Videos for 11-11-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "Extravagant Generosity - The Heart of Giving (III)" Joel 2: 29, Matthew 6: 33, Richard Fong, Lay Speaker

English Ministry News and Notes 11-11-12

*A Faithful  - and Generous  - Response to Hurricane Sandy - Yvonne Chu from the Chinese Ministry has initiated an effort to raise funds for the relief effort on the East Coast in the aftermath of Sandy. We will "take it to the streets" on Saturday, Nov. 17th, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, inviting our Chinatown neighbors to "pitch in." Monies raised will be routed through the American Red Cross.  You can make a difference by sharing music, helping to set up or take down, greeting neighbors, or collecting funds.  Please sign up today!

*Save the Date!  This year we will be holding our Thanksgiving Parallel Worship and Potluck Luncheon on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25th. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Annex.  (Please be on time!) Those with names beginning A - K are invited to bring a side dish or salad, and those with names beginning L-Z are invited to bring a main dish. Leftovers are welcome! Dessert will be provided.

*Advent Sunday School Series - Beginning Dec. 2nd, our adult Sunday School class will move into a new year with a new book. The book is titled, "The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach about the Birth of Jesus." Over six sessions, we'll peel away all that has built up around the birth of Jesus during the last 2,000 years and consider the question, "What do these stories really mean?" Sunday School begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. Your attention to time enables us to have a focused class.

*Mark Your Calendars Now - Our annual Charge Conference will take place on Sunday, Dec. 9th, at 1:30 p.m. This is an important time when we get together to do the "business" of the church: electing new officers and leaders, approving pastoral compensation, and reviewing the membership report. All members are encouraged to be present and take part.

*Prayer Request - Please keep Silver Omakenyi and his whole family clan in your prayers.  We received word on Wednesday that Silver’s father passed away.

Extravagant Generosity: Ben Wong

Today we mark the 3rd Sunday in our Season of Generosity.   During this season, we explore the path and practice of generosity and consider the call to extravagant generosity.  Together, we’ll wrestle with how our lives as disciples of Jesus are shaped and transformed through this practice and how we might live this practice out.  Each week, we will celebrate stories of generosity – both God’s and one another’s.  This week we lift up the sharing of Ben Wong.

I’m a goal-oriented guy.  I love setting goals, and then trying to reach them. I need to see positive change in my surroundings, and have a hard time accepting the status quo.  I believe things can be improved, and I work really hard to move the needle.  It’s really difficult for me to sit around and let time pass without doing something.  I’m not content to just exist - I have to live with purpose.

Naturally, I tend to hang out with people who are also interested in making a change.  Hopefully they share the same purpose as me.  At my company, my coworkers are all working towards the same goal.  Similarly, at CCUMC, I’m hoping that we’re also united in purpose, and I think the UMC is very clear on what that purpose is - making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

As you can probably imagine, I get really frustrated when goals aren’t met, or change doesn’t happen.  At my company, if the product I’m working on has no chance to succeed, I would have no energy or enthusiasm to go to work.  I would feel like quitting.  But sometimes companies do that - they’re content to simply keep themselves alive.  Can you imagine that - a company that had no impact on the world, and was content to simply maintain the status quo?  (see the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:13-30)

My hope for the coming year is that CCUMC would make disciples - that we would make good on that unifying goal set forth by the UMC.  I hope that we haven’t placed anything else as higher priority, and that we sacrifice everything to achieve that goal. So, is CCUMC having any success with this? How are we delivering on this goal?  How are you delivering on this goal? As with many things in life, it all begins with each one of us individually - with our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, and Witness.  If you build yourself up as a disciple, then you are helping to reach the goal.  Beyond that, are you helping others to do the same? That is what disciple-making is all about.

Finally, I have to say that not only am I goal-oriented, I’m also results-oriented. If something isn’t working, we have to change our strategy.   If we aren’t having much success making disciples, then I hope we would change how we go about trying to make them.  My high school tennis coach would always tell us “you always change a losing game plan.”  Are we willing to take a hard look at the things that aren’t making disciples, and either sacrifice them, or alter them until they do produce?  I hope we are willing to do that in the coming year.  And I hope that you take your own discipleship, and the discipling of others, to heart.

Videos for 11-4-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "Extravagant Generosity - The Heart of Giving (II)" John 13: 34-35, Pastor Emily

News of YCVM Sponsored Children

First of all, I would like to add my voice to that of Silver to acknowledge the receipt of funds sent for children's education.* I thank all of the donors for their hearts of generosity at giving!

All the children have fully paid up their tuition for this term, and did receive scholastic materials. We are grateful.  Jessica, Grace, Stellah and Raymond asked me to tell you to share with them Psalms 23. In fact they wished you could recite that Psalm verse by verse by heart.

Raymond is working hard and I am optimistic he will make it to the university. He enjoys playing football and has high sense of choice and is focused- I am impressed.  Stellah is a bit quiet. Grace is talkative. In fact she's served punishment once this term for being talkative in class! Jessica is a good singer and likes reciting poems. Her first poem is taken from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13: "What is love?" she asks. I talk with Sarah at least once a week. So far she is fine except she has a challenge in economics in which I advised her to consult with respective lecturers, be actively involved in discussion groups, identify gifted students and make friends with them, put extra time to reading economics and pray to God for understanding. John and Sheilla are sweet! They will always wear that great smile on their faces. But they long to see Mama Aeri.  Sheilla asks when Mama Aeri is coming and I keep saying soon.

Lastly, Jessica is sick. I sought a car to take her to hospital at 11.00pm after receiving a phone call from the school nurse last Tuesday. She had lost consciousness. The doctor put her on IV treatment and she is recovering though rather slowly. Stellah is also sick but taking medication at home. She doesn’t need hospital admission as advised by the doctor. Let's pray that these children recover soon as they are missing their classes a lot. 

I thank you for loving us and praying with us.

Peace and blessings, Grace (Among)

*A total of $2,425 was disbursed from CCUMC to YCVM for school fees in September .  This provided school fees for 7 sponsored children varying from primary to university level.  We will disburse the next term fees in January.

English Ministry News and Notes 11-4-12

*Praise God! We give thanks to God, to an amazing team of volunteers, and to the community that gathered on Friday for the 3rd Annual YCVM Benefit Dinner. Now that was some extravagant generosity being lived out!

*Small Group Ministries Stir to Life! Small Groups are wonderful opportunities to be nourished and strengthened as a disciple of Jesus and to build meaningful community with others. You are warmly invited to participate in this vital ministry. Small Groups will meet for six sessions starting Nov. 6th and 7th and ending the 2nd week in December. Groups will meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Oakland (at church), in Castro Valley, and in Union City. We give thanks to our amazing team of facilitators: Burt, Jane, Brenda, Becky, Charlie, and Steve. To learn more, connect with any of the facilitators.

*LMUMC Food Pantry Work Day - Saturday, Nov. 10th, 2012.  Please also remember our theme to fill the food barrel this month is: Thanksgiving!  You are encouraged to practice generosity!

*Stewardship Response Cards - Next week (Nov. 11th) we will pass out "stewardship response cards." You are invited to prayerfully discern God's invitation and take a new step in your commitment and practice. Cards will be offered up in worship on Thanksgiving Sunday, Nov. 25th.

*A Faithful - and Generous - Response to Hurricane Sandy - Yvonne Chu from the Chinese Ministry has initiated an effort to raise funds for the relief effort on the East Coast in the aftermath of Sandy. We will "take it to the streets" on Saturday, Nov. 17th, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, inviting our Chinatown neighbors to "pitch in." Monies raised will be routed through the American Red Cross.  You can make a difference by sharing music, helping to set up or take down, greeting neighbors, or collecting funds.

*Save the Date!  This year we will be holding our Thanksgiving Parallel Worship and Potluck Luncheon on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25th. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Annex.  (Please be on time!) Those with names beginning A - K are invited to bring a side dish or salad, and those with names beginning L-Z are invited to bring a main dish. Leftovers are welcome! Dessert will be provided.

Extravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving

Today we mark the 2nd Sunday in our Season of Generosity.   During this season, we will explore the path and practice of generosity and consider the call to extravagant generosity.  Together, we’ll wrestle with how our lives as disciples of Jesus are shaped and transformed through this practice and how we might live this practice out.  Each week, we will celebrate stories of generosity – both God’s and one another’s.  As we celebrated All Saints Day earlier this week, we take time today to consider those saints  – in and beyond the church - who have made a difference in our spiritual lives and the world’s.
All Saints – Rev. Steven Garnass-Holmes

For the saints of all the ages

who have baked the bread of faith

and allured us with the aroma,

we sing praise.

For the saints in our own lives

who, finding their way through the dark

became our light,

we give thanks.

For the unseen saints in this world

who hold it up with their prayers,

whose hope and labor save us

without our ever knowing,

we cry glory.

For the suffering saints

who are our only hope in this world,

who languish in prisons and slums,

reservations and townships,

who labor in fear,

who are trafficked and tortured,

who die of hunger even as we pray,

we ask blessing.

May we all be made holy

in wonder and gratitude

and steadfast loving kindness

toward all that lives.