July 2013

Inside: New Service Times | Freedom Fighters | Tear-off: Pray for Summer Missions

Car Show Revs Up Sunday, July 21

The Scroll | July 2013

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New Service Times Start Next MonthBy Gary Keith, Lead Pastor

The old adage says that “no one likes change except a baby,” but I know some babies that didn’t like to be changed either! Change is difficult, but it seems change is also a current cultural reality.

There has been a lot of change at LBF over the past year. Last August we embraced a new mission and vision statement. And in April we started the remodel of the Worship Center. For people who like to keep things the same, this has been a challenging year with a number of big changes. In fact, I would like to extend a big “thank you” to those of you who are having a difficult time with these changes. I know it is hard and I appreciate the fact that you are adjusting to something that is new and different. Thank you.

However, as I reflect back on this past year starting with the change of the mission statement, I believe our church has experienced a healthy growth, both in numbers and in our relationship with God.

So now that I’ve talked about change, let me talk more about the change this article is introducing. It revolves around the attendance patterns we currently see in our three Sunday morning worship services. Many years ago the third service was our largest-attended service. It was the service that was packed every week. Over the past several years though, we’ve seen a decline in third service attendance and a dramatic increase in second service attendance.

We’re excited to see second service packed out each week, but running at capacity is also an issue. Nearly every Sunday at second service, families are forced to split up to find seats. First-time guests to our church drive through our parking lots trying to find open spaces – sometimes in vain. This isn’t the experience we want for our attendees – especially those visiting our church for the first time.

A few months ago, in an effort to learn more about attendance patterns, we launched a church-wide survey to help us better understand the motivations behind why people choose the Sunday service they primarily attend. With a better understanding of service attendance motivations and patterns, we believed we would be able to create service times that work best for our congregation. If we could better balance and spread out our service attendance, we would be able to make room for more people to attend our church.

One of the key things we learned in the survey is that people choose the service that “allows them to maximize their day.” We learned that third service is starting – and getting out – too late and as a result, many are not attending because it doesn’t allow them to maximize their day. And because of the third service’s late start time, people choose second service, which is packing it to capacity. To state it another way, our third service starts and gets out too late for many people to see it as a viable service option.

With this information our pastoral staff discussed ways we can facilitate a growth in the other two Sunday services. We are thankful that our 9:30 service is more than full every week, but we would like to balance out the three services, thereby making room for growth at all of our services.

We know that the service you attend is important to you and that any change in

Service Times continued on page 4.

2426 N. Euclid Ave. Upland, CA 91784 Ph: 909.981.4848 Fax: 909.931.0498 Email: lbfchurch@lbfchurch.com Web: lbfchurch.com FB: facebook.com/lifebiblefellowship Twitter: @LBFChurch

Gary Keith Lead Pastor gary@lbfchurch.com

Dan Franklin Pastor of Teaching danfranklin@lbfchurch.com

Jeff Taylor Pastor of Worship jeff@lbfchurch.com

Mike Cloud Pastor of Care & Visitation mikecloud@lbfchurch.com

Phil Shahbaz Pastor of Community Life phil@lbfchurch.com

Russ Parker Pastor of Administration russ@lbfchurch.com

Matt Sasso Pastor of Student Ministries matt@lbfchurch.com

Laurie Baiz Life Kids Children’s Ministry Director laurie@lbfchurch.com

Carol Hawkins Missions Coordinator carol@lbfchurch.com

Lea Lee LIFE Groups Coordinator & Office Projects Support lea@lbfchurch.com

Heidi Rogers Graphic Designer heidi@lbfchurch.com

Contributing Pastors, Directors & Staff

Life Bible Fellowship Church

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Dear LBF,

First and foremost I wanted to take time to thank all of our LBF family and friends for the love and support through this three-year journey with Dennis.

No words can truly express our appreciation. You all helped make a season of pain more manageable and have inspired us greatly to push through.

Men’s Ministry wrapped their arms around Dennis and allowed him to experience deeper relationships, both

July Anniversaries 2 Mark & Lorena Skilbred, 27 years 3 Dennis & Lucy Maust, 49 years 3 Nicholas & Pat Muso, 38 years 3 Arturo & Heather Paz, 6 years 3 Clay & Rocio Sanger, 12 years 4 Tom & Sheila Mitchell, 26 years 5 Bill & Jan Hart, 47 years 6 Tim & Cynthia Geary, 22 years 8 Chris & Terri Wright, 28 years 9 Jason & Krista Gaudy, 14 years 10 Frank & Kathy Fabela, 31 years 11 Matt & Tamara Sasso, 9 years 12 Greg & Valerie Killinger, 10 years 12 Vaughn & Amber Heydel, 10 years 13 Paul & Jennifer Casequin, 10 years 13 Nick & Jen Pappani, 11 years 13 Fernando & Sylvia Vargas, 12 years 14 Glenn & Margaret Hamilton, 12 years 15 Richard & Wendy O’Neil, 7 years

15 Phil & Amy Shahbaz, 13 years 17 Tim & Sara Jones, 4 years 18 John & Julia Salinas, 21 years 18 Forest & Kerri Derenzo, 15 years 21 Cal & Nita McElwain, 64 years 22 Adrian & Courtney Ruiz, 13 years 22 David & Tira Young, 13 years 22 Victor & Amy Palos, 18 years 23 Daniel & Michelle Baumgartner, 19 years 24 Gary & Miriam Keith, 42 years 24 Alan & Mica Olmos, 14 years 26 Mike & Andrea King, 16 years 26 Chris & Amy Hughes, 10 years 27 David & Lola Dukes, 28 years 27 Anthony & Kyrstie Chavez, 7 years 27 Tim & Tracy Longo, 17 years 28 Scott & Cyndie VanTine, 34 years 28 John & Karen Richmond, 29 years 28 Gary & Janet Olsavsky, 29 years

28 Wendell & Elaine Wainwright, 51 years 29 Thomas & Nancy Simmons, 30 years 29 Garry & Michelle Westwood, 30 years 29 Scott & Bonnie Dean, 13 years 29 Bob & Jana Ellis, 46 years 29 Joshua & Nicole Brown, 10 years 31 Matthew & Laurie Wheeler, 37 years 31 Gerad & Maria Rawle, 15 years

If any anniversary information is not correct, please contact the church office.

In MemorySven Hermelin December 18, 1965-June 3, 2013 Survived by Laura Hermelin, wife Scott, Alyssa, and Annette Hermelin, and Amber Renish, children

Anniversaries & Births to Celebrate, Losses to Mourn Share in the joy of marriage and new life, and reach out to those in grief.

Letters to LBF Occasionally we receive a pertinent letter that should be shared with all of you, for your generosity and effort and love.

with friends and his faithful Lord and savior, Jesus Christ!

Please continue to lift our boys – Erik, Mark, and Joshua – up in prayer as we enter this new season in life’s journey, helping them cope with the loss of our hero.

My words of encouragement to all that are going through their own journey: Begin and end every day by giving the Lord 110% of everything and don’t take back 60% when it’s not in your timing. Always remember to say

“I love you” and never go to sleep angry, for it’s the little things that count, not the material things. Life is better lived more simply and always think about WWJD!

Thank you all for the helping hands in making Dennis’ celebration of life full of memories to treasure .

Blessings in Christ,

DawnMarie Tetreault & Family

Service Times Sunday @ 8, 9:30 & 11:11 am

Life Kids Children’s Ministry programs available @ all services, except Nursery @ 8 am

Exit 83 Jr. High Sunday @ 9:30 am & Tuesday @ 7 pm

Exit 83 High School Sunday @ 9:30 am & Wednesday @ 7 pm

Mosaic College Group Thursday @ 7 pm

For more info on these programs, small groups, Bible studies, and upcoming events, visit lbfchurch.com.

LBF reserves the right to use photos and video taken on campus at LBF-related events. Any who do not wish to comply with this policy must notify the church office at (909) 981-4848 or lbfchurch@lbfchurch.com.

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New Curriculum for Children’s MinistryBy Lauria Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

Starting in the fall, we will be offering a new format of curriculum for our kids that are four years old through fourth grade. Here is how it will go: As the kids arrive at church, they will be engaged in a game or activity that will give them a clue as to what the story is going to be about that Sunday. Then they will go into a room that has been set up for the worship leader and story teller. During this time, the kids will sing worship songs and hear from the story teller, whose job is not just to come in and tell the kids the story. Their job is to make the story come to life, include the kids in the story by asking questions, have them act parts out, and share what they think about what they are learning. This is a time that the kids are being taught in an interactive way that will also help them retain the lesson. After the story teller is done, the kids will go back into small groups with their leaders and discuss the lesson deeper. Small group time is a wonderful time where the leaders are able to connect with the kids, reinforce God’s Word, and build relationships.

This format is so exhilarating because it is completely different from what the kids are doing during the week when they are in school. It is laid out in a way that we can take the tables and chairs out of the equation, sit down on the floor at eye level, and engage them with God’s Word. Having one curriculum for all the age groups is going to give families the ability to discuss the lessons altogether, since they are the same, just tailored to their age group. The memory verse program will also be connected to the curriculum, which will encourage them to memorize the verses that they will be discussing and learning about on Sunday morning.

With these changes there is going to be some new volunteer positions available and the dynamics of the current positions will be changing as well. If being a part of this ministry sounds interesting to you, join us for an informational meeting on Sunday, July 28, after the third service (approximately 12:30 p.m.) in rooms 102 & 103. I am looking forward to the fall and this great new curriculum!

Exit 83’s Current Series Explores the Difference Between Knowing About Someone and Knowing SomeoneBy Matt Sasso, Pastor of Student Ministries

So you overslept, missed the bus, saw someone cute, aced the big test, and you’re mad at that guy. So how do we know? Because you gave the world your play-by-play for the day on Facebook, Twitter, and texted about it every five minutes. We live in a world where we know more about the people around us than we ever knew before. But have you noticed something? We can know a lot – too much – and yet not really know what’s going on. It’s so easy to let people know about us, and not really have a place where people really know us at all. We know that students need people pouring into them to help them discover who God is and what that means for them. In this series we want to challenge our students to really open up about what is going on their lives.

the service times will have an impact on your personal life. We do not take lightly making a change in service times. But we believe we need to move third service to an earlier start time to help make it more viable for a majority of people who desire to go to a service that “allows me to maximize my day.”

So we are going to move the start time of third service from 11:11 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. This will allow third service to start earlier and end by noon. As a result, we are also moving the second service from 9:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. This change is needed to allow enough time for second service to wrap up before third service begins. First service will start at the same time – 8 a.m. Exit 83 Student Ministry (jr. high and high school) will meet at 9:15 a.m.

Below are the old and new start times for our three Sunday Services.

Current Times New Times 8 a.m. 8 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m. 11:11 a.m. 10:45 a.m.

We are very aware that this change may be difficult for some families. Change is rarely easy and even though we believe this is the best decision and these are the best service times for the majority of our congregation right now, we understand it will be a challenge for some. It’s our hope that you understand our motivations behind these changes, which is to create more viable service times for the whole of our congregation and to help create room for more people to attend all of services.

We will begin these new service times on Sunday, August 4. You will receive more communications and reminders as we get closer to this date. We look forward to this and believe it will be used to impact more people with the truth of the Gospel.

Service Times continued from page 2.

The Scroll | July 2013

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Life Bible Fellowship Church

Freedom Fighters Secure & Protect By Dan Franklin, Pastor of Teaching

As is often said, freedom is not free. It is expensive. It has to be fought for. And, once freedom is secured, there is often a struggle to protect and preserve that freedom.

Freedom is costly, and this is why it can only be obtained and protected if it is greatly valued. If freedom is not treasured, then it will be sacrificed.

Throughout Galatians 1-4, the Apostle Paul labored to make the point that Jesus paid the ultimate price to secure

freedom for His people. If we value freedom, then we will value what Jesus has done for us. In Galatians 5-6, Paul calls the Galatians – and us – to be freedom fighters. This is not because we need to work hard to purchase our freedom; Jesus has already done that. Rather, he calls us to fight in order to secure and protect the freedom that Jesus bought for us. Paul gets very practical in Galatians 5-6, and he calls us to protect our freedom from two distinct threats.

Threat #1: Legalism. Paul warns us that we will be tempted to sacrifice our

freedom in favor of trying to appeal to God on the basis of our good behavior and observance of rules. While this may seem silly to us, this temptation is deceptively appealing. It can feel good to come to God, saying, “I’ve been good this week. I haven’t yelled at anyone in my family, or slacked off at work, or broken any laws. And, to top it all off, I’ve given some of my money to people who are in need. Now, all I want to ask of you is that you keep me financially stable and healthy.”

Legalism (following rules for the purpose of securing God’s blessing) is appealing because it makes us feel that we have done something to obligate God to do our will. It seems noble and commendable because we are following religious rules, but legalism is not godly. It is certainly not humble. When we practice legalism we put ourselves in the driver’s seat instead of yielding to God’s leading in our lives. Far from securing freedom, legalism only leads to a relationship with God marked by distance and slavish obedience. It does not reflect

the sonship for which Christ set us free. This is why Paul begins Galatians 5 with the stirring call to “stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Threat #2: Indulgence. We might think that the opposite of legalism is simply to follow every whim and do whatever we please. After all, if Christ has set us free, shouldn’t we just do whatever we want all the time? Isn’t this what freedom is?

Paul’s answer is no. He says in Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather serve one another.”

Freedom has a purpose. It has a proper use. And freedom will be undermined if we abuse it and make it an excuse for selfish and self-indulgent behavior. According to Paul, freedom comes not through indulging the flesh, but rather by following the lead of the Spirit. The flesh will lead us into all kinds of destructive and enslaving habits and attitudes (5:19-21), while the Spirit will lead us to life-giving ways of interacting with God and other people (5:22-26).

Now that you are free, Paul tells us, don’t waste your freedom by using it as an excuse to be enslaved to your whims and momentary desires. Instead, treasure your freedom enough to trust God and follow His lead.

If you are a believer in Jesus, then you have been given freedom. But remember that this freedom was not free. While you are not called to purchase your own freedom, you are invited to fight against any threats to the proper expression and enjoyment of that freedom.

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Missionaries Complete Bible Translation Work, Move HomeBy Carol Hawkins, Missions Coordinator

This is an exciting month for LBF as we’ll have a visit on July 28 from Leigh and Barbara Labrecque and their children: Sharyna, 18; Anthony, 15; and Cassia, 13. The Labrecques have lived in Vanuatu – an island chain in the South Pacific, east of Australia – for nearly 13 years, working on translating the Bible into two languages – Southeast Ambrym and Paama.

It is exciting that these two translations are nearing completion, and within the next year the Scriptures will be printed and in the hands of these two people groups. It is hard for us to understand that many people around the world do not have Bibles in their own language. In our homes, many of us have access to multiple Bibles – even in different translations. So it is a major milestone for the people of Vanuatu to soon have their very own translation. It is such a blessing that LBF has been able to be part of this process through our prayers and financial support of the Labrecques.

The Labrecque family will be moving to Canada, where Leigh will be teaching

literacy at the Canadian Institute of Linguistics in Langley, British Colombia. This is a major transition time for this family. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated and will help them feel supported in this process. Here are some ways to be praying:

• Prayforstrengthandperseveranceas Leigh and Barbara continue in finishing up the work.

• Prayforexcitementamongthe villagers as they will soon have God’s Word in their homes.

• Prayforthefundsneededtoberaised to cover the costs for solar-powered MP3 players for the audio version of the scriptures. Each unit

is $35 and they are hoping to acquire a large number, and thus enable thousands to hear God’s word in their own language. This is a wonderful way of reaching people with God’s message. Please let me know if you’re interested in more details regarding this financial need. We can help with this.

• PrayforthetransitionfromVanuatuto teaching in Canada. There are many co-workers and friends they will be saying goodbye to in Vanuatu, and everything will be new as they move to Canada and begin their life there.

And be sure to save the date: July 28! Could we do it that way rather than We’ll have a lunch reception for them here at LBF. You’ll have the privilege of meeting them and hearing more about their ministry and what’s ahead.

Thank you, LBF, for holding this family up through prayer and financial support. Because of this, thousands of lives will have God’s Word and will be changed for eternity!

Summer Teams GoBy Carol Hawkins, Missions Coordinator

In early June, all of our summer missionaries were introduced and prayed for in the morning services. Thank you for encouraging each one with your prayers, words of blessing, and financial support. You’ve touched many lives in Japan, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka. More details to follow everyone’s return. Tear off the back cover for a reminder on how to pray for these teams and individuals.

Life Bible Fellowship Church

Giving UpdateFiscal Year July 12-June 13 Total Budget: $1,650,000

Budget Goal Giving Received Over/Under April $128,306 $118,589 $(9,716) May $117,285 $119,107 $1,822

YTD $1,513,958 $1,553,002 $39,044

*Online giving is available at lbfchurch.com

* Offering boxes are mounted on walls by exit doors.

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The Scroll | July 2013

Car Show Revs UpSunday, July 21, 2013, 12:30-5:30 p.m.

By Phil Shahbaz, Pastor of Community Life

The Second Annual LBF Car Show is only a few weeks away! We’ve been busy organizing registrants, lining up our vendors, ordering T-shirts, and recruiting volunteers – all in order to make this a great community event with the summer’s hottest wheels around. But don’t just come for the cars, trucks, and motorcycles (or the food or bounce houses). This year’s Car Show will also

assist the GAP Food Bank in providing for needy families in our community as well.

The GAP started in the

early ‘90s by distributing food out of a garage to local families. Almost 20 years later, the GAP is located in a 4,500-square-foot warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga, equipped with a truck for large donation pick-ups, a forklift, and walk-in freezer and refrigerator.

Today the goal of the GAP Food Bank is to provide food to the needy families in our community. GAP’s immediate goal is to increase the number of families fed

to 500 or more by continuing to feed the families at their facility, as well as expanding the amount of food provided to other food banks, senior centers, and churches. The GAP’s primary source of revenue is free-will donations from local churches, businesses, and individuals.

So this year, as you get ready to head over to the Car Show with your lawn chairs and picnic blankets, bring along a canned good or two to donate to GAP Food Bank. Then your family can enjoy the live band, bounce houses, petting zoo, and an assortment of fun activities for the kids. Panera Bread will be providing all of the food, desserts, and drinks this year, so get your grub on and know that 10% of all food sales at the Car Show will go to GAP Food Bank.

Still want to register your classic, custom, hot rod, muscle car, chopper, import, or antique? Head to lbfchurch.com > Car Show. Trophies will be awarded in several categories. Registration fee is $20 per car and $15 per motorcycle.

We also still need volunteers to pull this thing off! If you’d like to serve at the Car Show, you can sign up for that online too, at lbfchurch.com > Car Show.

When Relationships Become MinistryBy Matt Sasso, Pastor of Student Ministries

When you look at the beaming faces in Exit 83, you see far more than students.

You also see committed adults who were once in your shoes – wanting to jump in, yet wondering whether they had time or energy to commit to mentoring. They discovered what you would soon realize: our volunteers aren’t here merely to help. The relationships they form become their ministry. In fact, leaders engage with the same students for the entire year – laughing, listening, and leading.

Junior high and high school students are yearning for relationships and we need leaders who are passionate about pouring into students’ lives, walking with them through their years! We would like for you to consider coming to experience what youth ministry is all about. Exit 83 staff members are eager to talk with you further to help identify when and where your influence can be maximized. To explore how you can get involved, please email matt@lbfchurch.com if you have any specific questions.

Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid

Upland, CA 91786 Permit No. 167

2426 N. Euclid Ave. Upland, CA 91784

We exist to passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus and to lead our neighbors to do the same.

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Tear off & pray this summer