News
New Releases from Kathi Macias
It’s wonderful to have an accomplished author who is part of our church family. Kathi has certainly been busy lately! Her latest series is called Extreme Devotion and explores Christians who have suffered as a result of their faith in Christ. To purchase her works, visit:
Red Ink (book 3 in Extreme Devotion series)
A young Chinese woman, Zhen-Li—raised to observe the party line, including its one-child-per-family doctrine—falls in love with and marries a Christian, and adopts his faith. Though the couple downplays their Christianity in an effort to survive, Zhen-Li’s family is appalled, and she and her husband are ostracized. When she becomes pregnant for the second time and refuses to have an abortion, the persecution begins in earnest. Zhen-Li’s parents, under pressure from the government, pay to have Zhen-Li kidnapped and the baby aborted. It is then Zhen-Li decides she must live up to her name—”Truth”—and take a firm stand for her faith, regardless of the consequences, and so she begins to regularly teach children about Zhu Yesu (“Lord Jesus”) and to distribute Christian literature every chance she gets. Based loosely on the life of Christian magazine editor Li Ying, recently released after serving 12 years of a 15-year prison sentence in China, the story of Yang Zhen-Li tells the desperate tale of her incarceration and separation from her family, as she continues to minister to other prisoners, and even to her guards.
People of the Book (book 4 in Extreme Devotion series)
Farah lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with her family, and wants nothing more than to develop a deeper devotion to her Muslim faith. She sees the month of Ramadan as her chance to draw nearer to Allah, and pursues that goal. All goes well until the prophet Isa—Jesus—appears to her in a dream and calls her to Himself. Her brother, Kareem, who has never liked her, seeks to discredit her. Farah’s cousin, an only child, frequents an online chat. She discovers former Muslims discussing their new belief that Isa is much more than a Muslim prophet—He is actually the Son of God. She becomes acquainted with an American girl of Muslim ancestry—now a devout Christian—Sara. Sara has problems of her own due to her brother Emir’s suspicious behavior. Each finds their faith put to the test. Will they be true to their beliefs? Will God protect them, or will they pay the ultimate price for their faith?
A Christmas Journey Home:
During Isabella Alcantara’s seventh month of pregnancy, her parents and siblings are murdered in gang- and drug-related violence, simply because their home was targeted by mistake. Isabella knows she was spared only because she now lives in a different location, but she knows too that the same thing could easily happen to her and her husband, Francisco. When her grandfather offers to hire a “coyote” to bring them across the border to America, she agrees. But Francisco and Isabella are abandoned by the coyote and left to die. Francisco then valiantly sacrifices himself to get Isabella to safety. Homeless, nearly penniless, pregnant, and alone, Isabella determines to find a way to honor her promise to her beloved husband. Living on one of the smaller spreads along the Arizona border, Miriam Nelson becomes furious with God and turns from her faith when her border patrol agent husband, David, is killed in a skirmish with drug smugglers. Though her mother and young son do their best to woo her back from the anger and bitterness that have overtaken her, they make little headway. Two widows—one driven by fear and a promise, the other by bitterness and revenge—must make their journeys along different pathways, but with the same destination: a barn full of animals that stands waiting for them on Christmas Eve. Forced to face their personal demons, Isabella and Miriam soon discover a common yearning that will bind them together in a most miraculous way.
No Greater Love (Book 1 of the series)
Orphaned four years earlier when their parents were m u rdered, 16-year-old Chioma now lives and works o n an Afrikaner family?s farm. When Chioma and Andrew,the farm owner?s son, find themselves attracted to one another, tragedy revisits their lives. Chioma escapes to join an ANC rebel band in her effort to survive and gain revenge. When cultures clash in life-or-death struggles, Chioma must choose between violence and revenge or forgiveness and selfless love. Loosely based on historical events and set near Pretoria, South Africa, in the violent upheaval prior to Nelson Mandela?s release from prison in 1990, this story of forbidden romance produces an unlikely martyr who is replaced by one even more unlikely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOx8FRSEheA (video trailer for No Greater Love)
More than Conquerors (Book 2 of the series)
With violent crime on the rise and the political climate changing throughout Mexico, the opportunity for open<> Christian witness, particularly in some areas of Chiapas State, is rapidly decreasing. Hector Rodriguez pastors a small church in the tourist-popular border town of Tijuana. He also routinely carries Bibles deeper into the hostile areas of Mexico, despite increasing difficulty and persecution. Hector?s mother accompanied him on one of those trips and felt God called her to stay in the predominantly Mayan village of San Juan Chamula, where she uses the Scriptures to teach reading to the families who are open to it. Soon after, Hector?s mother disappears, and Hector must decide if he will continue his work despite his worries about protecting his wife and children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em2dX2XDKjA (video trailer for More than Conquerors)
How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I?m Surrounded by Loose Cannons?
The perfect woman, excellent wife, cherished mother, impeccable housekeeper, thriving entrepreneur?all rolled into one. The Proverbs 31 woman looms large for Christian women today. Getting it all together. Keeping everything under control. Running a tight ship. In How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I’m Surrounded by Loose Cannons? Kathi shares her journey and struggle with Proverbs 31, ultimately discovered that there is natural progression of growing in grace.
Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today
In Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today, readers meet ordinary women of their day who, by God?s incomparable grace, were used for extraordinary purposes. Readers will journey through the lives of such mothers?like Eve, Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, Salome, Mary, and others. Each chapter ends with personal application and prayer. Beautifully designed, this book makes the perfect gift for a mother on any occasion. Now available in a Spanish edition (Madres de la Biblia Hablan a las Madres do Hoy).
My Son, John
When Liz Peterson?s elderly mother is found viciously beaten to death in her home, Liz and her husband, Charles, along with their grown son, John, and teenage daughter Sarah, struggle to make sense of a senseless act?the Peterson?s longstanding Christian faith is put to the test in a way they could never have imagined. Can God?s grace reach even to the deepest agony of the soul?
Cell Phones for Soldiers
Donate your old cell phone. It is simple and FREE! We are collecting old cell phones to help raise money to purchase calling cards that will be sent to troops so they can call home. We will have a box set up in the foyer of the church to collect the phones or you can go to this site for more information and to print shipping labels. http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com
Wednesday Night Warriors
Wednesdays 7-8 PM
This is our mid?week program for children kindergarten -5th grade. This is a fun faith building program for your children to get involved in.
They meet for worship together then break up in different age groups for game time, story time and crafts. Each week they receive a paper going over the lesson they learned that night with a memory verse. If they bring their paper back the following week signed by their parent, they receive ?Warrior dollars? to spend in the store.
If your children haven?t been coming, they are missing out. Why not bring them this Wednesday!
Family Sundays
From the Leaders of The Life Youth Group
It?s 9:30 on Sunday morning. A freshman student enters the annex ready for church. All the regular elements are present: a worship leader, teacher, and good friends. Though seemingly a perfect situation, the student does not realize some things are missing: Mom and Dad.
Church is an activity for the whole family on Sunday. Since there is something for all ages available at the church, the challenge is to not loose family connectivity. To promote ??family,? starting in February and repeating every subsequent month, our junior high and high school students will be joining the rest of the church for the 9:30 service. That?s right, the entire service. This will only be on communion Sundays, the first Sunday of each month. They will meet in the annex for the remainder of the month as usual.
