OFFICE: 1987 S. Lincoln Ave. Vineland, NJ 08361
Mon.-Thurs. 9:00-4:00pm, Fri. 9:00-12:00pm
856.696.3444 / 856.696.6511 (fax) churchoffice@lfachurch.org
Sunday Services: 8:30 /10:30am @ Wallace Middle School
688 N. Mill Rd. Vineland, NJ 08360
Wednesday Evening: 6:30pm @ Cumberland Christian School
1100 W. Sherman Ave. Vineland, NJ 08360
J U N E 2 0 1 0 V O L U M E 2 I S S U E 6
What People Are Saying About
Pursuing God This Summer? Spring TFL Classes:
Have you seen the painting of the old man seated at the table in prayer? I have seen it in
many houses, and it is in my mind as an icon of a disciple, someone pursuing God. I don’t
know the name of it, but the image is an elderly man seated at a table with a Bible, some “I am realizing
reading glasses, and a simple meal; his head is tilted down, and his hands are clasped against how powerful “I came into the
his forehead as if he is in fervent prayer. You get the feeling that he has studied God’s my words to class praying
about a broken
word, and is now in prayerful pursuit of the Father’s will with determination. You get the my husband relationship with
sense through the age of the man, the way he is sitting and what he is doing, that this is a are” my daughter and I
fixed discipline of his life, like he has been seeking God like this for a long time. am seeing God
That is an old picture of an old man. Our contemporary image of someone seeking God is soften her heart
different. It is more youthful and expressive. Have you seen the picture of the contempo- to me”
rary worshiper? You can find the same image or a similar one on many Christian magazines, “I realize I am
books and Christian advertisements. It is the picture of the man or woman, usually from not the one
the back, with their head lifted to heaven and their hands open with arms stretched out to responsible to
the sides. Their body makes the shape of the cross, and they are gazing up at heaven de- change my
lighting in the Glory of God. The image reminds us of freedom and delight. spouse” “One big lesson I
am learning is
It is interesting to note the differences between the two images. Gone are the reading that I come into
glasses, gone are the clenched fists, gone is the simple meal, gone are the disciplines of relationships
prayer and scripture reading, gone is the ordinary, gone is the sense of discipline or deter- with a lot of
mination. These images are replaced by delight and joy, a sense of freedom with open hands selfish agendas”
and an upward look of pleasure in the very person of God. “This course has
I am not attempting to say one is right and one is wrong. In fact, to seek God as human taught us to exam-
beings would require both of these realities. The daily rhythm, a discipline of reading God’s ine our own walk
with Jesus, and it has
word and fervently seeking him in prayer as expressed in the old man, as well as times to shown us how our
celebrate our freedom through Jesus as expressed through the contemporary picture of a walk directly corre- “I am seeing
worshiper would represent a more complete picture of a disciple of Jesus. lates to our effec- that forgiveness
Not only does it match our experience of following God, it also matches the NT picture of tiveness as parents” is everything…
a disciple. The apostle Paul described his walk with Jesus as the hard work of the disciplined you can’t know
life through the language of an Olympic athlete in strict training in pursuit of a gold medal: God without it”
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So
run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not
box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control… Continued on Page 2
God Is At Work In Family Ministrie
Our Families! Resource Table s
We are grateful for all the signs we see in our parents/marriages wanting to learn to live
out God’s design for their marriages/families. Here are a few things we are celebrating: As a church w
e
husband/wife/p want to support you in yo
• Dads and moms coming to church faithfully and bringing their children to worship arents. We w u ro
this summer, ould encourag le of
with them on Sundays and to our CM classes on Wednesday evenings. to purchase a e you over
gether or to lo good book to
• For the 24 families represented in the “Unavoidable Impact” class for parents of teen- parents ok around and read to-
in our ch see other mar
ria
agers on Wednesday nights. learn from. In urch family that you would ges and
• For the 40+ people in the “Relationships 101” class on Wednesday nights who are vite them out like to
to ask them qu for coffee and
sharing about how God is helping them change in how they relate to others around Starting this estions and learn together enjoy a time
Sund .
them. Resource Tabl ay we will have a “Family
e” in the lobb M
• For Dad’s and heads of households standing to be prayed for during this Nehemiah good books/resour y, with a display inistry
ces that you co of very
series. For all the ways they are listening to God to learn more about leading their own that may be
of help to you. uld purchase on your
families. God bless you
• For stories of how God is doing miracles in helping marriages to open up and to as you keep on
following God
get help with their relationship. together as a in your journey in
family.
• For stories of families that are reading God’s Word together each week.
• For stories of couples that, on their own, go to conferences or read books to get help in their marriage/parenting.
PAGE 2
Pursuing God This Summer? (Continued)
Paul also describes his life with Jesus as great delight, freedom and celebration. In fact, over 30 times in his letters he describes himself rejoicing
and celebrating in following Jesus, and if he is not doing it himself he is instructing the churches to do it.
Often I think we find ourselves being pulled toward one image of a disciple over the other. I believe, like Paul, we need both. My warning to
some of you is that you NEED to rejoice. You must celebrate what God has done. Yes, continue to labor in the disciplined pursuit of God, but
along the way celebrate. Rejoice in the Lord, really. It does not matter how you stand or sit, but it does matter that you rejoice and celebrate
the miracle of what God has done for you.
Many of you have ignored the disciplined path of the old man. I want to warn you that God has called you to labor and work as part of your
spiritual growth. You are not designed to be passive and wait for moments of great emotional experience. You are not designed to just coast
through life making things comfortable. You are to worship your Father by diligently seeking him.
I would like you to consider these warnings as you plan your summer. I want you to seek God this summer, whether in celebration or through
personal discipline. I also want you to know that there is help for you along the way. There are a number of places that you can go this sum-
mer to seek God, and the bottom line is you need help to do it. You are not designed to do it alone.
Please consider the options (see insert) for TFL this summer and make the arrangements to be there.
Bio of the Month
Name: Christine Laury
Job Title: At Living Faith Alliance Church, I am
presently the children's ministry coordinator for
the 0-5 preschool-aged children. Also, I am a wife,
a mom, and recently a grandma for the first time.
Family: My husband, Ted, and I have been married
for 27 years. We have three children: Kasie (25),
David (24), and Sean (20). Kasie is married to a
wonderful young man named Darren Har-
ris. David and his lovely wife, Mindy, have a pre- Parents and Children
cious 5 1/2 month old daughter whose name is
Myla. Sean is still looking for his perfect match :) Don't Miss This Night!!!
What’s on your iPod right now? Lately, my
favorite album is "Hymns" by Chris Rice. I also The Annual Children's Ministry Picnic will be on Wednes-
listen to sermons by Children's Desiring God, as well a podcast enti- day, June 23 from 6:00pm - 8:15pm at Cumberland
tled "Revive Our Hearts" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Christian School.
Do you have a hobby? My favorite hobby is reading good books. I also give
time to staging homes for resale with my husband. Moms, dads, brothers and sisters invited!
What books are you currently reading or recommend? In addition to Wednesday night children will share a little of what they
the Bible, I am currently reading "A lineage of Grace" by Francine Rivers, learned this year.
which describes the Biblical accounts of five unlikely women who changed
eternity. As I anticipate some beach time reading I'm looking forward This is a great time to enjoy a meal, interact with your chil-
to "Spoken from the Heart", by Laura Bush dren, talk with other parents, hear things your children have
What are you passionate about? My passions are knowing Jesus, being in learned, worship with others and pray as a family.
meaningful relationships, and eating dark chocolate :) Also, I am passionate
about spending precious time with my family and growing into my new role as Please bring a blanket large enough for your family to sit on.
a grandparent as Ted and I enter the "empty nest" stage of life. Each family bring a side dish that can feed 8-10 people
Where were you born? I grew up in Darby, Pa in a large family, 2nd to that goes well with hot dogs and hamburgers.
youngest of 10 children.(6 brothers and 3 sisters)
Name a pet peeve. I can't stand the sound & texture of styrofoam! No sweets--dessert will be provided
Favorite local restaurant? Dreams' frappachinos, salads, and gelato are the
best! We like Moe's a lot too!
Describe a surprising eccentric quirk: When I take walks with peo-
ple I have to be one walking and talking on the left side.
Leaders Seeking Times of Refreshing in God's Presence
Times of So much is ours! ("the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit"--2
Corinthians 3:14)
Refreshing On Friday, June 18th, we will gather ministry leaders and their leadership teams to seek the Lord, encourage
one another and foster ways to establish God's Kingdom in our circles of influence.
Join us, if you are a leader or leadership team member, at 7:00pm @ Lincoln Avenue. For more details see your
ministry leader or contact Diego Cuartas.
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6 PAGE 3
The Voices of Our Youth
Lake Champion Testimonies
I've been a Christian ever since I was a young kid so I've pretty much grown up
in the church and have known all the Bible stories, prayers, etc. During Lake
Champion though, God just made real to me his love for me and I was able to
experience a relationship with him in a deeper and more personal way than
ever before.
Bianca Flury, 11th grader
This year at Lake Champion God confirmed for me a few different things. One being, I
need to let God be in control. Also, that I do not need to be the one to rescue myself. I
have a huge strong God just waiting for me to rely on him. In the middle of my storms I
may try to swim but I wont get anywhere on my own, all I have to do is call out to him
and he will be right there helping me get to the place he wants me to be.
Tabatha Martinez, 12th grader
Watch the mail for the LFAC Summer Youth Schedule, coming soon!
Youth Jr. High: Wed. 6/9--Youth Group @ Cumberland Christian gym, 6:30-8:00pm
Group Wed. 6/16--LAST Youth Group of this school year @ Cumberland Christian gym, 6:30-8:00pm
Tuesday 6/29--7th grade class dinner @LFL 6:00-7:30pm
Sr. High: Tues. 6/8--Small Groups @LFL, 7:00-8:30pm
Tues. 6/15--Last Small Groups of school year @LFL, 7:00-8:30pm--SENIOR NIGHT, honoring our 12th graders!
“It is not where we were,
it is what we are becoming.” Financial
Back during the latter days of autumn past, a group of devoted prayer warriors from our Church
(eleven in all) joined with one fundamental purpose in mind. Our purpose was to spend six months
in individual daily prayer with the focus upon the future of “Living Faith Alliance Church.” Actually,
Update
our focus was on three distinct areas of need. The first need concerned our immediate finances,
the measured need was our desire for a new place to worship after we left the Main Road Sanctu-
May’s numbers have been tabu-
ary and the long-term need centered on the future of the Lincoln Avenue property.
lated and again the grace of God
As a group, we quickly understood that for our Church to realize the fulfillment of each of these and the generosity of our collec-
needs, it was vital that we go to God in dedicated prayer. Over those six months, we as a group tive family is glowing. The giving
moved from the feeling of desperation to the reality of triumph and joy. Along the way, we sought continues to exceed expectations and
clarity and a new beginning and yet accepted that we needed to be a people showing sincere faith the General Fund is ahead by nearly
and patience. A key reality expressed by one member of our group was, “Even though we do not $38,000 for the year. On average
have a building to call a home, we do know we are always home when we are with our church family.” To General Fund giving is $1,400 more
be certain, we all came to realize the six months of dedicated prayer we walked through was one each week over the same time period
of the more rewarding experiences we encountered during our time at The Vineland Alliance. last year. We hope for a continuation as
We have seen God answer our prayer for finances with a resounding yes, and our church is now we head into the summer months. Re-
functioning in the black. God also answered our prayer for temporary homes to both worship in member the General Fund is used for
and teach in with our arrival at the Wallace School and the Cumberland Christian School. Lastly, all operating expenses of the church
the long term need as to what we do with the Lincoln Avenue property has not been fulfilled, yet while other funds such as the Build-
even in that area there is a group now being formed who will begin the process of planning for that ing, Missions, and Deacons are sepa-
detailed want. rate. You can give to any of these by
clearly marking your check or envelope.
It is certain more than ever that prayer works! That was proven repeatedly as we moved through
our committed desire to seek God’s will for our passionate body of believers. Also if you find it a challenge to bring
your tithe each week on Sundays, you
Is the process over? Well, no of course not! Even though our group has met as an assembly for the can also give online through our web-
last time, we are already considering how to form a new group of prayer warriors who can join for site www.LFAchurch.org (your email is
a segment of time and pray the Church into and through the next challenges that lie ahead. As one required), or you can drop off or
of the members of our group so aptly put it, “It is not where we were, it is what we are becoming that mail your gifts to the office all week
really matters.” long. Each gift you give is recorded and a
In closing, the most important thing we can say is that experiencing the reality of God’s hand work- tax statement is issued at the end of the
ing through the needs of our Church is certain, evident and joyfully fulfilling. Meeting God in prayer year. If you don’t currently give and
is rewarding beyond understanding, so why would we not want to return to Him again and again would like to, but have questions, please
and encounter more of the reward. call the office and we’ll be sure to point
May God continue to bless us as a Church. you in the right direction.
The Thursday Evening Prayer Group. Matthew Rudd
Interested in receiving this newsletter via email? Send your name & email to churchoffice@lfachurch.org
Membership
Even though many of you call Living Faith Alliance Church your home, you have yet to take the step of becoming members. It is an opportu-
nity that is overlooked for other, more pressing needs. This summer I want you to set aside 3 Wednesday evenings to come join me for
dinner and a discussion about you becoming a member. We will explore God’s design for your life at Living Faith Alliance Church.
Membership is about two things. The first is getting to know the bigger picture of this movement or cause that we believe God has for us
as a church. I want to explain to you that what we are doing is not just a Sunday morning or Wednesday night event, but we are creating a
movement that centers on Jesus. I am inviting you to explore the movement that is our church.
The second part of the membership course is that we also want to help you pay attention to your own calling, the movement that God has
started in you. Our desire is that over the sessions of the membership course the two movements would come together. Our hope is that
the movement of God in you will match the movement of God in Living Faith Alliance Church and that membership would be an opportu-
nity for us to covenant together in fulfilling God’s designs for this church, in this community, at this time.
Wednesday nights, July 21-August 4 (3 weeks) 6:00-8:30 at Living Faith Lincoln.
Dinner will be served each week!
This training covers the 7th of the 7 Essentials of Discipleship. In this Baptism course a disciple will learn to “Live God’s Design for my life
through the Living Faith Alliance Church”
Baptism
Why get baptized? To answer that question more fully, I would like to invite you to attend the baptism course we are offering this summer.
Going through the baptism course gives you an opportunity to understand more fully God’s design for baptism.
To give you a quick answer let me give you two reasons to get baptized. The first reason is that Jesus said so to in Matthew 28:19. That’s
right: Jesus said it, so let’s obey it. (That little rhyme might help you remember). The second reason is just my opinion not a Biblical com-
mand, but there is great benefit in public declarations of our faith in Jesus. It is good for our soul to publicly say I am following Jesus, His
death matters to my life. So please consider this step of obedience.
Wednesday nights, August 11-25. (3weeks) 6:00-8:30 at Living Faith Lincoln.
Dinner will be served each week!
This training covers the 4th of the 7 Essentials of Discipleship. In this Baptism course a disciple will learn to “Declare your faith for the Glory of
God.”
Baptisms will be Sunday Afternoon on August 29th.
Idle Busyness in Idol Business: Shepherding Jr. and Sr. High Children in Technology
Helping parents to set 'technology boundaries' for their children, equipping them to shepherd their children in the use of technology, and
teaching parents how to understand and use the technology themselves. Classes will include Facebook/MySpace, Cell Phones, Internet gen-
eral, Internet pornography, Video Games, iPod/Music (Secular), iPod/Music (Christian), Television and Movies.
Wednesday nights, June 30-August 25 (9 weeks) 6:30-8:00 at Living Faith Lincoln
1 Thessalonians (Formed by His Word)
Often it is so difficult to see God in the middle of the busy/stressful/painful world. The result of this is that we feel alone and distant from
God, unprepared for the reality of everyday life. I believe if we learn the discipline of reading Scripture to meet with God and learn of Him
and His ways in the pages of the Bible, we will be equipped to trust Him in the stuff of everyday life. To put it simply, He has given us Scrip-
ture so that in the middle of our world we would know Him, obey him and become like Him.
This summer we will be working through the book of 1 Thessalonians. The way Formed by His Word works is that we spend some time
reading and discussing a portion of Scripture with the intent of getting to know God while learning how to study Scripture. Our desire is
that our lives would start to be formed and shaped by His Word. Formed by His Word is a great environment to learn how to read Scrip-
ture and to enjoy studying together. Through this guided discipline of reading Scripture you can establish daily rhythms of seeking God in
His Word on your own.
Check out the many different times and locations, and pick the one that works for you.
All Locations will be 8 weeks starting the week of July 5-August 23
Tuesday Morning 6:30-7:30am Larry’s 2 Café
Tuesday Night 7-8pm Larry & Leslie Baruffi’s house - (Men Only)
Wednesday Nights 8-10pm Location TBD
Thursday Night 7-8pm Walt & Shirley Hayman’s house
Call the office for directions to the various locations.
The Tangible Kingdom Apprenticeship: An exploration in Mission and Incarnational Community
God’s perfect design for expanding his Kingdom on earth involves the very people of the earth. He came as a one of us, made his home
among us and lived close enough to us to make tangible the promises of his Kingdom. Then he charged his Church to do the same. Today,
those people of God who center their lives in the example of Christ are those who reveal to the desperate and the wicked the redemption
that is found in the Kingdom.
This summer, we will spend eight weeks allowing Christ to apprentice us. We will develop the inner spirituality and discover the skills and
habits necessary for us to individually and collectively live out Jesus’ ways in our community and across our world. We will explore this
lifestyle as we eat, study, work and play together. It is our hope that these eight weeks will not be an end but a new beginning!
Wednesday Nights: June 30-August 18 from 6:30-8:30 Location TBD
There will be an orientation on Thursday June 24 from 7:30-8:30
Let’s peek in on a Pastorate….
The Jelinek Pastorate has been meeting for almost 2 years and is growing
by leaps and bounds. We have been blessed by having new attendees at
almost all of our get togethers this session, many who are now joining
us on a regular basis. We have a diverse group with many families. It's
amazing to see so many children (who sometimes outnumber the adults), enjoying each other & looking forward
to their time together for a wiffle ball game in the front yard, or trading silly band bracelets. We have
even recruited two youth group members, whose families attend, who help out with our worship time
by sharing their guitar playing and voices with us. The outpouring of love among the adult members is amazing. We
have seen each other through many good times and trials in our time together with lots of prayer and encourage-
ment. We feel our group truly represents what Christ intended when he called us to be "brothers and sisters" in Him.
This past winter term we had a family movie outing. Many of us met at a theater in Washington
Township to see a movie called "Letters to God." It was a Christian movie, based on the true life
For more information story of a 9 year old boy with cancer. We hope to show it at an outing when it is available on DVD to those
contact Mike or Kim who couldn't attend. The movie was followed by ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, which shouldn't sur-
at 856-697-4712 prise anyone!! We also had make your own sundaes, for the kids, at our last get
or jels11@comcast.net together...but I know some adults enjoyed it even more than the kids!
This term we will be preparing, setting up, and serving at the end of the year Chil-
dren's Ministry Picnic to be held at CCS on Wednesday, June 23rd. We are also
preparing for our 3rd summer of FCA camp, which is a community based, family camp we hold at
Melini Park in Buena Boro. The original growth of our pastorate came from many families who were
a part of our camp from the beginning, either by attending or helping out, so many of us hold this
community outreach near to our hearts.
Our plans for this summer are to continue to gather at Melini Park for the four dates FCA camp will be
held. The dates we will meet are Saturday, June 19th & 26th, and Saturday, July 10th and 17th. We will meet at the park, which
is located on Central Ave in Minotola from 5 to 8pm on these dates. Pizza, drinks, and cookies are pro-
vided for all in attendance, who will get to enjoy some recreational time, worship time, and time to hear
the word of God. Our pastorate helps with set-up, sign-in, serving, teaching, and providing worship mu-
sic. The camp is open to anyone and everyone. Please contact us if you are interested or would like more
information, and feel free to invite another friend or family.
We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to lead a pastorate. We are so
thankful that God had that in His plans for us and for the many people he
has put in our lives as a result of it. If you haven't taken the time to visit or
join a pastorate, please try...we are sure it is something that could change your life!
In Him,
Mike & Kim Jelinek