. We can read the Word together and we can share with one another specific ways to pray.
I will be endeavoring to communicate by getting out a Pastor’s Pen article every couple of days; something to encourage you, something to think about, something to nourish your mind and heart from God’s Word. Pray for me, that the Lord will direct my own thinking so that the things I write will minister to the minds and hearts of our church family.
In connection with that, we are looking to complete our email address list so that we can get that material, and any other communications, to our church family as easily as possible. So, if your email address list is not in the church directory and/or you have not already given it to me or to Julie Urback, please get that to us. That will be the easiest way to get our communications out. In view of the obvious fact that those who have not submitted their email address will not be receiving this via email, please mention it to one another as you talk over the next few days. If you are in communication with someone who does not use email, please continue to pass these updates along.
As for Sunday: at the present, the plan is to record the morning worship service and have that available on the church website on Sunday morning. Brent Stapleton is working to get us set up to do that and, Lord willing, everything will be in place for that to happen this week. We will let you know when that is available. The church website is: www.sunnysidecommunitychurch.com
As to other ministries: as of this morning, the Thursday evening ladies Bible Study will be meeting 3/19, but this will be their final gathering for the foreseeable future. All other Bible Studies are on hold for now. Youth Group is meeting tonight, but after that, it will be week-to-week per the restrictions that are put in place. The men’s prayer breakfast for this Saturday has been canceled.
Although there will be no meetings planned at the church, we do want to keep things in shape. So, if you are scheduled to clean, we ask that you just make a pass-through, especially checking the trash and the condition of the bathrooms. If you are concerned about being out just let Julie know and we will see that things are looked after.
Also, although we will not be holding service, we still have financial obligations to meet and we are asking that you continue your contributions. The church has a locked mailbox that will be checked regularly, so you can send your contributions in by mail (16444 SE Highway 212, Damascus, OR 97089). You can also drop them by the church office. The building will be open daily from 8-12 noon. You can also drop them off at the church parsonage if it is outside of those hours. If you are not able to get out, please let us know and we can pick them up. We appreciate your faithfulness in this regard. We will keep you informed with respect to the offerings received and our budgeted monthly need.
We want to minister, not only to our church family, but also, to the surrounding community. We will be notifying the community around us that if anyone does not have a support group, family, friends, neighbors etc., that they can call on us for help, we want to make ourselves available to them for trips to the grocery store, doctor’s office and such things. If you are available to help with any requests for assistance that may come in, we are looking to put together a list of volunteers. Please respond to this email and let us know.
Thank you for your faithfulness to pray and to support our efforts to continue the functioning of our church family. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”—Philippians 4:4-8
In the love of Christ,
Pastor Guy
Our Thinking Begins With The Reality…
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Where does your thinking begin as you look out on the situation we are facing with the Covid-19 Pandemic and the impact it is having on our society? What is the starting point, the point of departure, for your understanding in the face of the seemingly endless stream of new information flowing in from around the nation and the world? What is the launching pad for your response, both emotionally and practically, as you evaluate all that information and what it suggests about what the days ahead may look like?
The answer to these questions is, “It is the same as it always is.” Our thinking begins with the reality of an infinite and eternal God; a God who is absolute and infinite and perfect; absolute[1] and infinite and perfect with respect to every aspect of His being, every property of his nature and character; every one of His works. Our thinking begins with the reality of a God who is the perfection of goodness and wisdom and power—Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 119:68; 1 Timothy 1:17;
Our thinking begins with the reality that this infinite and eternal God, this God who is absolute, infinite and perfect is the Creator of heaven and earth; that all things in creation are by Him and for Him; all things in creation are from Him and through Him and to Him; they are the works of His hands; by the breath of his mouth all things were made and by that same breath all things remain. Our thinking should begin with the reality that this Creator preserves all things it, providing for all the works of His hands and governing everything that transpires within them, in the material realm as well as in the realm of mankind’s affairs, both nations and individuals—Psalm 33:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:3; Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 44:24; Daniel 2:1-49; Jeremiah 10:12-13; .
Our thinking begins with the reality that this Creator God works in all the works of his hands; that he is righteous, He always does what is right, always does what is best; whose ways are perfect; a God who is faithful and true, who showers his goodness on all that He has made, both those who do right and those who do not; whose steadfast love rest upon all those who hope in his goodness; on all those who trust and obey him, who wait on him, who rest in him; all those who fear him—Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 103:1-18; 145:8-20
Our thinking begins with the reality that this God is sovereign over all that He has made; that he has established his throne in the heavens and his rule governs all things; that like a potter with the clay He forms it as He is pleased to do and uses it likewise; that everything that comes to pass does so under his absolute sovereign control; nothing transpires apart from his will; nothing just “happens”; nothing is random, but all things are by design, both good and evil (including Covid-19 and its collateral impact); that all things are ordered by One who knows the end from the beginning and from before the beginning of the world established his purposes in creation; that He works all things for His glory, for the praise of His name—Psalm 103:19; Isaiah 44:24-28; Isaiah 46:8-10; Jeremiah 10:6-7; Daniel 4:17, 34-35; Exodus 4:11; Job 2:9-10; Isaiah 45:7; Amos 3:6; Isaiah 64:8; Romans 9:21; Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32; Romans 11:33-36;
Our thinking begins with the reality that this God is full of mercy; that he is good and kind; that He sees and knows all things, including each and every person on the planet; that he knows them; that he knows everything about them; He knows their heart; their mind; He knows their hopes; their fears—Deuteronomy 4:31; Nehemiah 9:31; 2 Corinthians 1:3;
Our thinking begins with the reality that this God is intimately involved with the lives of his creatures; that He cares about them; that He hears them when they call to Him; he is always present to them at all times in the perfection, the fullness of his being; that every person lives in his presence—Psalm 139:1-16; 145:9; Acts 17:25-26;
Our thinking begins with the reality that this God is the giver of all good gifts; that he delights to do good to his creatures; that he has perfected his goodness to them in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ in that, by Jesus Christ, he has provided everything required for His creatures to be redeemed and restored to right relationship with him—Acts 14:17; James 1:17; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10
This is where our thinking begins. This is the foundation, the cornerstone of our understanding; these are the realities that underlie our thinking as we look out on our present situation and assess what is going on. These realities form the launching pad for our response , both emotionally and practically. These are the cornerstone realities on which everything in all creation is built.
In the Love of Christ,
Pastor Guy
[1] To speak of God being absolute is to speak of the independence of God. It is to speak of the reality that God has not received anything, any aspect of his being or his nature and character, from outside himself; from beyond himself. It is to speak of the reality that God is what He is, in and of Himself; that He is what He is because He is what He is. He has being (existence) in and of Himself. It is His nature to be. God is the One for who it simply is—that He is. God is the One for who it is impossible that he not be. Every aspect of his nature and character is absolute. God does not become. He simply, is God is Absolute.
Sunnyside Community Church– Covid-19 Update
Dear Sunnyside Community Church Family,
In light the latest developments and, in particular, the Governors mandate limiting gatherings to 25 or less the board will be meeting tomorrow evening, Tuesday, March 17, to formulate a plan for handling our church’s ministries for the next 4 to 6 weeks. Please pray for the Lord to give us wisdom to make prudent decisions to guide our church family through these challenges.
We rest in the conviction that God is sovereign and rules over all things with wisdom and power and goodness; that his ways are perfect; that He always does what is best. And, what is more, not only do we have confidence and the abiding peace that this truth promotes, in Christ we have a confidence to step forward, to extend ourselves to help those in need; those who don’t have the confidence that arises from this conviction of who God is and how He works. Rather than drawing back, we can reach forward in a visible demonstration of the gospel.
May the Lord continue to encourage your mind and heart with His truth. We will be in touch in the next couple of days with updates.
In Christ,
Pastor Guy