December 23: Children's Christmas Program

The church would like to thank Sis. Grace and Sis. Moon for the hard work they did in producing this year's Children's Christmas Program.

But foremost we would like to thank the Lord for giving us such an unbeatable group of children. They truly love the Lord, and have learned so much in Children's Church.

The children worked hard at practice, memorized their lines, and just outdid themselves. There were many big smiles from the parents as they witnessed their child perform.

Personally, i will remember this program for many years as one of the best productions our children produced. To God be all of the glory!

December 8: Secret Pal Revelation

Several women in the church have organized a Secret Pal group. And at the end of each year they celebrate Revelation Day, where each lady discovers who her secret pal has been all year long. This is a day of great surprises, as no one knows for sure who that person is.

The women in this Secret Pal group met in the home of Sis. Virginia.

This is a time of good food, genuine fellowship and great fun.

November 18: Birthday Celebrants

One of the traditions our church has kept over the years is a monthly 3rd Sunday potluck, held after the Worship Service. It is a wonderful time of fellowship and food. We like to boast that in our church we feed both the soul and the body.

It is during these 3rd Sunday potlucks we celebrate members and friends who have a birthday that month. Naturally, we always serve a succulent birthday cake and ice cream.

Attached is the November birthday celebrants. Our church is made up of all ages. For November the youngest birthday celebrant turned 3 years old; the eldest turned 86.

November 12: Farewell Gathering

A number of the members of FBCDC gathered yesterday at the pastor's home to hold a farewell party for Sis. Raquel. Sis. Raquel will be leaving the beautiful Bay Area to transfer to Los Angeles.

We have all been blessed by Sis. Raquel. We are so thankful to have had her serve with us. We will miss her, but we are assured that the Almighty has better things in store for her in the days ahead.

Sis. Raquel was our church pianist, our VBS Director, a prayer warrior, and a close friend. But yesterday's party was not a goodbye, as many of us will stop by and visit with her during our visits in LA.

November 10: Birthday Party

Last Saturday was the 8th birthday party of Haniya Taylor, one of our regular Children's Church attenders. Haniya and her mother, Donna, are a blessing to our church; and have become very dear to the entire church family.

Haniya's older sister, Hovanah, flew in all the way from Los Angeles, to attend her little sister's birthday celebration.

To Haniya, may you always walk with the Lord.

October 28: Children Special Number

We were all so thrilled to see the children of the church perform a special number last Sunday.

It is my priviledge to watch the children grow in their walk with the Lord. Watching these children grow is definetly one of my greatest joys, as the pastor of the church.

We are blessed with dedicated children's workers who teach our children week after week. Kudos to Sis. Moon, Sis. Ida, Sis. Josie, and Sis. Grace for their devoted ministry to these children, along with the many others who help out as well.

October 27: Sonoma Field Trip

Last Saturday several of our church members and friends took a field trip to Sonoma Valley, home to many of the finest wine vineyards of Northern California. The 21 of us who were able to attend had an unforgetable time visiting the Cornerstone Gardens; the Viansa Vineyard; and a local fruit market.

I am a novice making video clips. In fact, this is my very first one. Here is a clip of the movie produced.

Each one of us had a great time of fellowship, fun and food, to which we thank our loving Creator for.

We would like to thank Cornerstone Gardens and the Viansa Vineyard for being the perfect hosts and providing the perfect tours. We highly recommend anyone to stop by Cornerstone Gardens and Viansa Vineyard for their next Sonoma trip. We want to thank Dawn Smith of Cornerstone Gardens and John Bryan of Viansa Vineyard for permission to publish this blog.

We also thank Sis. Grace for her hard work in spearheading this happy church event.

October 7: Worship Service

Ruth Rosen, daughter of Moishe Rosen, founder of Jews for Jesus, and author Ceil Rosen, presents an enactment of the seder, the Jewish Passover meal. Although there were so many new lessons to learn, what stood out to me personally was how 3 matzas were kept inside a cloth, but only the 2nd one (the middle one), was the one that was broken .... which to me meant how the 2nd Person of the holy Trinity was broken for our sins.

And then too how the children would open the front door and look out to see if the prophet Elijah was approaching to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. Of course, the Messiah had already come 2,000 years ago.

And then too there was a resemblance of our Easter egg hunting. A matzo was hidden inside the house, and the child who would find it would receive a reward. We are to seek diligently for Christ, the Manna from heaven, and he who finds Him receives an eternal reward of life without end.

On the table was also a roasted lamb shankbone. This clearly represented our Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Yes, the study of Jewish tradition has value to the contemporary Christian faith.

August 11: Church Picnic

Summer would not be summer without hotdogs, chips, salsa, corn on the cob, lemonade and watermelon. So the Saturday following Vacation Bible School FBCDC held a church-wide picnic in the church parking lot. Several from the neighborhood also came and joined us.

It was a fun time. The children played baseball, basketball and skip rope. The adults especially enjoyed the food, the company, and the LORD (but not in that order). It was a cold summer afternoon, so several were all bundled up in warm clothes.

It was such a successful picnic, we bagan to make plans for the next one.

August 6-10: Vacation Bible School

The future of our nation rests on the hands of today's children. We, at FBCDC, desire to guide our children to become good citizens.

Realizing that the children of today will determine the future course of America, FBCDC was delighted to hold Vacation Bible School for 5 days, for children ages 11 and under.

The theme of Vacation Bible School was "Knowing Christ." Each day the children learned Bible stories, Scripture memorization, crafts, and a missionary story on the life of John Patton, missionary to New Hebrides. There was time also for outdoors games and sports.

The last picture is the Closing Program, held in the evening of August 10, and witnessed by many parents, grandparents, and guardians.

August 5: Children's Church

FBCDC is proud of our Children's Church ministry. I am convinced that our teachers and those who assists are models of what a true follower of Jesus should be. We teach by life and we teach by example.

I believe that the most receptive group to come to Christ are children. Therefore we as a church place much emphasis on our children's ministry.

The children sing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus." Following our LORD is what Christianity is all about. It is about the Lordship of Christ: not only receiving Christ as Savior from sin, but also as the ultimate Authority in our individual lives.

July 14: Church Field Trip

"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created" (Rev. 4:11). As we lift up our eyes to the heavens, as we behold His handiwork on earth, we realize how majestic a Creator we have.

The children and youth of FBCDC, along with some parents, last Saturday visited the Exploratorium in San Francisco which is located across the Presidio, between the famous Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Exploratorium is a wonderful interactive place with numerous exhibits. It is a fascinating venue for young and old, with its marvels of science.

Next we visited Crissy Field at the Golden Gate National Park. You can see the Golden Gate Bride at the background. It was a typical summer day in San Francisco, which meant we all had to bundle up in jackets!

Before heading home, we stopped to get a bite to eat, and then walked leisurely to Baskin- Robbins so each one could indulge in their favorite ice cream. Not only was it an enjoyable time for everyone, ties of friendship were strenghened.

June 24: Ocean Baptism

After church Sunday several of the members drove to a beach in Pacifica to witness the baptism of Sis. Raquel Marquez. It was about 3:00 p.m., and as you can see by the waves, not only was it high tide, but the waves were fierce.

We had to perform the baptism quickly, in- between waves, because each wave swept us off our feet.

It has been my belief for many years that baptism must always follow faith. As Ephesians 4:5 reads, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Faith is a pre-requisite of baptism.

To Sis. Raquel, the words of Corrie Ten Boom, who is now with the Lord, "The best is yet to be."

May 20: New Membership Class

Jose Dennis Tan is our newest church member. The picture below shows him attending the New Membership Class last Sunday, taught by Sis. Ida. His favorite verse is Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." He testifies that it was when he put God first in his life that the LORD gave him a wonderful job at a 5-diamond, 5-star hotel in San Francisco.

He also loves to sing praise to the LORD with his guitar. Here is a singing "The Power of Love" a special number before the message. His desire is to be used of the LORD in bringing sinners closer to the Savior.

May 13: Mother's Day

I have always believed that our nation is only as great as its mothers. When we have a nation of God-fearing mothers, we will raise a generation of God-fearing children.

In 2 Timothy 1:5 we read how a grandmother named Lois taught her daughter Eunice, who in turn taught her son Timothy. God's saving grace was delivered from one generation to the next. This is the message of today: to share God's holy love to our children, who will in turn share God's holy love to their children.

Abraham Lincoln once said: "No man is poor who has a godly mother." The truth of this message spoken about 150 years ago still resonates today.

March 25: New Membership Class

Sis. Raquel is the first to attend our new membership class this year. There are still 2 more who have requested to become church members.

She is also our church pianist, and is such a blessing to all of us.

To Sis. Raquel, welcome to FBCDC.

March 25: Worship Service

Bro. Dennis gives his testimony on how good the LORD has been to him, followed by a special number. His favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

He has also indicated his desire to join the church, so is scheduled to attend the next New Membership Class.

Bro. Dennis is a contractor. He and my father have one thing in common: both were born and raised in the province of Cebu, Philippines.

March 25: Worship Service

One of my favorite symblolism used about Christ is the Good Shepherd who takes care of His sheep. The Good Shepherd also protects His sheep. Sis. Moon testifies how the LORD had recently protected her and her son Caleb from a serious car accident as they were driving down scenic Highway 1.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, and will deliver him and honor him" (Psalm 91:14,15).

Notice the 5-fold promises God makes to those who walk with Him from the passage above: 1) "I will rescue him; 2) "I will protect him; 3) I will answer him; 4) "I will be with him; and 5) "will deliver him."

March 18: Worship Service

I have known Hannah for the past 9 years. Two things that I have observed about her are: a) she loves the Lord; and 2) she is growing in the Lord.

Here she is singing the hymn "Open My Eyes, That I May See," a hymn composed by Clara H. Scott, during the Worship Service. Our heavenly Father has graced her with the gift of voice.

As I see our church children grow up into youth, I often remind them of Ecclesiastes 12:1, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth." I believe that if we teach our children and youth to do right today, they will become productive and useful citizens tomorrow. And right and wrong is based on the unchanging Word of God, not on the changing value system of modern society.

March 16: Women's Fellowship

Several of the women of FBCDC enjoy a hearty St. Patrick's Dinner, relishing a traditional Irish cuisine. As usual, it is always a time of laughter when the women gather together for their monthly fellowship. The Women's Fellowship rotate homes each month for the gathering, and this month the fellowship was held in the home of Sis. Ruth.

The joy in each fellowship is not only that they enjoy a sumptious dinner, but that the women also know the LORD as their personal Savior. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

March 11: Children in Worship Service

FBCDC is a singing church. Through song we are able to share God's goodness and grace to others. Saida and Hannah sing with angelic voices a Special Number to the congregation. As the Bible says: "Let every thing that has breath praise the LORD" (Psalm 150:6).

Because we are commanded to reach out to the generation to come, FBCDC is truly blessed with a dynamic Children's Church from 11:00am-12:15pm each Sunday. Personally, there is exceeding joy to see children walk in the truth.

Tagalog Adult Bible Study

As an outreach to our community, FBC has recently started a Tagalog Adult Bible Study, led by Ida Matriano. The class meets 10:00 a.m. Sundays in church. Although she has a B.A. from Siliman University, and a M.A. from the University of the Philippines, she wants to be simply known as a humble servant of the LORD.

Sis. Ida has been a faithful member of FBC for the past 10 years, and is our prayer warrior. She is actively involved in outreach.

The LORD has blessed her with 4 very wonderful children, one of which is with the LORD. In her free time she loves gardening and art.

Children in Church

At FBC children play a very important role. The children are encouraged to use the talents that the LORD has given to them, even at a very young age.

We are profusely blessed with exceptional teachers who devote much time, effort and prayer in providing meaningful lessons in Sunday School (10:00 a.m.), and in Children's Church (11:00 a.m.). At FBC the children are the greatest, and so are their teachers. We are a church which takes the children's ministry seriously.

Shown here are Esil and Caleb Empig singing a special number before the Pastor's Message, to the delight of the whole congregation. Personally, anytime children sing during the Worship Service makes the service even more meaningful to me.

February 25: Scripture Reading

Ansel Vibat was named after the famous American photographer Ansel Adams. Both were born in San Francisco. Ansel is actively involved in the church youth group, and enjoys attending Bible studies. Here he is reading a Scripture passage during the Worship service.

Ansel is very gifted, and has been selected to attend the chartered Leadership High School in San Francisco. He loves music and plays the piano; loves video games, like any normal youth; and being a true San Fran supporter, roots for the San Francisco 49'ers.

February 16 Night of Repentance

Last Friday was a very moving experience as the church humbled itself in a Night of Repentance. This was in accordance to Acts 3:19 (NIV): "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out." The hand of the LORD was mightily felt throughout the entire service.