Verse & Prayer for today:

Joshua 1:8 

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

So, it’s the start of another year, and generally at the beginning of the year, we all start again with the best of intentions.

For many of us this is very exciting and for some of us, this is completely terrifying. We are standing on the edge of something new and we are not sure what is going to happen. Could this be a good year, one full of excitement and adventure? Or is this going to be a devastating year, one that drops us to our knees at every turn?

I have 365 new opportunities to do something special, to make this year memorable, to be a “better” me.  Self-help books and how-to manuals are immensely popular today. People want to know how to be successful, whether it is winning friends, making money, getting a promotion, losing weight – its all about being successful.  And we have in our hands the very first self-help book that was ever written – except that it reminds us that there is a power much greater than simply us in this world, and helps us to focus on helping others and not just ourselves!

God doesn’t promise Joshua that everything is going to be peachy, now that he’s stepping up to replace Moses as the leader of Israel.  There is no promise of easy days: no doubt, there may be someone you know that will no longer be with you on the 31st of December 2016, someone will have gotten sick this year, someone else may have had surgery.  But we find our strength and courage in God and God’s word and promises for us.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

As this New Year starts to rev up and you abandon some of those New Years resolutions you weren’t really committed to, commit to making the Bible a part of your daily ritual, and meditating on those verses that guide you and give you strength.

Father God, thank You for Your Word.  Thank You that within it there are many promises that will bring success and prosperity in our lives.  We ask that You would lead us to the scriptures that we need to meditate on and declare to be successful in Your plans for us and for our church.  Open our minds to receive Your words and grant us the grace to be obedient in any way that we need to be today.  Give us a willing spirit to follow Your instructions.

Amen.

THIS SUNDAY AT BALBOA UNION CHURCH

Worship Service at 10 a.m. – ALL ARE WELCOME!

SPEAKER: David McIntosh

Sunday School Teachers: On Vacation

 Prayers Concerns

Please Pray for Our Brothers and Sisters from Siria and Iraq

Lord, please remind the world that we are all brothers and sisters and there should be no violence among us, only love and attempts to understand one another.

We also remember in prayer our former pastor:

• Luis Veagra – facing health issue

Up-coming BUC Activities

Visit to Fundacion Nueva Vida in Howard

January 17th (3rd Sunday of the month) we will be vising the Fundación Nueva Vida home in Howard – please join us immediately after the service to go on this visit.

BUC Patio Sale Saturday – January 30th

The coming weeks will be receiving donations of clothes and shoes of ladies, gentlemen and children, also home appliances in good condition, all that you already do not use or do not have any more space in your house to keep it, please come and donate it to BUC patio sale, our office schedule is of 9:00am to 4:00pm (Wednesday the office is closed) contact to us to 314 1004 or office@balboaunionchurch.org, memebership@balboaunionchurch.org  to coordinate delivery of the donation with the secretary, also we need Volunteers to help in the organization of patio sale

 Volunteers are required for:

1- Monday-Friday – January 25th – January 29th – to sort all of the clothes/furniture/ children’s toys / etc., and put prices on everything

2- starting 7.30 a.m. on Saturday morning – we need teams (usually 2 teams/relays) – that can “walk the floor”, answer questions, and collect the money (we usually have one person helping add up the amount and another with the money).  Where possible, we would like two teams for the “till” at all times, as otherwise we get backed up.  Ideally we need about 10-15 volunteers on the actual day of the patio sale.  Typically we are done by midday (there’s nothing left of any great value).

Sunday, January 31, 2016 – Annual General Meeting

Our annual general meeting should be held on the 1st Sunday of February, but given that this year it is Carnavales weekend, we will be moving the AGM forward to the 31st of January, 2016.  We are asking for nominations to the following positions:

• President
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer

Committee Chairs:

• Worship & Ministry
• Christian Education
• Adult & Youth Activities
• Finance & Stewardship
• Property Management
• Missions
• Membership

Our current Council Members and Chairs are looking forward to serving this year on the Council and Committees as the Congregation best sees fit according to their talents and abilities.

Other news:

Building 773:

We continue our work sprucing up Building 773 – the basement, apartment C and other common areas.  We would be happy to have any volunteers that can assist with this, and any donations towards this work would always be appreciated.

Good Deeds Program in Casco Viejo:

In  BUC Missions we are Collaborating with “Good Deeds ” Program: Here is more information regarding the Good Deeds Program. And here is some information regarding their activities, if you want to participate and volunteer more actively.