2426 N. Euclid Ave. Upland, CA 91784 Ph: 909.981.4848 Fax: 909.931.0498 Email: lbfchurch@lbfchurch.com Web: www.lbfchurch.com

Reaching Up. Reaching Out.September 2008

Who’s That Leading Worship Today?By Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

Leading worship at LBF is a serious responsibility. It always has been and it always will be. We have never just put the best musician up front and said go ahead and lead us, because leading worship is more than just playing songs. We believe that worship-leading is a spiritual gifting from God that He uses to bring people into His presence.

Music is a tool we use to express our worship to God. I know that I sing all the time – in my truck, on my exercise walks, and yes, even in the shower (that’s where I sound the best you know!) – and the songs I sing the most often are worship songs that express my love and devotion for God and my belief in Him. Then when I lead worship at LBF, I bring all of that personal weekday worship into play, using music to express my desires before a holy God.

You see, worship is not just getting to church, standing for awhile, singing a few songs, listening to a message, and going home. No, it is to be a heartfelt expression and overflow of my relationship to God with other members of the church family who are gathered to do the same thing.

That’s why it is so important to look at worship-leading as much more than just singing songs. Worship-leading is the opportunity to help others enter into a spiritually meaningful experience by first being a worshiper yourself. A worship leader uses music (and other things like prayer, Bible readings, and drama) to help those gathered come face-to-face with God.

Knowing that worship-leading is an important role in our church, I wanted to let you in on what will be happening in the near future and ask for your prayers. With the changes that have taken place in my life this past year, I now wear three hats of responsibility, with worship pastor being one of them. And the reality is that the scope of these three areas of responsibility makes it hard for me to do a good job in all of them. So I proposed to the elder board during the budget process that we make room for a full-time worship director here at LBF. I felt that if we had a full-time worship director then I could do a better job with the two remaining hats of responsibility.

The elder board approved my request for a new position for a full-time worship director. This means that we are now looking to fill that position. This also means that Jeff and I ask for your prayers as we begin to search for the right person to fill that role.

I know you’re asking the question, “Who will we be looking for?” We are looking for a person who…

• isatalentedandcapablemusician,butmoresoapersonwhoiscalled by God and has a passion to lead others into worship through music. • hasavibrantrelationshipwithGod. • athis/hercore,livesalifeofworshipofGodonadailybasis.

Find It Inside:

...on pages 2LBF Financial Update

...on page 4Children of the World Choir

... on page 5Prepping for Harvest Party

... on page 6Exit 83 Jr. High Ministry

... on page 7Exit 83 High School Ministry

... on page 8Divorce Hurts!

... on page 9Reaching Out. LBF Global.

Worship continued on page 2

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• hastheheartofashepherdand loves not only God, but the people of this church. • hasexperienceasaworshipleader. • issensitivetotheneedsofourchurch. • canfitwithourstyle,philosophy, and approach to worship.

Now I could go on with this “who we are looking for” list, but I hope you get the idea that we take finding the right person for this position very seriously. Would you join us in prayer as we seek God for the right person to come and lead us in worship? (By the way, I hope to still lead worship here at LBF. It’s something I’ve done for more than 20 years and I still love it very much.)

Feel free to approach Pastor Jeff or myself with any questions you may have. Also feel free to have someone you know contact us about the position.

Worship continued from page 1

Finance Update and Changes Going Forward:By Russ Parker, Pastor of Administration & Leadership Development

Interactive Discussion on Practical Financial Wisdom & DinnerBy Russ Parker, Pastor of Administration & Leadership Development

This month our weekend message series is challenging us to consider how we approach money. Do we have enough? Will we ever be

satisfied? Whose money is it anyway? How can I best manage these funds?

In connection with the “Deal or No Deal” weekend messages, we want to further equip our church with practical financial wisdom and tools. We’ll be talkng about budgets, savings, and debt. The entire night will be interactive with Q&A.

Join us Friday, September 12, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Worship Center. Cost is $7.50 per person, which includes dinner and a workbook. Scholar-ships are available. Childcare is available upon request. Visit www.lbfchurch.com to register or call our church office @ 981-4848.

We finished our fiscal year June 30, 2008. If you were tracking our progress through the bulletin or in The Scroll, you know we had a general fund budget goal of $1,500,000 and actual giving ended up being $1,460,000. Over the past few months, anticipating the shortfall, our team made many decisions to minimize expenses to stay within the income we believed we would receive. Through these efforts we will likely end our year in the black! Our official financial audit, conducted annually by people outside the church to ensure accountability, will begin at the end of August. Once completed these financial statements are available to you upon request.

Over the past year we tried our hardest to bring everyone up-to-date

concerning our building fund and mortgage. We held small group meetings, larger church-wide presentations, and created FAQs, a DVD presentation, and mailings to help the church body understand where we are and how we got here.

Historically, our mortgage expense and the designated giving to support it have been treated separately from our general fund budget. This year all that will change. Our mortgage expense is now included in our 2008-2009 budget. With this addition, our budget appears to have grown significantly. Where last year’s budget was $1,500,000, the new budget is $1,719,000. The mortgage expense is actually $240,000, but our increase is only $219,000. The difference indicates other cuts we made to our

budget as compared to last year.

It’s also important to let you know that we began the fiscal year with $75,000 remaininginourbuilding/mortgagefund. These funds can only be used for paying on our mortgage.

Whew! I know that was a lot of numbers! Please know it’s one of our greatest endeavors to steward and manage well the financial resources you entrust to Life Bible Fellowship Church. It’s also our desire to be transparent with our finances. If you have any questions regarding the above information or anything else financially related to the church, please don’t hesitate to contact me @ 981-4848, ext. 226, or email russ@lbfchurch.com.

September 2008

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Giving Update Fiscal Year July 08-June 09 Total Budget: $1,719,000

Budget Goal Giving Rec’d July $110,427 $135,602 YTD $110,427 $135,602

Web SpotlightSearch: As the months pass, we continue to add more and more content to www.lbfchurch.com. For example, we now have nearly 24 months of The Scroll and every weekend message from the last three years posted on our Resources page. Are you looking for something about LBF? You can search through this material using our nifty search button. The search will pull back only content from our website.

Did You Know... ...that we create, print, and offer “The Quarterly,” which displays a full listing of every program, ministry, group, and event that is taking place here at LBF. With so much going on, there’s no way for us to verbally tell you about them all. Just imagine a full hour of announcements each weekend! We also can’t fit all the information in our weekly bulletin. Thus, we have the all-encompassing catalog. The Quarterly is organized by life stage (children, youth, adults) to help you quickly find something for you. Pick up your copy of The Quarterly in the Worship Center lobby.

Thank You Serve Day Servants!By Kirsten Grubb

Serve Day has come and gone and as the dust settled, it was clear that the servants who went out from LBF impacted our community in many meaningful ways. More than 100 people from our church were involved in projects led not only by individuals from LBF, but also by other churches throughout our area.

To those who served, thank you! We pray God blessed you as tremendously as you blessed those you touched in tangible ways. For those who weren’t able to be involved this year, here are a few stats from the various LBF projects:

• 14dogs(andtheirowners),ahandfulofkids,andarabbit,arooster,and a hen visited 10 assisted living and nursing homes.

• 103dozencookiesand61flowerbouquetsweredeliveredtoshut-ins.

• 2,940poundsof‘treasures’werecleanedoutofawidow’sgarage.

• About30volunteerswashedapproximately60carsforfree.

• 30donationbottlesand2donationbanksweretakentohairsalonsin Upland to benefit Alternate Avenues.

• 20blanketsweremadeandgiventoanorganizationthatgivesthemtochildrenwhen they are taken away from their homes by Child Protective Services.

• Ahalf-inchlayerofdust(andmuchlongercobwebs)wasclearedfromadisabled lady’s home.

• 5much-neededprojectswerecompletedatPacificLifeline.

It is our hope that these projects continue throughout the year. Like the elderly people who were helped, there are people within our LBF family who would welcome some help in their homes. One of the assisted living centers asked if someone from LBF would lead a Bible study or if a group would come sing hymns with their residents. Sandie is thinking about making dog visits a monthly activity at one of the assisted living centers. Children will continue to be taken from homes and be in need of a blanket for comfort. Alternate Avenues and Pacific Lifeline would love to hear from those who are interested in volunteering.

So don’t think that Serve Day is over. Every day is serve day! Please prayerfully consider how God can use you.

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Life Bible Fellowship Church

Children of the World Choir to Perform at LBFBy Dale Palmer, Director of His Kids Children’s Ministries

K.F.C., a Weekly Club, Teaches Kids About Jesus and the BibleBy Dale Palmer, Director His Kids Children’s Ministries

K.F.C. (Kids for Christ) – a club for kids not chickens – is our midweek Bible club for kids in Kindergarten-6th grade. It will start up again on September 16. We meet Tuesdays, from 6:45-8:30 p.m. in rooms 102 & 103 (also known as Worship Island) of the Worship Center. Kids are welcome to come at 6:30 p.m. for pre-K.F.C. game time. We will begin our program right at 6:45 p.m. and be done no later than 8:30 p.m. each evening.

At K.F.C. we have many ways that we learn more about our gracious God and King. We use drama where the kidsbecometheactors/actressesforthe night’s Bible story, celebrate God through music and memory verses, play games, make crafts,

and have snacks to emphasize the night’s lesson. The K.F.C. curriculum (Faithweaver Friends® by Group Publishing) is based on one Bible point per evening, for example: God cares for us. Everything in each learning center emphasizes that one point, including the Bible verse we learn. The points are not sequential, so kids can join the club at any time!

Sixth graders can attend K.F.C. or they can apply to be part of the K.F.C. Krew, where there are positions available right now. Your 6th grader needs to fill out an application and make a commitment to be present and assist inhis/herassignedtask.Parental approval is essential to be part of the K.F.C. Krew. The application takes the

place of registration for the participant and dues are waived for kids on the Krew because they are serving. Please see Dale Palmer for an application packet if your 6th grader would like to join the Krew.

Parents, you can preregister your children for K.F.C. now. Registration packets and K.F.C. Krew application packets are available each Sunday until the week we begin. You can also register on the first night of K.F.C. Come a little early to get the form filled out. For registration information and forms, you can also call Dale Palmer @ 981-4848, ext. 242, and we will mail them out to you.

Have you ever wished that you could get your kids to understand more about people in this great big world? An opportunity is coming.

Did you know that by 2010, AIDS in Africa will orphan 40 million children? Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned by AIDS in Africa. An opportunity is coming!

“Because of disease, poverty, and hunger, children around the world are suffering. They face unimaginable daily living conditions, alone and without hope of a better future...

“The numbers are overwhelming, but everyone represents a child, lovingly formed by God, with unique gifts and divine purpose. When you look at Children of the World, you get a glimpse of children who are in great need. The choir is made up of children who have

been orphaned, abandoned, and robbed of their childhoods because of poverty, civil unrest, and preventable diseases.

“They are the faces of desperation... but they are also the faces of hope. The Children of Hope Tour gives you an opportunity, not only to meet these incredible children, but also to provide help and hope to millions more just like them.”

– Vernon Brewer, President of World Help

Life Bible Fellowship Church has the privilege of reaching out by opening our doors to The Children of the World Choir for a special presentation on Sunday, October 5, @ 6:30 p.m. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see kids who have risen above their life circumstances – they truly are children of hope.

A love offering will be taken during the concert to help with many of the projects of World Help: child sponsorship, providing villages of hope for kids in sub-Saharan Africa, and other projects. “Every child helped has the opportunity to hear the Gospel, develop a personal relationship with Jesus, and grow up with wise mentors who disciple them as they get older. So come be touched, be inspired, and be changed.”

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September 2008

Reach Out Through Harvest PartyBy Dale Palmer, Director of His Kids Children’s Ministries

The new school year has already begun and new programs are starting up here at Life Bible Fellowship Church. There’s an air of excitement because it’s fall and so many exciting things are coming up, including our annual Harvest Party!

Have you noticed that the stores are already putting out costumes and decorations and candy for the festivities of October 31?

Starting the weekend of September 13-14, you will see large, red, plastic containers marked “Harvest Party Candy” at the entrances of the Worship Center. You can bring bags of wrapped candy to church and place them in these red plastic containers any time during the weekend services.

During non-service times, the containers will be in the east hallway, by the southeast entrance to the Worship Center.

Last year, thanks to all of the LBF families that contributed, we had plenty of candy and prizes for all the games! If every family brings two or three bags of candy this year, there will once again be more than enough to go around! Thank you for helping make our Harvest Party a huge success this year by participating in this way.

Harvest Party is once again a church-wide effort, involving all ministries at LBF. We need people to help in the leadership of various aspects of the event, such as Church Representation Team, Community Promotion Team, New Games Construction Team, Food Preparation Team, Planning, etc. Responsibilities have been assigned to each of these teams and your help is needed. Harvest Party is an opportunity to “showcase” all the ministries of our church to the community in a non-threatening way. Partner with us to make this the best Harvest Party ever.

We need you to make this event successful! Sign-ups to tend the games at Harvest Party begin the weekend of September 13-14. Two shifts are available for the evening. Game sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis, and will continue throughout the month of September and October. This is our party and our gift to the community. Thank you for signing up early so that the party can go off without a hitch!

If you have any questions, please call Dale @ 981-4848, ext. 242.

We Are Looking For Good, Strong Arms to Bring Our Puppets to Life By Dale Palmer, Director of His Kids Children’s Ministries

Why should you join the puppet team?

1. It is a fun way to reach out to people with the Gospel of Christ. This year we plan to be more proactive in reaching out to our community through the avenue of puppetry.

2. If you are shy, you get to hide behind a curtain – so no one in the audience really knows who is doing what!

3. You get to be creative and put your creative juices to good work.

4. Training is provided. You’ll learn proper techniques for good puppetry.

5. You make new friends and are involved in something worthwhile.

6. It’s just plain fun!

If you’re in 5th grade or an adult (or anywhere in between!), P.A.T.H. (Puppets Announcing Truth & Hope) Puppet Ministry has a place for you!

The P.A.T.H. Puppet Team starts this fall with an introduction & parents’ meeting on Monday, September 15 @ 4:30 p.m. in room 105. Our first practice will begin shortly after the parents’ meeting. Come prepared to fill out a registration form to get on board. Our regular time of practice will be on Mondays, from 4:30- 6:30 p.m., during the school year right here at LBF in rooms 104 & 105. Come join the adventure and grow in your faith, your creativity, and your love of Jesus!

How can you reach out to our community through Harvest Party?

• Bring lots of wrapped candy • Lead a team in one specific aspect of Harvest Party • Sign up to work a game on the night of Harvest Party • Invite your friends, co-workers, and community to Harvest Party

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Life Bible Fellowship Church

Endless SummerBy Matt Sasso, Pastor of Jr. High Ministries

It is something that every teenager dreams of – actually it is something that we all probably desire. This summer is quickly coming to an end and I wanted share with you why I’m hoping our students will have an endless summer.

This year we parted ways with Hume Lake for our annual summer camp. Like some of you, I have enjoyed my past years at Hume, but I felt God guiding us in a new direction. This year the Jr. High ministry put together its own summer surf camp called “Stand Up.” In July we took 16 students and six staff to San Elijo State Beach for an incredible week. What made it an awesome week were the ministry opportunities, deeper relationships, and great waves. I went home wishing this summer would never end. The good news is it doesn’t have to. Yes, students will go back to school (parents it’s okay to be excited), but what happened at camp doesn’t have to end, it could be endless. The ministry that happened, the relationships, and even the waves don’t have to end.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Be on your guard. Stand firm in your faith.” My prayer is that the students would be grounded in their faith as they go back to school and that their relationship with Christ would be strengthened as they continue to follow Him. I am also praying that next year we will expand the opportunity to minister to more students. Please pray for the Jr. High Ministry as we continue to invest in the lives of the jr. high students at LBF.

What’s Next?By Matt Sasso, Pastor of Jr. High Ministries

Attention all jr. high parents! The school year is almost here and I wanted to take a

few minutes to tell you about what is happening this fall in Exit 83 Jr. High Ministry. We continue to meet every Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Garage for our midweek youth night and on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. You can also be looking forward to some guys’ and girls’ Bible studies this year, where we hope to have more opportunities to get to know students and invest in their lives. I hope to see your student this fall as we anticipate what God wants to do in all of our lives.

Mom-to-Mom Kicks Off the Year on Tuesday, September 9By Kirsten Grubb

This is the month mothers of infants and preschoolers have been waiting for! Mom-to-Mom’s summer break is finally coming to an end and starting September 9, Mom-to-Mom meetings will be held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 9-11:30 a.m. We are starting our year off with a craft and lots of time to get to know one another.

If you are a mother of a baby or toddler, please join us; you will be blessed while you eat yummy food, hear great speakers, create fun crafts, and make new friends. Mom-to-Mom provides the support and encouragement that mothers need during this busy and often tiring time in their lives. Babies and toddlers are cared for in a structured environment by qualified childcare workers.

If you or someone you know could be blessed by Mom-to-Mom, please contact co-coordinators Kirsten Grubb @ 920-4278 or eandkgrubb@roadrunner.com, or Shauntel Raymond @ 483-3969 or shauntel72@charter.net.

The Kid-to-Kid program is an important part of our ministry – if we don’t have childcare workers, we cannot meet! We have an urgent need for childcare helpers, and there are paid positions available! Please prayerfully consider if you can be a part of this invaluable outreach to families by working with the children. For more information, contact Kim Cooke @ 946-5769.

Seasoned SinglesBy Edna Myers, Pastor of Family Life Ministries

Sea•soned: experienced, veteran, tested. The Seasoned Singles group is an open group that provides an opportunity for individuals, 55 and above (thus “seasoned”), to meet weekly to discuss and broaden their knowledge of the Bible. Through their encouragement of one another, they strive to apply the teachings of God’s Word in their daily lives and exemplify Christian values to their family, friends, and community. As they meet together, they listen and pray for those in need of support. Each month this group organizes and offers a social activity. If you would like to have fun, play, study, and encourage, join Seasoned Singles on Sundays @ 11 a.m. in the Belleview House.

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September 2008

Oh what a summer it has been! Beach trips, go cart racing, wakeboarding, beach trips, pool parties, giant slip-n-slides, did I mention beach trips? And it all got started with an amazing trip down to San Quintin, Mexico.

From June 16-21, 42 high school-ers and volunteer staff headed down to Baja Mexico. This is an annual trip where we team up with Somebody Cares Baja to work through the lo-cal churches and reach out into the communities in the region of San Quintin. One of our main goals is to help the people in these small towns understand that the church is there for them and desires to be part of their lives. Church is commonly viewed as a place where you go if you are already part of the “club,” so our efforts are focused on reaching out through the church to help them see that we are all there to be part of their lives. This is done in a most unique and fun-filled way…party!

That’s right, when we go to Mexico we throw a party in two towns, Francisco Villa and Cardenas. We take a bunch of games, many that you see at the Harvest Party on October 31 here at LBF (shameless plug). We go through-out the town inviting people to come toourferria(fair/carnival).Ateachferria we had hundreds of people turn out to play games, watch dramas and puppet shows put on by our students, and have a great time. This was our second year doing this and the reports have been staggering as to how these events have opened up doors for church members to get involved in the lives of the people in the community. The people are beginning to see the church as a safe place where they will be accepted and treated in love as they hear about the grace and forgive-ness offered by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It is also a tremendous opportunity for our students as well, to get to know

one another on a much deeper level through times of worship and min-istry and the daily games of frisbee. In addition to the carnivals, we were also able to help a church with some much-needed benches. Our very own Dan Jepson headed up that project with the chairman of our elder board, Frank Fabela. (That’s right, the chair-man of the elder board came down to Mexico with the youth group…and loved it!) The lumber was purchased and construction was initiated to pro-vide seats for the anticipated growth of the church.

Thank you all so much for your par-ticipation in this trip by donating prizes for us to hand out at the carnivals. We are already looking forward to next year’s trip in anticipation of the things that God is going to do in and through our lives.

What would you say to a week of sweltering, 100-degree humid heat, camping in the dirt, five hours away from home? I would say that it was one of the best weeks of the summer!

The Exit 83 High School Ministry loaded up on Sunday, July 13 and drove up to a town outside of Visalia, called Three Rivers. We took two boats, four trucks, a motor home, and about 40 people for a week of wakeboarding, water skiing, tubing, and most importantly, experiencing God.

Our theme for this year’s camp was “Living Outside of the Wake.” The easiest place to wakeboard is behind

the boat, and a lot of times we find ourselves just getting pulled behind and not experiencing anything. Our guest speaker and worship leader, Andy, did a wonderful job capturing the heart of what it meant to live outside of the wake. He encouraged our students to be an influence by being the salt of the earth and to be-gin to seek God for the destiny in our lives. He was truly a blessing!

When we weren’t having our group worship and teaching times, we were out on the water. Our tireless boat drivers – Bob, Donna, Mike, and Mary – kept the group in good spirits by running their boats for up to six

hours a day. Our camp would not have been what it was without their wonderful dedication. We were also fortunate to have the Parsons family come up to help our students become better wakeboarders. Every student, whether beginning or advanced, benefitted from the instruction they received.

I wish I had more descriptive words to communicate how much fun we had growing as a group and as individuals, but sadly, the English language seems to be limited! I think I can speak for everyone that went when I say that we’re already excited for next year!

Are We There Yet?!By Dan Jepson, Director of High School Ministries

Exit 83 Escuela Secondario Va a MexicoBy Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

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Life Bible Fellowship Church

Reaching Out: LBF GlobalBy Carol Hawkins, Ministry Support & Missions

Thanks to many of you, three of our college students were able to go overseas this summer to participate in a short-term missions experience. Below are some of the exciting global adventures that two of them experienced. Please take a few minutes to read their thoughts and remember that you were part of their experience through your donations and prayers. Thank you for your part in reaching out across the globe this summer and changing lives with eternal results.

Deanna Gay: This summer I spent three weeks in Washim, India with other nursing students and staff from

Point Loma Nazarene University. This was a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to India, complete with its various languages, gods, and cultural differences. We worked with a privately owned hospital that is run by the Nazarene Church and provides care for anyone in need. At first it was difficult seeing how the hospital was run. Because our standards for health care in America are so much higher, my initial desire was to change things, but I soon realized that the differences were partly due to a clash in cultures, and what India finds acceptable is different from what we accept. I also began to appreciate

that our main purpose for being there wasn’t solely to deliver babies or provide health care, but also to interact with and encourage the nursing students and staff in their relationships with the Lord. Each day we spent time assisting the staff with their duties, we also encouraged them to reach out to their patients with the love of Christ. Because there are many gods worshipped in India, being a follower of Christ in that culture has many challenges, and being an encouragement to believers there was a huge blessing for us – and for them too.

A highlight for me was speaking in one of our chapel services and sharing with the staff and students what a remarkable position they are in as believers. Because they know the common languages and they come into contact with unbelievers daily, they’re part of the culture and they have an opportunity to share Christ’s love in ways that we

never could. I learned that it is so important to equip believers in their own country to minister to their own people.

Thank you so much for your prayers, your encouraging words and notes, and for the financial aid you have given me. You were a huge part of this trip, and all the many handshakes, hugs, and

“thank yous” I received I pass along to you with full gratitude.

Carrie Sparks: I had a wonderful opportunity this summer to go to Maetaeng, Thailand. This city is in northern Thailand, near the “Golden Triangle,” where Burma, Thailand, and Laos meet. There were 13 of us, plus two leaders from Point Loma Nazarene University. Our main job was to teach

English in three public schools and to put on an English day camp over the weekend. Our goal was to make learning English fun for the students, and in turn we had lots of fun watching the students learn!

Many of the students we were teaching came from the Maetaeng Children’s Tribal Home. This is a boarding facility established by the Nazarene Church to house kids who live in remote villages. By living in this boarding facility, these kids are able to attend public school, which they wouldn’t be able to do because of living in such a remote area. With the Christian influence of this home, these children are also exposed to the love of Christ. I really enjoyed being with the kids of the tribal home and the villages. I loved being able to hold them and play with them. They enjoyed being with us too and welcomed us with smiles and hugs.

We also visited two remote Lahu villages to show them a “Jesus” video in their language. That was exciting to be able to share the message of Christ with them through the video and see their responses.

I had a wonderful experience this summer and I could not have participated without your financial help and your prayers. You were represented in Asia this summer. Kab kun kaa (thank you)!

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September 2008

Who’s Controlling Your Anger?By Bob Myers, Pastor of Counseling

While anger is a normal human emotion that can be useful in motivating one into taking action, uncontrolled anger is both a form of abuse and is a key destroyer of relationships. Typically, uncontrolled anger serves as an intimidation to those around it, even if it is not directed at them! As a tool of intimidation, uncontrolled anger dispels a sense of safety and “okayness,” and replaces those feelings with fear for one’s safety and a lack of “well-being.” It places those who are around it on survival mode with a high amount of stress. A man once told me of how as a boy, he “survived” his father’s coming home at night – he’d wait in his bedroom until he heard his father drive in, at which point he would crawl out his bedroom window, and just stay away for a while. Uncontrolled anger makes the statement, “You’re not acceptable to me unless you submit to my every whim and wish, and even at best, that is dubious.” This is the apex of conditional love!

Another sad result of uncontrolled anger is that, like all other human beings, the angry person has a deep inborn need to be loved and to love others, but their uncontrolled anger sabotages this important need in their life. Often people with anger problems feel that they are rejected and avoided by others (which is the normal response from people who are subjected to uncontrolled anger). This unmet need only serves to increase their existing, well-entrenched anger level.

Unfortunately, many people who suffer from their own uncontrolled anger feel a sense of personal shame, yet at the same time they like the sense of personal empowerment that their anger provides them. So it is not unusual for the angry person to fall into denial – “Oh, it’s not that bad.” They can almost always name someone whose anger is much worse than their own. As long as they don’t have to admit that they have a problem with anger, they don’t have to take responsibility to do something about it. Others willingly admit that they have a problem with anger, but they feel shackled by it and powerless to do anything about it.

The good news is that everyone can learn how to take control over their anger so that it no longer controls them. Jesus said that He came “to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1b). God wants to free you! You don’t have to continue to live this way anymore, but you must be willing to learn some new life skills that will enable you to take control over your anger.

At LBF we have an Anger Management Group that learn these new life skills together. This group begins on September 11, and will meet on Thursdays, in the Belleview House, from 7-9 p.m. If you plan to join us, it is important that you buy your copy of The Anger Control Workbook, by Matthew McKay and Peter Rogers before we begin.

September Anniversaries1 Mark & Kay Phillipson, 29 years 2 Bob & Dale Palmer, 35 years 3 Anthony & Victoria Wolski, 14 years 4 Kenny & Jessica Gaudy, 10 years 4 Russ & Patti Anderson, 26 years 4 Tom & Karen Hill, 6 years 5 John & Rhonda Sandstrom, 24 years 6 Ray & Judy Goins, 45 years 6 Paul & Brenda Bunch, 16 years 7 Shawn & Crystal Marcum, 1 year 8 Bruce & Teresa Erickson, 35 years 8 Tim & Flora Ericson, 18 years 8 Rene & Nadine Perez-Zamora, 13 years 9 Allen & Phyllis Baer, 36 years 9 Dustin & Jenny Ladd, 8 years 10 Wade & Megan Hampton, 14 years 10 Richard & Stephanie Rhinehart, 20 years 12 Don & Louise Kennedy, 27 years 14 Dominic & Teresa Broadway, 23 years 16 Michael & Lenice Base, 15 years 16 Daniel & Melissa Jepson, 1 year 17 Don & Joni Williams, 25 years 18 Robert & Mary Jane Avalos, 49 years 18 Bob & Cathy Butler, 32 years 18 Craig & Vicky Morff, 20 years 20 Robert & Karen Rios, 22 years 20 Marc & Michele Simpson, 13 years 21 Dan & Donna Gaudy, 38 years 21 Steven & Christina Barton, 18 years 22 Darrol & Jan Irvin, 36 years 22 Lorenz & Araceli Nunez, 7 years 25 Robert & Julie DeLoach, 32 years 25 Bill & Sue Price, 37 years 26 Brad & Monisa Shipcott, 27 years 27 Bret & Krista Walker, 22 years 28 John & Chris McAleer, 23 years 28 Narcie & Robyn Ferreira, 7 years 29 Billy & Melody Cannon, 30 years 30 Dan & Cherie Roseberry, 24 years If any anniversary information is not correct, please contact the church office.

Birth AnnouncementEli Daniel McNutt August 5, 2008 – 7 lbs., 12 oz., 20 in. Born to Ron & Carrolyn McNutt, parents Gary & Miriam Keith, grandparents Russ & Amy Parker, uncle & aunt Kevin & Rachel Carrera, uncle & aunt

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2426 N. Euclid Ave. Upland, CA 91784

Reaching Up. Reaching Out.

2426 N. Euclid Ave. Upland, CA 91784

Friday, September 126:30-8:30 p.m.Worship CenterDetails on page 2