From the Pastor’s Desk
 
Greetings Living Hope family! Things are happening pretty fast on the transition from closure to reopening. At the time of this writing, the Elder Board has decided to reopen the church for in-person worship on Sunday, June 7th at our regular time of 10:30 a.m. We also decided to meet in the Gym rather than the Worship Center Auditorium. In the Gym, we have more room to keep a safe distance apart and the air circulation will help disperse airborne pathogens to the outside. We are using the Gym temporarily, a measure taken out of an abundance of caution as we begin this transition back to in-person worship. We expect to be back in the Worship Center very soon.
 
We have a lot of bases to cover in taking adequate precautions for our regathering, but it is definitely time to assemble ourselves together again. We will be sending out guidelines via email and our Facebook page in the days leading up to June 7th. Please be patient, please be flexible as we continue to do things that none of us have ever done before, either as individuals or as a church community.
 
I would also take this opportunity to encourage us all to remember the focus of our regathering: we exist to make disciples of our Lord Jesus. All the precautions we take to protect one another from infection is to facilitate our mission. So, while we are being sensitive to people’s virus concerns, let us also be sensitive to the visitors to welcome them to Living Hope and share with them the reason for our hope. With God’s guidance and our love for Him and for one another, we will move forward in advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our corner of the Globe.
 
Yours for making disciples of every nation,

June 2020 Calendar items:
June 7 – Communion Sunday in the Gym
Tuesdays – 6:00 p.m., Zoom Ladies Bible Study (janis@efcyv.org)
Wednesdays: 6:15 p.m., Zoom Youth Group
6:30 p.m., Zoom Adult Bible Study (if interested, email pastorbill@efcyv.org)
June 13 – Men’s Bible Study via Zoom (if interested, email pastorbill@efcyv.org)
June 21 – Father’s Day
 
June Schedule of Messages
June 7 – The Supremacy of Christ,
Col 1:15-20
June 14 – So Where Am I Anyway?
Col 1:21-23
June 21 – FATHER’S DAY: The Person God Blesses, Psalm 1
June 28 – The Purpose of Ministry,
​Col 1:24-29

From the Pastor's Desk

Just a short note this month. I have been impressed with many truths during this time of sheltering in place. Among them is this one: The church buildings are merely tools. The “Church” is its people. Buildings do not make disciples, people make disciples. And for Living Hope Church, we exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
 
I enjoy the “tools” God has entrusted to us. It is important that we keep them up and that we use them in the mission to which we have been called. But sometimes we get so enamored with the tools that we forget the real identity of the Church: people! Thus, as we have discovered in this time of separation, doing ministry involves our people, not our buildings.
 
I do indeed look forward to that time when we can again be together. When we can use those tools for worship, Bible study, prayer, fellowship, evangelism, and so on. But we must never forget this lesson that our ministry is about influencing the lives of people (making disciples), not mere activities inside of our buildings.
 
Isolated but still yours for making disciples of our Lord Jesus,
Pastor Bill

May Schedule of Messages
​
May 3 – Christ in Us, the Hope of Glory – Colossians Overview
May 10 – Mother’s Day: Some Remarkable Women
May 17 – The Personal Testimony of a Local Church, Col 1:1-8
May 24 – A Simple Prayer, Col 1:9-12
May 31 – Our Inheritance in Christ, Col 1:12-14


May 2020 Calendar items:
May 3 – Communion Sunday on our church stream
Tuesdays – 6:00 p.m., Zoom Ladies Bible Study -if interested, email janis@efcyv.org
Wednesdays: 6:15 p.m., Zoom Youth Group
6:30 p.m., Zoom Adult Bible Study (if interested, email pastorbill@efcyv.org
May 9 – Men’s Bible Study via Zoom (if interested, email pastorbill@efcyv.org
May 10 – Mother’s Day
May 25 – Memorial Day 

​

Our lives have been altered! Our children and grandchildren will be remembered in the history books and will have stories to tell their children and grandchildren about the great novel coronavirus epidemic of 2020. As a church, one of our biggest changes has been in learning how to connect from a distance. I am so blessed by the energy and enthusiasm that has come through from you by our ‘virtual’ worship services each Sunday.
 
I have been challenged by preaching to my iPad (the video capture device). I am used to speaking to faces not square boxes. However, our small group assured me by text that, “We are all inside your iPad!” Eric has done a great job in leading us all in worship. Tina and I watch the services together at 10:30 on Sunday mornings. We sing the worship songs and enjoy the virtual “fellowship”, knowing that many of you are doing the same. And, the church is even going to celebrate communion this Sunday, each in our own homes, but together in spirit.
 
A big observation that I have made so far: as followers of Jesus, our kinship and connection with each other is so much more than our social gatherings. There is a substance to our fellowship that transcends us being in the same room at the same time. I guess the best description I can think of is that we are a spiritual family; we are connected to each other spiritually. I have always said that we are members of God’s forever family, but it has taken on a new meaning in this time of separation. Consider Ephesians 4:1-6…
 
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. New American Standard Bible
 
Born-again Believers in Jesus all have the same Spirit; we all have God the Father in us! Our fellowship is real, even when we are not gathered together in the same room. We are family!!!
 
On a practical note, I do want to encourage us all not to forget our humanity during this difficult time. Yes, we need to practice our social distancing but do it with a smile and a friendly tone in our voice. I think we fear that if we are friendly, the other person might be more apt to invade our space. But most of the people we come across are trying to ‘mind their perimeter’ just as much as we are. So, we need to let our words and facial expressions be characterized by love as we guard our distance.
 
Continue to shelter in place. Staying isolated from one another is still the prudent thing for us to do. I don’t want to give this disease to someone else. And, most certainly, I don’t want someone else to give it to me. Please remember there are no meetings of any kind at the church until further notice. I am so grateful to those who have called our home to check in on us. And am especially grateful to those who have made themselves available to go to the store for those in our at-risk community to bring supplies to them. Remember to keep praying for one another, to keep praying for our leaders, to keep praying for our missionaries, and especially, to keep praying for the medical personnel who are on the front lines of this war against Covid 19! May God bless you richly.
 
Still yours for making disciples of our Lord Jesus,
​

​

​Christmas is a time not only to celebrate God’s amazing entrance into the human race, but it’s also a time to cherish that race as He did by embracing that part of humanity closest to us, our family. When it came to this aspect of the Christmas season, my Mom got it. Now she went home to be with the Lord nineteen years ago but her love for her family which came through in her passion for them during these days of advent left an indelible mark on all our lives. When it came to Christmas, Mom left me more than memories, she left a legacy.
 
Recently I have been pondering the difference between memories and legacy. The memories we leave simply are those mental video clips and audio sound bites we loaded into the minds of those who knew us. I have fond memories of many individuals who had very little real impact in my life. Those would include my sports heroes and other celebrities whose public activities provided some entertaining moments of respite from the daily grind. Casual acquaintances with whom I exchanged pleasantries probably fit here too; great memories but very little life impact. But recollections of my Mom’s Yule tide zeal go far beyond mere warmhearted reminiscences.
 
The leaving of a legacy is more than mere mental imagery. It is the substantial difference we make in the life of another. Mom’s annual Christmas excursions impacted our lives such that we were changed. Mom is one of just a handful of people God used to dramatically reshape the course of my life. And I thank Him for all of them, seeking to emulate their faithfulness to those I hold dear, because I want to leave a legacy, not just cheerful memories.
 
One of the great aspects of Christmas is that it brings a ray of light and hope amidst some of the many dark realities of life in this fallen world. The holiday is a reminder of God’s generous and selfless love for each and every one of us. So no matter what we’ve been through or who we’ve lost or what setbacks we’ve experienced, we’re loved deeply and well by our Heavenly Father. Indeed the truth of this season is that in our utter hopelessness God intervened with the ultimate gift of ultimate hope, the Savior, our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
 
As parents we try to teach our children in this time the joy of giving and the virtue of generosity as higher and better than selfish gain. One of the problems for our children is their desire to get the goodies all the time, never engaging the harsh realities we all face in this sin-marred world. One of the problems for adults is that they have so fully engaged the harsh realities that they fail to embrace the light and hope that is God’s intervention in human lives.
 
Are you leaving a legacy, or just memories? And what about Christmas; do you treasure your little portion of the human race the way God cherishes you? You see that was the key to Mom’s legacy. Nowhere else did the depth of her love for her family come through more clearly than at Christmas. So slow down this December; enjoy all the festivities and such; but most of all dial in on your family. If you’re blessed with senior family members be thankful for their stories because there’s no telling how many more Decembers you’ll have with them. If you’re blessed with little ones be as generous with Jesus’ love as you are with the multitude of gifts. If you’re alone this Christmas then take some time to intentionally, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1Pet 5:7). Then look for opportunities to be generous in sharing your eternal hope with others.
 
Yours for making disciples of our Lord Jesus,
Pastor Bill

Weelkly Activities in December:
SUNDAY
9 am             
Adult Sunday School  
10 am           
Join us for fellowship, coffee and snacks !
10:30 am    
Worship Service 10:30 am

Regular weekday activities will be on Christmas break until the new year.

For DECEMBER ONLY:
Women and Girls Gathering Sat. Dec 14th, 2 pm at the home of Janis C

Men's Breakfast and Bible Study  December 21st 7:30 am

Tuesday, December 24th, 7 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Join us!
​
See weekly bulletin
 
For additional information call the church office:
​Mon-Thurs, 10 am - 2 pm -  760 228-1747

​Fall is a busy season!  We invite you to participate in activities at the Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley where we encourage a multi-generational community of followers of Jesus Christ. There is something for everyone.

​​Our name change process is in full swing. On October 27th we published our first solicitation for suggestions for a new name for our church. On the back of that bulletin insert, I printed a rationale for why we should change our church name and why we should do it now. In this newsletter article, I want to look at what we are looking for in that new church name.
 
Our first consideration is that it be brief, one to two words. This makes the name easier to remember, easier to say, and, makes it much easier to advertise our ‘brand’. Our current church name is quite a mouthful: The Evangelical Free Church of Yucca Valley. A short, one to two word name will help communicate to the unchurched what we are all about.
 
A second consideration, it should convey our mission and location. Our mission is simple: we exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ. It comes from the many Great Commission passages in the New Testament (including but not limited to Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:45-49; Jn. 20:21; Act 1:8). And our mission field spreads outward from our location. Our location is on a hill on the north side of the valley of Yucca   Valley, nestled in the midst of the Morongo Basin. We are looking for simple yet profound.
 
A final consideration as we ponder our change of name, pray. Since we believe it is God, our Chief Shepherd, who has led us to make this change, we believe also that He will give us a name that is pleasing to Him and understandable to our target audience. Also pray because we think the right church name will help us more effectively communicate the gospel to our neighbors. And, also pray because the Bible tells us to “…Preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3 nasb). Our enemy would love nothing more than to use this change of name to cause disputes and division among us. May it never be! Instead, pray for harmony in this body of Believers. That even this process of changing our name will demonstrate our love for one another and so prove that we are Jesus’ disciples (Jn. 13:35).
 
Our hope is that we will have a new name for the congregation to vote on at our Annual Congregational Meeting in January of 2020. After that we begin the logistics associated with a corporate name change and the challenge of coming up with a new church logo. These are very exciting times here on the corner of Mohawk and Sunny Slope! 

​             Yours for making disciples of every nation,
​

SUNDAY
9 am             
Adult Sunday School  
10 am           
Join us for fellowship, coffee and snacks !
10:30 am    
Worship Service 10:30 am
TUESDAY
​6-7:15 Ladies' Bible Study
WEDNESDAY
6:30 pm
Adult Sermon Discussion and Bible Study 
6:30 - 8 pm
Kids Quest and 
Youth Group  

SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH
Men's Breakfast and Bible Study 7:30 am
Ladies Fellowship Brunch 10 am-noon

November 24 after the Church Service
Church Thanksgiving Meal

​
See weekly bulletin
 
For additional information call the church office:
​Mon-Thurs, 10 am - 2 pm -  760 228-1747