Thank you for your prayers on behalf of the ministry in Camarillo, CA.
Believe it or not, I am coming up on seventeen months in Ventura County with the church. And I am getting used to the slower pace. You'll have to ask me what I miss about LA though . . .
One thing about an agricultural community are the unusual road signs.
Ministry and Community News
The 21st century is mobile. Phones, iPods, we ourselves are a people on the move. We recently said goodbye to a young man who helped us with our youth ministry over the summer. Khary is moving on to pursue a PhD on the east coast. On his last Sunday in November, we were able to fulfill his request for baptism by immersion (pictured below).
Interestingly enough, just after this baptism was held, two people independently approached me about their interest in baptism and church membership. How wonderful! Perhaps we will see that happen in 2007.
Membership
And just as Khary moved on, we were blessed to receive three new friends into the membership of the church on November 19th. Matt and Kayomi recently moved from the San Diego area. Matt comes into membership by transfer. His wife, Kayomi was received by her declaration of faith in Christ through baptism.
Helen recently moved from Phoenix and was received by affirmation of faith. We will also be welcoming George into membership in December. George was unexpectedly hospitalized on the weekend of this membership reception and asked to be received at the next opportunity. We're very excited by the lives God is entrusting to our care.
Worship
We are encouraged that we are making contacts within our community. However that initial contact is not immediately translating into consistent attendance or involvement. I am hoping to work with our leaders and others to better enfold our visitors into the life of the church.
Since I began ministering here, we've been keeping records of the contacts we are making in the community. I have the names of approximately 78 people who have visited the church in the last seventeen months. That's not insubstantial.
Now comes the follow-up. Please pray with me for open hearts as I work with a team of visitors to make further contacts. Of the 78, perhaps 44 are local and have expressed interest in the church. Of the 78, seven have become church members. My prayer is that 2007 will be an action year.
Our worship attendance in November has climbed to an average in the mid-thirties. Our Thanksgiving Potluck Luncheon (which was our outreach event for the quarter) saw almost fifty in worship service with close to fifteen visitors! Pray as we follow up those visitors.
Church Name Change
When I meet some of you in the LA area, the most asked question I've received is "How's the name change going?" Actually, the number 1 question has been, "Are you doing okay?" but name change is a close second.
The recent congregational meetings held separately in English and Japanese revealed no new progress. The English department wishes to move forward with the name change but desires to be sensitive to the concerns of the Japanese speaking. For their part, the Japanese speaking members have no expressed interest in losing the “Japanese” portion of the name.
A special committee will meet in an effort to resolve the stalemate. It is felt that the name change is vital for the growth and future of the English department. One idea that we are exploring is to investigate the concept of a dba ("doing business as") for the English department ministry. That is to say we would retain our corporate name and identity as JACC and then give the English Department a name that reflects where we want to go as a congregation. If anyone has any information for me regarding the idea of using a dba (e.g., legality, financial, non-profit impact, etc.), please contact me.
What Goes Around Comes Around Department
Thanks to Pastor Ted Esaki for encouraging a family to visit our church. As it turns out, the wife was a student at UC Irvine when I was student pastoring a church in Orange County. As part of my ministry back then, I went on campus at the request of some students and conducted a Bible study. I think that we met for one quarter or less. That was - ahem - thirty years ago in 1976. After all these years, circumstances bring her, her husband and two daughters to worship with us in Camarillo. Isn't the Lord amazing?
Financially . . .
Thank you to the many who have expressed their love and support on behalf of my ministry. As regards the financial picture for the coming year, the news is both good and bad. The bad news is that the Pastoral Fund from which I am being paid will be exhausted as of April 2007.
However, the good news is that God has wonderfully provided. The church has been named the beneficiary of a home and property in Oxnard. We thank God for this generous gift which provides a strong financial foundation for the church in the years to come. The determination of how that gift will dovetail with staffing needs has yet to be decided and determined. Please pray that our leadership may move forward with wisdom.
For my part, in addition to the three-quarter salary at church, I have taken a part time job in a local sea urchin harvesting plant. Yes, you read that correctly. I'm sure you never thought you'd read my name together with sea urchins. But I am working sixteen hours a week in the capacity of an office manager.
And though the photo may show otherwise, I don't actually deal directly with the sea urchins. Instead I work on accounts payable, payroll, inventory and daily reports for the Department of Fish and Game. The work is minimal, and so is the pay. But it helps to cover some of my medical expenses.
Learn about the sea urchin industry here. The company I work for is featured in the article.
Health
If you were to do a Google search on the words "anti-aging" perhaps you wouldn't be surprised at the number of responses you would find. I just ran across a CNN article "60s are the New Middle-Age" (click to read).
I am grateful to be in a place where I can write and tell you how blessed I feel to be serving the Lord here. Many have expressed their love and support for me through this health crisis. I'm blessed by your concern and care. It's only been nine months since I was at this point, but I feel very good about the future.
Yes, I'm watching my diet as much as a former consumer of pastrami and chili fries can be. And my medications seemed to have settled down and are not causing too many distractions. There are the challenges of working two jobs, of course, but I am keeping pace.
Please specifically pray for that the stresses of the season and the next two months will be manageable. Every pastor will tell you that this is probably the busiest time of the church calendar. Being a small church doesn't preclude the danger of busyness. Pray that we all might be wise in our use of time and resources.
Wonderful Personal News
My daughter Tracey recently revealed her engagement to boyfriend Will over the Thanksgiving holidays. Tracey and Will are classmates at Harvard Law School and both will be graduating in June of 2007. I've met Will and am very pleased with their decision to move forward in their relationship together. They met at Harvard Christian Fellowship.
You've been so patient through this long letter. Please let me know how you are doing. Drop me a note if you'd care to.
May God bless you richly as we head into the season of Jesus' birth.
Pastor John
