by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC Family and Friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. What a blessing this past weekend was with our All-Church Retreat. I’ve been hearing from many of you that you were challenged and encouraged by the messages by Jonathan Leeman. I’m so glad to hear that! Let’s be careful not to let that be merely a nice retreat experience. Now that
we are getting back into our regular weekly services, it will be important to reflect on what we learned at retreat in order to put the principles into practice.

For those of you who weren’t able to go to the retreat, the messages and Q&A time from the retreat can all be downloaded from the church website. I would encourage you to listen to them. I also would recommend all to pick up a copy of Jonathan’s book, The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love, if you haven’t already done so. It is a tremendously helpful book, and perhaps the best book on church membership that I have read.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

1. Friday Night Bible Studies. Don’t forget that our Friday night Bible studies are back this week for our Youth, College, and Singles Ministries. The youth and singles will meet at the church at 7:00pm. The collegians will also meet at 7:00pm, but on-campus at SDSU and UCSD. Information about College Life rides can be found at our website.
2. Membership Class. We will be having our next membership class this weekend, November 13-14, at the church. The two-part class will be on Saturday from 9:00am-12:00pm, and Sunday from 1:00-4:00pm. Both sessions are required for membership. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application.
3. Communion. Since we were at retreat this past weekend, we will be having our communion service this Sunday during our regular service. Please come having prepared your hearts to worship our Lord.
4. Thanksgiving Potluck/Vision Quest. On Sunday, November 21, at 5:30pm, we will be having our next Vision Quest event. This will be our annual Thanksgiving Potluck dinner. Signups for the potluck will be taken this Sunday by Suzie Park. Please sign up to help ensure that all the food will get prepared. Also, as it is Thanksgiving, take some time to reflect on what you are thankful for and be prepared to share with one another. Come out to our Vision Quest event for some great food and fellowship, and to learn more about the Mission of LBC.
5. Operation Christmas Child. Each year we participate with Samaritan’s Purse to encourage children all around the world and help spread the gospel message. Fill a shoebox with various toys, socks, toiletries, etc. and bring it to church on Sunday! More information about what can and cannot be included in the packages can be found at their website (www.samaritanspurse.org). This Sunday before service will be our only collection date for OCC, so be sure to put a package together and drop it off! Contact Mrs. Grace S. Lee if you have any questions (gracelee357@aol.com).
6. Christmas Concert and Service. Our Christmas Concert will be on Saturday, December 11 at 6:00pm. Please invite your family and friends to join us for some good music, drama, and food. It will be a great opportunity for them to hear the message of the gospel. Our special Christmas Service will be on Sunday, December 19. This also will be a great time to reflect on the gift of Christ.
7. Mission Bowl. If you are interested in playing on this year’s Mission Bowl flag football teams, please contact Abram Kim if you are a guy, and Randy Tsuchiyama if you are a gal. No experience is necessary! Just come with a humble, teachable heart. This is a great chance to get to know your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ better and to get some exercise as well!