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Vicar's Message for the Month - October 2017
Greetings to you all in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have come to the last quarter of this year. Let us thank God for His manifold blessings and Guidance that we had experienced during the past.
Last month we had many programmes of the church and its organisations. I thank all the members for their active participation and support.
This month too we are having various programmes, both at the parish level and also under the auspices of our parish organizations. Voluntary Evangelistic Association Day, Youth Sunday and Family Sunday falls in this month. We are planning to have our parish convention on October 19-22. Dr. George Varghese (Tiruvalla) will be the main speaker. I request all of you to pray and prepare for this blessed occasion to hear the word of God and to experience a renewal in our family life and parish life.
As the church we are celebrating Family dedication Sunday on October 22. Family is the prime unit of any community. The togetherness and nurture of this unit is a serious matter. Conscious effort should be taken to eliminate anything that create disturbance for its unity and harmony. One of the greatest blessings we can receive in this life is the love of a family, and the bonds that exist between its members. A family in order to be blessed should be God Centered. The love, care and security that we experience in the family life is transmitted to the generations. Our families should reflect God’s unconditional love to its surroundings. I pray that the celebration of Family Sunday strengthen our families and also the Church …the family of families.
Let us continue our journey with Christ, to transform the world. As we move on, I seek your wholehearted co-operation and support to-wards our parish and its activities. May the crucified and the resurrected Lord be with us in our daily life, in our ministry and in all walks of life…
Yours In Christ
Liju Achen
Vicar's Message for the Month - September 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters
Warmest greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
After the long vacations , the schools have reopened and our children are back to their classes. We send our children to school with lots of dreams. I pray and wish all our children success in this new academic year. A special prayer for our children is scheduled on Sunady, September 3rd. I urge all our parents to send their children for this prayer.
Education is not only for imparting some knowledge, but also for bringing a person out into the world as a good citizen .It is to impart good qualities in human beings. Learning is not the collection of some information. But also a great treasure of love and care of the family and the society. As we tell our children about the situation that our parents suffered even to have basic education, It helps them to think how God has guided them all through out their life. This gives a new vision to the children that life is worth living, when held firmly with the Lord. Here comes the need of Sunday School.
Our Sunday School will being on Sunday, Sept 3rd. Parents should take extra care and effort to send their children regularly to Sunday School classes. It is sad that we are not giving importance for the Sunday School. We need to give equal importance to the Sunday School as we give to their secular school/college and extra curricular activities. The Bible says that, ”The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”(Prov:1:7) Our children should be encouraged to search for the true wisdom, that is found in following the footsteps of the Lord. That is the true purpose of education.
We are planning to have a picnic on Saturday, Sept 23 at Yorba Linda Park. Picnic is the time to interact and share more closely.
Our Church Family Retreat this year is conducted together with St Andrews MTC. The theme of the retreat is ‘Family - Gods Idea’.Vicar of the Horeb Mar Thoma Church, Rev. Binu P Thomas will be the guest speaker. All our members are invited to participate in the conference.
Malayalies all over the world are celebrating the festival of ONAM in the month of September. It is a great memory of love and prosperity and equality. This is the time to recall ourselves about the rich cultural heritage we have as malayalies. We are planning to conduct a Traditional Kerala Sadhya on Saturday, Sept 9th under the coordination of Young Family Fellowship. I request all our members to take part in this joyous moment.
I pray that all these programs and events be a source to bring all the parish members in one chain and become more closer to each other in love and faith. We have to work together to maintain the unity and love among us.
Yours In Christ
Liju Achen
Vicar's Message for the Month - August 2017
Dear Beloved in Christ
August is a month of thanks giving for us. As a worshipping community, we were able to complete 41 years in this land of Los Angeles, CA on August 15. Let us thank God Almighty for his Guidance and Care that we had received all through out the past years. As we are celebrating our Parish day on August 20, Let us thank fully remember our former Vicars, pioneer members who had worked hard for the growth of the church. We, as the present members of the church, pray to God for the continued
blessing and to uphold and pass the zeal to our coming generations. We are also planning to conduct the First Fruit collection in this month. The tradition of bringing the first fruit to the church goes back to the time when Lord God had given the commandments to the Israelites. Bringing the First Fruit to the church is an expression of praising, thanking and enjoying. It is a time to share our resources with each other. It also demands us to remember all the good things God had given. It is a time
to thank and praise God for all His gifts to us which includes, the Nature, all the creation in land, water and sky. This planet is not for our selfish life. Remember that it is the creation of God and we are privileged to have a time here to look after and enjoy it (stewards). Let this celebration and observance helps us to love and care for one another. Let us keep in mind (Deuteronomy 16:16, 17) "every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which He hath given thee.” I pray that our Parish Day Celebration and the First Fruit Collection be meaningful.
Yours in Christ
Liju Achen
