The Light of Life
Sitting outside in Danville, while the church staff had lunch as a part of our Fall Staff Retreat to build teamwork and to make plans for 2014, we noticed the colorful autumn leaves against a dark blue sky. It was one of those glorious days that reminded us that this is a season of falling leaves and cooler temperatures. There’s a natural rhythm to life and we come to expect it to happen year after year.
The Fall is the time when we give thanks for the abundance we have in life when we gather pumpkins and pick the remaining fruits and produce from our gardens. We gather together to ask for God’s blessings as families and friends and especially when we join as a church family for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 24th. We have such good times to eat turkey, sticky rice, pie and recognize our seniors whose long life and well-lived lives serve as sages and guideposts for us and especially for the next generations.
In this spirit of grateful thanksgiving, we realize that we absolutely have so much to share with others. To us who have received so much, we have much to also give to others. The Fall is also a season of giving. In the 2014 Canvass materials on the theme, “Walk in the Light,” that were sent to you, we talked about how Jesus invited people to come out of the shadows of darkness and to walk in the light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). As the longer shadows of the Fall season come upon us, we prayerfully consider making a pledge to the work of God through the First Chinese Baptist Church so that we may have the light of life.
Giving to God is having the light of life. When we give, we acknowledge that it’s all about God and not about us. When we give, we trust our lives into the hands of God to care for us and everything works according to God’s overarching plan for the world. When we give, we believe that things on earth fade and rust but the eternal light of Christ stays on and remains bright for eternity. When we give, we participate with others at FCBC and with other Christians around the country and in the world to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and we choose to walk in his light. When we give, we would have the light of life.
The Fall season is truly a time when we consider the rhythm of giving much for we have also received much. Come to church to give thanks to God. Come on December 8th when we’ll have our Membership Meeting at 1:30 to adopt the 2014 church budget because you have given and pledged to the work of FCBC to live in the light of life.
Let us walk in the light of Christ who is the Light of the World!
Pastor Don Ng
ABCUSA President Update
As President-Elect to begin my 2-year term in January 2014, I’ll write a monthly update about my service to the denomination to keep you informed and to invite your prayers for the ABC family and for me. I am grateful for your support of me to serve our ABC family and I hope that you would share with me in celebrating how God is working out his will through the American Baptists!
In June this year, we sent a group of delegates to the 2013 Mission Summit in Overland Park, Kansas to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Judsons going to Burma (Myanmar) that began our foreign missions. We participated in “table conversations” with hundreds of people from all over the country to explore ministry topics affecting the church today. At this meeting, I was also elected as the new president. In October, I again traveled to Overland Park to begin the planning of the 2015 Biennial Mission Summit. We hope that there will be many more people coming to celebrate the oneness we have in Christ. Perhaps you would consider attending in 2015!
In November, I’ll be going to Green Lake, Wisconsin to participate in the “Mission Table” along with almost 200 Baptist leaders. The goal is to receive the discussions from the June table conversations and to direct these priorities to become operational in the life of the denomination. This will be an exciting process. Later on that week, I’ll be in Valley Forge to attend the Fall meeting of the Board of General Ministries which I preside along with current President Ruth Clark. And finally, to celebrate the historic ministry of Educational Ministries that was dissolved in 2006, I’ll host an EM Staff Reunion to thank former employees for their faithful service to the denomination.
Please pray for me and I hope that this update invites you to appreciate the wonderful and important work of the American Baptists in the world.
President-Elect Don Ng
Gifts Planning Legacy
One way to extend our contributions to the ministry of FCBC is to make a planned gift in our estate. By adding FCBC to your will, some of your assets would leave a lasting legacy that would strengthen the church’s reach to bring Good News to others. Mary Ann Bartz who taught English at our church when Astrid Petersen was with us eventually blessed our church with her estate. You can do this too! On Sunday, Nov. 3rd, we’ll have an emphasis on the benefits of gifts planning that supports the church as your legacy. If you are interested in this, please see Wendy Quan or Pastor Don.
Men’s Retreat
The 2014 Men’s Retreat is on the theme, “What is God’s Plan for Me after I Retire?” Retirement today has changed drastically from past generations. Men are living longer and want to remain active making a difference in the world. How do we transition from a lifetime of work for pay to a lifetime of work for service? Join your brothers in Christ on Friday, Nov. 8th beginning with dinner to Saturday, Nov. 9 ending with lunch at Redwood Glen to explore these important topics for you. Contact John Tom to register.
All-Church Thanksgiving Luncheon & Seniors Appreciation
The annual Thanksgiving Luncheon sponsored by the Social Committee is on Sunday, Nov. 24th. Roasted turkey with all the trimmings and dessert and the warm fellowship around the tables celebrate God’s wonderful abundance to us to which we are very grateful. And if you are 65 and older, you get to have lunch on us as we express our appreciation to the seniors in our church community! Luncheon tickets are available at church or by calling the church office for: $5.00 (Adults and Youth), $3.00 (Children 5-12); Free (Seniors 65 and older and Children under 5).
Senior Center—Heart Health
The November meeting of the Senior Center, Wednesday, Nov. 13th, 12:00 noon features FCBC member Dr. David Louie, MD from Kaiser who will share about maintaining a healthy heart and good living habits. It’s never too late to make a significant change in your overall health by eating better, exercising, maintaining balance, and “thrive!” Come for a warm and healthy lunch and meet other friends at this month’s Senior Center by calling Jimmy Yee to make your reservation.
Membership Meeting
The last Church Membership Meeting in 2014 is on Sunday, December 8th, 1:00 to conduct important church work. The Deacons will be recommending candidates for Baptism and church membership and you’ll have the joy of hearing testimonies of how God is working in these friends’ lives. The Finance Committee along with the Canvass Committee will propose to adopt the 2014 Church Budget that will support the ongoing ministries of your church along with supporting Redwood Glen Camp and Conference Center, ABC Missionaries Ivy and Emerson Wu in Macau, and sending another mission team to northern Thailand in the summer. And the Nominating Committee will present a slate of new officers, board and committee members for your election. Plan to attend and participate in Baptist life at FCBC!
Christmas Workshops
The traditional Christmas Workshops on Sunday, Dec. 1st, 12:30 in the Fellowship Hall will ring in the holiday spirit! Come make a Christmas craft to hang on your tree. Roll out and decorate sugar cookies and the Junior Highs will bake them for you to take home. Buy a lunch from the Senior Highs as they raise funds for their senior trip. Purchase Lanna Coffee in holiday bags from Thailand to give to your office associates and neighbors to say that, “Every Sip Saves Lives.” Begin your Christmas season of celebration by coming to this year’s Christmas Workshops!
Family News
Our deepest condolences to Betty Louis and her family in the passing of her husband, Eugene Louis on September 18, 2013. May God’s grace grant us love and joy to know the Lord!
November
2 OYYAs
Daylight Saving Time (Turn clocks 1-hour back)
3 Gifts Planning Sunday
10-V
10-P
11-D
Redwood Glen Comm., 12:30
CE, 1:30
4 LRPC, 6:00
6 Church Staff, 10:00
8-9 Men’s Retreat, Redwood Glen
EFG
10 10-V
10-P
11-D
Missions, 12:30
Children’s Comm., 1:00
Deacons, 1:30
13 Senior Center
15 Adult Fellowship
16 Xplorers
17 10-V
10-P
11-P
20 Church Staff, 10:00
LRPC, 6:00
23 Sojourners
24 10-V
10-P
11-D
Thanksgiving Luncheon, 12:30
28 Thanksgiving Day (H)
30 2013 Youth Camp Retrospect