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
At The Mid-Point
Monday, August 12
Sorry we are a bit behind on updates. Going back to Friday evening we had the opportunity to take a group of kids from the drop in center to dinner and a movie (Lion King). It was the first cinema experience for many of them. They dressed in their best and we all had a wonderful time.
On Saturday we got together with Mike and Natalie Bucher. They arranged for us to go to another church and assist with a gospel film and feeding. On the way there we stopped and saw the second largest display of the 10 Commandments in the world. What a sight! At the church we played games with around 60 kids for a long time and then they watched a Jesus film. After the film we fed them a spaghetti dinner. Because it was dark outside, we drove the kids home in our vans and the leftover spaghetti was shared from the back of the truck throughout the neighborhood. Everyone was so grateful!
On Sunday we attended church with the Buchers, stocked up on supplies at the store, and met up with Robbie and Deanna Nichols to make arrangements for the upcoming week.
On Monday we went to Redemptio Christian School with the Nichols. Our team divided into two groups to clean their school building and clear the lot where they will be building. It was a lot of hard work but again, they are so grateful for the extra help to tackle tasks they just don’t get to. We were able to relax a little later in the day and prepare ourselves for the busy days ahead.
For the next four days we will run a VBS in the morning and basketball camp in the afternoon. Those not helping with basketball will visit families in the community. Please pray for all the kids who will be attending and hearing the Good News. Also pray for our team, specifically for strength and health, as several have been hit hard with colds but are continuing to serve.
Change of Plans…
Friday Afternoon
God is always in control and knows our plans before us. We have learned that flexibility is key on Mission trips. We awoke at 2:00 am to drive a couple hours to catch a ferry to the island of Mindoro. Our team of 16, with luggage and many boxes of food supplies piled into a large truck and set off. Upon arrival to the port, we were informed that it had closed down due to weather. So we turned around and drove several more hours back to the guest house. You get creative with games to play in very tight conditions for six hours!
While we were disappointed not to visit Threads of Hope, we quickly realized that being on the ferry in a bad weather or being stranded on the island for days wouldn’t be ideal either!
Upon our arrival back at the guest house we were told we could help with a feeding. Half of our team piled back in another truck and set off on a rough ride to a nearby neighborhood. The kids brought any container they had to the truck where we dished it full of a rice/protein soup. Many took large containers back to their families. We then joined in a small Bible Study for the women in the area. About ten ladies came. We had the chance to briefly share testimonies, scripture, and song with the ladies. It was a precious time.
Tonight we are planning to meet up with Mike Bucher and some of the kids from the drop in center for a fun evening with dinner and a movie. (Something that is a real treat for them!)
Even when plans change, another opportunity arises. Fatigue has set in, as our nights are short and the days are long and tiring. Pray for strength and health for all in our team.
Facelift
Once we arrived in Manila, Tuesday evening, we were picked up by vans from Kids International Ministries (KIDS) and taken to their guest house in Rizal. This would be out home base for the this trip.
Wednesday morning we met with Norm Denler to learn about KIDS and take a tour of some of their facilities. During the tour we visited their children’s home, birthing center, Christian elementary and middle schools and the site for their new high school.
It was amazing to see how God is working through this ministry and to see Norm’s passion as he explained the things KIDS is involved in and how God has blessed their work.
The last two days (Wed and Thurs) have been spent at Push Cart Community Ministries Drop In Center with Mike Bucher, one of the ministries GROW is involved with. Our main project was painting the inside of the facility. It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do.
We also served lunch to the kids in the community, enjoyed the kid’s music concert, shared devotions, played games, and showed the love of Christ to the kids. These kids flock to us and desperately want love and attention. Our team spent hours playing basketball in the street, letting the kids climb and hang on them, and having fun together. The kids’ joy in playing with our team is indescribable. A highlight was the kids singing How Great is Our God, with us joining in, and then we sang the Salvation Poem song in Tagalog and they joined in singing with us! So cool!
Tomorrow we head to the Island of Mindoro to visit Threads of Hope which means a 2am wake up call to catch the ferry to the island.
