Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light.”

Ephesians 5:8

As Silvia (our church’s Office Manager) and I were looking at the church calendar, were thinking about all the good things that have been happening at LCPC over the past few months and what is going to take place.

The bathrooms in the Sanctuary’s Narthex and in the Fellowship Hall have been remodeled and are ADA accessible. The Narthex has a fresh look with a new front door and new flooring. Our children’s nursery has been freshened up with new paint, a repaired sink, and clean floors.

We also have some upcoming events that are open to all. There is a silent movie night at Balboa Park on Monday, August 25, a church retreat on Labor Day Weekend, a potluck after church on September 7, the start of Adult Sunday school on September 14, the start of our church’s landscaping project in September and the opening of our Preschool’s Infant Care Center in October.

There are a lot of good things taking place in the life of LCPC. I am excited about what is on the horizon. Now it is up to all of us to tell our neighbors, friends, and even strangers to come to check things out at our church. It could be that neighbor that has kids that would be in our nursery. It could be that family member who would like to go up to Julian for a Sunday afternoon. It might be someone who you know is a new Christian and is looking for a way to grow in their faith. It is up to God to help people feel like LCPC is a place where they can grow as a Christ-follower, but it takes all of us to do the inviting to LCPC.

So, be praying about who you should ask to come and check things out at LCPC. Your invitation might be the key to helping people find out about all the good things at LCPC.

“Follow God’s example, therefore,

as dearly loved children 

and walk in the way of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1,2

We have a new walker in our family!

That’s right! Granddaughter Charlotte (aka Charlie) started to walk while Karyn was back in Texas last week helping with Charlie’s newborn little brother, Asher.

It was amazing to see Charlie walk. The video of her walking was so much fun. I have watched it over and over and over again! It brings a smile to my face every time. (Ask me about it and I will quickly let you see it on my phone.) Daughter Lauren and husband Tom, are doing great, but they will definitely have their hands full with a newborn and a newly walking toddler.

Walking is an important part of our lives. We delight when toddlers begin to walk. It is one of the marks in their stages of growth. Walking allows us to explore. Walking allows us to go from place to place. We can exercise when we walk and for some, when we are unable to walk, we struggle.

Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians about walking. It is one of Paul’s favorite metaphors in his letters about the Christian life. He writes in the opening words of chapter 5 that we are to “walk in the way of love” and he gives the example of Jesus Christ on how we are to walk.

Let me ask you to do a self-check on how you are “walking in the way of love?” What evidence in your life shows that you are walking in love? How are you maturing in Christ, moving from a toddler who is just learning to walk, to a confident strider in Christ?

It is as each of us “walks in the way of love” with Christ as our example, we build up the body of Christ, helping it to mature and grow. So let’s together build-up the body of Christ as we walk in the way of love.

“Therefore,

go and make disciples of all nations . . .”

(Matthew 28:19a)

These parting words from Jesus to His disciples were words not only to those gathered around Him, but also to us, His disciples 2,000 years later.

But how do we “go” to all the nations? One of those ways is through the sending and supporting of others who are doing the task of making disciples of all nations.

This Sunday, we have the Ringenberg family coming to LCPC to give us an update about their work with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Indonesia. For over a decade, Dave and Linda and their family have been serving in Indonesia through aviation. Dave and others with MAF in Indonesia, help pastors, Bible translators, doctors, and others serve in remote areas. Through the support ministry of MAF, people groups in distant locations are able to learn about Jesus and hear the Word of God in their native language. The ministry of MAF and the Ringenbergs is one way that we are able to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

I hope that you can come this Sunday to hear their stories and to interact with Dave, Linda, and Ryan. If you can’t attend in person, then be sure to listen online.