TFPC EM NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 4, 2023

The Power of One

Today is October 4, 2023

Welcome to your mid-week!

This past Sunday, during our bi-annual Joint Worship, our Youth Pastor, Pastor Michelle, preached on the last prayer Jesus prayed before he was betrayed and crucified. And what was the one thing that Jesus prayed for the church to have?

Unity.

Unity is what Jesus and the Father had, and unity is what Jesus prayed that we would have as a church. And the reason Jesus prayed this for us was that, through unity, we would be able to show the world who Jesus is. That, if such differing people can be united under the love of Christ, then, as Jesus said:

"Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:23)

And, with that, Pastor Michelle challenged us by asking: "Are you in the father? Are you in Christ? And are they in you?"

And she followed those questions with this statement: "We got a lot of people who are good at being 'in church,' but there is a difference between being in God and being in church."

And so, for the sake of those who are lost; for the sake of the great commission; for the sake of everyone who we pray would come to the faith, Pastor Michelle pleaded with us to find 

unity

for, when we do, the power from that oneness will be the knowledge of Christ to the world.

God's blessing upon you as you mediate on what it means to be in Christ compared to being in church, and I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.

- Rev. Frank Kim

Youtube link from last Sunday's Worship: HERE

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Announcements​

Ministry Calendar

• Oct 14 (Sat) – EM Fellowship @ the Songs 
  • ​4 - 7 pm
  • Questions or if you want to update your email address to receive an Evite? Contact Grace at gsong1@aol.com 
• Oct 15 (Sun) - YMF Cell Group
• Oct 16-17 (Mon-Tues) - TFPC Pastors Retreat
• Oct 22 (Sun) – Ping Pong Tournament, 1:30pm @ Fellowship Hall
• Oct 24 (Tues) - YP Cell Group, 6:30pm @ Urban Plates
• Oct 24-29 (Tues-Sun) - Pastor Frank's Vacation
• Oct 29 (Sun) - All Church Congregational Meeting

Finance Office Announcement

• ​For Online Offering (found HERE) please make sure to select 'English Ministry' and to scroll down and type in where you would want your offering to go in the 'Note / memo' area.   

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TFPC EM NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

'Does Job Love God For Nothing?'

Today is September 27, 2023

Welcome to your mid-week!

This past Sunday, Pastor Woogie Kim preached on my behalf and he preached from the book of Job. And, in his message, he asked us to love God for who he is, not for what he can give us. That, as he said before the time of prayer,

"If you are here to worship him [God] because you want his blessing, maybe you don't love him at all."

In a way, Pastor Woogie was having us reflect on our current relationship status with God. That, just as God loves us unconditionally, to have that same kind of love for him. And he took Job's story and the story of Jesus' temptation, as well as testimonies from his own life, to have us reflect on the core reasons why we worship and gather and come to church.

And he challenged us to have this prayer before the Lord: "I want to love you for who you are."

Thinking about my own situation and not hearing the answer I want from God at the time, I can understand the frustrations of not knowing why things happen the way they do. However, ultimately, my relationship with God was not something built on promises of blessing, but built on the blood of Jesus and the empty tomb. 

And, as that Chris Tomlin song says, that is more than enough for me.

God's blessing upon you as meditate on Job, Satan, Jesus' temptation, and your own relationship with God, and I look forward to worshipping with you in the joint worship in the Main Sanctuary this Sunday.

- Rev. Frank Kim

Youtube link from last Sunday's Worship: HERE

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Announcements​

 Ministry Calendar

• Oct 1 (Sun) – World Communion Sunday – Joint Worship
• Oct 1 (Sun) - Beach Cities Small Group
• Oct 14 (Sat) – EM Fellowship @ the Songs 
  • ​4 - 7 pm
  • Questions or if you want to update your email address to receive an Evite? Contact Grace at gsong1@aol.com 
• Oct 15-16 (Sun-Mon) - TFPC Pastors Retreat
• Oct 22 (Sun) – Ping Pong Tournament, 1:30pm @ Fellowship Hall
• Oct 24-29 (Tues-Sun) - Pastor Frank's Vacation

Finance Office Announcement

• ​For Online Offering (found HERE) please make sure to select 'English Ministry' and to scroll down and type in where you would want your offering to go in the 'Note / memo' area.   

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TFPC EM NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Learning Contentment

Today is September 20, 2023

Welcome to your mid-week!

When Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:12, that he has "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation," what he is telling us is the fruit he has learned by drawing near to Christ.

But this is not an easy lesson.

Apostle Paul has had to deal with disappointment after disappointment to the point of being in jail at the moment he writes his letter to the church of Philippi. Now, some of the disappointments he experienced were understandable. But some, simply unknown. And, in the wake of not knowing the why, Apostle Paul could have chosen to become disillusioned with God.

I mean, this is what many do when they do not understand why some things happen the way they do. Disillusionment with God is an option that many take which leads to the question of God's sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness.

However, that is not what Apostle Paul did.

What Apostle Paul did was take his current situation and weigh it against God's words and his actions. Both God's words and his actions point to having an eternal perspective. Both God's words and his actions point to God working for our good even if we may not know the why.

One of the crucial elements to the Christian life is faith; in fixing our eyes on what is unseen. And that is what Apostle Paul did - focusing on that which is eternal - submitting to God's will and drawing near to God, even when he did not understand the why of his present circumstance.

And the fruit?

He found that by being dependent on God, he was able to be independent from his circumstances.
He found that by being dependent on God, he was able to experience God's power and victory.
He found that by being dependent on God, he was able to experience contentment.

This is what he learned, and that is his lesson to us.

God's blessing as you wrestle with your disappointments in light of God's word and his actions via Christ Jesus, and I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.

- Rev. Frank Kim

Youtube link from last Sunday's Worship: HERE
Cell Group Discussion: HERE

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Announcements​

Education Open House During the Month of September!
We encourage all parents to attend the 11:30am worship service of your child’s open house and stay for a presentation of the ministry.

• Pre-school, Sept 24

Ministry Calendar

• Sept 24 (Sun) – Pre-School Open House
• Oct 1 (Sun) – World Communion Sunday – Joint Worship
• Oct 1 (Sun) - Beach Cities Small Group
• Oct 14 (Sat) – EM Fellowship @ the Songs [Rescheduled]
• Oct 22 (Sun) – Ping Pong Tournament
• Oct 24-29 (Tues-Sun) - Pastor Frank's Vacation

Finance Office Announcement

• ​For Online Offering (found HERE) please make sure to select 'English Ministry' and to scroll down and type in where you would want your offering to go in the 'Note / memo' area.   

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TFPC EM NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

Breaking Bread

Today is September 13, 2023

Welcome to your mid-week!

One of the things the early church devoted themselves to do was the breaking of bread. It says it twice in the description of the early church in Acts 2. "They devoted themselves...to the breaking of bread...They broke bread...and ate together..." (Acts 2:42,46) 

To break bread together meant more than just having communion together. This was about eating together as a church. And this served a purpose.

More than just meeting the physical needs and creating a space for camaraderie, eating together served as an opportunity to remember their spiritual hunger - something Jesus was trying to teach them in John 6; about their need for Jesus. And, eating together also served as a reminder that, just like God giving manna from heaven in Moses' day to save his people physically, God is faithful to give us the bread of life to save his people spiritually.

Eating together reminded people of our great host who prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies; of our great host who prepared a table in the midst of the wilderness.

And, from that, the church had "glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of the all the people." (Acts 2:46-47) 

Why? Because, they could claim David's words as their own. That, because of Christ,

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" Psalm (23:6)

God's blessing upon you as you mediate on our spiritual need for Jesus and of God's faithfulness, and I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.

- Rev. Frank Kim

Youtube link from last Sunday's Worship: HERE
Cell Group Discussion: HERE

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Announcements
​

Education Open House During the Month of September!
We encourage all parents to attend the 11:30am worship service of your child’s open house and stay for a presentation of the ministry.

• Children’s, Sept 17 [Cancelled]
• Pre-school, Sept 24

Korean Ministry Announcement

*Presented only in Korean

 

Ministry Calendar

• Sept 15 (Fri) - BCSG @ the Phams [Cancelled]
• Sept 17 (Sun) - YMF Cell Group
• Oct 1 (Sun) - World Communion Sunday
• Oct 14 (Sat) - EM Fellowship @ the Song's [Rescheduled]
  • 4 - 7 pm
  • Questions or if you want to update your email address to receive an Evite? Contact Grace at gsong1@aol.com 

Finance Office Announcement

• ​For Online Offering (found HERE) please make sure to select 'English Ministry' and to scroll down and type in where you would want your offering to go in the 'Note / memo' area.   

EM Ministry Needs
The Praise Team is looking for more members to help for both the 9:45am and 11:30am worship service. If interested, please contact our praise leader Allison at allisonkpham@gmail.com

Prayer Requests
Dr. Andrew Lee will be running for Torrance City Council District #2 on March 5. Please pray for him and his family.

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TFPC EM NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

The Culture of Christ

Today is September 6, 2023

Welcome to your mid-week!

In many ways, to be a Christian is to be a new culture.

Jesus says we must be born again. Apostle Peter says we are a new nation - a holy nation. Apostle Paul says we now serve a new way of the Spirit and not the old way of the written code.

Being born into a new nation following a new way is a lot like a Korean being born in America and being raised under the laws of this nation.

To be a Christian is to be a new culture. 

And we could make jokes about our cultural foods being bread and wine and our holidays already being set, however, biblically, there are a lot of similarities.

The language of our Christian Culture is supposed to be love.
The unique actions of our Christian Culture is to engage with other cultures.
The purpose of our Christian Culture is to lead other people to join our culture ie, to save souls.

I mean, if our culture was a physical nation, there would be no walls. Not only would we welcome anyone who crossed our borders, we would be actively trying to get more people to come in.

To be a Christian is to be a new culture.

Now, how we lead people to Christ is a totally different challenge. There might be times where we oppose the cultures we are engaged with and other times where we seek harmony with them. There might be times where we show Christ is leading us as we engage with their culture and other times where we try to transform their culture to Christ. And, there might be times where just experiencing the tension of the differences of our cultures will lead people to Christ.

In whatever method we use and when and how we use it, we should be asking for the same thing that Solomon asked for when given the great responsibility to lead people.

And what did he ask for? Wisdom.

Wisdom is what all Christians need to best be equipped to face the incredible challenge that our Christian culture demands of us. 
 
For, the Christian Culture is one that engages with the other cultures around them in love to lead them to Christ.

God's blessing upon you as you meditate on what it means to be a Christian, culturally, and what it means to engage in love, and I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.

- Rev. Frank Kim

Youtube link from last Sunday's Worship: HERE
Cell Group Discussion: HERE

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Announcements​

Banaba Fellowship Meeting and Dinner
The KM Small Group ‘Banaba’ (which is made up of men, 50 years and older) has invited EM men of similar age to join them next Sunday (9/10) for fellowship and dinner meeting. 4:30pm @ Elim Cafe

Korean School Registration Continues

Fall semester: Sep. 9 - Jan. 20th 2024. 
Tuition $230 (reregistration $210) text books, lunch and bag included
9:30 am to 12:30 pm Saturdays
Register HERE
Questions? Contact Soo Choi JPSN at suechoi2244@gmail.com

Education Open House During the Month of September!
We encourage all parents to attend the 11:30am worship service of your child’s open house and stay for a presentation of the ministry.

• Youth, Sept 10
• Children’s, Sept 17 [cancelled]
• Pre-school, Sept 24

Korean Ministry Announcement

*Presented only in Korean

Ministry Calendar

• Sept 15 (Fri) - BCSG @ the Phams
• Sept 16 (Sat) – EM Fellowship @ the Song’s
  • 4 - 7 pm
  • Questions or if you want to update your email address to receive an Evite? Contact Grace at gsong1@aol.com 
• Oct 1 (Sun) - World Communion Sunday

Finance Office Announcement

• ​For Online Offering (found HERE) please make sure to select 'English Ministry' and to scroll down and type in where you would want your offering to go in the 'Note / memo' area.   

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