Dear Valley Vineyard Family,

As we enter this new year, we invite you to join us on a journey of spiritual renewal leading up to Easter Sunday. In the midst of life’s busyness, it’s vital to prioritize what truly matters—and that’s where The Big Three: Scripture, Prayer, and Reflection come in.

This season, we’re committing to these three transformative practices, making space for God to work deeply in our lives:

1. Scripture: Contemplative Bible Reading
Slow down and engage with God’s Word in a way that invites the Holy Spirit to guide you, revealing truths and promptings that speak directly to your heart. God’s Word is not static; it’s alive and active, transforming us as we respond to His voice.

2. Prayer: Listening Prayer
Go beyond speaking to God—learn to listen for His voice. In listening prayer, we create a sacred dialogue that deepens our relationship with Him and teaches us to recognize His guidance in our daily lives.

3. Reflection: The Daily Examen
Reflect on your day with the Daily Examen, a practice that helps you notice God’s activity, cultivate gratitude, and realign your heart to His presence and purpose.
By focusing on these “big rocks” before the smaller ones that fill our days, we center our lives on what is truly essential—hearing from God, aligning with His will, and experiencing renewal in Christ.

How to Participate:
To help guide you, we’ve created resources you can download:

• A detailed instruction page to integrate The Big Three into your daily rhythms.
• Printable, fillable sheets for journaling your reflections and prayers.

Missed Last Sunday?
If you didn’t make it to this past Sunday’s service, you can watch the sermon explaining what this season will entail.

Share Your Story!
We’d love to hear how The Big Three practices are blessing your life and how God is speaking to you during this season of renewal. Share your testimony—your story, whether big or small, can help encourage our church family to see how God is moving and speaking in our midst.

We believe that as we journey together, God will transform us individually and as a church family. Let’s commit to making space for Him this season and experience the renewal He promises.

Thank you for being part of this meaningful pursuit of God’s presence. We can’t wait to see how He moves in and through us.

In Christ’s love,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor
Valley Vineyard Church

Hi Valley Vineyard Family!

We’ve had time to reflect on the 2024 Vineyard National Conference which we are still praising God for.  Thank you to those of you who prayed – it was an encouraging time and we’ve come back with more energy, resources, and hope for what God is doing in our midst.  Eight of us from the Valley Vineyard attended:  Pastor Jimmy, Lauren Agapiou (with 2 year old son Malachi!), Aisha Oyarekhua, Jeremy Pleasant, Mike & Paige Vitiello and myself (Joyce Liu).

This year’s conference theme was “Seed and Soil,” a parable reference reminding us to cultivate the soil of our hearts to receive the seed, the word that God is planting now.  The national conference brings together Vineyard pastors, leaders and friends from across the U.S. to be refreshed, connected, and resourced.  And this year was extra special as we celebrated 50 years of the Vineyard Movement from 1974-2024.  We listened to how the heart cry of worship and adoration set the tone from the start of the Vineyard movement.  And we saw how the call of ‘Come Holy Spirit’ continues to shape and empower how the Vineyard moves out in compassionate ministry.  In classic Vineyard form, we experienced the Holy Spirit move on people for encouragement, healing and equipping.  

To celebrate this special 50th anniversary, vignettes of the beginning of the Vineyard were shown on stage.  It wasn’t long before we spied our founding pastor - Bill Dwyer, in photos with Vineyard founder- Kenn Gulliksen, baptizing people at the beach.  It was a picture of God’s faithfulness in our own corner of the Vineyard movement and a reminder of the possibilities of our own obedience as we invite people into the Kingdom of God now.  

We were also encouraged to do the work of the Kingdom in partnership with dynamic organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, Alpha, Compassion International, etc.  We listened to one man’s testimony of being impacted and even sustained as a young child through the Christmas Shoebox distribution network of Samaritan’s Purse.  There are solid partnerships and resources within the Vineyard for those of us that are ready and willing to move out in outreach.

On Wednesday evening, a special worship time titled “A History of the Vineyard through Song” beautifully illustrated the simple, humble worship from the heart that would go on to impact the contemporary Christian world.  It was touching to hear the stories from that time and to witness the progression of that music.  Adam Russell, head of Vineyard Worship, compared the Vineyard movement to a natural grapevine of 50 years, where certain roots don’t come out into the soil until decades later.  These latter roots, which come from the same rootstock, containing the same DNA, eventually produce fruit with new flavors and notes which go on to produce new wine.  
 
It's a poignant reminder to embrace the change that we’re seeing.  Part of the new fruit has been a move towards diverse voices and people amongst the Vineyard.  While new, the fruit comes as an expression of the original DNA of God’s word.  James Chuong, who leads Intervarsity, pointed out that on the day of Pentecost, the crowd miraculously heard the gospel preached in their own languages through Galilean Jews.  As he pointed out, God didn’t erase differences but rather uses them so we can be better together as a community to bless the world.  

And to that end, it was particularly special for our Valley Vineyard group to see both Aisha and Pastor Jimmy speak to us from the stage.  First, Aisha delivered a challenging word, “More Dying; Less Trying.”  Later on, Pastor Jimmy co-lead worship and gave an invitation to be “Remaining in the Love of God.”  And the conference response confirmed what God had put on their hearts.  Know that all session videos were recorded and will be made available after the East Coast conference which concludes later this month.  I encourage you to check them out!  There was so much good stuff that I will certainly be listening again!

Another focus at the conference was moving towards emotional well-being.  Each day we listened to recorded interviews between Jay Pathak, the Vineyard National Director and John Mark Comer, author of Practicing the Way, encouraging us to pay attention to staying true to following Jesus.  All of us are called to an integrated life where we are transformed, refreshed and sustained for the work of the Kingdom where Jesus said “I am the vine, you are the branches.”   Towards the end of one interview John Mark Comer remarked that leaders need to have someone older and wiser in their life to listen to them.  Someone who won’t judge you when you’re completely honest with what is working and what isn’t.  Only then, can we move past shame and guilt.  We cannot give out what we don’t live out.  

Towards the end of the conference, Jay Pathak, head of Vineyard USA asked (paraphrase coming up) “Can y’all go back to this one thing?  I know we are really busy and all, but can you just spend the very first part of your morning asking God what you really need to know? What do you really need to hear from Him today?"  He went on to confess, “For me, it’s ‘Do you love me?’ I just need to hear that from God.  And this is the thing, if you don’t get the answer from God, you will spend the rest of your day looking for the answer from everyone else.”  

Personally, this was the perfect takeaway, the call to come back to God for what I need.  I can almost hear John Wimber in the background, “The Way in is the Way on”.  From the start of the conference, I was reminded of the Vineyard’s humble beginning as a group of people yearning to experience God; to love Him and others with a pure heart.  And then we were encouraged to see how God had blessed the Vineyard through what was happening in their own ministries.  We saw how the face of the Vineyard has changed, but by God’s grace, we can continue to be fruitful.   But whatever work we do is by abiding in Jesus as he said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Finally, being at the conference with this group was fun! Aside from the time at the conference, we shared meals, relaxed at the house, joined exciting breakout sessions and mingled at fun meet-ups where it seems that everyone knows Jimmy!  Those of us who stayed at the Air BnB also got to witness the cuteness of Malachi up front and personal.  Friendships deepened as we listened and prayed for one another in more spontaneous and intimate settings.

I hope you’ve been heartened by this snapshot and encouraged as we are, to be a part of this growing Vineyard family. I pray you take the time to listen to the sessions when the recordings are out.  Know that God sees your obedience and sacrifice but we only really hear about the fruit at the end of it.  Let’s be the fruitful Vineyard that God planted and be a part of what He’s doing in the next 50 years!

January 23, 2023


Dear Valley Vineyard Family and Friends,

We want to take the next 21 days to join together as a church family and pray for our beloved Valley Vineyard Church.  Yesterday, we had our first Vision Sunday service where we shared the vision and goals for 2023.  It was a powerful and significant day as we prayed over the new staff and the plans for this year.

We want to take this a step further.  We recognize that prayer leads the way, therefore we want to take these next 21 days to prepare our hearts, unite in focus, and intercede for the Lord to lead the way.

Join us from January 23rd to February 12th to pray through the 21-day prayer guide that spiritual director Joyce Liu graciously has prepared for us.

Matthew 28:19-20 19 says, “… truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

During the next three Sundays we will also gather to pray together during this season of focused prayer.   We will meet in Room 12 from 10:15 - 10:45 AM before the Sunday services on 1/29, 2/5, and 2/12.  

We invite you to attend this communal prayer experience as we desperately need and profoundly desire for God to move in our midst.  Let’s seek His presence, align our wills to his will, and together expect to see God do what only He can do.

You can download the 21-day prayer guide at vvinfo.org/21days, or you can find it on our website and church app.  We will also be posting the daily prayers on Facebook and Instagram.

Excited for what God will do in and through us in this year,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

December 21, 2022


Dear Vineyard family and friends,

I want to share with you what has been resonating in my soul as we get closer to celebrating Christmas and also a few church family details as we end and start a new year.

Luke 2:8-11 (ESV) says, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

As I’ve read this Scripture a couple times this season the word “behold” has been shimmering for me.  In that word I find an invitation for you and me this season.  The word behold here means to stop, look, lean into, pay attention, to not be distracted.  In the midst of all that we have to finish before Christmas, in the midst of all the travels, in the midst of all the anxiety of getting together with family, in the midst of hard economic days, in the midst of so much change, lets BEHOLD Jesus.  I pray that we would be able to let go of all the distractions and not just take time, but space in our souls, to behold the good news of Jesus for us today.  He is near and He is here.  He wants us to encounter his hope, peace, joy, and love.  I invite you to pause and take time to tell Jesus, I desire to behold you today.  Then wait to experience his presence and hear his response as you lean into his heart.

Here are a few logistical details as we get ready to celebrate Christmas and the New Year:

1. Eve of Christmas Eve Service: Join us this Friday December 23rd at 7 PM for our annual Candlelight Service.  We will not livestream so that our volunteers can take a break.  Invite your family and friends.  This is a great event to have someone who does not yet know Jesus to attend.

2. No Christmas Day Service: We will not meet on Sunday morning so that our staff and volunteers can spend time with their families. Here is a great resource to experience on Christmas Day: Click here

3. End of Year Giving: We are $100,000 away from our goal of ending the year well.  You can mail your donation by check, by giving online through our website at valleyvineyard.org, or via Zelle under info@valleyvineyard.org.  We will also have the offering boxes available during the Candlelight Service.  Please note that the church office will be closed Christmas week (12-25-12/31).  In order for your gifts to be tax-deductible they must be postmarked and/or given by December 31, 2022.

4. New Year Family Brunch: We will gather on Sunday, January 1st at 11 AM to do something different and special.  We will gather at our usual service time, but we will meet in the Fellowship Hall to eat together, worship, and spend time reflecting over the past year and anticipating 2023 with hope.  RSVP and let us know what dish you will bring. Click here to RSVP.

5. Leroy’s Appreciation Lunch: After the service on Sunday, January 8th we will gather in the Fellowship Hall to honor and celebrate Leroy for his 25 years of serving our church family.  RSVP will be required by January 4th.  Click here to RSVP.

6. Next Gen Vision Meeting: After the service on Sunday, January 15th we invite parents of children and youth, volunteers, and those interested in investing in the next generations in this next season to come to our lunch.  We will pray and together discern what the Lord is desiring for us to be involved and invest in the lives of the younger lives in our community. RSVP is needed by January 10th. Click here to RSVP.

7. Vision Sunday: Do not miss our January 22nd Sunday service.  We are excited about having our first Vision Sunday where we will be sharing the vision and goals for 2023.   We will also be presenting the staff team that the Lord has helped us put together. After the service we will continue with a “working lunch” where you will be part of the process of shaping the future.  We will look at how we ended 2022 financially and our budget for 2023.  We will also have space for you to share your thoughts and concerns as we navigate times of transition. No need to RSVP for this event since we are hoping and planning for the majority of people who call Valley Vineyard their home to attend.

Wow, as you can see there is so much anticipation and life as we look toward the next season.  Everyone is important and needed to continue building in what the Lord is preparing for us next.  It is awesome to be part of our church community where we are grateful for those who have been here a long time and we also care about those who will be visiting us for the first time this Candlelight Service.  

May you and your family have a significant Christmas and blessed New 2023 Year,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

Dear Valley Vineyard family and friends,
 
I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving.  My family and I had a great Thanksgiving Day as we gathered with over 50 other people from our church body in the Fellowship Hall.  It was so touching to see people who couldn’t be with family or didn’t have a place to go come together and have a great time filled with laughter, connection, and gratitude.

I want to thank Susan Abelar, our Hospitality Coordinator, who organize the event by coordinating with those who signed up and making sure all the Thanksgiving dinner trimmings were covered.  She expressed how she was filled with joy as she was shopping and preparing thinking of all who could come together.

I also want to thank some people who did not make it to the event but sent food.  That was really thoughtful.  We had a great amount and diversity of amazing food.  Yes, food is my love language!

I would like to turn our attention to a very important season that we launches tomorrow; Advent begins this Sunday, November 27.  The four weeks before Christmas Day are set apart to prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus coming to earth and also ponder his return.

I want to invite us into a time of remembering the birth of Jesus, recognizing His presence with us today, and rejoicing over his second coming with deep hope and trust.

We will start a new sermon series tomorrow titled, The Light Shines in the Darkness: An Advent Series, where we will look at how hope, peace, joy, and love continue to shine today.

We will also begin an Advent devotional that Vineyard USA created.  I am excited to do this together with others in our church and with other Vineyard churches throughout the country and world.  You can pick up a printed copy at the Connect table tomorrow or you can download it yourself or access a digital copy online at vvinfo.org/advent.

Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  

I pray that the light of Jesus would shine in our lives this Advent season and that He would help us overcome the darkness that surrounds us and the darkness we encounter within our souls.

With deep anticipation and excitement for this significant season together,
 
Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

PRACTICAL APPLICATION STEPS FOR “LOVING OTHERS DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES”
Because of the importance of Sunday’s message (Loving others despite our differences) to the current state of the church. We believe it is necessary to share some practical application steps that will help us live out the message.

James 1:22-25 (NLT)
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

Below are some spiritual disciplines to practice regularly to cultivate compassion and humility.  Even if we're not ready to practice these all the time, I encourage any Christ follower to try it out at least once.  

Prayer & Thanksgiving
We can pray for those we disagree with.  We can pray that God blesses them, their families, and their children.  We can ask God to bless the places where they work.  We can also thank God for the good that they do.  If we cannot do this, then we have our work cut out for us don't we?  

Romans 12:14-16 (NIV)
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Spend Time with People You Disagree with
Have lunch, a drink or even a conversation with those that are different from you and talk about easy, universal topics like sports, work, kids.  Seek to understand "the other" to have a more open heart.  DO NOT have a conversation with them to convert them to your opinion.  Just get to know them, their situation, and their heart.  For example, if you see someone with a tattoo and that scares you, you could ask the person to tell you about the story behind the tattoo.  

Do Something for that Person
Perhaps it's a neighbor that you have differences with or a co-worker.  Look for a small, concrete way to serve or bless them. Maybe take out their trash, hold the door open for them or buy them a coffee.

Do Your Ordinary Errands in Another Part of the City
This is a more challenging idea that I believe was proposed by Dallas Willard as a spiritual discipline that would help us understand what it's like to live in other parts of our town.  For example, you could do groceries or maybe banking on the other side of town that is less well off or more well off or populated by ethnicities different than your side of town.  This helps foster compassion and understanding for those different from us.  It is not "natural" and possibly not as efficient but the end goal is training in Christlikeness so we can be the kind of people that love those who disagree with us.

This isn't an exhaustive list but are just some ways to allow God's love to flow through us to help create avenues of transformation and blessing.  

by Joyce Liu, Spiritual Director

March 2, 2022
 
Hello, Family and Friends,
 
Today is Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance, when people of different Christian denominations confess their sins and profess their devotion to God.  It is a counter-cultural sentiment, especially in a time when we can be easily consumed with anger over the war in Ukraine, the cost of inflation, and the long pandemic season.  
 
I don’t know about you, but it is easy for me to think about all the bad things I don’t like about this world and about other people, and it is much harder to look inward and repent for the areas in my life that I have yet to surrender to Jesus.
 
We want to invite you into a season of looking inward into our lives so that we are able to repent and focus on the Lord through devotionals and fasting.  Seasons of fasting are Biblical, because they take our eyes off of the routine of life so that we can set our eyes on God and what He is saying to us.
 
Joel 2:12-14, “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.”
 
We have been going through a long and hard season, but the Lord desires to bless us in the midst of it.  Many of us welcome material blessings, but I believe He wants to bless us with a deeper awareness of His presence and His love.  
 
Join us for the This Is Love season of Fasting and Devotions.  This season will start this coming Monday, March 7 until Saturday, April 16.  Join us as we do three things:
 
1. Participate in the daily weekday devotional on Facebook (vvinfo.org/FB) and YouTube (vvinfo.org/YouTube) at 9 AM.   Follow the 6-day-a-week Bible reading plan that coordinates with the devotionals.
 
2. Plan to fast for six weeks (3/7-4/16).  Abstain from eating certain foods, fast from food certain days/times, or take time off of social media or another activity.  Use the time and the focus you would regularly use to enjoy these activities to instead feast on Jesus while you fast.
 
3. Make plans to join us on Good Friday, April 15th at 7 PM, to recognize our redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  
 
For more information and to download the fasting brochure go to the church app or to vvinfo.org/fast, or you can pick up a printed copy at the church lobby this Sunday.
 
The Lord is with us, and He is for us,


Pastor Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

   by Susan  Abelar

My life changed when I was talking to Jacquelyn Mendoza (“Mrs. J”) one day and she told me about her new ministry approved by the Valley Vineyard – the Jubilee Community Learning Center. Having worked in business my entire life, I never considered myself to be a “kid person;” I’m neither crafty nor creative, and school was never one of my favorite things.  But I was amazed at the plan that Mrs. J and the Lord had for reaching out to the children and parents of the community in a Christian after-school tutoring program. I asked how I could help.  “You can pray, right?” was her reply.  So I did.

Soon I added other duties, making photocopies and laminating materials. I had no idea how these mundane tasks could help the tutoring program…but it felt good to be doing something.
 
I became more involved when I was asked to fill in for several weeks for our wonderful “snack lady,” Ms. Marlys. I thought that was right up my alley!  I fell in love with the children, preparing snacks and teaching them table manners.  That became my number one job at Jubilee.  I loved seeing them grow each week in their studies, in self-confidence, and in their walk with Jesus. It’s such a joy watching their eyes light up when they finally “get” a new concept. You go home blessed!

That was more than three years ago. And I can’t tell you how it has blessed my life – not only working with and learning from Mrs. J, but in my relationships with these wonderful children, all the awesome helpers, and the amazing parents! My life is full!  The love I have for and from these little hearts, and the friendships I’ve made through Jubilee – it’s overwhelming, in a good way!

Last year (2020/2021) with no in-person schooling and everything on Zoom, there was no need for snacks.  I wondered if my time at Jubilee was over. Then Mrs. J asked me if I would tutor a student. I thought, Oh my gosh, how could I help them?  I have no teacher training, was not a good student, and had a few learning disabilities myself!  But leaving Jubilee was out of the question; I loved it too much! Having no idea how to tutor a child, I accepted the challenge. Well…God is amazing.  Ask and you shall receive!
       
Zoom changed how we did things at Jubilee, but Mrs. J and her helpers were always up to the task. Despite the challenges of online tutoring, we made it through this crazy season of our lives! And now we are back in-person as of September 14th.  I’m doing snacks and a bit of homework help with the children…and loving every minute of it.  
Thank You, Jesus!

    .          

If you're able to help in any way or have questions about Jubilee Center please e-mail Jacquelyn Mendoza (Mrs. J) at: jubileereseda@gmail.com or call (818) 776-9696

We invite you to use the Names of God list below to help you pray to God.  May you know the One True God more deeply and profoundly and may you experience Him in powerful and new ways.

June 17, 2021


Dear Vineyard family and friends,

We are all getting ready to start summer, but it seems summer came a week early in Los Angeles.  I hope that you are all staying cool!

As a church body throughout the pandemic, we have been committed to reopening at an appropriate pace and with appropriate procedures to ensure everyone’s safety.  I am truly proud of our church staff and leadership that has stayed united despite the many differences of opinions found everywhere.  

We are glad to see the number of Covid cases and deaths diminishing in our city and state.  This is an answer to prayer. Our city and state have adopted new guidelines this week which change our gathering protocols.  Starting this Sunday, June 20, we will have space for 100 percent occupancy capacity and the use of facemasks will be optional; in other words, facemasks are welcomed but not required.  

Opening our Children’s Ministry fully will take a little longer according to the need as families slowly return to church and volunteers become available.  At this time, the nursery is open for babies through kindergarten and the Dock is open for grades 1-5 during our 11 AM service.  If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering in Children’s Ministry, please contact our Children’s Pastor Donna Tucker at dtucker@valleyvineyard.org.

Both our children’s (10 AM) and main (11 AM) services continue to have an online presence on Sundays on Facebook at https://vvinfo.org/fb and YouTube at www.vvinfo.org/YouTube for those not ready or unable to return.  

I want to take this opportunity to call us into a posture of unity.  We are living in the midst of a depressed, divided, and disconnected world, but Jesus has prepared His Church for such a time as this.  Through our words, thoughts, and actions we have the power to come against the forces that are destroying relationships and lives.  Jesus prayed for you and me before He ascended to heaven.  He prayed that we would love each other well.  That is the solution for all that we are experiencing today.

I want to encourage you today to embrace the significant role you have of being an important part of the Body of Christ.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

One of the things I’ve been learning in this season is that we have to continue growing in emotional maturity.  There is so much foolishness and emotional immaturity around us as well as in us.  We live with the tension of what seems like two competing realities.  On the one hand, we all need to differentiate and grow in our identity as individuals with our own beliefs, values, and principles.  On the other hand, we have to grow in connectedness to others.  We were never meant to live on an island by ourselves.  We need each other.  In fact, any body part that is separated from our body is not able to survive on its own.

We are operating in emotional maturity when we learn to hold in tension both of these two realities.  The 1 Corinthians passage above tells us that both being defined and staying connected are important for us to function as the Body of Christ.  For the body to be a body it must have different, separate, and well-defined parts that work together.  Each part is well-differentiated but at the same time, connected and functioning interdependently.  We see this in the life of Jesus.  He was firmly rooted in his identity as the Son of God and remained true to his mission in the midst of opposition.  We also see that He did not isolate from the world.  He genuinely cared for others and stayed connected with those who didn’t “measure up” and even with those who were considered his enemies.

I want to encourage you today to embrace your God-given personality, and your pursuit of becoming the person God designed you to be.  Nevertheless, recognize that you cannot do this alone.  You need others around you.  Growth happens in community.  You are also needed in our church family.  God shaped you and continues to shape you to fill a need in our church family.

I thank God for the technology that has allowed us to stay connected in a long season when we were separated, but technology cannot replace true community.  

I want to invite you to join me in praying to God and asking, “How am I growing?  How have I grown to become more like Jesus in this hard year? Also, ask Him, to help you see if you’ve allowed this current situation to diminish the importance of community?  Ask Him, “Help me to keep seeking the sacred connection and unity of the Body I belong to.”

Looking forward to seeing you, connecting with you, and experiencing the life of Christ moving in and through the church family God has established in Reseda.

With brotherly care and affection,


Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

February 23, 2021

Dear Vineyard Family and Friends,

We are in a season where much of the church celebrates Lent as a season to prepare for Easter Sunday.  We are going to start our version of embarking on a season to prepare our hearts this coming Monday, March 1st, and we will go through Good Friday, April 2nd.

We are living in times where many of us have not been able to participate in very many communal activities.  I believe that even though we are not all meeting together, we can join one another by having the same focus and determination to seek God collectively in this season.

Through this year’s Bible reading plan we’ve been reading the book of Leviticus since last week.  I know it is not the most enjoyable book to go through but just today we were reading about the different festivals and celebrations that God ordained.  Why did He establish certain feasts and times of remembering?  Well, God knows that as He is calling out a people as His own, Israel, and now His Church need times to disconnect from the routine of life and connect with Immanuel, the God who is with us.  Think about how much we need to disconnect from all the distractions, disappointments, disillusionments, and the overarching dis-ease felt in these times.  It's not too late to join the Bible yearly reading plan: vvinfo.org/bibleplan or you can access it through our church App under the Bible and Bible plan tabs.

Together as a church community, we will have a corporate fast and take time to reflect on the redemption offered by the death and resurrection of Jesus.   Join us as we do three things together:

1. Participate in the daily weekday devotional, The Redemption of Easter, on Facebook (vvinfo.org/FB) and YouTube (vvinfo.org/YouTube) at 9 AM (If you miss the “live time,” you can view it throughout the day).

2. Plan on fasting for five weeks (3/1-4/2).  Abstain from eating certain foods, fast food certain days/times, or take time off social media.  Use the time and focus you would regularly use to enjoy these activities to instead feast on Jesus while you fast.  Download abrochure that explains how to fast and why fast at: vvinfo.org/fast

3. Make plans to join us on Good Friday, April 2nd, at 7 PM, to recognize our redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  

Looking forward, as a church body, to experiencing the redeeming power of God in this season,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

February 10, 2020


Dear Vineyard Family and Friends,

I pray that you and your family are experiencing emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

I cannot believe that it has been close to 11 months since our “normal” was disrupted. At times it might feel like we all aged a decade in this one year. Everyone has been affected. We can see how young school-aged children, teenagers, young adults, parents, and older adults all have experienced this unnatural season together. Just this morning, our little 5-year-old Jada asked, “How long did the virus last when you were kids?”  She is trying to make sense of when it will all be over since she can’t wait to go to school and make friends.

In the midst of isolation, depression, and anxiety I want to share that you are not alone. We are in this together.  1 Peter 3:8 says, “...all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”  We are one body. We are one family. We are called to flow in love and in unity in the midst of a world that is filled with division and animosity.

Together with the church staff we have sought the Lord for wisdom in balancing our safety, our witness, and our call to congregate as community. It has morphed and looked different over the past year and now we are preparing to make another change soon.

We are getting ready to resume Sunday morning indoor worship services on February 21st, at 11 AM.  

Last Saturday, public health specialist Dr. Danielle Walker and her husband Joey (who is the Compassion Pastor at the Anaheim Vineyard) walked through our facility.  They were both impressed with the thought and care for safety and the protocols we have in place.  Dr. Danielle gave us a thorough analysis of the survey we took as a congregation.  We will share that with you in the next few weeks with next action steps to continue blessing the valley.  Joey also talked about getting some pallets of food to us to help with our Pop-up Foody Pantry.  I am so grateful that both of them have given of their time and talents to bless us without seeking any compensation. They are a blessing because, honestly, it has been hard to trust a lot of information and they have the perfect blend of authority in public health and a love of the Church.

We will have the same guidelines we had in place when we gathered that one time last year (please read all of them carefully):
•Use of face coverings will be required while it continues to be a requirement in California and/or Los Angeles County.
•Physical distancing of 6 feet with no handshaking or hugging others.  For seating, we will take out every other row in the sanctuary and we will ask people to sit three empty chairs away from the next person (or family).
•We will have touchless hand sanitizer dispensers at entrances and other contact areas.
•We will have three tithe/offering boxes in the sanctuary to deposit your contribution before or after the service.
•We will have our main entrance by the parking lot available for entry only and then have an exit only area on the south side of the building (at the end of the hallways that run north and south).
•We will not have coffee or baked goods available.
•We will not have Sunday children’s or youth programs for the foreseeable future.  All family members will be asked to sit together in the service.
•We ask that everyone who is sick and/or vulnerable stay home.
•We will be thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting our meeting areas before and after every service.  We will ask people not to linger in the building so that we can get that done.
•We encourage people to check their temperature, wash their hands, and use the restroom at home before attending the service.
•Our service is limited to 25% of our sanctuary capacity.  Only people who have registered will be able to join our time of worship to make sure we are compliant with our maximum occupation limit.  To register for the service, visit: vvinfo.org/rsvp.  Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future we have to register every week.
•Plan on arriving by 10:45 AM.   We will begin the service at 11 AM sharp since we will be broadcasting live on YouTube, Facebook, and through our church app.

If you don’t feel comfortable meeting with others, it is okay.  We will continue our online live services.  We are starting our indoor services in a time when Covid cases and hospitalizations are in decline.  However, this will be a fluid situation. If people are infected in our community, we would have to cancel, and we are also keeping an eye on the numbers of the UK variant which has cases in California.

The other news we want to let you know is that Johnny Mendoza our youth pastor is being led by the Lord to move to Austin, Texas, in March.  He will continue through the end of February and then Damon Agapiou will step in as the interim youth pastor until we find our next youth pastor.  We are grateful that Damon is stepping up to fill the gap.  We are committed to providing a great experience for our youth since we value the next generations and our call to grow as an intercultural community.

During the service on Sunday, February 28th, we will pray over and bless Johnny as he begins this new adventure in his life.  We will truly miss his passion for God and to see the next generations empowered to make a difference.  We are grateful for all that he deposited into the youth group and the rest of the congregation.  You can watch the video he sent out to the youth here: Johnny's Video

Very seldomly do people enjoy change.  It is not always easy.  But we are all are products of change and the choices we’ve made in times of change.  This past year has shown us that God is present and unchangeable in the midst of a changing world.  

I leave you with a motto we have adopted in this season.

Stay calm, stay connected, stay the course,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

December 30, 2020


Dear Vineyard family and friends,

What a year we have gone through!  Take a deep breath and thank the Lord for His presence and faithfulness in the midst of it all.  As we close 2020, I want to invite you to take on a life-giving discipline to start the new year.  Let’s commit to read the Bible together in 2021.

R.C. Sproul said, “The Scriptures are absolutely key in the process by which the Spirit gives—and strengthens—the faith of Christians.”

A Bible reading plan can help you grow as a disciple of Jesus.  Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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.”  

The Bible is God’s love letter, training manual, and guiding map for our lives.  It is imperative that we take time to meditate on it and memorize it, so that our minds are renewed and transformed into seeking to live true “prosperous and successful” lives.

I want to invite you to follow this year-long reading plan that will allow you to read the whole Bible.  It begins with reading the daily portion, which takes around 12 minutes.  Then take 10 minutes to prayerfully journal and ask the Lord to reveal a truth that you can apply from what you have read.  This would take 22 minutes a day.  Did you know that the average 30-minute show is actually 22 minutes long?  

With all the extra time during the pandemic many people have binge watched many shows on Netflix and other entertainment avenues.  One of the definitions of the word binge is an unrestrained and often excessive indulgence.  There is nothing else I could think of that would be more appropriate than the Word of God as an unrestrained and excessive indulgence!  Yes, let’s become binge readers of the life-giving Word of God.  

Go to this link vvinfo.org/bibleplan and you will find the plan that can be downloaded as a pdf.  There is a one-page summary of all the readings for the whole year and there are also weekly printouts that have a few reading highlights and response prompts.  We will start with the Day 1, Week 1 reading THIS Monday, January 4th.

I am looking forward to what God has in store for us in the next year.  Let us position ourselves to have a “prosperous and successful” year as we meditate on the Word of God together.

Have a blessed new year,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

November 3, 2020
 
 
Dear Vineyard Family,
 
I want to take this opportunity to say that I am so proud of our church community.  We are living in probably the most divisive, confusing, and anxious season we all have endured.  In times like these either the best in us or the worst in us can come out.  I believe that by the grace of God we have made and will continue to seek to make a difference.  We cannot control what will ultimately happen today through the elections but we can allow God to take control of our lives so that we can make a difference in our immediate spheres of influence.
 
First, I would like for you to take this in.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
 
You are part of a diverse church family.  The Valley Vineyard is not perfect but it is composed of different members who are all valuable and important.  We have people on different sides of the political, generational, racial, and socioeconomic divide; we have loved each other and strive to continue to learn how to love each other better.  This calling is not easy, but the world will know that we are true disciples of Jesus by the way we love each other.
 
We are living in a spiritual climate where churches and pastors have drawn a line in the sand to let others know where they stand politically.  We have not done this because we believe that our goal is to lead people to Jesus and to seek His Kingdom above anything else.  Then we pray for and we participate in a “Kingdom Come” lifestyle where we join God in seeing His presence, power, and peace fill our world and our surroundings.
 
Today, many of us have the elections on our minds but in the midst of waiting for the results, I want to offer some perspective.  During this season, as a church body, we have sought to live by expanding the counter cultural Kingdom of God.  In a time when finances are unpredictable, we have given out food and helped people in need like never before.  We have participated in a 40-day fast as we studied 2 Chronicles 7:14. We have gone through a series about Standing in the Gap and looking at the divides we encounter in culture through Biblical lenses.  We had a free community event where we allowed families to get out of their house and watch a drive-in movie together.  We opened our church’s facility as a polling place to serve our community and have people come into our building.  I could hear many people saying they didn’t know that our building was a church building.  We served the poll workers by giving them water and then providing lunch for them yesterday.  Finally, we are in the midst of a 40-hour prayer chain covering our elections in prayer.  Thank you all who signed up.  It was last minute, but we genuinely believe it was God calling us to intercede for our nation.
 
As you can see, we are making a difference.  For that I say, thank you!  Thank you for your investments of finances, time, and talent.  I am grateful for your lives and grateful that we are part of this church body together.   I pray that we strive to allow the Spirit of God to strip us of our earthly ideals so that we can continue making a difference and pointing people to Jesus and His Kingdom.
 
So today we wait for the results of the elections.  As disciples of Jesus: We are called to peace.  We are called to patience.  We are called to reconciliation.  We are called to trust God.   We are called to love God and love others.  Let’s live out our calling this day and in this next season following the elections.
 
Take deep breaths today.  Breathe in the Spirit of God and His peace and breathe out anxiety and fear.  No matter what happens and who gets elected, God is control.  Let’s proclaim that truth with our thoughts, words, and actions.  Lord, let your Kingdom Come!
 
In Him and for Him,
 
Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor
Valley Vineyard Church

“…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated…”  Isaiah 61:2b-4a

All of us endure experiences we’d never want to repeat or see anyone else face. If given the choice through foreknowledge, of course, we’d say, “No, thank you,” and walk away from disaster.  But that option doesn’t always present itself nor are we given much if any warning.  These experiences produce, in and through them, outcomes that surprise us with their beauty, redemption, lessons learned, an ability to reinvent ourselves, build character, new or enhanced relationships, and fresh empathy.  While we’d like to have skipped the experiences to begin with, there’s no way to get to their rewards without them.

The coronavirus pandemic plus the recent events that have exposed raw racial wounds are just such worldwide experiences.  No one saw these coming, and both slammed us with immense intensity.  Since the events involving George Floyd or others, it could be argued that although we won’t always know the players, we can expect more of these events, if things don’t change soon.

For Covid19, the primary medical focus is numbers: how many cases, how many deaths, now many tests and are they accurate, how many hospital beds are available, how many hospitals are empty, where is it worst, which age-range is currently most susceptible, herd immunity, whose numbers can we trust, etc.?  The primary social focus is heated and polarizing:  masks, no masks, stay home, crowded gatherings, developing herd immunity, the new normal, when will this be over, I need a haircut, I just want to go to a restaurant, now I can do all those projects I’ve put off, I wish I had motivation for all these projects, I’m broke, I’m unemployed, I’m Zoomed out, I’m lethargic and exhausted, I don’t know what day it is, etc.  

Racial upheaval and the resulting reactions and conversations have been just as dramatic:  all lives matter, black lives matter, blue lives matter, no lives matter till black lives matter, systemic racism, I wasn’t alive when this all started, I’m not racist, am I racist, I don’t know how to talk about this, only people of color understand this, I’m color blind, don’t be color blind, privilege, removing statues and emblems, don’t erase history, protests, riots, looting, defunding police, etc.

It’s enough to fill our heads to overload, pitting us against one another; this is a whole new level of divisiveness for our country and even other parts of the world.  To all of this, we can add the current political climate as we prepare for the presidential election.  

What if the focus moved toward positive outcomes instead, to stories of beauty from these ashes?  What if the Lord has special unexpected gifts for us—the best kind—through all these crises?  He does!  And not just one gift but many.  It’s very much a treasure hunt.  If our focus is on all the negatives, we’ll miss the treasures, blinded by distractions that keep us from seeing what God has for us or hearing His voice instead of all the others coming at us from every direction.

My abundantly filled treasure chest was deposited just as the pandemic began.  I saw early on that the Lord had given me the gift of time.  Ask anyone who knows me: busyness seems to be a hallmark of my life, and oh, how I longed for more people time, especially in my own neighborhood.  It seems I know very few neighbors well.  Now to not squander that gift.   My nextdoor neighbor and I began having socially distanced coffee time together across our lawns most mornings.  What a blessing this has been with so many more people than usual out walking, running, dog walking, and cycling.  Now I know Jennie and Debbie and Mike and Andrea.  I know even more, but not yet by name.  Before mid-March, I would never have seen them on a nearly daily basis, let alone have said more than, “Hi!” or gotten to learn their names.  Time, as a gift, allows us to grow in relationship like nothing else.

At the end of the first week of June, heavy winds took down a colossal branch from a tree in our front yard.  It missed our cars, fortunately; the worst damage was to our apricot tree. Happily, it’s surviving and recovering well.  When this occurred, I had been saying hello to neighbor Mike almost every morning as he walked his and Andrea’s dog.  On one of his walks, he saw my husband Kevin working out front and volunteered to come help with the tree clean-up.  Mike and Kevin talked as they worked, learning they had so much in common. What a treasure Mike is.

It’s hard to imagine that these two global events, the pandemic and the racial crisis, could overlap in positive personal ways.  But they ultimately did for me and, voila, more treasures to unpack.  

In the process of getting to know neighbors, I️ also got to know something about judgment and how I️ pre-assess people based on the external.  I know we all do, but it’s what we do with that assessment that matters.  One reason we’ve been given our senses is in order to live in safety. What we hear, see, smell, taste, touch, and even intuit tells us when to stay away from danger. Senses also help us appreciate God’s artistry. Finally, senses also build a history of memories, to repeat pleasant sensory experiences, and to make decisions about people and places we might revisit or avoid.

Mike and I️ were discussing our local veterinarian’s office since he took his new puppy there. He asked me what I think of them.  Well, I️ launched into physical descriptions of the employees and how they’d changed over time. When I️ first started taking our pets there years ago, the people and the environment seemed very professional and the care was excellent. Some years went by between visits. When I️ returned, I️ was shocked to see that nearly every employee had numerous visible tattoos. Were they any less professional? My assessment told me the level of professionalism must be reduced based on what I️ saw. This is my preconceived notion about tattoos.  My apologies to my tattooed friends.  Heretofore, I’ve had the notion that so many tattoos and so visible is equal to unprofessional. Not one of those tattoos answers any questions about training or how well the employees interact with pets or their owners. But this is how we are trained. We make judgments based on the external. These judgments are often unfairly made.  At the moment I️ gave my answer, Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Do you even hear yourself? Mike didn’t ask you what the employees looked like. He asked you what you thought of the care your pets got.” I️ was so surprised at myself.  It sounds like it would have been a much longer process, but in an instant, I changed gears to think about the actual question.   I️ told Mike I️ was sorry, that I️ shouldn’t assess based on appearances. Because truthfully, the only thing that changed was how the employees looked. I️ still received the same great care. Fortunately, Mike was gracious and understood. Just as importantly, I️ began wondering if this was a constant in my life. How often do I️ make decisions about people based solely on the external? I️ didn’t exactly pray and ask God to show me so I️ could change my behavior. No. He beat me to it with a test.

The next week when I was at work at the Valley Vineyard, I️ picked up a phone call. As I️ listened to the gentleman on the line, I️ immediately began trying to place his accent. It really wasn’t necessary, and it wouldn’t impact whether or how I️ would help him. It was just normal curiosity. And suddenly, it was as if I were two people, the me in the conversation and the me observing, somehow knowing this was a test from the Lord.  I actually analyzed my thoughts and had a side conversation with myself, in my head, about judgment and our tendency to pre-assess people.  I also continued listening to the caller.  He said he had some new facemasks he’d like to donate to the church, and he asked if we’d like them.  I was thinking, we don’t know you.  Why would you drop off masks at a place you’ve never been?  Can we trust you?  Can we feel comfortable about the masks and whether they’re safe?  Then he added that although he had never been to the Vineyard, he lived in the area and would like to start attending.  Oh, okay, I reasoned, maybe he’s a good guy after all.  And me to myself:  Stop judging this man you’ve never met.  Say yes to the masks and ask others on staff if they’re comfortable giving them out.  

I gave the man complete instructions where to drop the masks off.  Where not to park—the Manna parking lot in the front—and where to enter and find us—the main parking lot in the back.  I gave him our hours during the week and told him to mention that he and I had talked in case he came by on a day I wasn’t there.

About an hour later, he calls again and says he’s there but doesn’t know how to find us.  I had a hunch.  He was exactly where I thought, in the front parking lot.  He heard the instructions completely opposite to how I had given them.  Hmm.  Can’t follow directions.  Followed by Holy Spirit conviction.  Me to self:  What makes you think that you were clear in your instructions?  Now, it would have been easy to say to him, oh, no, that’s exactly opposite of what I said.  But what good would that do, except to make him feel uncomfortable, perhaps even stupid?  Not to mention, how arrogant I would be and sound.

After getting new directions, he and his passenger pulled up next to the patio and I was there waiting.  A modest car, dull paint, a little messy inside the car, a walker folded up in the backseat.  He had a rounded belly with his shirt riding high, exposing his girth. Should I trust the masks, given the car and passengers’ appearances?  

His passenger was younger, at least by 10 plus years.  She looked a bit tired and disheveled.  She rifled through her purse for various things, including several $20 bills.  She asked for a pen and an offering envelope.  I ran inside to get them.  Then they asked for a bulletin or something with a schedule.  I ran back in for something with our info on it.  Then I mentioned our Thursday and Saturday food banks, and yes, they were interested, so I ran back in for flyers.    I’m thinking to myself, all of this is available online.  Oh, that’s right.  He told me on the phone they don’t have email or internet.  Who doesn’t today?  Okay, some people don’t, true.  

He introduced the passenger as his wife and laughed because he knew I’d be surprised when he said she was 16 years younger than he was.  Then she handed me the envelope with a handsome offering in it.  On the bottom, the envelope said, “Please pray I find my three children I haven’t seen in years.”  All my judgments thus far ended as my mama’s heart broke for her.

In fact, each time I made any judgments, I knew the Lord was watching to see my reaction to this common behavior of judging on appearances.

Before it appears that I’m advocating total acceptance of every single human we encounter, truly we must use wisdom and trust Holy Spirit to guide us into exercising care and good judgment, just the same way we teach children and teens about stranger danger.  Sadly, there are those who we cannot or should not trust, but we must make those decisions carefully case by case.  We might be delighted and surprised by what we learn about new folks we meet.

Years ago, I️ began researching DNA. Not a highly scientific, highly technical study. I️ just wanted to know more solidly about our existence and be able to defend my stance on when life begins. The minute a woman’s ovum and a man’s seed unite, the blueprint or DNA for a specific unique human is formed. From that moment till that individual dies, that blueprint is the same. Skin, hair, eye color, fragrance and odor, and all adornments and accessories, whether temporary or permanent, are just “clothes” on our DNA.  These are what we judge, where we use our senses to measure each other up, to determine socioeconomic status, where we decide whether people are us or they.  

After my conversation with neighbor Mike and later with the man on the phone at work, I️ thought about this research.  Sight unseen, our Heavenly Father and awesome creator determines immediately what we’re going to look like, our physical traits, and even some of our innate characteristics.  How intentional our existence is!  The timing is exact, precise, not a moment too soon or too late.  Recently I watched a romcom called, Love, Wedding, Repeat. (Fair warning before you log in to Netflix, it has its inappropriate parts.)  One of the least likely characters—or am I judging him—put it so well: “Have you ever thought about how small the chances are that you would be born?  If just one thing in history had changed, if just one of your millions of ancestors hadn’t crossed paths, the exact moment they did, then you wouldn’t exist. You’d never have even lived a single day.”

The Lord formed and knew us in the secret place, in our first physical home, our mother’s womb.  He loved us into existence, and he knew us at the molecular level.  So, the Artist who decided exactly how he would sculpt us also went to the trouble to plan and know the finishing touches that make us who we will be, who we are, before we’re even launched into the world and before we’ve even drawn our first breath.  What if we began to think of each other sans the external, the way God formed us before birth?  What if we put aside and looked past the external and the information our senses use to cause us to pre-assess and judge?  What if we took the time to get to know people before making decisions about them?  

And what would that look like?  It would mean listening and learning. It would mean not automatically sizing people up.  It would mean recognizing each person’s uniqueness.   Just as our Father did before we were born. We’re wonderfully made.  We’re beautiful creations.  This is God’s estimation of us decided before even one person sees us. Who are we to look at each other and dispute God’s opinion?

Science confirms it and so does the Word of God: “You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex!  Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it!  How thoroughly you know me, Lord!” (Psalm 139:13-14, The Passion Translation)

Yet we frequently make decisions about people based solely on what we see.

I’ll be first to say I’m grateful that, with my eyes, I️ can admire a spectacular sunset, a magnificent rose, our beautiful planet, a world full of amazing creatures, and the warmth of a welcoming smile. And though it often brings sorrow, I can also appreciate seeing tragedies unfold in the news or in my life because they are reminders that we need God and his peace in our lives. Nothing strengthens prayer life like serious milestones.

But sometimes I️ think how much better off we’d be if we didn’t have the sense of sight. That way we wouldn’t see the external things about us that cause us to identify, judge, and group others as different, better than, or beneath us. Yet I️ realize that because of our sin nature, something else would take sight’s place and we’d find another way to criticize and judge. Most of the time, our opinions about people have nothing to with nor do they support relationship building. Our petty assessments are often impenetrable walls we build, fortified by prejudice, hatred, racism, and tradition. Or it’s as if layers and layers of blindfolds prevent us from seeing people in any genuine and loving way.

How aptly Pastor Bill put it in his recent sermon a few weeks ago: “May we, as a followers of Jesus, stop for a moment and ask God to help us see people as He sees them.”  

Just imagine a world like that this side of Heaven.

By Annette Grable

August 6, 2020

 
Dear Vineyard Family and Friends,

I write this letter to you as my wife Ali, our kids Jacob and Jada, and I have taken some much-needed time away.  We ended up going on a last-minute trip to Arrowhead Lake.

As I overlook this beautiful lake I think about how this has been one of the best vacations my family has ever taken together, not because it’s the best place we’ve been, but because our souls needed it more than we knew.

I want to invite you to an experience that our soul needs much more than we know. During these almost 5 months we have all experienced the fear of an unknown virus, the anxiety of change and uncertainty, deep isolation that is counter to how we were created for community, frustrations of having to take two steps backwards and shelter in place again, and anger because of how people are responding to our many differences as humans. Let me say this:  things are not going to let up.  We have a presidential election coming up in November.

Our souls cannot take so much of what is going on. We need to disconnect from all the toxicity to connect with the One who satisfies our souls.

We need to humble ourselves and repent.  Truly take a stand against our flesh that has been operating on overtime as we’ve given in to fear, anxiety, and anger.

We need to unite as one body as we are living in a culture full of animosity and divisiveness, which has unfortunately infiltrated the Church.

Joel 2:12-13 says, “Even now,” declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love...

Valley Vineyard, the Lord is inviting us into a season of corporate fasting where we can unite to focus together on humbling ourselves, repenting, praying, and seeking His face. In the midst of all that we are experiencing as a society.  We can return to him, and experience his gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love presence.

We will start our 40-day fast this coming Monday, August 10 through Friday, September 18. This fast will coincide with a sermon series we are starting this Sunday titled, “if then: Seeking God for Revival,” based on 2 Chronicles 7:14.  We will have seven weeks to memorize this key verse and recite it daily.

I encourage you to visit vvinfo.org/seek for ideas on how to fast, get more information on what this season will entail, and to share with us what you are sensing from the Lord.

I pray that this would be one of the most meaningful and signficant times of fasting in our lives because of how much our souls need it more than we know.

May the Holy Spirit lead us beside still waters and restore our souls.  May He deposit all that He has been preparing for us as individuals and as a church family for such a time as this.

Seeking God together,
 
Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

PS: Last Sunday, we had a great time during the Evening Worship Parking Lot Gathering.  Come on by this Sunday at 7 PM.   We will begin our season of fasting taking communion together.  We have individually wrapped communion kits or bring your own.

Remember to bring your own chair and to wear your mask.

For this Sunday night's worship song lyrics, please go to vvinfo.org/eveningworsip

July 30, 2020
 
Dear Vineyard Family,
 
I’m writing to you to share exciting upcoming news for our church body.
 
The first thing is that we are going to gather this coming Sunday, August 2, at 7 PM, in the parking lot for a night of worship, prayer, and ministry.  We are planning to gather outside weekly in the evenings because the weather is nicer, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.
 
This past Sunday, our church’s leadership got together in the parking lot and we had a wonderful time of worship, prayer, and partaking of the Lord’s Supper together.  It felt so good to gather and enjoy the beautiful evening as the sun set during our time together.
 
Bring your own chair and facemask, and plan on sitting six feet apart from other individuals.  We want to continue following the state guidelines.  We are not gathering to protest against the guidelines, or as a reaction to feeling that our rights have been violated.   We are doing this because we recognize the importance of fellowship and want to do this as safely as possible while being good witnesses to our neighbors who can see into our parking lot.
 
The second thing is that I want to let you know about our next sermon series coming up in two Sundays during our online service starting Sunday, August 9.  We are titling the sermon series, “if then: Seeking God for Revival” (we will go through the series for seven weeks through September 20).
 
A scripture that keeps resonating in my spirit in my times alone with God and in many different places is 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
 
As you can see there is a condition that starts the verse.  It all starts with “if,” and if that happens, “then” God will move in certain ways.
 
We are living in times when many of us are feeling that we don’t have control over many things.  We don’t have control over this pandemic, we don’t have control over the great political divide, we don’t have control over racial tensions, we don’t have control over how governmental officials will lead us in this time… but, we do have a choice in all this.  In the midst of unprecedented and unpredictable times, we can choose to seek the Lord.
 
This is where this series comes in.  Many people talk about wanting to see revival in this country and in this world.  We cannot control that either.  What we can do is to make the choice to seek God personally and as a church body.  Let’s humble ourselves, pray and seek God, and repent.  All these are key to experimenting revival.
 
Towards that end, I want to invite you to do three things:
1.      Join us online on Sundays at 11 AM, online for the daily weekday devotionals at 9 AM, and
then join a Virtual Connect Group to continue growing spiritually and in unity.  Look at all the
groups available here: vvinfo.org/vgroups.

2.      Join us for a corporate fast.  We want to fast for 40 days from Monday, August 10, through
Friday, September 18.  Ask the Spirit of God to show you what to fast from.  Be open as He
might invite you to stop reading the daily news, or to stop watching tv, or to stop checking
social media.  He might have you do the Daniel Fast, or skip one meal a day, or do a once a
week complete fast.  However He leads you, let’s join together in not feeding our flesh so that
we can focus on feasting on the Lord while we fast.  For more information on fasting please
visit: vvinfo.org/seek.

3.     During the 40 days we invite you to join together once or twice a day at 7:14 AM and/or 7:14
PM to recite 2 Chronicles 7:14 and to give space to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal where in
your life you need humility, how to seek His presence more openly, or what you need to
repent from.  We invite you to just take 3-10 minutes during those times to journal what you
are sensing or hearing.  Please share with us what the Lord is revealing at: vvinfo.org/seek.

 
Praying that we would experience individual revival and revival as a church body so that His presence and power would spill over into the valley and throughout the city and we would see the effects of true revival.  Let’s join in one Spirit so that God would hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Seeking God for revival,
 
Jimmy Reyes

July 15, 2020

Dear Vineyard Family,

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

We are living in unpredictable times.  We have gone through so much in this year as individuals, as a nation, and as a church family.  We need to allow the promise of this verse to take root in our lives as we confront the many changes and uncertainties around us.

As many of you have heard, both California Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti have restricted houses of worship from meeting since Covid cases have been rising in the state of California and in Los Angeles county.  As a church body we do not want to do anything to compromise the safety of others.  We are complying with the restrictions and will move to having everything online for the foreseeable future with no planned date for resuming indoor gatherings.  We will continue to be online at 11 AM on Sundays on Facebook and YouTube.

As we start another round of restrictions it can be upsetting and disheartening, but I want to remind you that God is for us, God is with us, God is in us, and God is working around us.  He is very present, and He will make a way forward.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He will give us the courage and strength to not just endure but to flourish in these hard moments.

I want to remind us that wherever we are, we are representing God, whether we are at the grocery store, at the beach, or on social media.  Let’s represent Him well.  Allow Him to use you to come against fear, anger, and the anxiety that is rampant around us.  Allow Him to use you to become an agent of peace, truth, and kindness.  Church, this is our time to love our neighbors well, show concern for others, and serve the needs of our neighborhoods.  The Bible says, “Let us not become weary in doing good.”

One more thing:  Our staff will begin reaching out to those who are part of our church family.  We believe that it is important to stay connected and we want to be present for you and join you in praying for all your needs.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at jimmyreyes@valleyvineyard.org.

 Stay calm, stay connected, stay the course,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

June 25, 2020

Dear Vineyard Family and Friends,

Psalm 133:1-3 (NIV)
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

This Psalm is considered one of the 15 Psalms of Ascent.  These particular Psalms were sung as the Israelites embarked on their pilgrimage from different places to worship God together in Jerusalem during their three yearly festivals.  As they ascended on their holy journey to the temple on the hill, they prepared their hearts in anticipation of their time together with God.  

We are currently living in uncertain and divisive times.  There is so much disunity when it comes to the implications of the Coronavirus, to the focus and role of politics, and the reasons why racial tensions have resurfaced in our nation.  I wish I could just say these divisions are only found in culture, but the truth is that they have infiltrated the Church as well.

I want to encourage us to seek unity within the Church.  We have been called to be reconcilers, but we can only live out our calling when we humble ourselves before God and we live humbly among each other.  Psalm 133 shows us that unity is something that is good and pleasant.  It also describes unity as a liquid that keeps influencing and blessing everything in its path.  First it is described as a generous and precious oil that anoints and keeps flowing.  Then it is described as dew on a mountain that blesses and brings life all the way down the mountain to the valleys and rivers below.  

Our unity, the unity of the Church has the potential to bless not only those who are part of our spiritual family but all aspects of culture.  In unity, we are called to be that beautiful fragrance in anointing oil and also reflect the refreshing nature of dew.

May we have unity in mind as we seek to regather together as family before our Father in worship.  We are getting ready to regather on Sunday, July 12, at 11 AM.

I want to note a few things before listing some of the guidelines we need to adhere to.  First, we have never done this before.  Please be patient and gracious as we prepare to regather as family.  This will be a work in progress, balancing our safety and our focus of worshipping the Lord together.  Second, we are not going back to normal.  There are clear guidelines that will make our time together different than usual.  I think it is good to point this out so that we all have the appropriate expectations.  Third, if you consider yourself to be vulnerable to the virus or are sick please know that we will continue our digital presence on Facebook and YouTube on Sundays (at 11 AM instead of 10:45 AM).  I want to say that coming to the gathering or staying home is not a sign of our faith level or level of spiritual maturity.  We can continue to be united in spirit as some choose to gather at our facilities on Sunday and others choose to worship from home.

Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before service to allow sufficient time to get everyone seated.  The current situation requires extra attention to detail as we enter the building:  checking for masks, social distancing and seating, observance of the guidelines, etc.  If you are on the volunteer team, please plan to arrive one hour before service.

Here are the guidelines we will have in place (please read all of them carefully):
•Use of face coverings will be required while it continues to be a requirement in California and/or Los Angeles County.
•Physical distancing of 6 feet with no handshaking or hugging others.  For seating, we will take out every other row in the sanctuary and we will ask people to sit three empty chairs away from the next person (or family).
•We will have touchless hand sanitizer dispensers at entrances and other contact areas.
•We will have two tithe/offering boxes in the sanctuary to deposit your contribution before or after the service.
•We will have our main entrance by the parking lot available for entry only and then have an exit only area on the south side of the building (at the end of the hallways that run north and south).
•We will not have coffee or baked goods available.
•We will not have Sunday children’s or youth programs for the foreseeable future.  All family members will be asked to sit together in the service.
•We ask that everyone who is sick and/or vulnerable stay home.
•We will be thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting our meeting areas before and after every service.  We will ask people not to linger in the building so that we can get that done.
•We encourage people to check their temperature, wash their hands, and use the restroom at home before attending the service.
•Our service is limited to 100 people.  Only people who have registered will be able to join our time of worship to make sure we are compliant with our maximum occupation limit.  To register for the service, visit: vvinfo.org/register or click on the button below (If we hit the limit of 100 quickly, we will look into adding another service at 9 AM).  Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future we have to register every week.

It’s also important to be aware that because this is a fluid situation, we may be required to make last minute changes or even cancel in the event that someone in our community is infected with the virus or if the state or Los Angeles county determines that places of faith cannot gather. We will make every effort to inform you of any changes as soon as possible.

I know that looking at this long list of guidelines can be overwhelming and frustrating.  I am sure that even in this time the Lord can use all of this for our own good.  Through this we can learn to grow in discernment as we discern whether to regather or stay home.  We can learn to practice humility and grow in compassion for the lives of those around us.  We can continue to recognize that church is not only about gathering in a building but also outside the building as we continue to impact the lives of our neighbors and coworkers.

If you feel led to help serve us in this time of preparation and as we regather, please let us know by emailing: info@valleyvineyard.org.

Join me in preparing our hearts as we long to regather in a couple of weeks. I invite you to start singing within your souls… “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”    

United in Him and for His glory,

Jimmy Reyes
Lead Pastor

“We only see what we are ready to see, expect to see, and even desire to see.  And we’re even more stuck when we are with others who share the same paradigms.” - Ruth Haley Barton

One of the things we cannot avoid in life is making decisions.  We all have to make them at some point or another.  Every day we think about what we will accomplish at work and also the dreaded question at lunch time, “where should we go eat?”  There are other decisions that are more critical in life when we have to learn to discern or “see” what God’s will for our life is.  

As we grow in our discipleship we learn that it is a process of learning to not see life through the lens of our brokenness, pride, or sense of control and learning to see life through the lens of God’s eyes, which leads us to freedom, life, love, peace, and accomplishing His will.

Here are a few prayer postures that will help us better prepare to listen and learn what God is calling us to do:

• The Prayer of Surrender
“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” - Psalm 131:1-2

The prayer of surrender recognizes that the issues and circumstances are too complex to make sense of on our own.  It means coming as beloved children before the presence of our Abba Daddy, and there in His presence finding rest, peace, love, and satisfaction, while realizing that we are utterly dependent upon our all-wise Father who knows all things.

• The Prayer for Indifference
“I am the Lord’s servant,” … “May your word to me be fulfilled…” - Luke 1:38

The prayer for indifference does not mean we are being passive or that we don’t care about what we are praying for.  It means that we are asking the Spirit of God to help us become indifferent to our own agendas, preferences, and to anything that is not according to God’s will.
From the Bible text above, it means having Mary’s posture when she was told what was going to happen as she was going to give birth to the Messiah.

Through this disposition we are able to lose our attachments to our ideals and preferred outcomes so that we can be open to what God is doing and have the freedom to say, “Yes and Amen!”

• The Prayer for Wisdom
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” - James 1:5

Only after we are able to be in a posture of indifference can we pray for wisdom with an open and pure heart.  

Indifference allows us to be free from the desire to think we know it all and the desire to be perceived by others as wise.  This allows us to receive wisdom that is above our limited human wisdom.

• What are you sensing?
“Speak, for your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:10c

God is always willing to speak.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us listen in a posture of awe, faith, and obedience.

The document below shows us a great way of processing the different ways in which God speaks to us to help us discern His will and then take action.  You can download the printable pdf file or the editable Word document.

By Jimmy Reyes
jimmyreyes@valleyvineyard.org

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
 
The Church has been given the message and the ministry of reconciliation, but there is so much work to do when it comes to reconciliation, unity, and love.  In the midst of all that is going on around us in the past week, the Church should be the first in line to grieve, to lament, to call out injustice, and to humbly repent of our own issues and how we’ve missed it in our congregations and in our hearts.  
 
What I am coming to realize is that very few topics summon the “old” in us like the topic of race.  Most of us are not willing to discuss this because it is too hard, or too messy, or what’s the big deal anyway?  We are all one in Christ.
 
The Bible does give us examples of racial and cultural tensions and we do well in learning from them.  The early church was not unscathed.  We see the first incident in Acts chapter 6.  In this chapter we see how the Hellenistic Jews complained that the Hebraic Jews were overlooking the Hellenistic widows in the daily distribution of food.  They were upset that their widows were being unnoticed and discriminated against by not receiving what they needed.  They were basically saying, “Hellenistic Lives Matter.”  There was tension, but the disciples, FILLED with the Spirit of God, listened and came up with a proposal that pleased THE WHOLE group.
 
Oh, we need the power of the Holy Spirit in this time.  May He empower us like the day of Pentecost with a special anointing of unity and love to reach all nations and all people, especially those who are living in our neighborhoods.
 
So what can we do in this specific time in history where there is so much division?  
 
Here are a few key suggestions:
 
1. Pray- We cannot do anything without prayer.  Dealing with racial differences can bring up the worst in us.  Pray that the Lord would be near to our black brothers and sisters who are grieving.  Pray that the Lord would give us a heart to love and serve in this time.  Pray for peace over our city and nation.
 
2. Empathize- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).  We can never truly see the world through the eyes of others but we can try to understand, listen, and honor.  Let me give you this example.  I’m a pastor.  If someone came to me saying they were abused by another pastor or that hearing about someone being abused by a pastor triggered them, what would I do?  I would listen. I would empathize.  I would pray with them. I would take their anger and resentment. I would probably be led to ask for forgiveness on behalf of those who used their authority to harm.
 
I would not defend pastors. I would not take their anger or resentment personally, even if they insulted all pastors. I would not say let’s wait for all the facts to come in.  I would not present stats about how there are more good pastors compared to bad pastors. I would love, listen, and serve.  

I would believe that most of you would do the same.  I know that no example is perfect, but why then do we act without empathy when the topic becomes race?
 
3. Repent- We all are on a continuum of healing in our lives and one of those areas is the way we relate to others, which includes people of other races.  I believe that none of us can be “perfectly” healed while on earth, but we can strive to surrender to Jesus and allow Him to help us reflect His love especially to those who are different than us.  This means some of us need to continue healing from our past experiences and the prejudices our parents planted in our hearts.  Adopting a posture of repentance opens us up to receiving healing from our Lord and to humbly drawing near to others.
 
4. Relate- We can hide behind verses, we can hide behind statistics, we can hide behind our social media posts, we can hide behind words that say I accept everyone, but what do our actions say?  Change and reconciliation start by engaging someone who is different than I am.  It starts by saying to a fellow human being, I see you and I want to get to know you.  You are important to me.  It’s in relationship where I expand my way of seeing others and seeing life.  
 
I remember in my childhood growing up in a church where there were many undocumented immigrants.  Having meals, serving God together, becoming friends changed the way I view people who in my experience came to the United States to make a better way for their families.  Nothing that TV, or politicians, or social media says will make me see them differently because I know them and have had relationships with them.
 
5. Commit-  Our testimony as disciples depends on how we are able to love another.  John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  We have to make a commitment to become One and to love another in the midst of our diversity.  The diversity in the Body of Christ is beautiful and it needs to be celebrated and protected.  If we see injustice, we cannot be silent.  If we see our brother or sister grieving, grieve with them.  
 
As all sides try to sit at the table, something is certain. We will fumble through loving each other.  Everyone at the table sees things through their own cultural lens and life experiences.  Even in love we will stumble with words that try to honor, but fall flat or seem insensitive.  We will be tempted to just stop and shut down.  What must we do to continue growing and sitting at the table together?  We must extend grace to each other.  We also need to commit to seeing our differences and continue joining in the messy awkwardness of becoming one.   We see a picture of this in the commitment of marriage, where two different people mysteriously become one.  It is always a struggle and a challenge.  Our spouse’s difficulties become our difficulties and together we will sharpen each other to become more like Jesus.
 
Culture is crying out for this type of unity.  Unfortunately, culture does not understand that it cannot be forced on anyone and it cannot be done without God.  We have the answer.  May we together in unity and humility shine and commit to the ministry of reconciliation in these dark times.

For more resources on diversity issues: Click Here

By Jimmy Reyes
jimmyreyes@valleyvineyard.org

May 26, 2020
 

Dear Vineyard Family and Friends,
 
Philippians 1:8-11 (NIV)
God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
 
Never have I resonated with the Apostle Paul’s words in these verses more than in this season.  I miss you all deeply and I pray daily that you are all encouraged and abounding in the Lord’s love in the midst of hard times.
 
I would like to address where we are with regard to physically regathering together.  I am not calling it reopening because the Valley Vineyard never closed.  Our building has been closed, but the church has been open and moving through your lives in our neighborhoods and through our interactions with others.
 
What I appreciate about the Vineyard is that we are a kingdom movement that is used to living with tension in our theology.  We believe that the kingdom of God is already here but not in its entirety.  We believe that we need both the Spirit and the Word.  We believe that both truth and love, and both mercy and justice, are needed. For many choices and dilemmas, we adopt a both/and approach instead of an either/or approach that unfortunately is pervasive in our culture.  To that end, we are able to both appreciate President’s Trump’s recent words naming churches an essential part of society and Governor Newsom’s work of keeping California safe throughout this season.  
 
As a church staff, we have been praying and processing for weeks.  This past Monday, Governor Newsom released guidelines for houses of worship.  We are now looking at these new specifications and will continue to pray and discern when to regather in person.  
 
The beauty of our congregation is that we strive to live in unity in the midst of diversity.  We have people who think we should have never closed, and we have people who will not feel comfortable regathering until next year when there is a vaccine.  Although we need to face that decision, what we need most is more empathy, more love, and more compassion.  Too many people think that their opinion is the only legit opinion and that everyone who thinks differently is ungodly or dumb.  Do not fall into the patterns of this world.  Through the power of the Spirit of God, we can walk this out together and in unity.
 
We know that many congregations are deciding when they will open and these decisions depend on their needs, size, and logistics, which are different for every place of worship.  We are not called to question other church’s decisions or try to mimic other churches.  Neither will we be motivated by foolishness or fear.  We want to keep our eyes focused on Jesus so that it is He who leads the way.
 
I appreciate those wanting to move quickly to regather, but it is a continuous, slow, and fluid process. Please see the seven points we are looking at to help us make this decision:
 
1. Quality- Will the quality of gathering within the framework of the new guidelines provide a better experience than our current online experience?  
2. Children- What ways can we provide a safe environment for our children?  Will they be able to stay in the service with the adults for weeks/months if necessary?  
3. Worship- We continue to research the effects of singing and virus transmission.  
4. Demographics- We have many people and leaders in our church community who would be considered vulnerable and still unable to attend in-person services.  
5. Supplies- We are still waiting for cleaning and disinfecting supplies as many continue to be on backorder.  
6. Workload- Our staff has been amazing in how they’ve pivoted in this new season, but can we continue having a strong online presence and also clean and disinfect the building, without affecting our budget with expensive protocols?
 7. Holy Spirit discernment- Amid all these questions, we are waiting to hear His voice clearly and respond in obedience and faith.
 
We are also sending out a survey to see what our church family’s thoughts are in regard to regathering. Please go to vvinfo.org/survey and fill out the survey by THIS Saturday, May 30.
 
Please pray for the leadership of the church as we seek God’s face and seek to discern our timeline for regathering.  I appreciate your prayers and the way you have supported us in this unprecedented season.  I appreciate your patience and please know that we are truly seeking to do what God has for us.  I also want to say that as a pastor, I am proud of how many of you have used this season to connect with God and others.  It has sincerely been an honor seeing God move in and through His church.  
 
I am looking forward to discerning God’s will for our church body and living in unity and love to show the world that we are His disciples.
 
I leave you with our leadership motto for this season: “Stay calm, stay connected, and stay the course.”
 
In His Name,
 
Pastor Jimmy

Paul E. Miller the author of A Praying Life, uses a simple prayer system that I’m beginning to implement in my life to pray for others.  

He uses 3x5 cards to pray for people every day.  I thought it was a great idea.  I’ve usually had a prayer list with everyone and every prayer request on it, but this method helps focus on one person or one group of people at a time.  This allows you to routinely pray for the same people and see God move in different ways.

All you have to do is create a different 3x5 card for every person.  Write their name and a Bible verse or verses of how you would like to see them experience God.  Then write dates with the different prayer requests.  You will rotate these cards to pray for them on different days.  When you see God answering something you can highlight the prayer request.  If you are a techie, you can find and download the app called A Praying Life- Prayer Cards.  

Paul Miller suggests having, 4–10 family cards (one for each person), 1–3 people-in-suffering cards, a couple of friends cards, 1 non-Christian card, 1 church’s leadership card, 1 small-group card, 1 missionary, ministries card, 1–3 world- or cultural-issues cards, 3 work cards, 1 co-worker card, 3–5 repentance cards (things I need to repent of), and 3–5 hope or big-dream cards.

If you don’t have a process for praying for others, I encourage you to try it out.  God the Father wants us to become more like Him.  As we pray for others we experience His love and compassion for others.  We hold people up before Him.  In the process we become more like our Father and people are blessed.  I believe our Father delights in us when we think of our spiritual siblings and those who do not yet know Him and pray for Him.  It is a good thing all around.

For ideas for creating your prayer cards download the file below.

By Jimmy Reyes
jimmyreyes@valleyvineyard.org

I just got off a Zoom call with dear friends who shared some encouraging stories from their neighborhoods. I am sure you have stories to share as well.

Around the time I wrote Neighborhood Initiative and the Love of God, I asked a class I was teaching at the Valley Vineyard, “If you were a farmer and you were given the responsibility of planting and gathering a harvest out of every area of our Valley, how you would go about it?” The answer was pretty simple. The participants said they would break the Valley up into smaller sections and assign farmers to each section. Each farmer would plant seeds in his field and before long a harvest could be gathered from every field across the Valley.

Consider the spiritual implications of this response and what Jesus had in mind when he said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9:38 NIV).

The Lord of the harvest has answered this prayer and has sent us out to work in each of our sections in His harvest field. The Lord has situated us in homes and apartments so we can work in the field He has assigned to us. I remember saying in the early days of Neighborhood Initiative, “I dream of a day when we meet a Christian we don’t know and ask them, not what church do you go to, but what harvest field are you working in?” The Lord is certainly bringing this dream to pass in our day.

Pastor Jimmy made a comment that has stuck with me and I have pondered it over and over again. He said, “What will be the new normal for the Valley Vineyard when we come out of the pandemic? We can’t go back to the way it was.” A profound thought. If we are merely looking at getting back to normal, then we are missing out on a very important lesson the Lord is teaching each of us through the lockdown in our own neighborhoods. Those who live next door to us are very important to Him—He commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. This unique opportunity is a lesson of a lifetime for us who are in His Church. He is orchestrating a new normal for the Church.

Working in your harvest field is very much like working in a garden. My son David has planted an amazing garden in his backyard and he is passing on the produce to different neighbors. Since the lockdown, he has devoted much time and effort to making sure that his garden is growing well and producing. As Jesus’ gardeners, let’s look at what is needed to produce a harvest in our neighborhoods.

Digging and Weeding

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9, NIV).

Digging up the ground and pulling weeds may not seem rewarding, but it is so necessary in preparation for planting and harvesting. Thanks to David, jo and I now have a garden that we have carved out in our backyard. The new plants are growing great now, but it required pulling out an overgrown bush that took a lot of time and hard work, and then digging up the soil and putting in soil amendments. The same is true when it comes to our neighborhoods—our spiritual garden. If we want to see something grow in our neighborhood it requires the hard work of praying and caring for our neighbors. Add acts of kindness and the soil is prepared. A Christian who lives across the street from us faithfully walks a neighbor’s dog and weekly grocery shops for an elderly woman up the street. These kinds of activities spread goodwill and prepares neighbors to hear the seeds of the gospel. The operative words Paul uses in the verse above are doing good. Peter said of Jesus in Acts 10:38, “…he went around doing good...” I know of many who have devoted themselves to this kind of hard work with neighbors and have not given up and they are now reaping a harvest.

Planting and Watering

“I (Paul) planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (I Corinthians 3:6).

When the soil is finally prepared and all the soil amendments are put in, it’s time to plant. jo is the planter in our family, but of course she likes it when I dig the holes for the new plants. I love watering and watching the plants grow. Most importantly, jo knows just the right time of year to plant a certain plant or vegetable. If you plant out of season they won’t survive. The same is true when casting the seeds of the gospel. Paul says in Colossians 4: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity (kairos).” To spread the words of the gospel in the heart of a neighbor when they aren’t ready can do more harm than good. Most of us have experienced this with a family member or friend. I know I have. However, when a neighbor’s heart is ready, it is amazing how everything flows in the conversation.  A receptive heart receives the seeds of the truth found in the gospel and the Lord causes them to grow.
 
With the pandemic, we are living in an unprecedented season when neighbors are more open to talk with us and we need to take advantage of this rare opportunity. All we have to do is ask them a question like this: “How are you doing with all that’s going on?” I asked this same question of our next-door neighbor and for the first time, he opened up and shared that he was under terrible stress, because as a professor he prefers to be with his students in the classroom and not on Zoom. He has shared more each time we have met in our neighborhood. He has always been resistant to talking about God, but his heart is becoming more vulnerable. Please pray for me “that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (Colossians 4:3,4) and I will pray the same for you.

Please share what is going on in your garden.

By Lynn Cory
www.neighborhoodinitiative.com

Most of us are comfortable in speaking to God in prayer but sometimes don’t know how to listen for God’s voice.  Journaling can help us in listening to our Abba.

The key is to let God do most of the talking.  The accompanying handout from lifemodelworks.org is called Immanuel Journaling comes from a book called The Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel by James Wilder, Anna Kang, John Loppnow, and Sungshim Loppnow.

The sequence of Immanuel journaling is intended to improve our connection with God at each step of the process, as our brains moves into a relational state where we attach to, attune with, and ultimately hear clearly from God in response to the writing prompts contained in each step.  

Beginning with the second half of the first step on gratitude, we journal responses based on what we believe God is saying to us vis-a-vis the prompt. So, for example, when you see the prompt, “I see you,” this is God speaking that to us.
 
There are six writing steps in the process and the seventh step is to read the whole of the journaling out loud to a friend. So, find a quiet place to get away and journal and give this a try.  If you would like the book, its available through Amazon on Kindle or in paperback.

It is our prayer that you will encounter God in a greater and greater measure as you give this journaling method a try. Click on the link below to download the handout of these journaling steps and give this method a try.

By Julie Herzog