Engage Jesus, His Word, Worship, Prayer, Fellowship and Mission

Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene

This past Sunday was our an-

nual celebration Sunday and

what a day it was! God is really

blessing us these days and we

are so thankful for what He is

doing. Along with our special

guests Rev. Gary Moore and his wife LaVonna and a message that we are “more

than conquerors,” we met several first time visitors, experienced the reception of

more than 20 New Members and the celebrated the blessings of an amazing con-

gregation and its ministries. We also sensed the presence of the Lord in joyful

worship. Added to that was one of the best potluck lunches ever! I don’t know

who made it, but there was a potato salad there that could have one a blue rib-

bon at the fair!

If you haven’t been to church lately, you have got to get back. There is a

sense, a feeling, a real dynamic of expectation growing! Not only that, but God

is touching lives. Don’t miss out.

Thank you to all who made the day a huge success. From the greeters,

musicians, singers, ushers, to those who facilitated the potluck and cleaned af-

ter. . . Thank you so very much for all that you did. May God bless you in a way

through which you cannot deny His love.

March 2017 Newsletter

2017

Note: Statistical Reports and Financial Statements are available upon request from the church office.

March 2017

From

Pastor

Steve

Annual Report of the

Pastor

Welcome to our

Congregational

Celebration Sunday.

We’re so glad that you

are here, a vital part

of a great group of

normal, ordinary,

loved people.

I have some good

news: God is in the

blessing business. God

does not need

anyone’s permission to

bless you. He does it

when He wants. In

fact, the Bible clearly

tells us that He blesses

us for His own glory!

When we are blessed

and realize it, He gets

the glory! That is

amazing.

In the Men’s Bible

Study on Thursday

evening we have

been looking at how

the Holy Spirit works in

the lives of ordinary

people who are willing

to follow God’s lead.

We read story

after store as the Spirit

raised up leaders,

certified their purpose,

directed their ministry,

impacted their efforts,

empowered their

message and

transformed their

community.

We watched as

He opened prison

doors, healed the

lame, changed the

stubborn mind, proved

the truth, and judged

the unjust, the

pretender and the

hypocrite.

We realized His

ability to transform

lives, to heal pain, to

bring peace, to

convince with truth

and to establish unity.

The stories in Acts

are incredible. But

more incredible than

all of this is that same

Spirit that so impacted

the early church is at

work in our church

today.

God does not

need anyone’s

permission to bless. He

simply needs us to be

ready, opening up the

conduit of his blessing

with hearts prepared

for what he desires.

Often times, God’s

seem to surprise us;

they come when He

chooses.

Over this past year

the Lord has had His

hand on us.

We have seen

many new, wonderful

people join our

congregation, the

facility has seen

improvement,

finances have been a

bit stronger and the

vision and master plan

are moving forward.

The Lord is placing

people in right places

at the right time to

bless our church.

Continued

A Year of Celebration

Be Engaged!

Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene

The Castro Valley Connection

2016-2017

Membership

23 New Members

English Ministry

Wiley & Barbara Davis

John & Stacie K opet

Charity Hartshorn

Leslie Jennings

Eddie Jones

Kathy Musil

Maddie Redmond

Mike & Beverly Roche

Spanish Ministry

Dianelly & Josue Portugal

Ivana Mendoza

Luey Dehoa

Luis Espinoza

Rebecca, Cecia & Moises Sage

Fanny Hernandez

Elicema Gonzalez

Javier Torres

Anabel Soto

The Castro Valley

Church of the Nazarene 19230 Lake Chabot Road

Castro Valley, CA. 94546

510 581-8377

cvoffice@castrovalleynaz.org

www.castrovalleynaz.org

Castro Valley Church of the

Nazarene

A Welcoming, Affirming

Congregation, Dedicated to

Becoming a House of Prayer, a

Place of Worship and a Vehicle

for the Healing of the Entire

Person

The Castro Valley

Connection

The Castro Valley Connection will be published monthly and updates sent weekly. For announce-

ments, articles and items of interest email the church office at cvoffice@castrovalleynaz.org.

It has been a blessed year.

But as good as 2016 was, you

haven’t seen anything yet.

2017 is poised to be a very,

very good year.

God is ready to bless

even more. Are you ready to

receive?

I want to thank our church

leadership for its faith and

faithfulness. A special thanks

to our church’s corporate

secretary, Debbie Hartshorn,

for faithful service to this

church, for your

unquestionable focus on

keeping us reasonable and

on track. To our elected

board: Zola Schantin, Judy

Pierce, Dana Cintrone, Ed

Bovee, Kevin Copp, Jack

Stephano and John Porter for

their faith, their vision and

confidence in the task God

has given to us.

Thank you to Greg Copp,

our church treasurer, for

faithful service and integrity in

finances, giving confidence

to us that the stewardship of

this church is in good hands.

Thank you to Linda Cole

and her Mission’s team for

keeping us connected to

God’s work around the world.

Thank you to Suzanne

Redmond for taking up the

important task of Women’s

Ministry in the Getting to Know

You events.

Thank you to Judy Carlos

for your vision and

implementation of a very

blessed program for music

and worship: we are blessed

to have what you bring to us.

Thank you Rev. Salvador

Zavala and Rev. Simon Lam

for your faithfulness in leading

the Spanish and Chinese

language ministries.

Thank you Darrell Shinette

for keeping our facilities

looking beautiful every week.

To our long list of volunteers:

Those who serve as Bible study

leaders; host homes for small

groups; ushers and greeters;

who play in the worship band

or sing in the worship team;

acts in dramas and skits; those

who care for our facilities and

grounds; bake and deliver

cookies; take pictures;

purchase supplies; volunteer for

the prayer chain; teach our

children in Roaring Lambs; serve in

Senior Home Ministries; and who

give generously and regularly to

the funding of this church.

God has blessed us with all of

you. I cannot thank you enough

for your unwavering dedication to

the Castro Valley Church of the

Nazarene.

You are simply ordinary people

who are willing to allow God to use

you to bless His church.

On a personal note: thank you

Suzanne for being my partner and

support at home and in the

ministry.

I can only imagine what this

new year might be like. All I know

is, if we are ready and willing God

plans to bless, and will do so in

ways that we cannot imagine.

Please continue to be faithful

and willing to partner with all of

our members and friends to

make this great church even

better. We are ready!

Pastor Steve

ROARING LAMBS

SCHEDULE

March April

19 Debbie Hartshorn 2 Patty Copp

26 Jenn Copp 9 Paul & Debbie Olsen

16 Easter Sunday

23 Valerie Bloemink

Please keep the

following items on

your prayer list this

week:

Mari Mahoney

Continuing to pray for Mari’s

healing from cancer and

comfort in this time. The

doctor has informed her that

the prognosis is not good and

that hospice should be called.

Jacque Hauser

Continuing to pray for Jacque

Hauser as she is undergoing

treatment. Pray for healing &

strength through this process.

Bob Walter

For continued healing and

strength after his surgery.

The Bovee Family

For continued strength and

healing for Bonnie and for

Mark as he continues to

struggle with his health.

New Board and

Leadership

Please pray for your

leadership in this new year:

Rich and Diane Reed

For Diane’s family: for

wisdom and help in making

tough decisions.

Sickness

There has been a new wave of

colds and several who have

physical illness. Please pray

for healing.

For Strength and Healing

in Marriages

We have been hearing about

the enemy working hard on

families. Pray for protection

and for a deluge of God’s love

on marriages and families.

Master Plan and Blessing

Pray for God’s direction in our

Master Plan and blessing for

His church. Announcements

are coming soon.

Our District Leadership

Rev. Gary Moore will be

retiring in May. This means a

new District Superintendent

will need to be elected. Pray

for God’s guidance and

wisdom in that selection.

...that our February Gospel

Music Celebration was well

attended and saw folks from

many different churches?

...that many of our ladies

attended the Getting to

Know You Women’s event

and made heating bags—

delivering some to ladies were

unable to attend because of

physical limitations?

...that Judi Ragsdale is in

Hawaii house sitting,

suffering for Jesus on the

shores of Waikiki?

...that Julie Joseph is also

vacationing in Hawaii?

...that Rev. Salvador Zavala is

vacationing in Mexico?

Prayer Concerns:

Did You

Know….

If there are other prayer concerns,

please let the office know. Our

prayer chain is ready and willing to

pray!

Prayer Team:

For critical items of prayer

contact Pastor Steve or

Bonnie Bovee to activate the

prayer team.

Page 4 The Castro Valley Connection

Prayer is essential for

the life of the

believer, for in it is

the vital connection

with God.

...That many of our college

students will be graduating

this spring?

...that our annual spring

Facility Beautification day is

scheduled for April 8 at 10:00

a.m.?

Any other news? Keep us

informed so we can

celebrate with you!

Tuesday Evening

Pierce Small Group

Study in Romans

7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Bible

Study

Studies in the book of

Romans. 3:00 p.m.

Men’s Bible Study

Fellowship

Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Fellowship

Tea

Selected Thursdays

See Pat Crum or Judy

Pierce for information

Sunday Hymn

Singing and Bible

Study

Sundays at 5:00 p.m.

Senior Home Ministries

Wednesday

9:00

Emeritus Hayward

10:00

Castro Valley Acute Care

No Bible Study this

evening.

Pastor Steve’s 3 Week Series Continues

March 26 & April2

Jack Schantin Memorial

Golf Tournament

Saturday, April 15th, 2017

Mission Hills Golf Course

See Jack Stephano, Paul Olsen or Skip Crocker

for information.

MARCH LADIES’ EVENT

Getting to Know You

Saturday, March 25 12:30 p.m.

Potato Bar

Bring a salad or a dessert to share.

Also bring a vase or container for a floral

arranging lesson and garden clippers.

Book exchange: Bring a book, take a book.

Contact Suzanne Redmond if you will be attending.

Sunday, March 26th at 6:00 p.m.

Fellowship Reception to follow.

April 16: It’s time to be bold!

Invite everyone you know to join us!!!

Easter Choir Rehearsals

Begin 3/15 at 7:00 p.m.

Announcements and

Calendar Updates

Announcements and Calendar Updates Page 7

March Events

12 All Church Celebration Sunday and Potluck

25 Women’s Getting to Know You Event

26 A Night Gospel of Gospel Music

April Events

2 Confession and Communion Sunday

8 Facility Beautification Day

9 Palm Sunday

15 Jack Schantin Memorial Golf Tournament

16 Easter Sunday

29 An Evening of Gospel Music

March Birthdays

17 Krizia Porter

19 Logan Bradshaw

19 Sandy Jones

19 Mike Roche

20 Dan Sipsy

31 Ralph Hauser

21 Ron Gehrke

SUNDAY SCHOOL

SERIES

Looking at the

foundational beliefs

of Christianity and

their impact on the

life of the believer.

9:30 a.m.

24 Rolan Kosciusko

28 Sue Little

March Anniversaries

20 Dennis & Arlene DeVore

27 Ivan & Debra Mendoza

If your birthday or anniversary are

not listed, let us know.

District Mission’s

Convention

May 11

At the San Jose Point Church

Elected Delegates:

Marilyn Cole

Dana Cintrone

Julie Joseph

Valerie Bloemink

Zola Schantin

District Assembly

May 11-12

At the San Jose Point Church

Elected Delegates:

Zola Schantin

Marilyn Cole

Alternate:

Dave Hartshorn

Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene

2017-2018 Church Leadership Board

New Members: Marilyn Cole & Michael Hartshorn.

Continuing Members: Ed Bovee, Dana Cintrone, Kevin Copp,

Judy Pierce, Jack Stephano and Zola Schantin,