July 2009 Newsletter

Luau

Don’t miss this great lunch after church on Sunday, July 12th — and invite a friend or two to church.

We look forward to seeing all those Hawaiian print clothes!

There is a sign up sheet in the lobby for main dishes; vegetable, fruit or salads; bread; and dessert. Please stop by and sign up so we know how many to expect — and to be sure there is enough food.

We plan to hold a raffle again—$1 per ticket and you need to be present to win. The tickets will be sold that day. What are we raffling off?

· $10—Coldstone Creamery Gift Card· $10—Jamba Juice Card· $20—Movieco Theater Card (in the Oaks Mall)· And a 10% discount card for Starbucks—good for one year ($25 value)

MaryAnn and Lela welcome help setting up and cleaning up. Please indicate your willingness to help on the sign up clipboard!

From the Pastor

This letter was mailed out on Thursday afternoon to all regular attenders. We welcome all CCH attenders at the meeting.

Dear Church Family,

This letter is to invite you to a very important congregational “town hall” meeting. The meeting will take place on Sunday, July 19^th immediately following the worship service from 11:30 to 12:30.

Pastor Dave will be leading the meeting along with the staff and the Board of Elders. This meeting will not deal with any financial matters, but instead will focus on key topics for the future direction of the church.

We consider this church a family and want everyone to be present for this church family meeting. It is very important that EVERYONE be in attendance. Without your presence the meeting will not be effective.

This will be a time where the leadership will be sharing with you, but also a time for you to ask any questions you may have after the presentation.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I look forward to seeing you there.

In Christ, Pastor Dave Crouse

Kids & Youth News by Amber

PATHFINDERS: Happy 4^th of July! I hope everyone enjoys the fireworks and BBQ’s during the 4^th weekend. Here are some of the things going on in July.

The Pathfinders are starting their new curriculum this month! Our new series is called “The Bible Tells Me So”. We will be looking at God’s Laws and the Ten Commandments over the next couple of months. It will give the kids a chance to really understand what God asks of us and how He wants us to follow His word.

Also, the kids will be working on their own workbooks in class each week in Sunday School and will be taking home a “Disciple Guide” weekly. I encourage you to help your kids go over this and that way you can keep up with what they are learning in Sunday School.

Also, an announcement for parents of preschool children: Please remember to sign in your kids before class and leave any special instructions on the sign in sheet. You can do this before the church service begins so you don’t have to leave when the sermon begins.

Let me know if anyone is interested in an end of summer fun trip! I would love to hear some ideas about what you would like to do in mid-August before school begins.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in helping teach Sunday School once a month in the Pathfinders class we would love to have you! Please let Amber know if you are interested and we will get you started right away!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! Have fun and stay safe!

YOUTH:

Hey everyone! This is the last week to sign up for Angeles Crest summer camp, which is taking place August 2^nd – 7^th. The cost is $275 for the whole week. If the cost is a problem, please talk to Amber. Scholarships are available and we don’t want that to be the only thing keeping you from attending this amazing, life-changing camp.

SO, talk to Amber THIS WEEK if you are interested in attending. Please, have checks made out to ACCC by this Sunday the 5^th.

Young Adults from Chris:

On Sunday, July 19th, Chris M. will be leading another High School / College Group gathering from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Barnes & Noble Coffee Shop in Westlake.

We will discuss both personal and societal current events. Invite a friend.

Backpack Outreach

As an outreach to our community, again this year we plan to assemble backpacks with school supplies for kids in need. After checking with Sumac Elementary School we found that they were very appreciative of last year’s gift and welcome the backpacks again this year.

We are hoping to supply the school with one boy, one girl and one neutral backpack for each of the grades one through five (15 total).

Throughout July, please bring in NEW supplies and backpacks. A list of needed items is in the lobby—please sign up for the items you will purchase so we are sure to have everything covered.
Cash donations are welcome— Lori will be happy to make the purchases.

Thank you, Your Mission Team

Prayer List

• Lynn S.’s Daughter Patty—Is recovering from an infection following her 2nd brain surgery.
• Dale R. — continued prayer for his lung disease.
• Thais K. — Prayer for health and some family issues.
• Our Servicemen: Drew Lewis, Andrew Olson and Scott Olson
• CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s & youth department.
• Angeles Crest Christian Camp — pray that the Lord will provide the campers and donations needed to provide their great ministry here in Southern California.
• Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

Mission Updates

The following are outreaches we will be continuing:

• World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (6 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too!
• Manna Food Collection—continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. The tub will be out in the lobby again on July 26th.
• Pins & Needles: crochet or knit projects which are donated to the community. Currently we are making baby “stroller-sized” blankets. Our next monthly meeting is July 23rd at 7:00 p.m . here at CCH. You are welcome!!

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Happy birthday to everyone that celebrates in the month of July. Here are the CCH attenders that we know have birthdays and anniversaries:

July Birthdays
13—Bill H.r & Maria H.
21—Amy F. & Hailee H.
23—Judy L. & Amanda M.
25—Suzi S.27—Kay D.

Anniversaries
4—Steve & Kitty L.
11—Mark & Patti W.
12—Doug & Marilyn S.

Congratulations everyone!

Greetings Bible Enthusiasts

Since we're right in the middle of baseball season, I thought I'd share some superstitions that some baseball players have had. Many ball players develop some pretty odd behaviors with the belief that these little rituals will help them play better or even win a game. Here's a sample of some of them from the past:

• Babe Ruth always stepped on second base for "good luck" as he ran back to the dugout from his outfield position.
• Willie Mays would give second base a swift kick as he passed by, also for "good luck."
• Manager Leo Durocher would ride in the back seat of the team bus to break a losing streak.

Other superstitions:

• Never changing bats after two strikes.
• Not changing uniforms during a winning streak (Ugh!).
• Tapping the plate three times with the bat.
• Not ever stepping on the foul line. Lefty O'Doul, pitcher for the Yankees during the 20's had this to say about his foul line superstition: "It's not that if I stepped on the foul line it would really lose the game, but why take a chance?" He knew that there was a supernatural power, and was looking for some help.

Some say these are just harmless rituals, but what do they really say? Do superstitions reveal things about where people are placing their trust? The Bible warns against trusting in unknown forces working behind the scenes. Those who have placed their trust in Christ have to reject the idea of luck or chance. We understand that God is all-knowing and is in control over the events of our lives. He wants us to trust Him - and Him alone.

Do you have any superstitions? Examine them if you do, and decide to discard them and replace them with your complete trust and faith in the Lord. Good Luck! JUST KIDDING.....!!!!!! (Ha! Just checking to see if you're paying attention!) Let's always remember to replace “good luck” in our speech with an enthusiastic "GOD BLESS YOU!

Argument for Christianity

The best argument for Christianity is Christians - their joy, their certainty, their completeness.

But the best argument against Christianity is also Christians - when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug, when they are narrow and repressive. Then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.
-C.S. Lewis

Getting in free

A little boy came bouncing home holding an ice cream cone. "Where did you get that?" asked his mother. "I bought it with the money you gave me for Sunday school," he smilingly answered.

"Why didn't you give it to the church?" she asked. "Because the minister met me at the door and got me in free," he answered.

June 2009

From the Pastor

Hello CCH Family!

Did you know that the Word of God has the power to transform your life? The writer to the Hebrews wrote the following…

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Because the Word of God is living and active it has the ability to work in our lives like no other book! I want to encourage you to read God’s word on your own, attend a Bible study and to attend the worship service regularly. These are some of the important habits that will help you stay in the word of God with the result being the transforming of your thoughts and attitudes to be more like Jesus!

Here is a schedule of sermons for the month of June as we continue through the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings…

June 7 - HOW TO FIND A GOOD FRIEND (2:19-30) - Paul shares about why it’s important to have friends! He shares about his two closest friends who had met his needs - Timothy and Epaphroditus. Paul reminds us that people need people!

June 14 – GETTING TO KNOW JESUS (3:1-11) - In chapter three Paul encourages the church to know Jesus Christ intimately! He warns them to watch out for false teachers who say Christianity is about keeping rules and regulations. Paul’s great purpose in life was to know Christ personally and to experience his power, his fellowship and eventually his reward.

June 21 - FORGET YOUR FAILURES (3:12-4:1) - At the end of chapter 3 Paul tells the Philippians to forget the past and move on to the future. Each of them should be reaching toward the goal of knowing Christ and being like him in daily life. Paul shares that we don’t have to be perfect, but we do need to strive forward!

June 28 - PURSUE PEACE (4:2-7) - Paul instructs us on how to find peace for our life. When you are anxious we need to go to God in prayer. And His peace will guard you heart.

Keep your heart and mind in the Word!!

Pastor Dave

June

Men’s BBQ Dinner—Friday, June 12th, at Dave Fleming’s home in Agoura. The men will enjoy a great BBQ dinner and a brief devotional time. The cost is $5 and there is a sign up sheet in the lobby.

Father’s Day—June 21st In our Sunday service we will honor our dads with recognition, prayer and a small gift. We hope you will bring a dad!

July
Our quarterly after-church lunch will be a potluck style Luau. Planning for this fun event is underway. Help is needed and you are welcome—let us know! Please save the date, July 12th, on your calendars. Watch for signups later in the month for the event. And get out those Hawaiian print clothes!


Bible Study
Pastor Dave leads a Wednesday night adult Bible study here at the church. It begins at 7:00 p.m. and goes until 8:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending is welcome! The study is a more in-depth and personal look at the lesson taught in Pastor Dave’s sermon from the previous Sunday. Hope to see you all here.


Kids Korner
Hey Kids the summer is only weeks away and you are invited to go to Kids Junior Camp up at Angeles Crest Christian Camp on July 12-17th.

THEME: "Dare to Be Dan!"
Our world is in need of more people with the mindset of the Old Testament prophet Daniel! People who are not afraid to live their faith out loud and stand firm for what they believe. This summer we are seeking and training all those who are ready to let God be seen in their lives...those who would..."Dare to Be Dan!!" We'll be challenging all of our campers to…
• Dare to be Different
• Dare to be Disciplined
• Dare to be Discerning
• Dare to be a Disciple
• Dare to Share
So...are you thinking of coming to camp? Go ahead..."I DARE YOU!!"

Special note: The "Dare to Be a Daniel" program is a summer camp program sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Angeles Crest is the only camp on the west coast that is running this program in conjunction with the BGEA!!BGEA!!

COST: $275.00 for Students ($170 for adult leaders)

If any of you are interested in attending camp this summer, you need to talk to Amber by June 30th and get your deposits in.


YOUTH GROUP:
On Sunday mornings, Chris will begin a new series called "How Do I Deal With Life in 2009?" that will help our youth address the complicated and sometimes confusing issues in our world. Various scriptures will be used as reference.

YOUTH GROUP EXPERIMENT: On Saturday, June 6th, Chris will be meeting with CCH and Non-CCH High School age students for a special one time meeting at Starbucks from 7pm-8:15 pm. All HS age students are encouraged to bring a friend or two to discuss challenges teens face today.

COLLEGE GROUP EXPERIMENT: On Sunday, June 7th, Chris will be meeting with CCH and Non-CCH College age young adults for a special one time meeting at Barnes and Noble from 7pm-8:15 pm. All College age young adults are encouraged to bring a friend or two to discuss challenges their age group faces today.

TO BE ANNOUNCED: Summer is a great time to go to a water park. When Amber returns from China (Amber is in China ????) we will discuss a group outing to the water parks at either 6 Flags or Knots sometime in July or August. Stay tuned.

Students interested in getting away for a week in the mountains!!!!
ACCC summer camp: August 2nd - 7th. Deposits for camp are due by the 21st. The cost for camp is $275. Let Amber know if you are planning on going.


FUSE
Amber plans to organize a get together for the young adults when she is back from China (mid-June). With many of the college students home for the summer it is a good time to plan an event. You will be contacted soon with the details.

If anyone has suggestions for Amber, be sure to email her at amber@cchagoura.com.


MISSION TEAM: Our next planning meeting is Sunday, June 7th after the service. Everyone is welcome—new ideas are helpful.

The following are outreaches we will be continuing:

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda (6 years old). There is a picture of her in the lobby along with a box for the money and letters. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too!

Manna Food Collection—continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. The tub will be out in the lobby again on June 28th. If you would like to bring items in throughout the month, the tub is in the hallway outside of the church offices all month long.

Pins & Needles: crochet or knit projects which are donated to the community. Currently we are making baby “stroller-sized” blankets. Our next montly meeting is June 25th at 7:00 p.m . here at CCH. You are welcome!!


PRAYER CHAIN
Dale R.— continued prayer for his lung disease. Congratulations on his 88th birthday coming June 29!
Thais K. — Prayer for health and some family issues.
Our Servicemen: Drew Lewis, Andrew Olson and Scott Olson
CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s & youth department.
Angeles Crest Christian Camp — pray that the Lord will provide the campers and donations needed to provide their great ministry here in Southern California.
Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O.is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE!
We at CCH are proud of Wes P. who is graduating from Agoura High School on June 18th. Wes plays the guitar for our worship almost every Sunday. He also was responsible for the landscaping of our church front as his Eagle Scout project.

I asked his mom, Kathy, to let us know about his other achievements and this is what she wrote: Wes has earned many prestigious academic and service awards, including the President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence and the California Scholastic Federation Life Member Award – Gold Seal Bearer. He has also earned a Golden State diploma. Service awards he has recently earned include the Congressional Award for Youth Silver Medal and the President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold Medal. Wes will be attending Chapman University in Orange and has received the Chancellor Scholar Award for Merit along with an $18,000 a year, four-year scholarship. Wes is joining the university’s nationally top rated business program, pursuing an International MBA in their 5-year integrated BS/MBA Program. Congratulations Wes!!


BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Happy birthday to everyone that celebrates in the month of June. Here are the CCH attenders that we know have birthdays:

June
1— Aaron N. (2 years old)
3 — Bill D.
4 — Jane M.
26 — Steve L.
28 — Brad L.
29 — Dale R.

Anniversaries that we know — the Leese’s will celebrate their 40th Anniversary on June 7th; the George’s will celebrate 35 years on June 22nd; the Adams’ on the 16th; and the Olson’s on the 27th. Congratulations to all the couples.

May 2009

From the Pastor

Dear CCH Family,

There’s something special about God’s Word! It’s like nothing else in all creation. It’s affect on the heart and soul of a person is supremely powerful. That’s exactly what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says…

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

When we read and study God’s Word, He is able to guide us with wisdom, strengthen us with power, and increase our knowledge of His kingdom. If we study God’s word it is guaranteed to have a positive influence and impact. That’s what God promised through the words of Isaiah the prophet…

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah55:10-11

Beginning this Sunday morning we will start a new sermon series through the book of Philippians. The title of the sermon series is “JOYFUL LIVING” in which we’ll discover how to find true joy in life even when things get tough. Join us on Sunday mornings and I know you’ll be blessed as we read and study God’s word – he gives you His promise!

In God’s Love,

Pastor Dave

CCH Family BBQ Lunch

This Sunday, May 3rd, we are planning a potluck BBQ lunch to be held immediately after the service.

• This is the first in what we hope to become a quarterly event at CCH. It is sure to be a great time for fellowship and getting to know one another better.
• There will be a love offering basket out and we suggest a $2 per person donation for the cost of the barbequed food, beverages and other things CCH will be providing.
• Just for fun—we’ll hold a raffle for gift cards—the donation for this will be $1. You will have the choice of iTunes, Starbucks or In & Out gift cards. You must be present to claim your prize.
  
• If you haven’t signed up, email your RSVP to lorigeorge@cchagoura.com.

The National Day of Prayer

Thursday, May 7th

• Hosted by the Southeast Ventura County YMCA and held at Cal. Lutheran, Gilber Sport Center—6:30-7:00 Full breakfast; 7-8:30 Program. $15 per person. Pastor Dave is one of the pastors who will be praying. Keynote speaker: Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries. May be sold out.
• Free event at the Civic Arts Plaza at noon on the front lawn. Wonderful time of singing praises and praying for the needs of the nation. Just show up.

Adult Bible Study

Last month Pastor Dave began a Wednesday night adult Bible study here at the church. It begins at 7:00 p.m. and goes until 8:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending is welcome! The study is a more in-depth and personal look at the lesson taught in Pastor Dave’s sermon from the previous Sunday.

Hope to see you all here.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Happy birthday to everyone that celebrates in the month of May. Here are the CCH attenders that we know have birthdays:

May

15—Darlene H.

19—John C. and Chris M.

27—Rob P.

29—Fran F.

And we know the Hanna’s will celebrate their Anniversary on May 22nd. Congratulations.

GO M.A.D. (Go Make a Difference)

Mission Team: Thank you to everyone for the great outpouring of love and generosity you showed with our recent

mission projects.

The new team has worked hard to kick things off with several projects:

The Afghan Give Away—went to Doug Schafer’s co-worker’s wife, Doris. She was thrilled to receive the beautiful afghan our Pins & Needles group made. This project brought in $325 which was given the Angeles Crest Christian Camps for scholarships for kids wanting to attend summer camps!

Women’s Resource Center — Mother’s Day Gift boxes for single moms. Thank you Kathy Patton for making this happen. There were at least a dozen volunteers who stayed after church last Sunday and filled 29 boxes with great donated items. Thank you to those volunteers and to you who brought in the items used to fill the boxes!

World Vision Adopt-a-child — “Jeanne” is our adopted little girl from Rwanda. There is a picture of her in the lobby. $1 per person per month will help fund Jeanne’s care. Letters to Jeanne are appreciated too! There is a box for the money and letters in the lobby.

Manna Food Collection—continues on the 4th Sunday of every month. You have been very generous both times we held this collection… thank you. The tub will be out in the lobby again on May 24th.

Congratulations

We are so pleased to announce the birth of Noah William D. to Duane and Ashley. Noah was born on Thursday, April

16th, weighed 7lb . 9 oz. and was 19 1/2” long. Both mom and baby are doing well—as is the proud daddy!

Prayer Requests

Dale R.— has been at church a couple of times recently. Pray for continued improvement and comfort.

Erline N. — pray for their continued ability to help with the care of Erline’s grandparents.

Thais K. — Prayer for health and some family issues.

Fran F.—Pray for continued good days and good health, and praise for recent relief from her health concerns.

Our Servicemen: Drew L., Andrew O. and Scott O. (congratulation to Scott and the family on the birth of his son, Hayden Michael).

CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s department.

Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O.is our

Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs.

Kids Korner

On Sunday, May 3rd CCH will be having a BBQ after church. Come and bring friends for burgers and hot dogs! And, don’t forget some extra dollar bills for the raffle! See you there!

Also, with Mother’s Day coming up soon the Pathfinders will be making a special project for their moms.

The Pathfinders are in the middle of their series on the book of Acts. And, each week the kids will be bringing home their “Growing Together” worksheets, which I encourage parents to go over with them.

Also, summer will be here before you know it. And, so will summer camp! The dates for ACCC junior summer camp are July 12th - 17th. Mark your calendars and let me know if your child is interested in attending. Deposits for camp will be due May 31st. The cost for camp is $275.

— Amber

Youth News

by Amber

CCH will be having a BBQ on Sunday, May 3rd right after church service. It will be a great day to invite friends. There will be a raffle for lots of cool prizes including a Starbucks gift card and an Itunes gift card.

Chris will be continuing Sunday school lessons every week. During May, he will teach on the benefits of belonging to the church family. Youth will be dismissed from worship service.

Amber will be sending out devotional ideas and books to check out for those who want to get in their Bible study time during the week, even when we are not meeting. Just e-mail Amber at amber@cchagoura.com to get on the Youth study list.

And, here are the dates for ACCC summer camp: August 2nd - 7th. Deposits for camp will be due May 31st. The cost for camp is $275. Let Amber know if you are planning on going.

Speaking of camp… if any of you need some community service, Project Nehemiah is coming up May 23rd and 24th to help fix up camp for summer. Let Amber or Chris know if you are interested.

You can help!

Project Nehemiah: Angeles Crest opens its camp to everyone on Memorial Day weekend each year (May

22-24th) for family fellowship and a time to help with projects around the camp that are needed to get the place ready for summer.

You can choose to make a 3-day weekend out of it, or just come Saturday to help with the work. This is a great way to enjoy the mountains and be a great help to the camp.

The cost for food is only $20 each, with a family maximum of $60. The list of accommodations and options is on their website www.angelescrest.com.

Sign up at CCH — PLEASE let us know whether you will need overnight accommodations.

Upcoming Retreat for Moms & Daughters

Angeles Crest Christian Camp offers Camps for:

Mothers & Daughters (Kindergarten & older) May 15-17th or May 29-31st. $99 for moms, $80 for JH & HS, $70 younger.

There are brochures are on the bulletin board with registration forms and deposit deadlines. Please talk to Pastor Dave or send your registration directly to Angeles Crest.

Pepperdine Lecture Series

More than 4000 people will assemble in Malibu to study “The Lord of Creation (The Preeminence of Christ in Colossians).” Monte Cox of Searcy, Arkansas, will present the keynote lecture on Tuesday evening, May 5, with a message “Christ, the Mystery of God.” come be renewed with others of a common faith as we share lessons from Colossians as well as over two hundred and seventy classes. For more information call 310.506.4270, go to www.pepperdine.edu/biblelectures OR pick up a booklet from the table in CCH’s hallway. Chris will be going, so talk to him if you’d like to carpool.

April 2009

Easter Celebration
Sunday, April 12
10:00 a.m.

Easter Lilies
If you’d like to bring in an Easter Lily to help decorate the church for Easter Sunday, we’d appreciate having those by Saturday, April 11th. You are welcome to take the plant home on Easter Sunday after the service.


From Pastor Dave
What a great church we have!! Thank you for being a very important part of the Christian Church of the Hills family. You are the reason this church continues to be a special place of hope and inspiration to so many people.

We are only a couple of weeks away from Easter! Sunday, April 12th is Easter Sunday and it will be an inspirational time to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Remember that Easter worship services are attended by more individuals across the country than any other worship service throughout the year. Many of your friends would agree to go to an Easter service who would not generally agree to attend with you any other week. So why not use this opportunity to invite a friend to visit church with you?

This past Sunday I shared with you an interesting fact from George Barna's book, “WHAT AMERICAN’S BELIEVE”. In it he states that barely one-third of Christians will ever invite an unchurched person to attend church with them. Barna writes…

“A national survey found that one out of four unchurched people would gladly attend church if a friend would only extend an invitation. This means on any given Sunday morning, 14 to 20 million adults are sitting home because nobody took the simple step of asking them to attend a church service.”

Let me ask you an important question. Will you take the time to think of one person you would like to bring to church on Easter Sunday and then invite them to attend church with you? I will be praying that God will give each of you a burden to invite someone you know to church. I will be praying that God will give you boldness to invite that person to church on Easter Sunday!

I’m looking forward to celebrating with you the greatest event in human history --the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave! “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:6

In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Dave


Very Important
In order to conserve paper, stamps and time, we are not going to mail out our newsletters in the future. We will send a link by email when the newsletter is online. There will be copies available in the lobby if you’d like a printed one. For our friends far and wide, please email me your addresses and I will send you the link as well!! And only if you haven’t got email, send me a request and I will continue to mail your copy.


CCH Family—BBQ Lunch
On Sunday, May 3rd, we are planning a potluck BBQ lunch to be held immediately after the service. This is the first in what we hope to become a quarterly event at CCH. This is a great time for fellowship and getting to know one another better.

Please consider what you might be able to bring as part of the lunch and sign up in the weeks ahead. A $2 free-will offering will be taken for the cost of the BBQ’d food.

• Salad Fruit
• Bread Dessert
• Other?
  

People who would like to help BBQ are welcome as well — that will be on the sign up sheet.


Adult Bible Study
Beginning Wednesday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m., Pastor Dave will lead an adult Bible study here at the church. Anyone interested in attending the study is welcome! Hope to see you all there.


Birthdays & Anniversaries
April Birthdays
Janet S.— 2nd
Reign L.— 6th
Dave G.—8th
Summer S.—10th
Lori G.—11th
Adam G.—21st
Floyd B.—26th
MaryAnn C.—29th

Anniversaries
Bob & Marcia H.—April 20th


Kids Korner
Spring is finally in the air. It is starting to warm up and Easter will be here very shortly!

We will have our Easter Service Sunday, April 12th at 10 a.m. The Preschool and Pathfinders classes will have a joint Easter party during the worship service. There will be a Veggietales movie, treats, crafts, a special Easter lesson and an Easter Egg hunt! It will be a great Sunday to invite friends. It is sure to be a lot of fun and a great time to learn about the real meaning of Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus!

Also, the Pathfinders are starting a new series this month. After we finish our 3 week Easter Series, the Pathfinders will start a series on the book of Acts. These lessons will take us into the month of May. And, each week the kids will be bringing home their “Growing Together” worksheets, which I encourage parents to go over with them.

Also, summer will be here before you know it. And, so will summer camp! The dates for ACCC junior summer camp are July 12th - 17th. Mark your calendars and let me know if your child is interested in attending.

Happy Spring everyone!
Amber


Youth News
Youth are continuing their Sunday school with Chris Miuccio. But, on Easter Sunday the youth will stay in the worship service.

And, mid-week youth group is changing! We will no longer be meeting on Wednesday nights. We are moving our meetings to Sundays. Instead of meeting weekly, we will meet monthly. The meetings will be different every time and will be at different times. Our first get together will be April 26th in the afternoon.

Also, Amber will be sending out devotional ideas and books to check out for those who want to get in their Bible study time during the week, even when we are not meeting. Just e-mail Amber at amber@cchagoura.com to get on the Youth study list.

The calendar of events is in the works. And, I have heard lots of ideas from everyone already. Like a lock-in this summer and Disneyland in August. Keep your eyes open for more upcoming event details!

And, here are the dates for ACCC summer camp: August 2nd - 7th. Put it on your calendar! See Amber for more information.


Project Nehemiah
Angeles Crest opens its camp to everyone on Memorial Day weekend each year (May 22-24th) for family fellowship and a time to help with projects around the camp that are needed to get the place ready for summer.

You can choose to make a 3-day weekend out of it, or just come Saturday to help with the work. This is a great way to enjoy the mountains and be a great help to the camp.

The cost for food is only $20, with a family maximum of $60. The list of accommodations and options is on their website www.angelescrest.com. We’ll have a sign up board at CCH.


Upcoming Retreats for Men, and for Moms & Daughters

• Men’s Retreat at Angeles Crest Christian Camp — Friday evening—Sunday morning, April 24—26th. The cost is $99 per man. ACCC’s Men's Conference is uniquely designed to provide quality time for men to evaluate the path they are on and to renew and refresh their spirit. This retreat will give you the opportunity to get away for a few days and help equip you to not only grow closer to the Lord, but also to be stretched in ways that will help you find God's will for our life as a Christian, husband, father and friend. Let us know if you are interested, we’ll get you the registration forms. And there is more information at www.angelescrest.com.
• Mothers & Daughters (Kindergarten & older) Retreat at ACCC—May 15-17th or May 29-31st. $99 for moms, $80 for JH & HS, $70 younger. Brochures are on the bulletin board.

Prayer Requests

• Dale R.— battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
• Eunice P. -- is recuperating nicely from her recent back surgery.
• Loretta H.— for knee and back pain.
• Amy F.’s: Mom and sister-in-law could use prayer for their health
• Pat H. — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
• Thais K.— Prayer for health.
• Our Servicemen: Drew L., Andrew O. and Scott O.(who is back in the mid-east for his 3rd tour and his wife is expecting SOON).
• CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s department.
• Finances: These are tough times for many individuals and ministries. Please pray that God will help his people get through this recession.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and pray needs.


GO M.A.D. (Go Make a Difference)
Mission Team: Our new team will work toward finding local, national and international mission ministries that the church can get involved with. New Mission team members are always welcome! Watch for meetings and simply attend. (March 29th is the next scheduled meeting after church.)

New:

1. Afghan Give Away—drawing to be held on April 19th and tickets are available at the church right now. Donations of $5 gives you one ticket in the drawing. All monies collected will go toward mission outreaches. Please try to get your friends and families involved in this drawing.
2. Manna Food Collection—the 4th Sunday of every month. Watch for lists of needed items in the Sunday bulletins. On March 29th the list includes: cooking oil, sugar, toilet paper, peanut butter and jelly.
3. World Vision Adopt-a-child — CCH will adopt at least one child as a church family. And $1 per person per month will help fund this outreach.
4. Women’s Resource Center — Mother’s Day Gift boxes for single moms. We are now collecting NEW toiletry items to be used to fill shoe boxes and gift wrapped for the moms. Please bring items in by April 26th (including gift wrap and shoe boxes). On that day, after church, anyone wishing to help fill the shoe boxes and wrap them will be welcome — and lunch will be provided by Kathy Patton.
5. Bake Sale—Sunday, April 5 (Palm Sunday). The Mission Team will provide baked goods (individual and family sized) to sell that morning. All proceeds will go directly toward our mission outreaches.

Februrary 2009

30th Anniversary Celebration Sunday
Sunday, March 1st 10:00 a.m.

We hope everyone will be part of our celebrating 30 years of God’s Faithfulness to the ministry of Christian Church of the Hills. The theme for that Sunday will be “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. We have invited many people we have contact information for that have attended CCH in the past. If you are reading this and know of people who have moved, but attended CCH in the past, please let them know of our Celebration Sunday.

There is an RSVP form online on our church website (www.cchagoura.com). We would like to know who plans to attend so that we can have enough lunch to feed everyone.

Please make every effort to attend… it wouldn’t be the same without you!!!!

Planning Meeting
Our 2nd planning meeting for the 30th Anniversary Celebration will be in 2 weeks on Sunday, February 8th after the service.

So many of you have volunteered to help, it’s wonderful. Thank you. We look forward to hearing updates on all the areas you are working on. Everyone is welcome! Please mark your calendars.


Greetings Church Family!

We’ve been discussing the purposes of the church over the past few weeks in the Sunday morning services. It’s really been great to go back and remember the basics and why we do what we do at CCH! We’ll be finishing up the series by reminding ourselves that God has called all of us to reach others with the good news of Jesus Christ. He’s called us to be his witnesses! Jesus tells us… “You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

This wasn’t just meant for the disciples in Jesus’ day. It is also meant for us! The great thing about this is that we only have to be his witness. We don’t have to be a salesman. In other words you don’t have to pressure anyone into believing in Jesus. You don’t have to be an attorney for Jesus either. You don’t have to argue and debate people into heaven. And you don’t have to be an expert and know everything about the Bible. You just need to be a witness for God.

What does it mean to be a witness? Here is a simple definition of witnessing: "A witness is someone who simply shares what God has done in their life." Do you have to be a Bible scholar to be a witness? No. Do you have to be a Christian for 20 years to be a witness? No. Do you have to live a perfect life and have no sin in your life? No. All you have to do to be a witness is just say, "This is what's happened to me. This is what God's done in my life." And anybody can do that!

It’s important to know that this is part of your job description as a Christian. The moment you became a believer, God gave you a mission. The mission is this: now that you’ve become a Christian it's your turn to tell other people about God’s love. You wouldn't be here today if somebody hadn't told you about God’s love for you through His son Jesus. Now that you have become a believer, it's your job to tell other people. The apostle Paul reminds us of this…
"Through Christ all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us and now he's sending us all around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things that God has done for them so that they too will believe and obey." Romans 1:5

It’s my hope and my prayer that you will hear God’s call to be His witness at work, at home and in your neighborhood. My hope is that you will listen to God’s spirit as he leads you to share with others about the one person who has given you so much life and peace - Jesus!
In His Great Name!!
Pastor Dave


How do I become a Member?

With the current sermon series on the purpose of the church, we would like to encourage you to place your membership with us here at Christian Church of the Hills. Having a place to belong to a body of believers is one of the purposes of the church and it directly ties into the other purposes as well. You can listen to any of the messages you may have missed online. Go to our website and view the Media page.

In the bulletins these past few weeks has been a questionnaire to encourage you to get connected. If you are considering membership as this step in your walk with the Lord, please pick up a folder in the lobby and read through that material. Then call the church for an appointment to meet with Pastor Dave. Don’t hesitate to call with any questions!


Valentines Chocolate Hearts
The annual children’s department fund raiser will be held on Sunday, February 8th with chocolates for sale in the lobby. There will be no pre-orders taken this time. We hope you’ll take time to purchase some candy for your sweetheart or yourself!

February Birthdays
Jerry Olson—10th
Joseph Schafer —14th

No anniversaries on record for this month.

• NOTE: If you have not filled out an information sheet, please go online at www.cchagoura.com, and on the “Groups” page there are two forms we’d love to have you fill out and hand in. One is a member survey and the other is an involvement form. You DO NOT need to be a member to fill these out. They help us to get to know you better… and to recognize you on your birthday and anniversary! Please take time to fill one out.
  

Kids News

February is here and that means it is time for Valentine’s Chocolate! We are doing it a little differently this year. All proceeds will still go to the Children’s Ministry, but we will not be taking pre-orders. On Sunday, February 8th there will be a table set up in the hallway filled with delicious chocolate available on a first come, first served basis. So, don’t forget to have a couple of extra dollars on Sunday morning so you can by some chocolates for Valentine’s!

In Sunday School the Pathfinders having been working their way through the “Jesus Cares” lesson series. The kids have already learned about how Jesus cares for the hungry and poor. And, we still have three more lessons to learn in this series. The kids should be bringing home their “Growing Together” worksheets to work on throughout the week. Parents, help them go over these worksheets at some point during the week, and you’ll know exactly what the kids are learning in Sunday School.

On February 21st, the church will be having their Work Day to prepare for the 30th Anniversary Celebration. We would love to have all the kids there to be a part of making our church even more beautiful. So, get there at 8:30 a.m. to have some breakfast before you start working.

Also, we will be collecting ideas from the kids in the coming weeks to see what they would like to see happen in the kid’s classroom. We will be changing the look of the classroom and it should be pretty cool.

And, of course, we have our 30th Anniversary Celebration coming up on Sunday, March 1st! This is going to be an amazing day to celebrate how God has been faithful to our church for so many years and also to spend time with our church family and even some old friends. Kids, you can be a part of this to. We want you to invite your friends that maybe haven’t been to CCH in awhile and make them feel welcome. We also will be getting some input from a couple of kids as part of our Sunday service on March 1st. So, don’t forget to mark your calendars and commit to being there on Sunday, March 1st!!!! We want every single kid there! The kids will able to stay in and be a part of the anniversary service. Preschool classes will still be available.

Last but not least, our new preschool teachers will be starting this month! Patti P. and Kelsey M. have volunteered to teach the preschoolers on Sunday morning — we are so excited to have them. Thank you so much for being a part of the children’s ministry!
Have a great February everyone!


Youth
Winter Camp is coming up quickly— February 6th-8th! We will meet at CCH on Friday at 4:30 p.m. We will return on Sunday afternoon around 2 p.m. Check with Amber if you still need a list of things to bring. Just don’t forget your Bible, pillow, sleeping bag and SNOW SHOES (just in case)! We don’t want any more ruined Uggs if we build our awesome snowman again. And, get ready to have an awesome weekend!

Also, this month we will continue our “Feed the Youth” group on Februar11th and 28th. We will meet at CCH at 6 p.m., eat dinner somewhere local and come back to church to start youth group at 7 p.m. We kicked this off in January and it was a lot of fun! Don’t miss the next one!

At youth group we will be finishing up “The Case for Christ”. And, after we finish the book, youth that paid for a book will be able to take those home.

We have added a prayer wall to the youth room. Where we’ll be starting a special prayer project that we’ll focus on once a month. I want everyone to bring in articles from newspapers, magazines or wherever that show evil in the world to put on our prayer wall. We will spend time praying for those each week.

Also, we need all the youth at the CCH Work Day on February 21st since you are all so big and strong. =) Be there to help make this place look great before our 30th Anniversary Celebration. Invite friends that have been to youth group in the past to be there on March 1st for the Anniversary Sunday!

Fuse
Fuse had a great time at dinner in January (even if we could barely hear each other). In February we will be getting together for lunch right after church on Sunday, February 22nd. We will go to Terri’s Café in Agoura to hang out and (hopefully) be able to talk about a purpose for Fuse. We would love to get everyone’s input because we want to make this a group that you get a lot out of. See you all there!

Mission Team
This is something new for 2009. We’d like to create a new mission team and several of you have already expressed interest in being part of this team. The more the merrier… so if you have an interest in helping plan our upcoming projects, please come to the meeting Sunday after church, February 1st. The meeting will be brief, but we’d like to start the ball rolling. Call Amber if you have any questions.

CCH Work Day
Lots of help will be needed to get the church looking clean and shiny for our 30th Anniversary Celebration Sunday. So, on Saturday February 21st we’ll gather together here at the church at 8:30 for a Continental breakfast and begin work at 9:00 a.m.

• In the past some people brought flowers with them to plant — beautifying the outdoor planters. We could use some color around the monument sign out front and in the planters by the entry walkway.
• We’ve also painted rooms… I think the Children’s director’s office and the Pathfinder Classroom are due for a painting. Let Amber know if you want to be part of a team to tackle those rooms.
• General housekeeping is always a good thing. Cleaning finger prints off walls, a good scrubbing of bathroom and kitchen floors,

GO M.A.D.
Prayer Shawls—the Pins & Needle group has completed their current project. We made prayer shawls to donate to senior centers to give to people who do not have visitors. The shawls are on display in the lobby at this time.

• Our next project will be making squares to assemble into one beautiful afghan that will be part of a drawing to raise funds for one of the mission outreaches.

Mission Team: Our new team will work toward finding local, national and international mission ministries that the church can get involved with. Please consider being part of that team. See the article above for the first meeting information.

Meals to Members: We continue to bring meals when possible to families within CCH who could use some short term help. Let us know if you would like to help.

Prayer Chain

• Fran F — fell and hit her head Monday. She is home and doing well, but prayer for a quick recovery from whiplash.
• Dale R — battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
• Loretta H — for knee and back pain.
• Amy F's: Mom and sister-in-law could use prayer for their health
• Pat Hl — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
• Thais K — Prayer for health.
• CCH — Please pray for young families to come to CCH to build our children’s department. AND for our upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebration.
• Remember the servicemen: Drew L, Scott O (is back in the mid-east for his 3rd tour and his new wife is expecting), Andrew O, and Amber’s brother Ty.

January 2009

From Pastor Dave

Dear CCH Family!

Happy New Year to each of you and to all families at CCH! My prayer is that you will grow even more in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in 2009!!

Let me inform you of two important happenings at CCH! First, starting in our morning worship services in January we will be reviewing the purposes of the church and why we do what we do at CCH. Every morning, all over America, more than 100 million Americans will go to church. But most of those people have never clarified why they go to church! Some people go to church out of guilt. Some people go out of pressure. Some people go to church out of habit.

If somebody asked you, “Why are you a part of a church family? Or, why do you participate in church services?” what would you say? It’s very important for us to answer this question. It’s very important for us to understand, “Why do we have church? Why do we have services? Why do we give money? Why do we plan events and ministries? So over the next few Sundays we want to make sure that we understand why we do what we do here at Christian Church of the Hills. Be sure to attend the services…it may just change how you think about church!

The second important event coming up is our 30th Anniversary Worship Service. On Sunday, March 1st at 10:00 a.m., we’ll be celebrating thirty years of ministry here at Christian Church of the Hills. Our theme will be “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and we’ll be sharing how God has been faithful to us over the past thirty years. Whether you’re new to the church or have been a member for many years we want you to participate in this important event. Please put it on your calendar and watch for more information regarding this special gathering!

I hope your New Year is off to a great start and I look forward to seeing you at church!!

In His Great Name!!
Pastor Dave

30th Anniversary Celebration

We want everyone here—new and old members. We hope you will all make it a priority and try to help us celebrate.

We are hoping to have some of the singers and worship team from the past. All help in this regard are appreciated!! See Chris Miuccio or Duane to make some suggestions or volunteer.

Also if you have pictures you would like to share, we have a few ideas for those. Please send them to us and we’ll scan them and return them. By February 15th please.

And if you have addresses for past members who have relocated, please get the word to them, or us. Thank you so much!

Please help us plan and/or help with the plans! 1st Meeting is January 18th
after church.


Upcoming Events

Women:
• Luncheon on Saturday, January 31 at Lela Adams’ home on Lake Sherwood at 11:00 a.m.
• Secret Sisters for 2008 will be revealed at the luncheon.
• All ladies are welcome to sign up to be a Secret Sister in 2009—pray for your SS, send her cards, leave her small gifts, etc. It’s a fun way to make a difference.
Sign up for the above at CCH in the lobby.
• Pins & Needles on Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 at MaryAnn C.’s home in Oak Park. All are welcome. We make items to donate! Call MaryAnn for directions, 889-4308.

Men: Men’s BBQ Dinner, Friday, January 30th, 7:00 p.m. at Dave F.’s home in Agoura, sign up at CCH.

CCH Cleanup Day: Lots of help will be needed to get the church into shape. Mark February 21st on your calendars. More details later.


Thanks from Staff

Dear CCH Family,

We would like to take a minute to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. We pray that 2009 will be one of the best years ever for you and your loved ones. Remember you always have a family here at CCH. Let us know if you have any concerns that we may pray for.

We also want to thank you for the year-end staff bonuses. It was a difficult year for many, and we appreciate the extra giving many of you made to help encourage the staff.

God bless you all—and thank you for being a part of the ministry of CCH (30 years this year!!)

Pastor Dave, Chris, Duane, Amber and Lori


Special Thanks

Thank you to those of you who stepped forward and filled all the openings when we asked for help teaching preschool, preparing communion and working the worship slides. You are putting your faith into action and we appreciate you very much.

Watch for more opportunities to serve at CCH as the weeks progress.


January Birthdays & Anniversaries
• Dave L. - 5th
• Lela A. - 6th
• Pat H. -10th
• Kitty L. - 21st
• Faith G. - 26th

No anniversaries on record for this month.


Kids Korner

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year!

With the new year comes change and there are some changes happening in the Children’s Ministry.

First, we have started our new curriculum for the new year. We are doing the Hands On Bible Curriculum, which is a lot of fun for both the kids and the teachers. The series the kids are going through right now is “Jesus Cares”; and in February we will begin our series on “Families”. The kids will also have worksheets going home with them every week called “Growing Together”, which is something the kids can work on with their parents. So, don’t forget to ask your child about what they have been learning in Sunday School and help them with their worksheets.

Also, there are going to be changes in the teaching schedule as well. We have been lucky enough to have some more preschool teacher volunteers. We are so thankful for them and can’t wait for them to get started. So, look for some new faces in the preschool room!

In the spring, we always have a CCH work day to help get the church ready for the rest of the year. This year I wanted to make some changes in the Pathfinders classroom and I will be having the kids brainstorm ideas and see what we can come up with when we do our Work Day.

I hope everyone has a great month!


Youth News

Happy New Year you guys! I am so excited for all the stuff we have coming up in the new year. We kicked of Wednesday night youth group on the 7th and are going to be kicking off the Feed the Youth group on Wednesday, January 28th at 6 p.m. Our new Feed the Youth is something the group came up with to have some more time to just hang out with one another before youth group starts. So, the kids will meet at CCH at 6 p.m. sharp and from there we will go out to dinner somewhere close by and then return to church for our 7 p.m. youth group meeting. Anyone who wants to come is more than welcome. We will start doing this once a month and eventually do it every week.

And, in January we will be finishing up The Case for Christ at our Wednesday night youth group. Once we finish going through the book, the kids that paid for their copy can take their book home.

Also, very important information: we are going to Angeles Crest Winter Camp February 6th – 8th. I really want to get the entire youth group to go to camp together. It will be such a great time for everyone. The cost for camp is $130. We will be leaving Friday afternoon and returning Sunday evening. I need to have deposits for all Middle School and High School youth who plan on attending by January 14th. Please call Amber for more information.

Also, after camp ends Sunday morning, we are planning on heading to one of the local mountains to go skiing and snowboarding. Please, let me know who is interested in doing this and if you would need rentals or own your own stuff.

Also, by very popular demand, we are in the planning stages for our next lock-in. So, look for info in the coming weeks.

Have a great January and good luck with finals!


Fuse (young adults)

The new year is here and after having a break for the holidays we are ready to restart Fuse. Our next meeting is on Friday, January 23rd at 7 p.m.
We will be meeting for dinner at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas. And, because of a generous donor from CCH, dinner is FREE! So, you don't have to worry about spending money to go out.
At that meeting, I want to throw around some ideas for the future meetings of Fuse and how we can get the group more involved in the community.
Please RSVP to Amber by Sunday, January 18th. And, if you wanted to meet at CCH and carpool, let Amber know. I hope to see all of you there!


Prayer Chain

Dale R. — battling with lung disease. Pray for healing and comfort.
Loretta H. — for knee and back pain.
Lynn S.—Cousin Art has cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.
Amy F.’s Mom — is in declining health.
Pat H.l — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
Thais K. — Prayer for health.
CCH — Please always keep our church in your prayers for growth both spiritually and in numbers, for wisdom and direction for the staff and elders, as well as future outreaches and events.
Remember the servicemen:
Drew L., Scott O. (will be deployed to the mid-east for his 3rd tour very soon and his new wife is expecting), Andrew O., and Amber’s brother Ty.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs at 706-2124.


Go M.A.D. (go make a difference)

• Missions Team In the next few weeks Pastor Dave will be continuing his series on the purpose of the church. One of those is serving others and reaching out to others. This is the perfect opportunity to be part of a Mission Team. We’d like a group that will work toward finding local, national and international mission outreaches that the church can get involved with. Please consider being part of that ministry team. Watch for signups soon.

• All 20 children on our Adopt-an-Angel Christmas gift list were “adopted” and presents were bought for them. You are awesome! We know there were smiles on the faces of those families this Christmas. Thank you!

December 2008

Christmas Celebrations
We invite you to join us each Sunday as we sing the wonderful Christmas songs we hear only at this time of year, light the advent candles, and hear inspiring messages about the hope we have through the birth of our Lord Jesus.

In addition to the worship services please join us for:

• Sunday, December 14 — Old Fashioned Christmas Party, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Come and sing some fun Christmas carols, enjoy the children’s story time, and a special visit from Santa—followed by dessert and hot chocolate or coffee. There is a sign up sheet in the lobby for bringing desserts and/or letting us know you will be here.

• Wednesday, December 24 — Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, 4:00—5:00 p.m.
Our annual Christmas Eve service is for the entire family. There will be a time of communion, and a special lighting of our candles and singing Silent Night together as we close the evening worship. We hope you will bring your friends and family; it’s always a wonderful service.

New Worship Time
Beginning on Sunday, December 14th, we will return to our previous worship time of 10:00 a.m.

Westlake Community Church is no longer meeting in our facilities which is why we changed to 9:30 a.m. earlier this year.

We hope you will like the time change and will be here to begin worshipping right at 10:00 on Sunday, December 14th!

• Randy Olson’s Sunday School class will discuss their start time this week when they meet at 8:30 as usual.
• The worship team will be notified as to what time rehearsals will begin. But this Sunday it is still 8:30 a.m.

From Pastor Dave
I love Christmas lights!! As I drive around the city it is fun to see more and more houses emerge with Christmas lights as we get closer to Christmas Day. The brightly colored lights announce the arrival of Christmas and are one of the unique aspects of the season. Christmas lights signify the great spiritual truth that Jesus Christ is the “light of the world”. The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. Matthew records this fulfillment…

• When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:12-16

Christmas commemorates the monumental event when God sent His Son to bring salvation to a world that was in spiritual darkness. I hope that as you enjoy the Christmas season you will remember what all the Christmas lights represent – that Jesus is the light of the world and that through His birth we are given hope, joy and peace with our God!

Merry Christmas, Pastor Dave


ELDER NOMINATIONS FOR 2009
The board of elders would like to let you know that the following men have agreed to be nominated for elder for 2009-2011:

Jerry A., Dave F., and Dave G.

We will hold a general congregational meeting on Sunday, December 7th immediately following the service in order to confirm their nomination. We hope you will be here to attend that meeting.

Note: Our bylaws require that you have placed your membership here at CCH in order to vote, and that you are an attending member over the age of 18. If you’d like information about placing your membership, please see Pastor Dave or Associate Pastor Chris.

If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to one of our current elders:

Randy O., Chair, Dave L., V. Chair
Jerry O., Doug S., Adam G., and Dave B.

Children' New, By Amber George

It’s Christmas time! I am so excited for this very special time of year when we can celebrate the birth of Jesus! We have so many wonderful things planned this month that I hope everyone gets involved with.

First, on December 3^rd we have our Hanging of the Greens event and Pizza Party to decorate the church for Christmas from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. We need all the help we can get, so kids, make sure you’re there.

Then on Saturday, December 13^th the Pathfinders will have their first special event! We will be going The Lakes Ice Skating Rink for our holiday event. We will meet at CCH at 10 a.m. and carpool over to The Lakes. Cost is $11.00 for admission and rentals. Please make sure to fill out a permission slip before Saturday the 13^th. Parents, you are more than welcome to join us. We would love to have you there. In the event of rain we will reschedule.

And, on Sunday, December 14^th we will be holding our Old Fashioned Christmas Party. We will sing carols, read The Night Before Christmas and eat dessert. And, there will also be a special surprise for the kids. So, make sure you’re there! The party starts at 6:30 p.m.

Then on Wednesday, December 17^th we will have our Christmas Party with the Youth Group in the youth room. We will have food, games and a unique gift exchange. The party will be from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Plan on being there and invite your friends.

The Pathfinders Sunday School is wrapping up their latest curriculum “My Awesome Adventure” this month. They will be completing their lesson workbooks in class and will be able to take them home after the last lesson. I hope you will take time to look over their workbooks with them and see what they have been learning about. We will also have some special Christmas lessons during Sunday school as well this month. Then in January we will start our new curriculum for the New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Youth:

There is so much coming up in the coming months for youth group. First, youth group is moving to Wednesday nights starting December 3^rd. We will kick off our new night with the Hanging of the Greens event and Pizza Party. We will meet on December 3^rd from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. After that, we will go back to our regular time from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

And, on Wednesday, December 17^th we will have our Christmas Party with the Pathfinders in the youth room. We will have food, games and a unique gift exchange. The party will be from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Plan on being there and invite your friends.

Also, here are some dates for Winter Camps:

• Mammoth Camp with EV Free NP: January 23-26
• Angeles Crest: January 30- February 1^st, February 6-8, February 20-22

Let Amber know which dates you are available ASAP. For more info about winter camps talk to Amber. And, Youth group will not be meeting December 24^th, December 31^st or January 7^th. We will kick off the new year on January 14^th, 2009!

Fuse:

Because of the holidays we will NOT be meeting in the month of December. Enjoy this season and look for new events in the New Year! Merry Christmas!

GO M.A.D. (Go Make a Difference)
• Santa Comes to Agoura—Thank you everyone who brought in peanut butter and jelly for the food drive. The food will be sorted this Saturday at the Do-It-Center if you’d like to help out, 9:00 a.m.
• Angel Tree Gifts — All new, unwrapped gifts are due at CCH this coming Sunday for our outreach toward families in need this Christmas.


Birthdays and Anniversaries
Below are our December birthdays, there are no anniversaries this month. If yours is not listed, it may be because we have never gotten a profile on you or your family. Those are easily printed from our website, there are two pages and you can find them on the Groups page, entitled Member Survey. All CCH attenders (not just members) are encouraged to fill this out. Let send you a birthday card on your special day!!

December Birthdays:

• Drew L.—7th
• Lynn S. — 12th
• Morgan L. — 16th
• Jerry A. — 19th
• Caitlin C. — 29th

Prayer Chain

• Brian & Rebecca T.: Please keep them in your prayers as they grieve the passing of Barbara (wife and mother) who died late in November of heart complications.
• Dale R.— battling with lung disease and recently pneumonia. Pray for healing and comfort.
• Loretta H.— for knee and back pain — the treatments are not helping.
• Lynn S.—Cousin Art has cancer. Please keep him in your prayers.
• Amy F.’s Mom — is in declining health.
• Pat H. — several family members have health issues, please pray for them.
• Thais K. — Prayer for health.
• CCH — Please always keep our church in your prayers for growth both spiritually and in numbers, for wisdom and direction for the staff and elders, as well as future outreaches and events.
• Remember the servicemen:
• Drew L., Scott and Andrew O. and Amber’s brother Ty.

Nancy O. is our Prayer Chain coordinator. Please be sure to let her know of any updates and prayer needs. 706-2124.

“Christmas Packages”
4 Christmas One Acts
Produced by First Light Players

• "Mom's Ashes" brotherly relationships can become complicated, especially when mom is lost in UPS & the mob is involved, but love is the greatest command
• "Roots in the Wind" a struggling actress in Hollywood, goes home to Georgia for Christmas to find that her mom and step-dad have arranged a blind date for her with Tom Cruise.
• "A Little Corner in Nowhere" A place where we are reminded what Christmas is all about
• "A Quiet Christmas Eve" Steve and Roxanne want to spend a nice and quiet Christmas Eve together but family traditions get in the way

DEC. 12-21, Fri & Sat @ 8:00 pm, Sun @ 3:00 pm
ACTORS WORKOUT STUDIO, 4735 Lankershim, North Hollywood
ALL TICKETS $18.00, Limited Seating

Please see Kay Dease on Sunday for tickets or call her at 889-5964

Note: First Light Players is not affiliated with CCH, but their mission is to win non-believers to the Lord through their drama productions. Kay Dease is a member here and the team rehearses in our building.