Spotlight on Upcoming Events

VBS at LAC: July 23-27 from 6pm to 8:15pm

Take your kids to the ultimate “concert” experience each day to worship and sing with the LAC performers doing original Go Fish Guys songs!

Your kids will have a great time learning the books of the Bible, the ten commandments, and how to be saved by grace through faith...and that’s all just in the first few minutes of singing each day! Our goal with this Vacation Bible School is to clearly present the gospel of Jesus Christ while having as much fun as humanly possible.

It’s time to put the BIBLE back into Vacation Bible School! Click here for more information or to register your children.

Chiavetta's Chicken Fundraiser

There will be a church fundraiser event on May 18th, from 4pm until 7pm in the church parking lot. Help support the Youth Group Reach Trip by picking up a delicious Chiavetta's chicken dinner! Tickets are 8 dollars pre-sale, 9 dollars at the door.

Royal Reapers Bake Sale

On Sunday, May 20th, the Royal Reapers are holding a bake sale during lifehour and after the 11:15 service. Funds raised at the bake sale will go towards the new church van! Stop by the foyer and enjoy a yummy home-baked treat!

From the Alliance...

Great Commission Ministries  (How and Why we do what we do.)

Ministry. In its simplest form it means reaching out to meet another’s need. Jesus’ response to the question, “[What] is the greatest commandment…” informs our ministry.

…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…And the second is…love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

As Jesus’ love transforms us, we are compelled to share His healing love with our neighbors. Alliance Great Commission Ministries demonstrate how we share the practical message of Christ’s love with the marginalized, the poor, the wounded, and the sick both at home and around the world.

Our Ministry Cycle

Our vision is to develop devoted, healthy followers of Jesus. Our method is simple: win the lost, build the believer, equip the worker, multiply leaders, and send the called ones, who begin the ministry lifecycle over again by winning the lost. Take a few moments to review the ministry diagram (below) for yourself.

Win the lost

Individuals need salvation. Our mission informs why we seek to provide clear teaching on salvation and offer regular opportunities for individuals to enter into relationship with the Author of Life.

Build the Church

The book of Acts unpacks five essential elements we enlist to develop healthy, vibrant disciples, starting with the Holy Spirit’s infilling (Acts 1:8). Additional disciplines listed in Acts 2—devotion to the Word, prayer, fellowship (healthy relationships), and worship—also are included.

Equip the believer

Christians are called to dedicate their spiritual gifts, talents, and resources. It’s a natural progression. Happy, healthy Christ-followers increasingly desire to hone their talents and skills to bring the lost into eternal relationship with Jesus; this is why we offer many such opportunities.

Multiple leaders

We promote servant leadership; the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) is our benchmark for such service. Alliance people are given many opportunities to hear and respond to God’s call to ministry through service projects. Churches are also encouraged to develop service-minded leaders who show evidence that they are called to plant mission-sending churches.

Send the called

A sure indication of a healthy disciple of Christ is one who reaches out to the lost as well as supports those who are called to “go.” Ultimately, the privilege of being a child of the King involves a grave responsibility—mission-critical to The Alliance—developing healthy Christ-followers who in turn make more disciples.

Spotlight on Missions...

New Life in the Face of Suffering

By Harry Landaw

In response to the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami, and ensuing nuclear reactor accident in northeastern Japan, Alliance international workers Jane and Harry Landaw answered God’s call to plant a church in the impacted region, where there are no Alliance congregations. To that end, the Landaws have partnered with like-minded groups to bring hope and community through the New Life Center, which opened March 29, 2012.

“Although Jane’s recovery process is not finished, it seemed appropriate to me to use the words of “The Doxology”: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

Our daughter Heidi had prayed, “We don’t need a big miracle right now. Just a little one would be enough. Just please let the doctors take the tube out of Mom’s stomach.” As I was driving to the hospital that morning, Jane called me from her room to tell me that they had taken it out. Tomorrow, they will start her on soft foods and during next week get her going on regular food. You all have prayed with us, and I want you to know that God has answered your prayers. Praise His Name!

From Small to Big Miracles

I also want to share something that happened on March 29, the dedication day for the New Life Center. More than 100 people gathered in Ishinomaki to dedicate this new facility to God. Many had traveled several hours from the Tokyo area to attend. Some visited Jane in the hospital on their way home afterward.

Four Japanese ladies from a church where we had worked for many years stopped in to see Jane. One of them, Mrs. Ando, was not yet a believer. We have ministered to her for more than six years, but she still had not accepted Christ. At 8:00 p.m., the hospital announced that visiting hours were over and guests must leave. The women said good-bye to Jane and left her room.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Ando ran back into Jane’s room with another lady. In tears, Mrs. Ando knelt down beside the bed, put her head on Jane’s knees and said, “Please lead me in the prayer to receive Jesus as my Savior!” Jane, with a drainage tube hanging from her nose, put her head on Mrs. Ando’s head and led her in a prayer to receive Jesus as her personal Savior.

Even though Jane was not able to attend the dedication service for New Life Center, God used her there in her hospital room to put into action our vision for Ishinomaki New Life Center, bringing “new life” to the people of Japan, including Mrs. Ando. I thought you would all be encouraged by this special work of God through one of your international workers to Japan.

Our desire has always been to see God use both of us to lead Japanese people to Jesus. Even through this time of great physical discomfort and pain, God is giving Jane the strength and courage to use every opportunity to reach more Japanese people for Jesus.

Please continue to pray that the next steps in the recovery process will go smoothly and that Jane can be released from the hospital before Jill and Heidi arrive in Japan. Pray that Jane’s digestive system will function properly.”

Update

April 5, was a miracle day! The head nurse sat down with me to tell me that the surgeon said Jane could go home on Saturday or Monday. The nurse then asked, “Which would work better for you?” My response was, “Saturday will work great for me!” Praise God! We are so thankful to Him, and we are blessed to have so many partners who have walked with us through this part of the battle. We realize that this is just the first step in a long process of miracles as we continue to plead with God to defeat this cancer that has infected Jane’s body.

What You Can Do

Continue to stand with Harry and Jane in praying for Jane’s complete healing. Also, pray for Alliance workers, church leaders, and their ministry partners as they continue to reach out to the people of Ishinomaki and share God’s plan of salvation with them. Pray that many will find eternal hope in Jesus Christ. Pray also for Alliance workers around the world as they address deep needs for which only Jesus is the answer. Find out more about the Great Commission Fund and make a donation today. Partner with Alliance workers in bringing the good news to people, such as those in Ishinomaki, who have yet to embrace the hope that only Jesus offers.