Christian Church of the Hills Newsletter - Online Edition

Church closed

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:11:00 +0000

As you may know CCH has closed. Our last service was December 27, 2009. Our building was sold to Westlake Lutheran Church who is now meeting there regularly.

We are no longer serving the community as a local church and cannot promote events or materials.

Our distribution of funds is finished, please do not contact us for requests for donations.

Our sermon podcasts are still available online and our older newsletters are viewable here.

Thank you and God bless you.

Closing the Church

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:44:00 +0000

After 30+ years of ministry, the church has decided to close. We held our final service on Sunday, December 27, 2009. We pray that everyone who has attended or been members at CCH will soon find new church families to bless. You are all such wonderful people that any church will be priveledged to welcome you. It is our hope that you will find a new church home to serve in and grow in the Lord. God bless you all.

For a short while, we will continue to host the Sermon Audio Podcast and Sermon Outlines.

If you need to contact the church leadership, you may still call (818) 991-1929 and leave a message.

December 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Christmas services
The best thing about Christmas is Jesus Christ! Pastor Dave’s new sermon series is entitled “GETTING TO KNOW THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS!" We’re using the four weeks during the Christmas season getting to know more about Jesus! The series is based out of the Old Testament and helps us to see Jesus Christ Jesus in a unique way. Here is the schedule of sermons…

November 29 - Jesus: The Wonderful Counselor
December 6 - Jesus: Our Mighty God
December 13 - Jesus: The Everlasting Father
December 20 - Jesus: The Prince of Peace

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
on December 24th, from 5:00—6:00 p.m. This is a warm family service with Christmas carols, the story of the birth of Christ, communion, and candle lighting to “Silent Night”.
A wonderful way to begin celebrating Christmas!

Final Edition by Lori George
This is the final edition of the “Good News” newsletter. The decision to close the church came after two years of deliberation by our elders. We did not want to become an “adult” only church and our children and youth departments have shrunk over the past few years so that we felt it was a good time to consider our options. One of the steps in those considerations was to approach a local church (Westlake Lutheran Church) to see if there was interest in purchasing our building. They immediately replied that they were very interested. We are currently in escrow with that church.

CCH has been a church of love and caring for 30 years. Our mission at CCH is to see lives changed by bringing unbelievers to Christ and encouraging believers to become like Christ. This mission statement has been faithfully put into practice. We have received so many kind comments from past and present members as to the ministry of our church and how it has blessed each of you. Thank you for that. And we certainly enjoyed seeing over 200 of you here in March to celebrate our 30th anniversary.

Professions of faith and baptisms have continued regularly – most recently with Rose Topliss and Jenna Prieger. Amanda Miuccio is planning on being baptized on December 27th. Amanda wanted to be baptized in the church she grew up in. Please let us know if you would like to be baptized on that day as well.

Teaching the Word and living it in our daily lives has been our main focus – and you are proof of the fruit of our labors. God is faithful and will lead us all to find other churches in the area where we can worship and serve and continue to grow in our love of the Lord. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (New International Version)

In the past two years we have had a mission outreach campaign in place, Go M.A.D. (make a difference), where we have reached out to many local charities and organizations. To date we have touched 22 groups either on a regular basis, monthly, or once-a-year. The response has been so gracious and rewarding. Jeanne, our World Vision child, will continue to be supported by one of our own members. We have funds in reserve that will carry her through June 2010.

Our last service is scheduled for Sunday, December 27, 2009. We will have an open mic for sharing what CCH has meant to you in your walk with the Lord. We will provide a list of sister churches and their contact information at this service; as well as a church directory. After the service there will be a catered lunch and lots of time to share and care for each other! If you plan to attend, please let us know so that we have enough food ordered for everyone. There is a signup sheet in the church lobby, or you may email or phone to R.S.V.P. We welcome all current and past CCH friends and family.
It’s been a wonderful 30+ years. God bless you all.

From the Pastor
Dear CCH Family,
As the thirty year chapter of Christian Church of the Hills comes to a close, I want to thank all of you who have been a part of this church family. It has been a privilege to be your pastor and share in your journey of following Jesus Christ. Although there is some sadness in the parting of ways, there is also an excitement of what is to come. I know that our Father in heaven has a great plan for each one of you as I believe He has for me and my family.

Though it is difficult to find a new church family, I am reminded of the phrase, “Home is where you hang your hat.” I am convinced that wherever you end up, there is another church that over time will become your church family.

Remember to love God with all your heart, share God’s love with everyone, and walk in the warmth of His grace. May the love of Christ be with you all.

Have a very Merry Christmas.
Pastor Dave Crouse

Christmas Greetings to all!

I've been a member of CCH since 1995, an Elder since 2006 and a staff member since 2007. I’ve been most blessed by the sincere effort by each person here to be more like Jesus....and isn't that the environment a Church is supposed to provide?

Some may interpret a scripture differently, some may place form above content, some may have wonderful social skills and some may not...but ALL have brought who we are in Christ, so that HE can make a quenching lemonade from us sinful and broken lemons!

It is sad we have to close our doors and will not experience the community we have so become accustomed to, but equally exciting is the road the Lord has ahead for each one of us. I know God is holding each of our hands and leading us to where He would have us go, not for our physical or social comfort.....but for our spiritual growth.

I treasure my years here...the friendships made, the bonds established and all the acquaintances. I've been blessed to watch others grow in the Lord and do and say things that would not have been possible but by the grace of God! The Father, the Son and Holy Spirit dwelt here and I felt them, tangibly, expressed by our Staff, Elders and beloved congregation.

Well, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it's been wonderful to stand alongside you worshiping and praying together. I'll always be available for phone calls, meetings, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts and any other consumables you care to throw my way! Call me - let's maintain our fellowship, okay? God is good and the future in Him is bright and shining like the stars in the universe!

Love and prayers, Chris

Kids Korner by Amber George
It is finally December! Time to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus and also celebrate Christian Church of the Hills. Just two quick announcements for the month of December.

First, on Sunday, December 20th the kids will be having a joint Christmas Party with the Youth Group. All kids will attend the beginning of the worship service like normal, then will be dismissed to the youth room for some fun and games and holiday cheer! Feel free to invite your friends to our last kid’s party!

Second, on Sunday, December 27th (our last service) all children will be staying in the worship service. There will be no classes on that Sunday. Younger children and parents are more than welcome to use the wiggle room at any time. This will be a family service and everyone is welcome.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all my volunteers, teachers, those who have donated and participated in the Children’s Ministry! There are so many of you that it is impossible to name you all in this newsletter, but you know who you are. You all hold a special place in my heart and have made this Children’s Ministry even better over the years. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to the kids. It has meant more to them than you know.

Lastly, to all the kids I have seen grow up over the last six years… I have been so blessed to have you in my life and to be a part of yours. You all mean the world to me and I will miss you so much. It has been amazing seeing you guys grow over the last six years and now, some of you are even in high school! I have had so much fun teaching you over the years, learning about your interests and hobbies, having supper club on Wednesday nights, going to summer and winter camps with you and driving to tons of special events. I have so many wonderful memories with all of you that I will never forget. I pray constantly that you will continue to grow in Christ and always lean on Him whenever you need someone.

“Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”
– 1st Timothy 4:12

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything! God Bless You and Merry Christmas!

Ladies Christmas Party & Dessert
Saturday, December 19 at 11:00 a.m.
This will be a great morning at Lela Adams’ beautiful home on Lake Sherwood. All ladies are invited.

We will have a luncheon and then bring out the cookies for dessert. If you have a Christmas cookie you’d like to share, please bring a plate with you!

Directions are available at the sign up sheet in the lobby at the church.

Missions/Outreach
Angel Tree Gifts — Adopt a child’s wish list for Christmas and buy them some gifts off the list which are out on the table in the lobby (5 names left). Sign the sheet and let us know which child’s list you took. The gifts from the new lists need to be here December 20th. All others (prior to these 5 names) need to be here by the 6th!!

Manna Food Collection—Last collection will be December 27.

Feeding the Homeless
It has been arranged for us to help at the New Years Eve meal at Emmanuel Presbyterian church in Thousand Oaks (Lynn Rd. and Camino Manzanas) from 6—7:30 p.m. The organization is through Lutheran Social Services and rotates churches from November through March, 7 days a week providing a meal, overnight and lunches for the next day. We will need people to help serve and we’ll need donations to cover the chicken we provide to feed 50 people ($160 — El Pollo Loco). There is a donation box and signup sheet in the lobby. This would be a nice way to end the year. . See Judy Leese for more information.

Pastor Dave’s Messages on Memory Stick
The messages since March 25, 2007 are all on our www.cchagoura.com website where you can listen for free, or download them; but we are offering a memory stick for $20 with all of the messages on it. The money needs to be paid by December 20th, and we will create the memory sticks to be available on our last Sunday. There is a signup sheet in the lobby.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
December Birthdays
7 — Drew Lewis
12 — Lynn Sweeney
19 — Jerry Adams
23 — Diane Diggs
29 — Caitlin Crouse
Anniversaries
None on record for December.

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary to everyone who celebrates this month.

November 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Congregational Meeting—Sunday, November 15 after the worship service. Vote of the members will take place during that meeting.

All Church Thanksgiving Dinner
Sunday, November 22 4-6 p.m.

Our annual dinner is a wonderful time of enjoying great food and fellowship. We’ll have a buffet setup in the social hall with the food you all bring: from turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, and rolls to amazing desserts and pies.

There is a sign up sheet in the lobby where you can offer to bring some food, and let us know about how many people you will have in your party. Friends are welcome!

We will have the Worship Center transformed into a beautiful Thanksgiving dining hall.

If you are able to help setup either the social hall or dining room (aka Worship Center) please indicate this on the sign up sheet in the lobby.

From the Pastor
After “townhall” type meetings held recently, the following letter was mailed out to the congregation on November 4.

This letter is to invite you to a special meeting called by the Board of Elders for all members of Christian Church of the Hills. The meeting will take place on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. after the morning worship service.

The purpose of the meeting will be to do the following:

To take a vote of the members authorizing the sale of the church property. We have a formal offer from Westlake Lutheran Church to purchase the church property.
To take a vote of the members authorizing the dissolution of the corporation. After the sale of the property, Christian Church of the Hills will no longer continue.
A vote of the members delegating authority to the directors regarding the distribution and winding down of the corporation... to sign any legal documents on behalf of Christian Church of the Hills.

We hope that all of those who are members of Christian Church of the Hills will make every effort to attend the meeting. Thank you for your understanding and support during this important time in our congregation.

The Board of Elders

Ladies Christmas Luncheon
Saturday, December 19 at 11:00 a.m.

This will be a great morning at Lela Adams’ beautiful home on Lake Sherwood. All ladies are invited.

We will have a luncheon and then bring out the cookies for dessert. If you have a Christmas cookie you’d like to share, please bring a plate with you!

Directions are available at the sign up sheet in the lobby at the church.

Kids Korner
It’s November! And, Fall is finally here. This is the month when we really remember to give thanks for all we have. And, there is so much to be thankful for. I want to take a second to say “Thank You!” to all my amazing teachers. I am very thankful to have you be a part of the Children’s Ministry.

First, the Pathfinders are starting their new curriculum series in November, which will take us through the end of the year. The series is called “The Bible Guides My Life”. Children will acknowledge that the Bible is as relevant today as when it was first written. Kids will recognize the Bible's importance as a guidebook for all they do. They'll exercise genuine faith and observe the wonders God has in store for them in His Word!

Also, SAVE THE DATE… December 2nd we will be having our annual Hanging of the Greens event and we want all kids there too! We would love your help decorating your classrooms. You can be creative and help get into the spirit of Christmas.

Have a great November and a wonderful Thanksgiving vacation!

Missions/Outreach: by Amber George

We have a lot of stuff coming up with Missions Team Projects! So, keep your eyes open for ways you can help this holiday season. We will have Angel Tree Gifts once again this year, our Thanksgiving outreach to two families, we will be continuing Manna collections and of course supporting our World Vision child, Jeanne.

I want to take this time to focus on Jeanne for two very special reasons. The first is that Christmas is coming up soon and her birthday is in January! We wanted to do something special for Jeanne. We are planning on sending out a package to her very soon with small gifts. We wanted to ask you to donate some small things that we can send her for these special occasions. There are certain things that are not recommended to send, but here are some ideas for items that we could send her:

ribbons
bookmarks
picture postcards
stickers
small coloring books and crayons
other flat, inexpensive items that can fit in a 6x9 envelope

Let’s make this Christmas and Birthday very special for Jeanne! If you want to contribute please bring items ASAP. Thanks for your continued support to the Mission Outreaches!

More Outreach Information:
NEW!! Thanksgiving Grocery Gift Cards—we have two families we would like to bless with gift cards this Thanksgiving. If you would like to donate toward these, please leave your donation in the basket in the lobby on Sunday.

NEW!! Pins & Needles: We will not be meeting during the holidays. But please keep creating. Kitty Lewis is hoping for some knit caps and scarves to be included in an outreach to families through the YMCA where Reign works. If you can create some for her to include with the gifts, please let her know.
Manna Food Collection—4th Sunday of each month. Our next collection will be Sunday, November 29. Manna is under new direction and the workers were so appreciative when Jerry dropped off the last collection. They raved about the various items. So let’s keep blessing them!

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (7 years old). $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. See previous column for more on Jeanne.

Watch for more details of the Christmas outreaches in the Sunday bulletins.
Mission Team meeting is on Sunday, November 15.

Hanging of the Greens
We have planned a fun evening on The evening is for the entire family.Wednesday, December 2nd beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The idea is to get a nice group of people here to help decorate the church for Christmas! The more the merrier!!

We’ll begin the evening with pizza ordered in for everyone planning to stay and help decorate the church. We may even sing a few Christmas carols together. Then we’ll set out to decorate the building!! Sign ups in the church lobby.

Baptism
Rose Topliss was baptized into the family of God on Sunday, October 4th. Congratulations and welcome to the family, Rose.

Rose has been attending now for a few months with her grandson, Kevin. Thank you to Eunice Page who invited them.

Another Baptism Sunday will be scheduled in December. Please see Chris Miuccio if you’d like to be baptized at that time.

Women of Faith
In an effort to get seats in the lower areas of the arena, several ladies have purchased tickets in advance for the 2010 Women of Faith Conference in Anaheim. We don’t know yet where those seats will be, but Amy Fechner bought 7 extra tickets.

If you know you will be interested in attending next fall, please talk to Amy. She would love to have you purchase one of the seven seats now

Wonderful Letter
We received a very nice letter of thanks from Karen Kimmel, CPA for the Las Virgenes School District thanking us for our backpacks and school supplies for Sumac Elementary School.

This was in addition to a thank you from the school principal.

The letter is on the bulletin board in the hallway.

CCH REPORT — October ‘09
Ave. Sunday Attendance = 68
Ave. Weekly Gen. Offering = $3229*
Needed weekly = $4200
*Includes rental income, other gifts, and event income

Prayer Chain

Dale R. — pray for his continued health concerns
Lorretta H. asks us to pray for a friend, Marilyn who has cancer.
Several members of our church have family that is either out of work or has very light work. Pray the God will provide.
Fran F. & Thais K.—please remember them in your prayers for their health concerns and comfort.
Rose T. — general welfare of her daughter-in-law.
John G. — Dave’s brother had a cancerous bladder tumor removed recently. Please pray for his recovery—he is still in quite a bit of pain.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs at 706-2124.

Birthday
Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary to everyone who celebrates this month. If we have your birthday or anniversary on record they are listed below:

November Birthdays
20—Amber G.

Anniversaries
None on record.

October 2009 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Picnic at Malibou Lake Park

On Sunday, October 11th, right after the worship service, we will hold a potluck picnic at the lake. Thanks to Loretta Hicks who lives nearby, we are able to hold our picnic at this great private park. We will have games, hamburgers, beverages and paper goods. We need you to bring the food and lawn chairs!

Here is a link to their website for directions (there will be printed ones at church as well)… http://www.maliboulake.com/contact/directions.html.

Please sign up in the lobby at church so we know how many people to expect.

From the Pastor

It seems to me that this is a time in our nation when so many people are experiencing tough times. That might include relational problems, career problems, family problems or especially, financial problems. As Christians, we are not immune to these trials and problems.

In order to help deal with the struggles you face, the Bible constantly teaches us to ask ourselves the following question…”What is it God that you are trying to teach me or what is it you are trying to change in my life?” If we can manage to ask that question, some positive results might come out of the negative circumstances we find ourselves in. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote…
Rom. 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us…

Someonce once said…”God's purpose is always greater than your problems”. No matter what you're going through right now, try to ask yourself “How can God use this problem to bring about His purpose in my life?” Here are four ways he might be accomplishing that…

1. God is using this problem to direct me and teach me.
2. God is using this problem inspect me or test my faith and character.
3. God is using this problem to correct me and mold into a better person.
4. God is using this problem to protect me from future harm.

So if you’re struggling right now with some serious problems and not sure how you’ll make it through, remember that God is present and can use this situation to bring about His purpose in your life.

May you stand strong and firm despite life’s challenges as you walk the path of life with your Lord and Savior!

In His Great Love,
Pastor Dave

Multi-ministry Updates: Chris Miuccio

Tuesday, October 6th will be our next TV Dinner Ministry! We will be watching an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer decides he doesn't want to go to church. We will discuss biblical insights that arise in the various parts of the episode. Bring your own dinner, snack, dessert or just coffee and we'll eat while we watch and then discuss afterwards. 6:30pm-7:45pm.
October 20th will be 2nd study in October and we will watch an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Sunday, October 18th, a representative from Joni and Friends will give a presentation how our Church can do it's part in helping the disabled. Our church building is already built with the disabled in mind and we have hopes of getting interested and consistent volunteers to begin a disabled ministry here at CCH.

Sunday, October 25th will be the next 12th Grade/College age get together at Barnes and Noble in Westlake at 7pm. We will talk about many things but focus on plans for the future!

Kids and Youth: Amber George

Fall has finally arrived! October is here and it is getting close to Halloween! As most of you know, CCH has the annual Halloween Carnival at the end of October. This year is going to be a little different. Instead of having our carnival on a Saturday night, we are going to have our Halloween Carnival/ Party on Sunday morning during Sunday School. It will take place on Sunday, October 25th from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Preschoolers, kids and youth will NOT go into the worship that morning. They can come straight to the youth room at the start on the service to begin our Halloween Party!

There will be games, treats, a movie and food. Pizza will be served after the worship service at 11:30 a.m. Parents are welcome to come in after church to hang out with their kids and have some pizza. We would love to have you join us.

This a perfect event to invite friends to. So, invite as many people as you want. We will have flyers to hand out to friends. Also, don't forget to wear your costume! We will be having our annual Costume Contest, so dress your best!

VERY IMPORTANT: ABSOLUTELY NO SCARY OR GHOULISH COSTUMES WILL BE ALLOWED AT CHURCH! We will ask you to change into regular clothes if your costume is inappropriate. Parents, please make sure costumes are suitable for Sunday morning.

The Pathfinders will be finishing the series called “The Bible Tells Me So” this month. We have been learning about the Ten Commandments and have already looked at the first nine Commandments. The kids have been doing a great job with this series and learning their memory verses. Also, the kids will still be working on their own workbooks in class each week in Sunday School and will be taking home a “Disciple Guide” weekly. I encourage you to help your kids go over this to keep up with what they are learning.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in helping teach Sunday School once a month in the Pathfinders class or Preschool we would love to have you! We still need volunteers. Please let Amber know if you are interested and we will get you started right away!

Also, just a reminder… let’s not forget to be at church early every week. It really does make a big difference in the Sunday School and Preschool classes. Let's keep it up and invite friends! Every week the kids receive stickers for attendance, memorizing verses and winning games. When the kids receive all their stickers they get to go to lunch after church!

Everyone have a great October and a happy, safe Halloween!

200th Anniversary of the Restoration Movement
Christian Churches, Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ all have their roots in Thomas Campbell’s “Declaration and Address” in 1809, a statement and call to Christian love that echoes with great hope for today.

In celebration of our heritage and unity, Pepperdine University is holding a “Great Communion” on Sunday, October 4th at 3:00 in the Elkins Auditorium.

Missions

Halloween Bake Sale—please bring a few extra dollars and help support the sale by purchasing baked goods on Sunday, October 4. The money will go to help Angeles Crest Camp—there is much to be done after the fire raged through the mountain. (We will not hold a ACCC cleanup day just yet, the roads are still closed until November sometime—or later. The camp was spared from the actual fire, but they have no income except insurance money, and donations. )
World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (7 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care.
Pins & Needles: We will be on break for the remainder of this year. But please keep creating. We thought making scarves to be handed in on January 28th could go to local shelters for the homeless. After that, perhaps a granny square afghan to raffle off or donate.
Manna Food Collection—4th Sunday of each month. Next collection will be Sunday, October 25.

Thanksgiving Dinner

We are hoping to deliver Thanksgiving groceries to at least five families. What we’d like from you are names of families in our area that we can lend a hand to this Thanksgiving. It may even be your own family! There will be inserts in the Sunday bulletin where you can fill out the name of a family (and address) so we consider them for this outreach. In November we’ll hold a drive for food and grocery gift cards. Watch for the list to be published of what items to bring in.

Baptisms

Jenna P. was baptized on our Fall Kickoff Sunday. We are so happy for the decision Jenna has made to serve the Lord with all her heart!

This Sunday Rose T. will be baptized.

Adult Bible Studies: Sunday mornings at 8:45 with Randy O. teaching—Ephesians. Monday mornings at 10:30 with Kathy N. teaching — Ephesians. Tuesday evening at 6:30 (1st & 3rd weeks) with Chris M. teaching lessons from TV episodes. Wednesday evenings at 7:00 with Pastor Dave teaching — Hebrews.
Kids & Youth on Sunday mornings!into the Word and study on a daily basis at home.

Study Guides

The next quarter’s study guide booklets are in. Encounters with God is a helpful tool to get you The daily studies in Old and New Testament books take about 15 minutes.

There are five study guides, first come first serve. And the cost to CCH is $3 per booklet. There is a donation box out if you can help toward that expense.

Prayer Chain

Dale R. — doing pretty well right now.
Lorretta H. asks us to pray for a friend, Marilyn who has cancer.
Several members of our church have family that is either out of work or has very light work. Pray the God will provide.
Fran F. — doing much better after the flu and sinus infection.
Rose T. — general welfare of her daughter-in-law.
John .— Dave G.’s brother. Continue prayer for cancerous tumor removed successfully from bladder. Unknown prognosis at time of printing.
Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

Volunteers Needed

There are areas of service available for those wishing to be involved more here at CCH. For more information on any of these, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of the staff.

We need singers and musicians for our Worship Team.
Also needed are Kids Sunday School Teachers —We can always use more rotating volunteers to teach about once a month in the kid’s class (grades K-5).
Can you prepare the communion trays (and clean up) one Sunday per month?

Senior Living

Charlie, who attended here regularly a few years ago, has opened a Christian Senior Living house in the Valley. She has job opportunities and openings for seniors. If you are interested, please visit: http://web.mac.com/shilohchateu.com/Site/Home.html

Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary to everyone who celebrates this month. If we have your birthday or anniversary on record they are listed below:

October Birthdays
20—Doug S.
25—Dave C.

Anniversaries
3—Dave & Dani C.
8—Blake & Janet S.

If we don’t show you here, please drop an email with your dates—or better still go on line www.cchagoura.com/groups and fill out a survey form - we’d love to have that on file!

Backpack Outreach

On behalf of Sumac Elementary School, I want to thank you for your generous donation of numerous backpacks and school supplies to be used for many of our students in need.

Thank you for choosing Sumac Elementary School. Your contribution is appreciated.

Sincerely,
Carol Martino, Principal

Women of Faith

This year 12 ladies enjoyed some great speakers, music, special singers and more at the Women of Faith conference. It was uplifting, moving, and the music was great. We laughed ‘til our sides ached at Anita Renfroe!

Several ladies have purchased tickets in advance for 2010 in order to get seats in the lower areas. We don’t know yet where those seats will be, but Amy Fechner bought 7 extra tickets.

If you know you will be interested in attending next fall, please talk to Amy. She would love to have you purchase one of the seven seats now.

The cost is $79. Please see Amy to be sure there are no added fees.

September 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Fall Kickoff

Sunday, September 13

Byron & Brenda Burns will be here to sing a mini-concert for us!
We’ll have a BBQ lunch (tri-tip and veggie burgers) in our Social Hall & Patio after the service.
Salads, Chips & Dips, Desserts—potluck
$3 per adult to cover BBQ
Raffle: gift cards from Famous Dave’s BBQ , Golden Spoon Yogurt and Barnes & Nobles.

Everyone is welcome—invite a friend. This will be a great morning!

From the Pastor

Hello CCH Family!

Can you believe it? Summer is gone and the fall season is here!! As we head into September I hope you’re planning on being here for our Fall Kickoff Sunday, on September 13! Byron Burns is our special guest and he’ll be performing a mini-concert during the worship service. Byron is one of the best vocalists I’ve ever heard and he will inspire you and bring encouragement to your walk with God.

In addition, I’ll be starting a new sermon series entitled…”Survivor: How to Survive Life’s Challenges!” Here are some of the topics I’ll be teaching on…

September 13 Survivor: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

September 20 Surviving an Economic Crisis

September 27 Surviving Tragedy and Heartache

October 4 Surviving a Tolerant Culture

October 11 Surviving My Schedule

October 18 Surviving the Stress of My Job

October 25 Surviving Failures in Life

These are difficult times that we’re living in and sometimes it’s tough enough to just keep going day to day. Each Sunday I’ll give you some practical tools to not only survive but overcome the challenges that come your way.

I hope to see each and every one of you in God’s house on Sunday! And remember…”Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith…” Colossians 2:6

I love you all,

Pastor Dave

Thank You

Dear CCH Family,

I want to thank all of you for the kind words that were both said to me and written on the thank you card that I received last Sunday at the end of the worship service. It was certainly uplifting to read what each of you wrote on the card and I feel lucky to have such a loving congregation. Thank you again for expressing your love and appreciation to me - I consider it a privilege to be your Pastor!!

I love you all,

Pastor Dave

Kids News

September is here! It is hard to believe. This year is flying by. And, now everyone is back school and getting ready for fall (and for this heat to be over).

With fall quickly approaching, we will be having our Fall Kick-Off on Sunday, September 13^th. I want every kid to invite one of their friends to church that day. Since, we will have Byron Burns performing that day the kids will get to stay in the service and watch. We will also see one of our very own kids get baptized in the service! We will be having a BBQ after the church service with lots of awesome food and DESSERTS! It will be a lot of fun. And, don’t forget the raffle!

Also, just a reminder… let’s not forget to be at church early every week. It really does make a big difference in the Sunday School and Preschool classes. Let's keep it up and invite friends! Every week the kids receive stickers for attendance, memorizing verses and winning games. When the kids receive all their stickers they get to go to lunch after church!

The Pathfinders are continuing their curriculum series called “The Bible Tells Me So”. We have been learning about the Ten Commandments and have already looked at the first seven Commandments. The kids have been doing a great job with this series and learning their memory verses.

Also, the kids will still be working on their own workbooks in class each week in Sunday School and will be taking home a “Disciple Guide” weekly. I encourage you to help your kids go over this and that way you can keep up with what they are learning in Sunday School.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in helping teach Sunday School once a month in the Pathfinders class we would love to have you! We still need some volunteers. Please let Amber know if you are interested and we will get you started right away!

I hope everyone is enjoys the rest of their summer! Have fun and stay safe!

Youth News

On Sunday, Sept 27th, Chris will meet with the Young adults group (11th grade to college) at Barnes and Noble (in Westlake) at 7pm for discussion and fellowship on contemporary and personal issues.

On Sunday, September 6th Chris will be finishing up the "Memorize a scripture

per week" and begin a new series on September 13th entitled "God's Purpose For My Life".

New Bible Study

Every other Tuesday, starting Tuesday, Sept. 15th, Chris will be leading a new, fun type of Bible study called "The TV Dinner Ministry". For the first evening you may bring your own meal and eat while we watch one 30 minute TV show (Could be a drama, could be a comedy, could be a reality show). Afterwards we will discuss the Biblical implications of the show and how it relates to our lives and the lives of others. This night's episode is an episode of "I Love Lucy" entitled "Job Switching" where Ricky and Fred become the homemakers and Lucy and Ethel go to work at a candy factory. You may ask "How does the Bible fit into this, Chris?" to which I say, "Come and find out!". 7 p.m.-8:10 p.m.

Volunteers Needed

We NEED singers and musicians for our Worship Team. Too many of you think you have terrible voices or aren't very good at an instrument....and you're probably right (just kidding!)...but this is not about how good you are and more about how willing you are!! Many of us think the only miracles God can do are grand ones like walking on water or turning water into wine.....when maybe there are little ones than can turn an okay voice into a great one! Put another way - if God can change the heart of the Apostle Paul....isn't He capable of something easier like changing a voice? Are you willing to step out in faith and try it at least once? Call Chris......818-917-3289. He is waiting for your call.
Also needed are Kids Sunday School Teachers —We can always use more rotating volunteers to teach about once a month in the kid’s class (grades K-5). I will train you and step you through the lesson format and be here to help! Please see me, Amber.
Can you prepare the communion trays (and clean up after the service) one Sunday per month? We recently had an opening on the 4th Sunday of the month. The job is not difficult, with training you will feel confident the first week. Many hands make light work! Please see Lori or MaryAnn.

Mission Update

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (6 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care.
Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too! This month we’re asking everyone to write her a note. There will be note pages in your Sunday bulletin. Please take a few minutes to share with Jeanne.
Pins & Needles: our next meeting will be Thursday, September 24th when we will come up with a new project to begin in January. We will take a break for the next few months for the holidays. Please bring in finished baby blankets by September 13th.
Manna Food Collection—4th Sunday of each month. Next collection will be Sunday, September 27.

Watch soon for some great outreaches being planned.

Baptism Sunday

We have one baptism scheduled for Sunday, September 13th (Fall Kickoff). We’d love to schedule more. If you have been considering being baptized, please call the church office, or let Pastor Dave or Chris know on Sunday and we’ll meet with you and plan for that.

It’s also a great day to place membership and start our Fall Kickoff with a blessing!

Prayer Chain

Dale R. — doing pretty well right now and gained back some weight.

Lorretta H. asks us to pray for a friend, Marilyn who has cancer.

Wes P.— pray for Wes as he starts a new chapter of life going to college and living away from home.

Jaime & Will H. — pray for a safe and easy transition to school in Washington for Jaime. They move early in September. And just found out she’s pregnant!

Several members of our church have family that is either out of work or has very light work. Pray the God will provide.

Jenna P. will be baptized on September 13th.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs at 706-2124.

Cindy Leese R. On Tuesday, September 8, Cindy was induced to delivery her first baby (a girl). Samantha Penny R. was born late in the evening and weighed in at 7lb. 2oz. Everyone is doing well. Grandma Judy says Samantha has red hair!

Congratulations to Cindy and Brian and the Leese family.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

If we have your birthday or anniversary on record—we are listing those who celebrate this month. Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary to you!

September Birthdays

1—Dave F.

6—Melanie P.

Anniversaries

8—Rob & Kathy P.

15—Bill & Darlene H.

25—Bill & Kay D.

Congratulations everyone!

If we don’t show you here, please drop an email with your dates—or better still go on line www.cchagoura.com/groups and fill out a survey form - we’d love to have that on file!

Some Funnies

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked , "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?"

I mentally polished my halo, while I asked, "No, how are we alike?"

"You're both old," he replied.

--------------------------------------------------------

A ten-year old, under the tutelage of her grandmother, was becoming quite knowledgeable about the Bible.

Then, one day, she floored her grandmother by asking, "Which Virgin was the mother of Jesus?

The virgin Mary or the King James Virgin?"

August 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Fall Kickoff

Sunday, September 13
Byron Burns will be here to sing for us!
We’ll have a BBQ lunch in our Social Hall & Patio after the service.
Everyone is welcome—invite a friend.

This will be a great morning!

From the Pastor
Hello CCH Family!

One of the most difficult things for any individual or family to do is to visit a church. It can be a daunting, intimidating and uncomfortable task. Those who do come to visit our church, or any church for the first time, should be applauded for their courage to visit a place filled with strangers and attend a program that they don’t know anything about!

The reason I bring this up is that just about every week we have individuals visiting our church. They have decided to take the bold step to be a guest at our church and see what we’re all about. It’s a courageous effort! However, maybe we can make this difficult step a little easier, a little less stressful and a lot more enjoyable!!

How can you help? What can you do to help someone’s initial visit be a positive one? Here are some proactive steps you can take to help make a visitor feel welcome…

Even before the worship service starts, if you see a visitor sitting by themselves (visitors usually come early and sit alone) take the initiative to go over and introduce yourself to them. You don’t need to overwhelm them - you can simply introduce yourself and thank them for visiting the church.
During most worship services there is a greeting time or a time to shake hands with those around you. Make sure you take the time to walk over and greet a newcomer. Don’t just greet those you’re comfortable with…make the effort to greet those you don’t know.
After the worship service is over, make an effort again to talk to someone who is new to the church rather than just a small circle of friends. Thank them for coming and invite them to come back and visit again.
Invite a visitor to get a cup of coffee at the refreshments table. You might respond to this by saying, “I wouldn’t know what to talk about!” Here are some questions I like to ask people when meeting them for the first time…

Have you visited our church before?
How did you find out about CCH? Do you live in the area?
Is there any question I can answer for you about our church?
And if they are open to your conversation you can ask, what do you do for a living? What’s your occupation?
Share a little bit about yourself with that person.
Let them get to know you a little bit so that next time they visit they feel they are familiar with someone at the church.

These are just a few of the ways to help make a visitor feel comfortable. Taking time to greet visitors is a habit that takes time to develop. You have to come to church with an attitude of readiness to look for and befriend those who are coming to visit. I hope you’ll begin to make the effort to greet those who are new to our worship services. And, you never know…you might just be the person who helps a visitor make CCH their spiritual home!

Have a blessed week,

Pastor Dave!!

PATHFINDERS by Amber George:

August is already here. Which means summer is almost over and school is starting soon! It went by so fast.

First, I want to say thanks to everyone for committing to be at church every week and to get there early. It has already made a big difference in the Sunday School and Preschool classes. We had twelve kids in the Children's Ministry classes last week and eleven the week before! Let's keep it up and invite friends!

The Pathfinders are continuing their curriculum series called “The Bible Tells Me So”. We have been learning about the Ten Commandments and have already looked at the first three Commandments. This month we will be learning mom's and dad's favorite Commandment, “Honor your Mother and Father” -- among others.

Also, the kids will still be working on their own workbooks in class each week in Sunday School and will be taking home a “Disciple Guide” weekly. I encourage you to help your kids go over this; that way you can keep up with what they are learning in Sunday School.

Also, an announcement for parents of preschool children: Please remember to sign in your kids before class and leave any special instructions on the sign in sheet. You can do this before the church service begins so you don’t have to leave when the sermon begins.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in helping teach Sunday School once a month in the Pathfinders class we would love to have you! We still need some volunteers. Please let Amber know if you are interested and we will get you started right away!

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer! Have fun and stay safe!

YOUTH: by Chris Miuccio

Chris will be having another 12th Grade- College age group gathering on Sunday, August 16th from 7-8:30-ish at Barnes and Noble in Westlake to discuss current events, prayer requests and life challenges. Bring a friend. Very casual atmosphere.
August Sunday studies will be "Scripture Memorization Month"

We'll memorize a new scripture each week and discuss the merits of being armed with God's word.

See you there!!

Missions
Backpacks for kids -- Everything is going well with the backpack outreach. We have all the supplies pledged to be brought in.

Please have all items here no later than Wednesday, August 12 so that we can be sure all the supplies are purchased. We will then be able to get last minute items if needed.

Help is needed filling the backpacks on Sunday, August 16 after the service. We’ll meet in the social hall.

Mission Team Meeting: The next mission team meeting is this Sunday, August 9 after the service.

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (6 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too!

Pins & Needles: our next meeting will be Thursday, August 27th.

Manna Food Collection - This outreach continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. The tub will be out in the lobby again on August 23rd. The pantry is low so anything is helpful, but the following are especially needed:

soups,
canned fruit, beans and chili;
macaroni and cheese,
peanut butter,
sugar,
and cooking oil.

Prayer Chain

After the passing of Skip H. in July, Marcia sent a note to CCH that reads: Bless each and everyone that has prayed, cried and upheld us during this difficult time. The flowers graced the service and were also used for the graveside. I hope all of you will pray for our church. Our sympathy goes out to the entire family.

Dale R. — continued prayer for his lung disease—and Dee is battling pneumonia.

Darlene H.’s mom, Anita’s health is poor.

Jane M.’s sister’s friend, Diane had surgery for pressure sores and is recovering. Pray for healing of her paralysis.

Emily—15 year old daughter of pastor Dave’s good friend has a mass on her brain stem and is undergoing tests.

Lissa—one month old daughter of Adam G.’s friends is not thriving, still around 5 lbs. She also needs heart surgery in the fall.

Daughter of Dave & Judy--Cindy's friends lost their home in a recent fire.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

If we have your birthday or anniversary on record—we are listing those who celebrate this month. Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary to you!

If we don’t show you here, please drop an email with your dates—or better still go on line www.cchagoura.com/groups and fill out a survey form - we’d love to have that on file!

August Birthdays

14—B. Thomas
10—J. Hanna
14 — W.Patton
26 — D. Hanna
26—R. Thomas

Anniversaries

8—Cossentines (40 years!!)
23 — A. & A. George

Congratulations everyone!

Lifeline Screening

2 weeks out from screening date—August 12 at Christian Church of the Hills in Agoura.

Have you suffered a broken bone in your hip or spine? Do you feel as if you are getting shorter? If you answer "yes" to either of these questions, you may want to consider being screened for the risk of osteoporosis. We are pleased to offer a Life Line Screening preventive health event that can be used to detect just such a risk. Life Line Screening uses a quantitative ultrasound bone densitometer, using the heel as a measurement site, to assess one's risk of osteoporosis. This screening compares your bone density to that of the average 20-year-old adult female, according to World Health Organization guidelines. The osteoporosis screening is not only for women. Of the 10 million Americans who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, 2 million are men.

The screening will take place on August 12, 2009. Your Health is in Your Hands, so call 1-888-653-6441, or visit www.lifelinescreening.com, for more information or to pre-register.

Pick up a pink flyer in the lobby for a list of tests Lifeline performs.

Holy Humor – signs outside churches…

There was a Church that had problems with outsiders parking in its parking lots, so they put up a sign: CHURCH CAR PARK - FOR MEMBERS ONLY trespassers will be baptized!
Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!
People are like tea bags - you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.
Fight truth decay - study the Bible daily.
Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives
Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this World.
It is unlikely there'll be a reduction in the wages of sin.
This is a ch_ _ ch. What is missing? ---------(U R)
In the dark? Follow the Son.
If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd

July 2009 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:16:00 +0000

Luau

Don’t miss this great lunch after church on Sunday, July 12th — and invite a friend or two to church.

We look forward to seeing all those Hawaiian print clothes!

There is a sign up sheet in the lobby for main dishes; vegetable, fruit or salads; bread; and dessert. Please stop by and sign up so we know how many to expect — and to be sure there is enough food.

We plan to hold a raffle again—$1 per ticket and you need to be present to win. The tickets will be sold that day. What are we raffling off?

· $10—Coldstone Creamery Gift Card· $10—Jamba Juice Card· $20—Movieco Theater Card (in the Oaks Mall)· And a 10% discount card for Starbucks—good for one year ($25 value)

MaryAnn and Lela welcome help setting up and cleaning up. Please indicate your willingness to help on the sign up clipboard!

From the Pastor

This letter was mailed out on Thursday afternoon to all regular attenders. We welcome all CCH attenders at the meeting.

Dear Church Family,

This letter is to invite you to a very important congregational “town hall” meeting. The meeting will take place on Sunday, July 19^th immediately following the worship service from 11:30 to 12:30.

Pastor Dave will be leading the meeting along with the staff and the Board of Elders. This meeting will not deal with any financial matters, but instead will focus on key topics for the future direction of the church.

We consider this church a family and want everyone to be present for this church family meeting. It is very important that EVERYONE be in attendance. Without your presence the meeting will not be effective.

This will be a time where the leadership will be sharing with you, but also a time for you to ask any questions you may have after the presentation.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I look forward to seeing you there.

In Christ, Pastor Dave Crouse

Kids & Youth News by Amber

PATHFINDERS: Happy 4^th of July! I hope everyone enjoys the fireworks and BBQ’s during the 4^th weekend. Here are some of the things going on in July.

The Pathfinders are starting their new curriculum this month! Our new series is called “The Bible Tells Me So”. We will be looking at God’s Laws and the Ten Commandments over the next couple of months. It will give the kids a chance to really understand what God asks of us and how He wants us to follow His word.

Also, the kids will be working on their own workbooks in class each week in Sunday School and will be taking home a “Disciple Guide” weekly. I encourage you to help your kids go over this and that way you can keep up with what they are learning in Sunday School.

Also, an announcement for parents of preschool children: Please remember to sign in your kids before class and leave any special instructions on the sign in sheet. You can do this before the church service begins so you don’t have to leave when the sermon begins.

Let me know if anyone is interested in an end of summer fun trip! I would love to hear some ideas about what you would like to do in mid-August before school begins.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in helping teach Sunday School once a month in the Pathfinders class we would love to have you! Please let Amber know if you are interested and we will get you started right away!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! Have fun and stay safe!

YOUTH:

Hey everyone! This is the last week to sign up for Angeles Crest summer camp, which is taking place August 2^nd – 7^th. The cost is $275 for the whole week. If the cost is a problem, please talk to Amber. Scholarships are available and we don’t want that to be the only thing keeping you from attending this amazing, life-changing camp.

SO, talk to Amber THIS WEEK if you are interested in attending. Please, have checks made out to ACCC by this Sunday the 5^th.

Young Adults from Chris:

On Sunday, July 19th, Chris M. will be leading another High School / College Group gathering from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Barnes & Noble Coffee Shop in Westlake.

We will discuss both personal and societal current events. Invite a friend.

Backpack Outreach

As an outreach to our community, again this year we plan to assemble backpacks with school supplies for kids in need. After checking with Sumac Elementary School we found that they were very appreciative of last year’s gift and welcome the backpacks again this year.

We are hoping to supply the school with one boy, one girl and one neutral backpack for each of the grades one through five (15 total).

Throughout July, please bring in NEW supplies and backpacks. A list of needed items is in the lobby—please sign up for the items you will purchase so we are sure to have everything covered.
Cash donations are welcome— Lori will be happy to make the purchases.

Thank you, Your Mission Team

Prayer List

Lynn S.’s Daughter Patty—Is recovering from an infection following her 2nd brain surgery.
Dale R. — continued prayer for his lung disease.
Thais K. — Prayer for health and some family issues.
Our Servicemen: Drew Lewis, Andrew Olson and Scott Olson
CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s & youth department.
Angeles Crest Christian Camp — pray that the Lord will provide the campers and donations needed to provide their great ministry here in Southern California.
Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

Mission Updates

The following are outreaches we will be continuing:

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (6 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too!
Manna Food Collection—continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. The tub will be out in the lobby again on July 26th.
Pins & Needles: crochet or knit projects which are donated to the community. Currently we are making baby “stroller-sized” blankets. Our next monthly meeting is July 23rd at 7:00 p.m . here at CCH. You are welcome!!

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Happy birthday to everyone that celebrates in the month of July. Here are the CCH attenders that we know have birthdays and anniversaries:

July Birthdays
13—Bill H.r & Maria H.
21—Amy F. & Hailee H.
23—Judy L. & Amanda M.
25—Suzi S.27—Kay D.

Anniversaries
4—Steve & Kitty L.
11—Mark & Patti W.
12—Doug & Marilyn S.

Congratulations everyone!

Greetings Bible Enthusiasts

Since we're right in the middle of baseball season, I thought I'd share some superstitions that some baseball players have had. Many ball players develop some pretty odd behaviors with the belief that these little rituals will help them play better or even win a game. Here's a sample of some of them from the past:

Babe Ruth always stepped on second base for "good luck" as he ran back to the dugout from his outfield position.
Willie Mays would give second base a swift kick as he passed by, also for "good luck."
Manager Leo Durocher would ride in the back seat of the team bus to break a losing streak.

Other superstitions:

Never changing bats after two strikes.
Not changing uniforms during a winning streak (Ugh!).
Tapping the plate three times with the bat.
Not ever stepping on the foul line. Lefty O'Doul, pitcher for the Yankees during the 20's had this to say about his foul line superstition: "It's not that if I stepped on the foul line it would really lose the game, but why take a chance?" He knew that there was a supernatural power, and was looking for some help.

Some say these are just harmless rituals, but what do they really say? Do superstitions reveal things about where people are placing their trust? The Bible warns against trusting in unknown forces working behind the scenes. Those who have placed their trust in Christ have to reject the idea of luck or chance. We understand that God is all-knowing and is in control over the events of our lives. He wants us to trust Him - and Him alone.

Do you have any superstitions? Examine them if you do, and decide to discard them and replace them with your complete trust and faith in the Lord. Good Luck! JUST KIDDING.....!!!!!! (Ha! Just checking to see if you're paying attention!) Let's always remember to replace “good luck” in our speech with an enthusiastic "GOD BLESS YOU!

Argument for Christianity

The best argument for Christianity is Christians - their joy, their certainty, their completeness.

But the best argument against Christianity is also Christians - when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug, when they are narrow and repressive. Then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.
-C.S. Lewis

Getting in free

A little boy came bouncing home holding an ice cream cone. "Where did you get that?" asked his mother. "I bought it with the money you gave me for Sunday school," he smilingly answered.

"Why didn't you give it to the church?" she asked. "Because the minister met me at the door and got me in free," he answered.

June 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:17:00 +0000

From the Pastor

Hello CCH Family!

Did you know that the Word of God has the power to transform your life? The writer to the Hebrews wrote the following…

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Because the Word of God is living and active it has the ability to work in our lives like no other book! I want to encourage you to read God’s word on your own, attend a Bible study and to attend the worship service regularly. These are some of the important habits that will help you stay in the word of God with the result being the transforming of your thoughts and attitudes to be more like Jesus!

Here is a schedule of sermons for the month of June as we continue through the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings…

June 7 - HOW TO FIND A GOOD FRIEND (2:19-30) - Paul shares about why it’s important to have friends! He shares about his two closest friends who had met his needs - Timothy and Epaphroditus. Paul reminds us that people need people!

June 14 – GETTING TO KNOW JESUS (3:1-11) - In chapter three Paul encourages the church to know Jesus Christ intimately! He warns them to watch out for false teachers who say Christianity is about keeping rules and regulations. Paul’s great purpose in life was to know Christ personally and to experience his power, his fellowship and eventually his reward.

June 21 - FORGET YOUR FAILURES (3:12-4:1) - At the end of chapter 3 Paul tells the Philippians to forget the past and move on to the future. Each of them should be reaching toward the goal of knowing Christ and being like him in daily life. Paul shares that we don’t have to be perfect, but we do need to strive forward!

June 28 - PURSUE PEACE (4:2-7) - Paul instructs us on how to find peace for our life. When you are anxious we need to go to God in prayer. And His peace will guard you heart.

Keep your heart and mind in the Word!!

Pastor Dave

June

Men’s BBQ Dinner—Friday, June 12th, at Dave Fleming’s home in Agoura. The men will enjoy a great BBQ dinner and a brief devotional time. The cost is $5 and there is a sign up sheet in the lobby.

Father’s Day—June 21st In our Sunday service we will honor our dads with recognition, prayer and a small gift. We hope you will bring a dad!

July
Our quarterly after-church lunch will be a potluck style Luau. Planning for this fun event is underway. Help is needed and you are welcome—let us know! Please save the date, July 12th, on your calendars. Watch for signups later in the month for the event. And get out those Hawaiian print clothes!

Bible Study
Pastor Dave leads a Wednesday night adult Bible study here at the church. It begins at 7:00 p.m. and goes until 8:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending is welcome! The study is a more in-depth and personal look at the lesson taught in Pastor Dave’s sermon from the previous Sunday. Hope to see you all here.

Kids Korner
Hey Kids the summer is only weeks away and you are invited to go to Kids Junior Camp up at Angeles Crest Christian Camp on July 12-17th.

THEME: "Dare to Be Dan!"
Our world is in need of more people with the mindset of the Old Testament prophet Daniel! People who are not afraid to live their faith out loud and stand firm for what they believe. This summer we are seeking and training all those who are ready to let God be seen in their lives...those who would..."Dare to Be Dan!!" We'll be challenging all of our campers to…
• Dare to be Different
• Dare to be Disciplined
• Dare to be Discerning
• Dare to be a Disciple
• Dare to Share
So...are you thinking of coming to camp? Go ahead..."I DARE YOU!!"

Special note: The "Dare to Be a Daniel" program is a summer camp program sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Angeles Crest is the only camp on the west coast that is running this program in conjunction with the BGEA!!BGEA!!

COST: $275.00 for Students ($170 for adult leaders)

If any of you are interested in attending camp this summer, you need to talk to Amber by June 30th and get your deposits in.

YOUTH GROUP:
On Sunday mornings, Chris will begin a new series called "How Do I Deal With Life in 2009?" that will help our youth address the complicated and sometimes confusing issues in our world. Various scriptures will be used as reference.

YOUTH GROUP EXPERIMENT: On Saturday, June 6th, Chris will be meeting with CCH and Non-CCH High School age students for a special one time meeting at Starbucks from 7pm-8:15 pm. All HS age students are encouraged to bring a friend or two to discuss challenges teens face today.

COLLEGE GROUP EXPERIMENT: On Sunday, June 7th, Chris will be meeting with CCH and Non-CCH College age young adults for a special one time meeting at Barnes and Noble from 7pm-8:15 pm. All College age young adults are encouraged to bring a friend or two to discuss challenges their age group faces today.

TO BE ANNOUNCED: Summer is a great time to go to a water park. When Amber returns from China (Amber is in China ????) we will discuss a group outing to the water parks at either 6 Flags or Knots sometime in July or August. Stay tuned.

Students interested in getting away for a week in the mountains!!!!
ACCC summer camp: August 2nd - 7th. Deposits for camp are due by the 21st. The cost for camp is $275. Let Amber know if you are planning on going.

FUSE
Amber plans to organize a get together for the young adults when she is back from China (mid-June). With many of the college students home for the summer it is a good time to plan an event. You will be contacted soon with the details.

If anyone has suggestions for Amber, be sure to email her at amber@cchagoura.com.

MISSION TEAM: Our next planning meeting is Sunday, June 7th after the service. Everyone is welcome—new ideas are helpful.

The following are outreaches we will be continuing:

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (6 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too!

Manna Food Collection—continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. The tub will be out in the lobby again on June 28th. If you would like to bring items in throughout the month, the tub is in the hallway outside of the church offices all month long.

Pins & Needles: crochet or knit projects which are donated to the community. Currently we are making baby “stroller-sized” blankets. Our next montly meeting is June 25th at 7:00 p.m . here at CCH. You are welcome!!

PRAYER CHAIN
Dale R.— continued prayer for his lung disease. Congratulations on his 88th birthday coming June 29!
Thais K. — Prayer for health and some family issues.
Our Servicemen: Drew Lewis, Andrew Olson and Scott Olson
CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s & youth department.
Angeles Crest Christian Camp — pray that the Lord will provide the campers and donations needed to provide their great ministry here in Southern California.
Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O.is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE!
We at CCH are proud of Wes P. who is graduating from Agoura High School on June 18th. Wes plays the guitar for our worship almost every Sunday. He also was responsible for the landscaping of our church front as his Eagle Scout project.

I asked his mom, Kathy, to let us know about his other achievements and this is what she wrote: Wes has earned many prestigious academic and service awards, including the President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence and the California Scholastic Federation Life Member Award – Gold Seal Bearer. He has also earned a Golden State diploma. Service awards he has recently earned include the Congressional Award for Youth Silver Medal and the President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold Medal. Wes will be attending Chapman University in Orange and has received the Chancellor Scholar Award for Merit along with an $18,000 a year, four-year scholarship. Wes is joining the university’s nationally top rated business program, pursuing an International MBA in their 5-year integrated BS/MBA Program. Congratulations Wes!!

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Happy birthday to everyone that celebrates in the month of June. Here are the CCH attenders that we know have birthdays:

June
1— Aaron N. (2 years old)
3 — Bill D.
4 — Jane M.
26 — Steve L.
28 — Brad L.
29 — Dale R.

Anniversaries that we know — the Leese’s will celebrate their 40th Anniversary on June 7th; the George’s will celebrate 35 years on June 22nd; the Adams’ on the 16th; and the Olson’s on the 27th. Congratulations to all the couples.

May 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:43:00 +0000

From the Pastor

Dear CCH Family,

There’s something special about God’s Word! It’s like nothing else in all creation. It’s affect on the heart and soul of a person is supremely powerful. That’s exactly what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says…

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

When we read and study God’s Word, He is able to guide us with wisdom, strengthen us with power, and increase our knowledge of His kingdom. If we study God’s word it is guaranteed to have a positive influence and impact. That’s what God promised through the words of Isaiah the prophet…

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah55:10-11

Beginning this Sunday morning we will start a new sermon series through the book of Philippians. The title of the sermon series is “JOYFUL LIVING” in which we’ll discover how to find true joy in life even when things get tough. Join us on Sunday mornings and I know you’ll be blessed as we read and study God’s word – he gives you His promise!

In God’s Love,

Pastor Dave

CCH Family BBQ Lunch

This Sunday, May 3rd, we are planning a potluck BBQ lunch to be held immediately after the service.

This is the first in what we hope to become a quarterly event at CCH. It is sure to be a great time for fellowship and getting to know one another better.
There will be a love offering basket out and we suggest a $2 per person donation for the cost of the barbequed food, beverages and other things CCH will be providing.
Just for fun—we’ll hold a raffle for gift cards—the donation for this will be $1. You will have the choice of iTunes, Starbucks or In & Out gift cards. You must be present to claim your prize.
If you haven’t signed up, email your RSVP to lorigeorge@cchagoura.com.

The National Day of Prayer

Thursday, May 7th

Hosted by the Southeast Ventura County YMCA and held at Cal. Lutheran, Gilber Sport Center—6:30-7:00 Full breakfast; 7-8:30 Program. $15 per person. Pastor Dave is one of the pastors who will be praying. Keynote speaker: Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries. May be sold out.
Free event at the Civic Arts Plaza at noon on the front lawn. Wonderful time of singing praises and praying for the needs of the nation. Just show up.

Adult Bible Study

Last month Pastor Dave began a Wednesday night adult Bible study here at the church. It begins at 7:00 p.m. and goes until 8:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending is welcome! The study is a more in-depth and personal look at the lesson taught in Pastor Dave’s sermon from the previous Sunday.

Hope to see you all here.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Happy birthday to everyone that celebrates in the month of May. Here are the CCH attenders that we know have birthdays:

May

15—Darlene H.

19—John C. and Chris M.

27—Rob P.

29—Fran F.

And we know the Hanna’s will celebrate their Anniversary on May 22nd. Congratulations.

GO M.A.D. (Go Make a Difference)

Mission Team: Thank you to everyone for the great outpouring of love and generosity you showed with our recent

mission projects.

The new team has worked hard to kick things off with several projects:

The Afghan Give Away—went to Doug Schafer’s co-worker’s wife, Doris. She was thrilled to receive the beautiful afghan our Pins & Needles group made. This project brought in $325 which was given the Angeles Crest Christian Camps for scholarships for kids wanting to attend summer camps!

Women’s Resource Center — Mother’s Day Gift boxes for single moms. Thank you Kathy Patton for making this happen. There were at least a dozen volunteers who stayed after church last Sunday and filled 29 boxes with great donated items. Thank you to those volunteers and to you who brought in the items used to fill the boxes!

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda. There is a picture of her in the lobby. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too! There is a box for the money and letters in the lobby.

Manna Food Collection—continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. You have been very generous both times we held this collection… thank you. The tub will be out in the lobby again on May 24th.

Congratulations

We are so pleased to announce the birth of Noah William D. to Duane and Ashley. Noah was born on Thursday, April

16th, weighed 7lb . 9 oz. and was 19 1/2” long. Both mom and baby are doing well—as is the proud daddy!

Prayer Requests

Dale R.— has been at church a couple of times recently. Pray for continued improvement and comfort.

Erline N. — pray for their continued ability to help with the care of Erline’s grandparents.

Thais K. — Prayer for health and some family issues.

Fran F.—Pray for continued good days and good health, and praise for recent relief from her health concerns.

Our Servicemen: Drew L., Andrew O. and Scott O. (congratulation to Scott and the family on the birth of his son, Hayden Michael).

CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s department.

Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O.is our

Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

Kids Korner

On Sunday, May 3rd CCH will be having a BBQ after church. Come and bring friends for burgers and hot dogs! And, don’t forget some extra dollar bills for the raffle! See you there!

Also, with Mother’s Day coming up soon the Pathfinders will be making a special project for their moms.

The Pathfinders are in the middle of their series on the book of Acts. And, each week the kids will be bringing home their “Growing Together” worksheets, which I encourage parents to go over with them.

Also, summer will be here before you know it. And, so will summer camp! The dates for ACCC junior summer camp are July 12th - 17th. Mark your calendars and let me know if your child is interested in attending. Deposits for camp will be due May 31st. The cost for camp is $275.

— Amber

Youth News

by Amber

CCH will be having a BBQ on Sunday, May 3rd right after church service. It will be a great day to invite friends. There will be a raffle for lots of cool prizes including a Starbucks gift card and an Itunes gift card.

Chris will be continuing Sunday school lessons every week. During May, he will teach on the benefits of belonging to the church family. Youth will be dismissed from worship service.

Amber will be sending out devotional ideas and books to check out for those who want to get in their Bible study time during the week, even when we are not meeting. Just e-mail Amber at amber@cchagoura.com to get on the Youth study list.

And, here are the dates for ACCC summer camp: August 2nd - 7th. Deposits for camp will be due May 31st. The cost for camp is $275. Let Amber know if you are planning on going.

Speaking of camp… if any of you need some community service, Project Nehemiah is coming up May 23rd and 24th to help fix up camp for summer. Let Amber or Chris know if you are interested.

You can help!

Project Nehemiah: Angeles Crest opens its camp to everyone on Memorial Day weekend each year (May

22-24th) for family fellowship and a time to help with projects around the camp that are needed to get the place ready for summer.

You can choose to make a 3-day weekend out of it, or just come Saturday to help with the work. This is a great way to enjoy the mountains and be a great help to the camp.

The cost for food is only $20 each, with a family maximum of $60. The list of accommodations and options is on their website www.angelescrest.com.

Upcoming Retreat for Moms & Daughters

Angeles Crest Christian Camp offers Camps for:

Mothers & Daughters (Kindergarten & older) May 15-17th or May 29-31st. $99 for moms, $80 for JH & HS, $70 younger.

There are brochures are on the bulletin board with registration forms and deposit deadlines. Please talk to Pastor Dave or send your registration directly to Angeles Crest.

Pepperdine Lecture Series

More than 4000 people will assemble in Malibu to study “The Lord of Creation (The Preeminence of Christ in Colossians).” Monte Cox of Searcy, Arkansas, will present the keynote lecture on Tuesday evening, May 5, with a message “Christ, the Mystery of God.” come be renewed with others of a common faith as we share lessons from Colossians as well as over two hundred and seventy classes. For more information call 310.506.4270, go to www.pepperdine.edu/biblelectures OR pick up a booklet from the table in CCH’s hallway. Chris will be going, so talk to him if you’d like to carpool.

April 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Easter Celebration
Sunday, April 12
10:00 a.m.

Easter Lilies
If you’d like to bring in an Easter Lily to help decorate the church for Easter Sunday, we’d appreciate having those by Saturday, April 11th. You are welcome to take the plant home on Easter Sunday after the service.

From Pastor Dave
What a great church we have!! Thank you for being a very important part of the Christian Church of the Hills family. You are the reason this church continues to be a special place of hope and inspiration to so many people.

We are only a couple of weeks away from Easter! Sunday, April 12th is Easter Sunday and it will be an inspirational time to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Remember that Easter worship services are attended by more individuals across the country than any other worship service throughout the year. Many of your friends would agree to go to an Easter service who would not generally agree to attend with you any other week. So why not use this opportunity to invite a friend to visit church with you?

This past Sunday I shared with you an interesting fact from George Barna's book, “WHAT AMERICAN’S BELIEVE”. In it he states that barely one-third of Christians will ever invite an unchurched person to attend church with them. Barna writes…

“A national survey found that one out of four unchurched people would gladly attend church if a friend would only extend an invitation. This means on any given Sunday morning, 14 to 20 million adults are sitting home because nobody took the simple step of asking them to attend a church service.”

Let me ask you an important question. Will you take the time to think of one person you would like to bring to church on Easter Sunday and then invite them to attend church with you? I will be praying that God will give each of you a burden to invite someone you know to church. I will be praying that God will give you boldness to invite that person to church on Easter Sunday!

I’m looking forward to celebrating with you the greatest event in human history --the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave! “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:6

In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Dave

Very Important
In order to conserve paper, stamps and time, we are not going to mail out our newsletters in the future. We will send a link by email when the newsletter is online. There will be copies available in the lobby if you’d like a printed one. For our friends far and wide, please email me your addresses and I will send you the link as well!! And only if you haven’t got email, send me a request and I will continue to mail your copy.

CCH Family—BBQ Lunch
On Sunday, May 3rd, we are planning a potluck BBQ lunch to be held immediately after the service. This is the first in what we hope to become a quarterly event at CCH. This is a great time for fellowship and getting to know one another better.

Please consider what you might be able to bring as part of the lunch and sign up in the weeks ahead. A $2 free-will offering will be taken for the cost of the BBQ’d food.

Salad Fruit
Bread Dessert
Other?

People who would like to help BBQ are welcome as well — that will be on the sign up sheet.

Adult Bible Study
Beginning Wednesday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m., Pastor Dave will lead an adult Bible study here at the church. Anyone interested in attending the study is welcome! Hope to see you all there.

Birthdays & Anniversaries
April Birthdays
Janet S.— 2nd
Reign L.— 6th
Dave G.—8th
Summer S.—10th
Lori G.—11th
Adam G.—21st
Floyd B.—26th
MaryAnn C.—29th

Anniversaries
Bob & Marcia H.—April 20th

Kids Korner
Spring is finally in the air. It is starting to warm up and Easter will be here very shortly!

We will have our Easter Service Sunday, April 12th at 10 a.m. The Preschool and Pathfinders classes will have a joint Easter party during the worship service. There will be a Veggietales movie, treats, crafts, a special Easter lesson and an Easter Egg hunt! It will be a great Sunday to invite friends. It is sure to be a lot of fun and a great time to learn about the real meaning of Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus!

Also, the Pathfinders are starting a new series this month. After we finish our 3 week Easter Series, the Pathfinders will start a series on the book of Acts. These lessons will take us into the month of May. And, each week the kids will be bringing home their “Growing Together” worksheets, which I encourage parents to go over with them.

Also, summer will be here before you know it. And, so will summer camp! The dates for ACCC junior summer camp are July 12th - 17th. Mark your calendars and let me know if your child is interested in attending.

Happy Spring everyone!
Amber

Youth News
Youth are continuing their Sunday school with Chris Miuccio. But, on Easter Sunday the youth will stay in the worship service.

And, mid-week youth group is changing! We will no longer be meeting on Wednesday nights. We are moving our meetings to Sundays. Instead of meeting weekly, we will meet monthly. The meetings will be different every time and will be at different times. Our first get together will be April 26th in the afternoon.

Also, Amber will be sending out devotional ideas and books to check out for those who want to get in their Bible study time during the week, even when we are not meeting. Just e-mail Amber at amber@cchagoura.com to get on the Youth study list.

The calendar of events is in the works. And, I have heard lots of ideas from everyone already. Like a lock-in this summer and Disneyland in August. Keep your eyes open for more upcoming event details!

And, here are the dates for ACCC summer camp: August 2nd - 7th. Put it on your calendar! See Amber for more information.

Project Nehemiah
Angeles Crest opens its camp to everyone on Memorial Day weekend each year (May 22-24th) for family fellowship and a time to help with projects around the camp that are needed to get the place ready for summer.

You can choose to make a 3-day weekend out of it, or just come Saturday to help with the work. This is a great way to enjoy the mountains and be a great help to the camp.

The cost for food is only $20, with a family maximum of $60. The list of accommodations and options is on their website www.angelescrest.com. We’ll have a sign up board at CCH.

Upcoming Retreats for Men, and for Moms & Daughters

Men’s Retreat at Angeles Crest Christian Camp — Friday evening—Sunday morning, April 24—26th. The cost is $99 per man. ACCC’s Men's Conference is uniquely designed to provide quality time for men to evaluate the path they are on and to renew and refresh their spirit. This retreat will give you the opportunity to get away for a few days and help equip you to not only grow closer to the Lord, but also to be stretched in ways that will help you find God's will for our life as a Christian, husband, father and friend. Let us know if you are interested, we’ll get you the registration forms. And there is more information at www.angelescrest.com.
Mothers & Daughters (Kindergarten & older) Retreat at ACCC—May 15-17th or May 29-31st. $99 for moms, $80 for JH & HS, $70 younger. Brochures are on the bulletin board.

Prayer Requests

Dale R.— battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
Eunice P. -- is recuperating nicely from her recent back surgery.
Loretta H.— for knee and back pain.
Amy F.’s: Mom and sister-in-law could use prayer for their health
Pat H. — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
Thais K.— Prayer for health.
Our Servicemen: Drew L., Andrew O. and Scott O.(who is back in the mid-east for his 3rd tour and his wife is expecting SOON).
CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s department.
Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and pray needs.

GO M.A.D. (Go Make a Difference)
Mission Team: Our new team will work toward finding local, national and international mission ministries that the church can get involved with. New Mission team members are always welcome! Watch for meetings and simply attend. (March 29th is the next scheduled meeting after church.)

New:

Afghan Give Away—drawing to be held on April 19th and tickets are available at the church right now. Donations of $5 gives you one ticket in the drawing. All monies collected will go toward mission outreaches. Please try to get your friends and families involved in this drawing.
Manna Food Collection—the 4th Sunday of every month. Watch for lists of needed items in the Sunday bulletins. On March 29th the list includes: cooking oil, sugar, toilet paper, peanut butter and jelly.
World Vision Adopt-a-child — CCH will adopt at least one child as a church family. And $1 per person per month will help fund this outreach.
Women’s Resource Center — Mother’s Day Gift boxes for single moms. We are now collecting NEW toiletry items to be used to fill shoe boxes and gift wrapped for the moms. Please bring items in by April 26th (including gift wrap and shoe boxes). On that day, after church, anyone wishing to help fill the shoe boxes and wrap them will be welcome — and lunch will be provided by Kathy Patton.
Bake Sale—Sunday, April 5 (Palm Sunday). The Mission Team will provide baked goods (individual and family sized) to sell that morning. All proceeds will go directly toward our mission outreaches.

Februrary 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:36:00 +0000

30th Anniversary Celebration Sunday
Sunday, March 1st 10:00 a.m.

We hope everyone will be part of our celebrating 30 years of God’s Faithfulness to the ministry of Christian Church of the Hills. The theme for that Sunday will be “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. We have invited many people we have contact information for that have attended CCH in the past. If you are reading this and know of people who have moved, but attended CCH in the past, please let them know of our Celebration Sunday.

There is an RSVP form online on our church website (www.cchagoura.com). We would like to know who plans to attend so that we can have enough lunch to feed everyone.

Please make every effort to attend… it wouldn’t be the same without you!!!!

Planning Meeting
Our 2nd planning meeting for the 30th Anniversary Celebration will be in 2 weeks on Sunday, February 8th after the service.

So many of you have volunteered to help, it’s wonderful. Thank you. We look forward to hearing updates on all the areas you are working on. Everyone is welcome! Please mark your calendars.

Greetings Church Family!

We’ve been discussing the purposes of the church over the past few weeks in the Sunday morning services. It’s really been great to go back and remember the basics and why we do what we do at CCH! We’ll be finishing up the series by reminding ourselves that God has called all of us to reach others with the good news of Jesus Christ. He’s called us to be his witnesses! Jesus tells us… “You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

This wasn’t just meant for the disciples in Jesus’ day. It is also meant for us! The great thing about this is that we only have to be his witness. We don’t have to be a salesman. In other words you don’t have to pressure anyone into believing in Jesus. You don’t have to be an attorney for Jesus either. You don’t have to argue and debate people into heaven. And you don’t have to be an expert and know everything about the Bible. You just need to be a witness for God.

What does it mean to be a witness? Here is a simple definition of witnessing: "A witness is someone who simply shares what God has done in their life." Do you have to be a Bible scholar to be a witness? No. Do you have to be a Christian for 20 years to be a witness? No. Do you have to live a perfect life and have no sin in your life? No. All you have to do to be a witness is just say, "This is what's happened to me. This is what God's done in my life." And anybody can do that!

It’s important to know that this is part of your job description as a Christian. The moment you became a believer, God gave you a mission. The mission is this: now that you’ve become a Christian it's your turn to tell other people about God’s love. You wouldn't be here today if somebody hadn't told you about God’s love for you through His son Jesus. Now that you have become a believer, it's your job to tell other people. The apostle Paul reminds us of this…
"Through Christ all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us and now he's sending us all around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things that God has done for them so that they too will believe and obey." Romans 1:5

It’s my hope and my prayer that you will hear God’s call to be His witness at work, at home and in your neighborhood. My hope is that you will listen to God’s spirit as he leads you to share with others about the one person who has given you so much life and peace - Jesus!
In His Great Name!!
Pastor Dave

How do I become a Member?

With the current sermon series on the purpose of the church, we would like to encourage you to place your membership with us here at Christian Church of the Hills. Having a place to belong to a body of believers is one of the purposes of the church and it directly ties into the other purposes as well. You can listen to any of the messages you may have missed online. Go to our website and view the Media page.

In the bulletins these past few weeks has been a questionnaire to encourage you to get connected. If you are considering membership as this step in your walk with the Lord, please pick up a folder in the lobby and read through that material. Then call the church for an appointment to meet with Pastor Dave. Don’t hesitate to call with any questions!

Valentines Chocolate Hearts
The annual children’s department fund raiser will be held on Sunday, February 8th with chocolates for sale in the lobby. There will be no pre-orders taken this time. We hope you’ll take time to purchase some candy for your sweetheart or yourself!

February Birthdays
Jerry Olson—10th
Joseph Schafer —14th

No anniversaries on record for this month.

NOTE: If you have not filled out an information sheet, please go online at www.cchagoura.com, and on the “Groups” page there are two forms we’d love to have you fill out and hand in. One is a member survey and the other is an involvement form. You DO NOT need to be a member to fill these out. They help us to get to know you better… and to recognize you on your birthday and anniversary! Please take time to fill one out.

Kids News

February is here and that means it is time for Valentine’s Chocolate! We are doing it a little differently this year. All proceeds will still go to the Children’s Ministry, but we will not be taking pre-orders. On Sunday, February 8th there will be a table set up in the hallway filled with delicious chocolate available on a first come, first served basis. So, don’t forget to have a couple of extra dollars on Sunday morning so you can by some chocolates for Valentine’s!

In Sunday School the Pathfinders having been working their way through the “Jesus Cares” lesson series. The kids have already learned about how Jesus cares for the hungry and poor. And, we still have three more lessons to learn in this series. The kids should be bringing home their “Growing Together” worksheets to work on throughout the week. Parents, help them go over these worksheets at some point during the week, and you’ll know exactly what the kids are learning in Sunday School.

On February 21st, the church will be having their Work Day to prepare for the 30th Anniversary Celebration. We would love to have all the kids there to be a part of making our church even more beautiful. So, get there at 8:30 a.m. to have some breakfast before you start working.

Also, we will be collecting ideas from the kids in the coming weeks to see what they would like to see happen in the kid’s classroom. We will be changing the look of the classroom and it should be pretty cool.

And, of course, we have our 30th Anniversary Celebration coming up on Sunday, March 1st! This is going to be an amazing day to celebrate how God has been faithful to our church for so many years and also to spend time with our church family and even some old friends. Kids, you can be a part of this to. We want you to invite your friends that maybe haven’t been to CCH in awhile and make them feel welcome. We also will be getting some input from a couple of kids as part of our Sunday service on March 1st. So, don’t forget to mark your calendars and commit to being there on Sunday, March 1st!!!! We want every single kid there! The kids will able to stay in and be a part of the anniversary service. Preschool classes will still be available.

Last but not least, our new preschool teachers will be starting this month! Patti P. and Kelsey M. have volunteered to teach the preschoolers on Sunday morning — we are so excited to have them. Thank you so much for being a part of the children’s ministry!
Have a great February everyone!

Youth
Winter Camp is coming up quickly— February 6th-8th! We will meet at CCH on Friday at 4:30 p.m. We will return on Sunday afternoon around 2 p.m. Check with Amber if you still need a list of things to bring. Just don’t forget your Bible, pillow, sleeping bag and SNOW SHOES (just in case)! We don’t want any more ruined Uggs if we build our awesome snowman again. And, get ready to have an awesome weekend!

Also, this month we will continue our “Feed the Youth” group on Februar11th and 28th. We will meet at CCH at 6 p.m., eat dinner somewhere local and come back to church to start youth group at 7 p.m. We kicked this off in January and it was a lot of fun! Don’t miss the next one!

At youth group we will be finishing up “The Case for Christ”. And, after we finish the book, youth that paid for a book will be able to take those home.

We have added a prayer wall to the youth room. Where we’ll be starting a special prayer project that we’ll focus on once a month. I want everyone to bring in articles from newspapers, magazines or wherever that show evil in the world to put on our prayer wall. We will spend time praying for those each week.

Also, we need all the youth at the CCH Work Day on February 21st since you are all so big and strong. =) Be there to help make this place look great before our 30th Anniversary Celebration. Invite friends that have been to youth group in the past to be there on March 1st for the Anniversary Sunday!

Fuse
Fuse had a great time at dinner in January (even if we could barely hear each other). In February we will be getting together for lunch right after church on Sunday, February 22nd. We will go to Terri’s Café in Agoura to hang out and (hopefully) be able to talk about a purpose for Fuse. We would love to get everyone’s input because we want to make this a group that you get a lot out of. See you all there!

Mission Team
This is something new for 2009. We’d like to create a new mission team and several of you have already expressed interest in being part of this team. The more the merrier… so if you have an interest in helping plan our upcoming projects, please come to the meeting Sunday after church, February 1st. The meeting will be brief, but we’d like to start the ball rolling. Call Amber if you have any questions.

CCH Work Day
Lots of help will be needed to get the church looking clean and shiny for our 30th Anniversary Celebration Sunday. So, on Saturday February 21st we’ll gather together here at the church at 8:30 for a Continental breakfast and begin work at 9:00 a.m.

In the past some people brought flowers with them to plant — beautifying the outdoor planters. We could use some color around the monument sign out front and in the planters by the entry walkway.
We’ve also painted rooms… I think the Children’s director’s office and the Pathfinder Classroom are due for a painting. Let Amber know if you want to be part of a team to tackle those rooms.
General housekeeping is always a good thing. Cleaning finger prints off walls, a good scrubbing of bathroom and kitchen floors,

GO M.A.D.
Prayer Shawls—the Pins & Needle group has completed their current project. We made prayer shawls to donate to senior centers to give to people who do not have visitors. The shawls are on display in the lobby at this time.

Our next project will be making squares to assemble into one beautiful afghan that will be part of a drawing to raise funds for one of the mission outreaches.

Mission Team: Our new team will work toward finding local, national and international mission ministries that the church can get involved with. Please consider being part of that team. See the article above for the first meeting information.

Meals to Members: We continue to bring meals when possible to families within CCH who could use some short term help. Let us know if you would like to help.

Prayer Chain

Fran F — fell and hit her head Monday. She is home and doing well, but prayer for a quick recovery from whiplash.
Dale R — battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
Loretta H — for knee and back pain.
Amy F's: Mom and sister-in-law could use prayer for their health
Pat Hl — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
Thais K — Prayer for health.
CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s department. AND for our upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebration.
Remember the servicemen: Drew L, Scott O (is back in the mid-east for his 3rd tour and his new wife is expecting), Andrew O, and Amber’s brother Ty.

January 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:13:00 +0000

From Pastor Dave

Dear CCH Family!

Happy New Year to each of you and to all families at CCH! My prayer is that you will grow even more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in 2009!!

Let me inform you of two important happenings at CCH! First, starting in our morning worship services in January we will be reviewing the purposes of the church and why we do what we do at CCH. Every morning, all over America, more than 100 million Americans will go to church. But most of those people have never clarified why they go to church! Some people go to church out of guilt. Some people go out of pressure. Some people go to church out of habit.

If somebody asked you, “Why are you a part of a church family? Or, why do you participate in church services?” what would you say? It’s very important for us to answer this question. It’s very important for us to understand, “Why do we have church? Why do we have services? Why do we give money? Why do we plan events and ministries? So over the next few Sundays we want to make sure that we understand why we do what we do here at Christian Church of the Hills. Be sure to attend the services…it may just change how you think about church!

The second important event coming up is our 30th Anniversary Worship Service. On Sunday, March 1st at 10:00 a.m., we’ll be celebrating thirty years of ministry here at Christian Church of the Hills. Our theme will be “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and we’ll be sharing how God has been faithful to us over the past thirty years. Whether you’re new to the church or have been a member for many years we want you to participate in this important event. Please put it on your calendar and watch for more information regarding this special gathering!

I hope your New Year is off to a great start and I look forward to seeing you at church!!

In His Great Name!!
Pastor Dave

30th Anniversary Celebration

We want everyone here—new and old members. We hope you will all make it a priority and try to help us celebrate.

We are hoping to have some of the singers and worship team from the past. All help in this regard are appreciated!! See Chris Miuccio or Duane to make some suggestions or volunteer.

Also if you have pictures you would like to share, we have a few ideas for those. Please send them to us and we’ll scan them and return them. By February 15th please.

And if you have addresses for past members who have relocated, please get the word to them, or us. Thank you so much!

Please help us plan and/or help with the plans! 1st Meeting is January 18th
after church.

Upcoming Events

Women:
• Luncheon on Saturday, January 31 at Lela Adams’ home on Lake Sherwood at 11:00 a.m.
• Secret Sisters for 2008 will be revealed at the luncheon.
• All ladies are welcome to sign up to be a Secret Sister in 2009—pray for your SS, send her cards, leave her small gifts, etc. It’s a fun way to make a difference.
Sign up for the above at CCH in the lobby.
• Pins & Needles on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 at MaryAnn C.’s home in Oak Park. All are welcome. We make items to donate! Call MaryAnn for directions, 889-4308.

Men: Men’s BBQ Dinner, Friday, January 30th, 7:00 p.m. at Dave F.’s home in Agoura, sign up at CCH.

CCH Cleanup Day: Lots of help will be needed to get the church into shape. Mark February 21st on your calendars. More details later.

Thanks from Staff

Dear CCH Family,

We would like to take a minute to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. We pray that 2009 will be one of the best years ever for you and your loved ones. Remember you always have a family here at CCH. Let us know if you have any concerns that we may pray for.

We also want to thank you for the year-end staff bonuses. It was a difficult year for many, and we appreciate the extra giving many of you made to help encourage the staff.

God bless you all—and thank you for being a part of the ministry of CCH (30 years this year!!)

Pastor Dave, Chris, Duane, Amber and Lori

Special Thanks

Thank you to those of you who stepped forward and filled all the openings when we asked for help teaching preschool, preparing communion and working the worship slides. You are putting your faith into action and we appreciate you very much.

Watch for more opportunities to serve at CCH as the weeks progress.

January Birthdays & Anniversaries
• Dave L. - 5th
• Lela A. - 6th
• Pat H. -10th
• Kitty L. - 21st
• Faith G. - 26th

No anniversaries on record for this month.

Kids Korner

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year!

With the new year comes change and there are some changes happening in the Children’s Ministry.

First, we have started our new curriculum for the new year. We are doing the Hands On Bible Curriculum, which is a lot of fun for both the kids and the teachers. The series the kids are going through right now is “Jesus Cares”; and in February we will begin our series on “Families”. The kids will also have worksheets going home with them every week called “Growing Together”, which is something the kids can work on with their parents. So, don’t forget to ask your child about what they have been learning in Sunday School and help them with their worksheets.

Also, there are going to be changes in the teaching schedule as well. We have been lucky enough to have some more preschool teacher volunteers. We are so thankful for them and can’t wait for them to get started. So, look for some new faces in the preschool room!

In the spring, we always have a CCH work day to help get the church ready for the rest of the year. This year I wanted to make some changes in the Pathfinders classroom and I will be having the kids brainstorm ideas and see what we can come up with when we do our Work Day.

I hope everyone has a great month!

Youth News

Happy New Year you guys! I am so excited for all the stuff we have coming up in the new year. We kicked of Wednesday night youth group on the 7th and are going to be kicking off the Feed the Youth group on Wednesday, January 28th at 6 p.m. Our new Feed the Youth is something the group came up with to have some more time to just hang out with one another before youth group starts. So, the kids will meet at CCH at 6 p.m. sharp and from there we will go out to dinner somewhere close by and then return to church for our 7 p.m. youth group meeting. Anyone who wants to come is more than welcome. We will start doing this once a month and eventually do it every week.

And, in January we will be finishing up The Case for Christ at our Wednesday night youth group. Once we finish going through the book, the kids that paid for their copy can take their book home.

Also, very important information: we are going to Angeles Crest Winter Camp February 6th – 8th. I really want to get the entire youth group to go to camp together. It will be such a great time for everyone. The cost for camp is $130. We will be leaving Friday afternoon and returning Sunday evening. I need to have deposits for all Middle School and High School youth who plan on attending by January 14th. Please call Amber for more information.

Also, after camp ends Sunday morning, we are planning on heading to one of the local mountains to go skiing and snowboarding. Please, let me know who is interested in doing this and if you would need rentals or own your own stuff.

Also, by very popular demand, we are in the planning stages for our next lock-in. So, look for info in the coming weeks.

Have a great January and good luck with finals!

Fuse (young adults)

The new year is here and after having a break for the holidays we are ready to restart Fuse. Our next meeting is on Friday, January 23rd at 7 p.m.
We will be meeting for dinner at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas. And, because of a generous donor from CCH, dinner is FREE! So, you don't have to worry about spending money to go out.
At that meeting, I want to throw around some ideas for the future meetings of Fuse and how we can get the group more involved in the community.
Please RSVP to Amber by Sunday, January 18th. And, if you wanted to meet at CCH and carpool, let Amber know. I hope to see all of you there!

Prayer Chain

Dale R. — battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
Loretta H. — for knee and back pain.
Lynn S.—Cousin Art has cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.
Amy F.’s Mom — is in declining health.
Pat H.l — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
Thais K. — Prayer for health.
CCH — Please always keep our church in your prayers for growth both spiritually and in numbers, for wisdom and direction for the staff and elders, as well as future outreaches and events.
Remember the servicemen:
Drew L., Scott O. (will be deployed to the mid-east for his 3rd tour very soon and his new wife is expecting), Andrew O., and Amber’s brother Ty.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs at 706-2124.

Go M.A.D. (go make a difference)

• Missions Team In the next few weeks Pastor Dave will be continuing his series on the purpose of the church. One of those is serving others and reaching out to others. This is the perfect opportunity to be part of a Mission Team. We’d like a group that will work toward finding local, national and international mission outreaches that the church can get involved with. Please consider being part of that ministry team. Watch for signups soon.

• All 20 children on our Adopt-an-Angel Christmas gift list were “adopted” and presents were bought for them. You are awesome! We know there were smiles on the faces of those families this Christmas. Thank you!

December 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:24:00 +0000

Christmas Celebrations
We invite you to join us each Sunday as we sing the wonderful Christmas songs we hear only at this time of year, light the advent candles, and hear inspiring messages about the hope we have through the birth of our Lord Jesus.

In addition to the worship services please join us for:

• Sunday, December 14 — Old Fashioned Christmas Party, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Come and sing some fun Christmas carols, enjoy the children’s story time, and a special visit from Santa—followed by dessert and hot chocolate or coffee. There is a sign up sheet in the lobby for bringing desserts and/or letting us know you will be here.

• Wednesday, December 24 — Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, 4:00—5:00 p.m.
Our annual Christmas Eve service is for the entire family. There will be a time of communion, and a special lighting of our candles and singing Silent Night together as we close the evening worship. We hope you will bring your friends and family; it’s always a wonderful service.

New Worship Time
Beginning on Sunday, December 14th, we will return to our previous worship time of 10:00 a.m.

Westlake Community Church is no longer meeting in our facilities which is why we changed to 9:30 a.m. earlier this year.

We hope you will like the time change and will be here to begin worshipping right at 10:00 on Sunday, December 14th!

Randy Olson’s Sunday School class will discuss their start time this week when they meet at 8:30 as usual.
The worship team will be notified as to what time rehearsals will begin. But this Sunday it is still 8:30 a.m.

From Pastor Dave
I love Christmas lights!! As I drive around the city it is fun to see more and more houses emerge with Christmas lights as we get closer to Christmas Day. The brightly colored lights announce the arrival of Christmas and are one of the unique aspects of the season. Christmas lights signify the great spiritual truth that Jesus Christ is the “light of the world”. The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. Matthew records this fulfillment…

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:12-16

Christmas commemorates the monumental event when God sent His Son to bring salvation to a world that was in spiritual darkness. I hope that as you enjoy the Christmas season you will remember what all the Christmas lights represent – that Jesus is the light of the world and that through His birth we are given hope, joy and peace with our God!

Merry Christmas, Pastor Dave

ELDER NOMINATIONS FOR 2009
The board of elders would like to let you know that the following men have agreed to be nominated for elder for 2009-2011:

Jerry A., Dave F., and Dave G.

We will hold a general congregational meeting on Sunday, December 7th immediately following the service in order to confirm their nomination. We hope you will be here to attend that meeting.

Note: Our bylaws require that you have placed your membership here at CCH in order to vote, and that you are an attending member over the age of 18. If you’d like information about placing your membership, please see Pastor Dave or Associate Pastor Chris.

If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to one of our current elders:

Randy O., Chair, Dave L., V. Chair
Jerry O., Doug S., Adam G., and Dave B.

Children' New, By Amber George

It’s Christmas time! I am so excited for this very special time of year when we can celebrate the birth of Jesus! We have so many wonderful things planned this month that I hope everyone gets involved with.

First, on December 3^rd we have our Hanging of the Greens event and Pizza Party to decorate the church for Christmas from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. We need all the help we can get, so kids, make sure you’re there.

Then on Saturday, December 13^th the Pathfinders will have their first special event! We will be going The Lakes Ice Skating Rink for our holiday event. We will meet at CCH at 10 a.m. and carpool over to The Lakes. Cost is $11.00 for admission and rentals. Please make sure to fill out a permission slip before Saturday the 13^th. Parents, you are more than welcome to join us. We would love to have you there. In the event of rain we will reschedule.

And, on Sunday, December 14^th we will be holding our Old Fashioned Christmas Party. We will sing carols, read The Night Before Christmas and eat dessert. And, there will also be a special surprise for the kids. So, make sure you’re there! The party starts at 6:30 p.m.

Then on Wednesday, December 17^th we will have our Christmas Party with the Youth Group in the youth room. We will have food, games and a unique gift exchange. The party will be from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Plan on being there and invite your friends.

The Pathfinders Sunday School is wrapping up their latest curriculum “My Awesome Adventure” this month. They will be completing their lesson workbooks in class and will be able to take them home after the last lesson. I hope you will take time to look over their workbooks with them and see what they have been learning about. We will also have some special Christmas lessons during Sunday school as well this month. Then in January we will start our new curriculum for the New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Youth:

There is so much coming up in the coming months for youth group. First, youth group is moving to Wednesday nights starting December 3^rd. We will kick off our new night with the Hanging of the Greens event and Pizza Party. We will meet on December 3^rd from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. After that, we will go back to our regular time from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

And, on Wednesday, December 17^th we will have our Christmas Party with the Pathfinders in the youth room. We will have food, games and a unique gift exchange. The party will be from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Plan on being there and invite your friends.

Also, here are some dates for Winter Camps:

Mammoth Camp with EV Free NP: January 23-26
Angeles Crest: January 30- February 1^st, February 6-8, February 20-22

Let Amber know which dates you are available ASAP. For more info about winter camps talk to Amber. And, Youth group will not be meeting December 24^th, December 31^st or January 7^th. We will kick off the new year on January 14^th, 2009!

Fuse:

Because of the holidays we will NOT be meeting in the month of December. Enjoy this season and look for new events in the New Year! Merry Christmas!

GO M.A.D. (Go Make a Difference)
• Santa Comes to Agoura—Thank you everyone who brought in peanut butter and jelly for the food drive. The food will be sorted this Saturday at the Do-It-Center if you’d like to help out, 9:00 a.m.
• Angel Tree Gifts — All new, unwrapped gifts are due at CCH this coming Sunday for our outreach toward families in need this Christmas.

Birthdays and Anniversaries
Below are our December birthdays, there are no anniversaries this month. If yours is not listed, it may be because we have never gotten a profile on you or your family. Those are easily printed from our website, there are two pages and you can find them on the Groups page, entitled Member Survey. All CCH attenders (not just members) are encouraged to fill this out. Let send you a birthday card on your special day!!

December Birthdays:

Drew L.—7th
Lynn S. — 12th
Morgan L. — 16th
Jerry A. — 19th
Caitlin C. — 29th

Prayer Chain

Brian & Rebecca T.: Please keep them in your prayers as they grieve the passing of Barbara (wife and mother) who died late in November of heart complications.
Dale R.— battling with lung disease and recently pneumonia. Pray for healing and comfort.
Loretta H.— for knee and back pain — the treatments are not helping.
Lynn S.—Cousin Art has cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.
Amy F.’s Mom — is in declining health.
Pat H. — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
Thais K. — Prayer for health.
CCH — Please always keep our church in your prayers for growth both spiritually and in numbers, for wisdom and direction for the staff and elders, as well as future outreaches and events.
Remember the servicemen:
Drew L., Scott and Andrew O. and Amber’s brother Ty.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs. 706-2124.

“Christmas Packages”
4 Christmas One Acts
Produced by First Light Players

• "Mom's Ashes" brotherly relationships can become complicated, especially when mom is lost in UPS & the mob is involved, but love is the greatest command
• "Roots in the Wind" a struggling actress in Hollywood, goes home to Georgia for Christmas to find that her mom and step-dad have arranged a blind date for her with Tom Cruise.
• "A Little Corner in Nowhere" A place where we are reminded what Christmas is all about
• "A Quiet Christmas Eve" Steve and Roxanne want to spend a nice and quiet Christmas Eve together but family traditions get in the way

DEC. 12-21, Fri & Sat @ 8:00 pm, Sun @ 3:00 pm
ACTORS WORKOUT STUDIO, 4735 Lankershim, North Hollywood
ALL TICKETS $18.00, Limited Seating

Please see Kay Dease on Sunday for tickets or call her at 889-5964

Note: First Light Players is not affiliated with CCH, but their mission is to win non-believers to the Lord through their drama productions. Kay Dease is a member here and the team rehearses in our building.

November 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Church) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:21:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Dinner @ CCH

When: Sunday, November 23rd at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Here in our Worship Center
What: Full Thanksgiving feast for Everyone!!!!

You and your friends, family and neighbors are invited to a full-Thanksgiving dinner with a wonderful program of thankfulness here at CCH. We also share the event with Westlake Community Christian Church (who use our facilities for their church services after ours on Sundays).

Please consider bringing turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, dinner rolls, apple juice or pies. We also welcome help setting up or cleaning up. There will be a signup clipboard in the lobby for you to let us know how many people will be attending, and what you will bring.

Encouraging Words by Pastor Dave

Hello CCH Family!!

November is here and so is the Thanksgiving season. We have so much to be thankful for!! I encourage you to use this holiday to give God thanks and praise for everything He has blessed you with.

There was a USA Poll conducted in November of 1999 asking the following question of 1,451 people…”Do you have a lot to be thankful for?” What was the response? 16% answered YES, 84% answered NO!! It’s hard to believe that 8 out of 10 people said they did not have a lot to be thankful for!

The apostle Paul instructs Christians to give thanks to God in all circumstances. He says…Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Not only is it God’s will for every follower of Jesus to be thankful, it’s God’s will to be thankful in “ALL” circumstances! Being thankful should not depend on the circumstances we are in!
Are we to be happy and thankful when someone is injured? If I lose my job? If something evil happens? Obviously we are not to be thankful when those kinds of things happen. Notice that Paul doesn’t say, give thanks “for” all circumstances. We don’t want to give thanks for evil or hurtful things in this world. However, Paul does say...give thanks “in” all circumstances. We can give thanks that even when something bad happens, God can be there to strengthen, comfort, guide, and bring about something good.

The Apostle Paul is encouraging each one of us to have an “attitude of gratitude!” Thankfulness is an attitude! You can’t control situations, but you can control your attitude no matter what the situation! Situations shouldn’t control your attitude!

I hope that you’ll take some time in the next few weeks, especially over the Thanksgiving weekend, to let God know how thankful you are!

Thanking Him for you,
Pastor Dave

Message Series

Pastor Dave’s new message series is “Balancing Life’s Demands”. The following are the sermon titles. If you missed any, you can find them online at www.cchagoura.com.

October 26—How Jesus Handled Life’s Demands
November 2 — How to Capture Control of My Time
November 9 — How to Keep a Balanced Perspective About Work
November 16—How to Have a Healthy Perspective about our Physical Body
November 23 — How to Cultivate My Spiritual Life
November 30 — How to Maintain Healthy Relationships

See you on Sunday!

Life Study Groups

These adult studies are designed to help you get connected to the church family and support you in your walk with God. Please join a group that works for your schedule and not only will you be blessed, you’ll be a blessing to others!!

Monday Mornings: At Kathy Newman’s Home in Oak Park (and alternately at Joy Silver’s in WLV): led by Kathy. Call for details, 818.706.3215.
Tuesday Evenings: At Dave Fleming’s Home in Agoura: led by Chris Miuccio, 7:00 p.m. Call Dave at 818.991.9919.
Wednesday Evenings: At Dave & Lori George’s Home in Agoura: led by Dave Crouse, 7:00 p.m. Call for info: 818.991.8495.
Sunday Mornings: At CCH: led by Randy Olson, 8:30 a.m. NEW 1John study.

Mission Outreach

What: A collection for the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission of underwear and socks for men, women and children. All items should be in their store packaging.

When: Please bring in all your donations for the drive by November 9th.

Chris Miuccio has partnered with the mission to help with this drive and to help two times a month preaching at the mission. Chris says that they always need canned foods as well. We will repeat this drive a couple times throughout the year.

The blue donation barrel is in the lobby.

Thank yous

The list of volunteers for the Halloween Carnival is too long to mention, but know that every one of you is greatly appreciated. It is wonderful to see how you come out and support our community outreaches. The children from the area enjoyed themselves a lot and their parents expressed their appreciation of the event. There were well over 100 people in attendance. Many of you were here Friday, Saturday morning to afternoon and again on Saturday evening. Bless you all!

The elders and staff want to especially thank Amber for her diligence and hard work organizing the Carnival!!!!
Thanks to Jerry Adams for spearheading the project of re-striping our parking lot. So far Jerry has had Lela Adams, Judy Leese and Jerry Olson help him out! Thank you all for your time and hard work!!

Kids News by Amber George

November is here! October is over! And that means we survived the Halloween Carnival! I have to thank everyone who was a part of the Carnival. Thank you so much to all the fantastic volunteers who set-up on Friday night and Saturday! And, also to all the volunteers who worked at the Carnival, thank you so much! Also, thank you to everyone for the wonderful donations and pumpkin banks. Honestly, none of this could have happened without all of you! Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart! You guys are awesome. Thanks for going “M.A.D.”!

And, now that November is here (and hopefully the cooler weather will soon follow) our annual Thanksgiving dinner is coming up. This is a great night of fellowship and a wonderful opportunity to invite friends. So, kids… invite some friends! The Thanksgiving dinner will be at CCH on Sunday, November 23rd at 4 p.m. Don’t forget to sign up to bring a favorite dish for everyone to enjoy.

The Pathfinders Sunday School is making their way through their new curriculum. They are a little more than halfway done with this series and will be able to take home the workbooks they have been doing in the next couple weeks. Please, take a minute to look over what your kids have been learning and discuss it with them when they bring their workbooks home.

And, the Pathfinders will soon have a special holiday event planned. So, keep a lookout for that.

With Christmas coming up soon, there will be lots of Go M.A.D. opportunities that I want the kids to get involved with this year. It will be such a rewarding experience. And, we will also have our end of the year Christmas party as well. So, look for details on all of those coming soon.

Have a wonderful November everyone and remember all that we have to be thankful for!

Youth News by Amber George

Youth Group will soon be changing nights. Our Sunday night meetings will likely be moving to Wednesday nights. The details are being worked out right now, but keep your eyes and ears open so you know what night youth group is on.

We are still continuing our study through “The Case for Christ”. If you haven’t already, please bring in $7 to purchase a copy of the book. This is a great study and I think everyone will get a lot out of it.

And, I will soon be sending home a calendar of upcoming events after the New Year, including camps, conventions, events and special activities. So, watch for that. There is a lot of very fun stuff coming up.

Fuse (young adults)

Once again, Fuse will not be meeting the last Saturday of November since it is Thanksgiving weekend. Instead we will meet on a date TBD. Details are still being worked out. But, we are trying to organize a dinner after volunteering at a local soup kitchen in the Conejo Valley. This will be a great time to hang out, get to know each other better and also give back to our community a little during this season of Thanksgiving. Watch for more details.

Upcoming Go M.A.D. Events (Go Make a Difference)

SFV Rescue Mission donations: Please bring new packages of socks and underwear for men, women & children to church on or before Sunday, November 9th.
Santa Comes to Agoura—donations of food and help needed on the event day in December.
Angel Tree Gifts — Help a family in need this year byselecting a child from our list and purchasing Christmas presents for them.

Details coming soon.

Prayer Requests

Loretta Hicks — for knee and back pain — the treatments are not helping.
Dale Rickards — battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
Lynn Sweeney—daughter Marie was in a car accident and recuperating from her injuries.
Patti Pape’s former student — lost his mother-in-law who was struck and killed by a motorist. Pray for the family.
Amy Fechner’s Mom — is in declining health.
Pat Henkel — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
Thais Klembara — Prayer for health and grief.
Financial Market—keep praying for the Church and the church families during this difficult financial time.
CCH — Please always keep our church in your prayers for growth both spiritually and in numbers, for wisdom and direction for the staff and elders, as well as future outreaches and events.
Remember the servicemen:Drew Lewis, Scott and Andrew Olson, and Amber’s brother Ty.

Nancy Olson is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs. 706-2124.

New Newsletter Format

noreply@blogger.com (Embrace Life Photography) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:40:00 +0000

Beginning with the November 2008 issue of the CCH Newsletter, each monthly newsletter will consist of a new entry on this blog. Please check back regularly for the latest at Christian Church of the Hills. Thanks and see you at church!