Reformapalooza
Sunday, October 31st
Immediately Following Our Service

What better way to celebrate salvation by grace through faith in Christ than with sausages, sides, desserts, and games? There will be something for everyone. Enjoy this moment with us.

It’ll be the 504th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany and accidentally started the Protestant Reformation. We have benefitted tremendously from the recovery of the gospel that sparked to life in 1517. Let’s commemorate it together.

It is a potluck and we need your help to pull it off. See the list below for your assignment.

Last name starts with A-E: Bring a side.

Last name starts with F-P: Bring a salad or vegetable.

Last name starts with R-Z: Bring a dessert.

Bring your own serving ware. We’ll direct you where to place your items before the service. Fridge space is limited. If you need to keep it cold, we ask you to bring a small cooler to keep it in. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the church office.

We can’t wait to celebrate the gospel with you. Thanks for pitching in to make it a memorable time together.

“The Reformation was not principally a negative movement about moving away from Rome and its corruption; it was a positive movement, about moving toward the gospel.”
Michael Reeves

Keeping the gospel central is work Christians will do until Christ returns. Drifting from the cross is easy and natural. And church history has proven that it will happen if we fail to “guard the good deposited entrusted to you” (2 Tim. 1:14).

If you’re wondering what’s so special about the Reformation, we’ve got a great resource for you. This short article by Michael Reeves will outline the major reasons the Reformation was good and necessary. And he will convince you that we need to keep reforming today.

Take me to the article.

A Generous God Has Generous People

We’re partnering with HomeAid to help those in need in our neighborhoods. Bring non-perishable food items beginning this Sunday. There will be a container near the entrance to the garden where you can drop them off. Here’s what we need you to bring:

• Stuffing

• Cranberry Sauce

• Gravy

• Mashed Potatoes

• Vegetables such as green beans, corn, carrot, etc.

• Pasta

• Cereal

• Non-perishable Desserts

Thanks to Les and Sue Card for taking the lead on this!

Not a Substitute for the Real Thing

But a gift from God, nonetheless. For those who weren’t able to attend or were serving with Celebration Kids, all four messages from last weekend’s retreat are now available! Hit the link below and listen to the messages to learn how God used Jonah to shape our California mission.

Take me to the messages.

Our official photographer (along with a few unofficial photographers) have provided a ton of beautiful photos to help us remember our time in Idyllwild last weekend at Celebration CA. Look through these pictures and thank God for the moments they represent. Remember what He did. Ask Him to do even more.

Check out the photos.

The following prayer requests come from Sovereign Grace Church’s Director of Emerging Nations, Dave Taylor. We urge you to join us and other brothers and sisters from around the world as we ask God to work!

In a recent missions update I got through email, the author began with the following observation:

‘Prayer is an amazing invitation from God! First and foremost, through prayer we are invited to have communion with the living God, to talk with him, and walk in his presence. To have this kind of relationship with the living God is incredible! As we grow to know our God, to fellowship with him, and to walk in his presence, our hearts will burn for his glory to fill the earth. And because our Father lovingly listens to us and is intent on filling the earth with his glory, He hears our weak but faith-fuelled prayers and moves with heavens power to invade and act upon the earth. This blows my mind! Incredibly, our prayers impact eternity!’

After reading that, all I wanted to do is pray, and I hope it has the same effect on your hearts today. With all the work that we have going on around the world, we really need your faith-filled prayers. They make such an eternal difference, and so here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the 11 students that make up the class of 2022 at our newly formed SG Pastors College in Ethiopia (Trinity College). They are from 6 different countries: Somaliland, Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, the USA, and of course Ethiopia... What a year they have ahead of them!

2. Please pray for Emmanuel Iluzada, Elder at CCSGM, Manila, as he puts together a second Sovereign Grace Churches Philippines, Worship Convention for 2021, to take place on Saturday 9th October, over Zoom. This event will involve around 100 worship team members from across the Philippines and Devon Kauflin (Pastor, Grace Church of Clarksburg, Singer and Songwriter for SG Music) will be the main speaker. Please pray for everyone involved.

3. Please pray for Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg, as he a heads to Puerto Rico, October 15-16th, to preach at the Reformados Conference, alongside Miguel Nuneuz and Bob Kauflin. This is such a significant conference in Puerto Rico, sponsored by Sovereign Grace Churches. May God truly establish the work of their hands.

4. Please pray for David Del Castillo, Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Santa Cruz, as he leads through our very first Sovereign Grace Conference in Bolivia, South America - "Siervos por su gracias (Servants by your Grace)" Siervos por su gracia – Bolivia. Please pray for Joselo Mercado, Matthew Williams and Chris Deloglos as they attend and speak at the conference. The theme for this year is "The Gospel and the Centrality of it” and God-willing, it is our hope that this will become an annual SG Conference in Bolivia.

5. Please pray for our newly formed ‘Reaching The Unreached Work Group’, which I have pulled together to help myself and the Leadership Team map a way forward for growth, in reaching the unreached in our world. Please pray for great wisdom, insight and faith for us all: Dave Taylor (Lead Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney & Director of Emerging Nations), Brendan Willis (Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney), Pat Tedeschi (Pastor, Greentree, NJ), Tim Kerr (Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church, Toronto), Ken Delage (Pastor, Mercy Hill Community Church, VA) and Leo Parris (Pastor, Covenant Fellowship Church, PA). There’s still so many to tell about Jesus.

… Incredibly, our prayers impact eternity, and so what an opportunity they are. May that always blow our minds!

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”
1 Peter 4:10 ESV

The Bible is filled with “one another” verses. Specific encouragements for every Christian to take on the responsibility of ministering to their fellow brothers and sisters. Small groups are where we focus our efforts on one another ministry.

Below is an illuminating infographic that shows all of the “one another” statements in the New Testament. Take a few minutes to read through it and be reminded of the ministry God has called you to. Take a moment to thank God you’re in a church filled with others who’ve committed to do these one anothers with you.

*This infographic was originally published here.

Mere Days Away

We’re heading up to Idyllwild, CA this Friday for Celebration CA. We’ll worship, learn, eat, compete, and enjoy one another’s company. Here’s how you can pray for God to meet us in our time together:

• Pray that God would begin to fill our hearts with anticipation and excitement for what He will accomplish through Celebration CA.

• Pray that God will bless all of those who are already serving us by preparing, making plans, and gathering gear.

• Pray that God uses Celebration Kids to plant seeds of faith in the hearts of our children.

• Pray that the pastors who are preaching the 4 main sessions will be filled with the Spirit as they prepare and deliver their messages.

• Pray that unbelievers among us would come to know Christ, repent of their sins, and begin to follow Jesus.

• Pray that our churches would grow deeper in their love for one another and experience deeper unity.

• Pray that we would grow in our love for California and the mission God has given us to reach Californians with the gospel.

Thank you for praying!