Good Morning/Week Harvest South Bay!
You may have noticed that these posts haven’t been as consistent this year. I’m hoping to be more on the ball as Christine and I clear up our long term childcare needs and form a new groove for 2010. Thanks for your patience!

Thanks everyone who is being so diligent at providing snacks during Sundays! I can speak for everyone when I say that everything has been top notch!

See you all this Sunday!

Byron

Harvest South Bay                January 24th , 2010

Who’s The Boss?
Live Big: Ephesians 6:5-9

2 Commands

1. The Command for Slaves: Obey!

2. The Command for Masters: Be Considerate (Do to them the same).

Workplace Applications

1. Change Masters: we need to now consider Christ our motivation.

2. Redefine Excellence: doing our job well means intending well toward those who it is directed.

3. Serve with Integrity and Faith: we need to act fully in integrity and trust that God takes care of the results- just as Christian masters had to give up threatening their slaves and trust that God would be the ultimate arbiter in their relationship.

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Commit on Monday to an hourly attitude check: on the hour, every hour revue your attitude at whatever vocation you are at (student, employee, employer) and whether you are actively serving Christ. End the day with an evaluation of how this practice changes your perspective on people that are difficult or work that might seem menial.

2. Spend some time meditating on how God would have you change your behaviors at work or school so as to reflect the character of Jesus: how does He call you to be different, even though it might seem inefficient or ineffective in the eyes of the world?

Hi Harvest!

Once again, Christine and I and our whole family would like to thank you for your prayers and support during this difficult time as her dad is in the hospital. Please continue to pray this week for his health and healing as he battles the bleeding in his lungs. We thank God for His great strength and comfort, but most of all that dad is greatly at peace in the presence of Christ.

Byron

Prayer Ministry every Sunday @ 9AM
Sunday Morning prayer meetings are starting up weekly. Come join us in the Sunday School room to pray for our church and our community.

Harvest Christmas Celebration
Dec. 19th 6:30 PM
Save the date and join us! Willis and Linda Shu have graciously opened their home to our church for our annual Christmas celebration. Food, fun, and a time to focus on our Savior! Make sure  to respond to the Evite and let Martin know if you would like to be added!

Special Missions Offering
The Board has approved to set up a special offering for Mike and Nancy Tseng to provide for them two round trip air tickets for two of their parents to go from LA to visit them. If you like to participate in this offering, please specify in the memo of your check: “Mission Gift”. If we receive more money than the actual expense, the surplus will go to the church’s general mission fund.

Lunch Offering
Our church’s Sunday lunch has been traditionally supplied by families sponsoring one, two or more weekend’s per year ($350 per weekend). The offering is now open for church members to sign up. In the past we received most lunch offering from Taiwanese congregation but we would like to encourage families/members in both the English and Mandarin groups to participate more. To sign up go to:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=ttB7YbGBz9XNeVMVDyEyB-Q

EFC/HarvestSB Christmas Banquet Sunday, 12/20 6:00-9:00 PM
6-7PM – Banquet
7-7:30PM (Program Preparation)
7:30-9PM Christmas Program
Short message: 10 – 15 mins
CYM program: 20 mins
Taiwanese Cong program: 10 – 15 mins
English Cong program: 10 – 15 mins
Mandarine Cong program: 10 -15 mins

Harvest South Bay

December 13th, 2009
Truth, Be Told
Live Big: Ephesians 4:17-32
Background (Eph 4:1-3)

Our Goal: Preserve the Unity of the Spirit
One Application:
Speak Truth to One Another

3 Dimensions:

1. Speak of Right Ethics

2. Speak of Right Speech

3. Speak of Right Attitudes

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Reflect on the last time that someone “spurred you on” to become more Christlike. How can you take that experience and replicate it in helping other Christians grow by keeping them accountable to their commitment to God?

2. In what ways can you be seeking out effective accountability? Make a short list of people you would like to see help you grow spiritually; how can you welcome them to confront you more honestly and more often in your areas where you need the most help?

Good Morning HSB!

… and welcome to the ADVENT SEASON! YAAAAYY! Don’t you love the season of Christmas!
Here are the notes and announcements from last week. I also want to let you know that you’ll soon be seeing MORE messages from this feed because starting next week I’ll be writing quiet time material for everyone from Tuesday through Friday to jump start that spiritual discipline for our congregation. It won’t be a lot of reading or stuff to slog through: it will hopefully give you a jumping point for your prayer life and Bible reading though!

See you week after next since you know that I’ll be away for a wedding this Sunday!

Byron

Operation Christmas Child
Praise God that He provided 53 shoebox gifts through our church to needy kids worldwide! Please pray for the boxes and their recipients as well as the international effort to reach children for Jesus.

EFC Winter Retreat
Dec. 31-Jan. 3
Registration is open for those interested in attending the EFC Winter Retreat at Pine Summit (Big Bear).

http://www.efcchurches.org/wr/2009

Welcome Baby Emma/Food Tree!
Now that Baby Emma is born, let’s help her parents take care of her! An email is circulating concerning the Huang’s food tree, please sign up or inquire with Mabel Yu.

Prayer Ministry every Sunday @ 9AM
Sunday Morning prayer meetings are starting up weekly from Dec. 6. Come join us in the Sunday School room to pray for our church and our community.

Harvest South Bay                November 29nd, 2009

All Grown Up
Live Big: Ephesians 4:1-16

2 Dimensions of Unity

1. Unity of Peace: God desires us to display the character of Christ toward one another.

2. Unity of Principle: We share the same core truths of the Christian faith.

2 Applications

1. Make Unity a Priority: Be transformed in character toward each other.

2. Remember the Process of Maturity: Before church growth or kingdom growth comes spiritual growth.

Weekly Application Exercises
1.Take some time before the Lord to present yourself, your personality and your character to God. Commit to becoming more humble, gentle, patient or tolerant in some concrete way as He guides.

2. Examine how you think of Harvest South Bay and our congregation in terms of the concept of growth. Reassess and reorganize your perspective around personal and corporate spirituality. Purpose to help our body “grow up” in the coming year.

Good Morning Harvest South Bay!
Missed you all last Sunday whilst preaching down the street at Bread of Life! Hope all went well (I’ll be online listening to you Danny!).

Here are the weekend’s announcements. See you all next Sunday!
Byron

Operation Christmas Child
The Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child 2009 National Collection Week is November 16-23.  Begin to collect empty shoe boxes and gift items (school supplies, toys, hygiene items, hard candy, mints, gum, t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips). Our big “wrap party” is Nov. 20 before the boxes get taken to the dropoff. For more info, contact Stephanie Liu.

10/10 Room
Many thanks to all who helped in setting up the storage room (Chris, Julie, Carsten and Annie) for our “10/10” program. Remember, bring any unused items so that someone else might benefit. Also peruse the room to see if there is anything you might put to good use!

EFC Winter Retreat
Dec. 31-Jan. 3
Registration is open for those interested in attending the EFC Winter Retreat at Pine Summit (Big Bear). Early registration ($175) is due Oct. 18 and can be done online at:

http://www.efcchurches.org/wr/2009

Welcome Baby Emma/Food Tree!
Now that Baby Emma is born, let’s help her parents take care of her! An email is circulating concerning the Huang’s food tree, please sign up or inquire with Mabel Yu.

Danny and Lillian Care Package
The Tokudome’s are coordinating the delivery of a care package to Danny and Lillian in China. Here’s the little list!
1. Baking powder
2. chocolate chips (mini or regular size)
3. Sauce packets (specifically chili, sloppy joe, alfredo, stew seasoning, ranch dressing), the ones that are powder and come in packets…all you have to do is add simple ingredients you get can here! So great for guests!
4. muffin cups
5. any baking mixes (like for cookies, brownies, muffins, breads)
6. bottle of Vitamin C
7. kids vitamins
8. Anything related to the specific holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter)…for cooking, for decorating, for setting the table, for the house, for crafts
9. Kids stuff: Sidewalk chalk, Good Markers, Construction paper
Contact Makoto and Amy for more details!

Prayer Ministry every Sunday @ 9AM
Sunday Morning prayer meetings are starting up weekly from Dec. 6. Come join us in the Sunday School room to pray for our church and our community.