May 2017 Newsletter

Quest Sports Camp Update

We will be hosting Quest Sports Camp at the Vista Grande Community Center June 5th-8th, 8am-3pm each day. This outreach event is for children who have completed grades K-5th; cost is $15 per child. The camp  focuses on teaching children basketball and soccer skills, drills and games, as well as introducing them to archery. The camp also includes Bible lessons, skits, and songs.

Since we are hosting this outreach, we need as many volunteers as possible! This is the third year we have offered Quest and last year we had over 60 children attend! There are currently 27 children pre-registered and more are expected! 

There are many different areas that need volunteers in order to make Quest a success. If you are available to volunteer during the week, the most obvious need is for people willing to help the children with basketball, soccer, and archery. Even if you don’t have skills in those sports, we can still use your help watching the children and helping them move from one activity to the next. If you are able to volunteer during the week and are more of a behind-the-scenes person, we will also need help with registration and handing out snacks and water bottles throughout the day.

If you are unable to volunteer during the week of Quest, we still need your help! Most importantly, we would appreciate your commitment to praying for the kids attending Quest and the volunteers working with them. We are also in great need of snack and water bottle donations! Requested snacks include fruit snacks, cheese sticks, granola bars, and individual bags of crackers. Please be sure that the snacks do not contain nuts. As for water bottles, the 8oz bottles worked well for the kids and reduced waste because the kids were more likely to finish their waters. You can also make monetary donations for snacks and water. Please annotate “Quest” on your check or envelope before placing in the Agape Box.

If you are interested in volunteering for Quest, please contact Gayle DeRose at deyellowrose@hotmail.com or 505-449-8705. If you are interested in making snack/water donations, please contact Cyndi Leavitt at leavitt.cynthia @gmail.com or 916-747-3516.

Mozambique Mission Trip

Jake Flaming and I chose Mozambique because, from our understanding and research, there are still entire groups of people living there who don't know Jesus and have had no access to the Gospel. Our trip is planned for May 23rd through June 9th. 

We will be based in the capital city of Maputo and be helping with a mission point about an hour outside of Maputo. We will also be traveling to share the Gospel with an unreached and unengaged people group about 5 hours away from Maputo. We have also been asked to teach a discipleship class with the local church. 

Currently, we still need $2800 to cover our trip. Please prayerfully consider supporting us monetarily to help us reach our goal. Donations can be given to Jake or myself. 

We ask that you please pray that we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting to share the Gospel and that we are able to communicate it clearly to those who have never heard the name of Jesus. Pray that we maintain the great team unity that we have and that we be filled with a supernatural energy to be urgent with our opportunities to share Jesus.

-Michael Harding

The Forgotten Initiative Update

The Forgotten Initiative is pleased to announce that 37 families received the gospel message this Valentines/Easter! Thank you to those who invested in these gifts and those who prayed that the message would sink in deep to impact these families for eternity!

Currently we are cleaning the toy room monthly. If you would like to donate your time, cleaning takes place once a month on Thursday mornings. You can choose the Thursday and it takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Youth and children are welcome to serve in this way! Please let Cyndi Leavitt or myself know if you would like to help with this project. Also, donations are welcome to cover costs of about 4-8 birthday and discharge parties each month. Cupcake baking is appreciated too!  Cupcakes are often needed short-notice. Monetary donations are needed to cover the costs of age-appropriate Christian books/Bibles and special drinks/food. Checks can be made to The Forgotten Initiative with "Albuquerque" in the Memo line and given to me.

Please continue to pray for the families and children we serve. The children at The BAIR Foundation have gone through very extreme situations to be placed in treatment foster care. The neglect and abuse is long-lasting and needs the touch of the Great Physician for healing. Please pray for the workers that they will be able to help these children in effective ways and not burn out. 

-Jen Bartz

“Follow the Son” Bible Clubs Update

 Only through the power of God and following His plan could such an incredible evangelical opportunity open up in the public schools. A retired school teacher, Gail Salazar, is passionate about sharing Jesus with children. And that passion and obedience led to over 720 children hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ this year. Her passion spread through the hearts of many volunteers who participated in over 15 schools hosting Bible clubs. Some schools are supportive and want us there, others are hesitant but God does what He does and there we are, loving them!

There are 5 of us from Vista Grande Church who participate and either lead a club or volunteer as helpers. It’s heart warming and an honor to help lead a child in a simple prayer wanting Jesus to be their Savior. These are children who have never heard the name of Jesus except maybe as a swear word. And then, we get to disciple them, answer their questions and help solidify their faith on a weekly basis. They feel the love of Jesus through the commitment of every volunteer, through the smiles, but mostly through hearing the word, memorizing the word, and singing praises to Jesus!

This year, “Follow the Son” was able to start clubs in Kennedy Middle School and add a second club to Roosevelt Middle School’s lunch hour. This is an open field of children who are asking the hard questions, are skeptical but curious, are resistant but seeking. Most have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When one such as this makes a commitment to Jesus and repents, it’s heartwarming to know their lives will never be the same. They will not have to face the hardship of adolescence alone. The Holy Spirit is there to guide them and help them overcome loneliness and insecurity. And then they come, weekly, learning more about this Jesus and His unconditional love!

-Gayle DeRose

Feed the Kids Update

God certainly works all the details and this one is another of those jaw-dropping “What!” moments. A former Moriarty Elementary School (MES) student is now a senior at UNM and as their Communications senior project they had to choose something to do as a service project. She suggested the Feed the Kids program at MES. She knew there was already a  program established and they chose a food drive that ranged from CA to NM — (This is an online class so participation was a wider range than local.).

This week they delivered over 500 food items to the school. We were impressed with their interest in all the details of how FTK works as well as their continued hope to keep serving wherever they are. God is good — ALL the time!

-Sheryl Stewart

May Calendar Event Details

 · May 1—Leavitt LIFE Group, 6pm-8pm @ Leavitt home

· May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31—Prayer Meeting/Dinner, 5:30pm-6:15pm prayer and 6:15pm-6:55pm dinner @ VGC

· May 3, 10, 17, 24 — “Epic” Men’s Study, 7pm-8:30pm @ VGC

· May 4, 11, 18, 25—Worship Practice, 6pm-7pm @ VGC

· May 6—Men’s Breakfast, 8am-10am @ VGC, please RSVP with Mike Harding (mharding2@liberty. edu)

· May 7, 14, 21, 28—8:30am Service @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 8am

· May 7, 14, 21, 28— 10:30am Service @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 10am

· May 7, 14, 21, 28—Youth Service, 5pm-7pm @ VGC

· May 10, 24—Feed the Kids, 10am-12pm @ First Baptist Tijeras

· May 13—Memorial for Tito Manzanares, 11am @ First Baptist Tijeras

· May 20—Vista Sisters Breakfast, 9:30am-11:30am @ VGC, please RSVP with Sheryl Stewart (sheryl@barryhess.com) or Christie Lord (crickandchas@    yahoo.com)

· May 25—Storehouse Mobile Pantry, 2:15pm-5pm @ A Montoya Elementary School, volunteers needed, contact Sheryl Stewart for details

April 2017 Newsletter

Inviting Others to Church This Easter

Here are 7 ways that you can invite your friends, neighbors, and family members to church with you this Easter!

1. Pray for them by name, before inviting them.

2. Pair the invitation with food or hospitality.

3. In some appropriate cases, offer to pick them up at their house that morning and ride to church together. 

4. Be contagious. Are you expectant, and praying for Easter   services at our church? Do you believe God could use us to reach people who don’t know Christ?

5. Have compassion toward their insecurities about church. 

6. Use social media to fish for some who may be interested or seeking.

7. Ask God to use you to invite and reach out for His name’s sake, and to be a blessing by inviting people to Jesus.

Feed The Kids Fundraiser 5K

Come to the east side of the mountains for a 5k fun run and 1 mile walk in the fresh air to support Feed the Kids!

Race takes place on Saturday, April 22nd, 9am, at Roosevelt Middle School in Tijeras. Race fee is $35. All proceeds from the race go to purchasing food for local kids. For information on race registration and complete details on the day’s events go to  www.facebook.com/feedthekids5k.

Online race registration is through Active.com. If you don’t have access to Facebook you can email Rose Alexa at feedthekids5k@gmail.com to receive a registration form and address to send race registration fees.

Race package pick-up will be Friday, April 21st, at FBC Tijeras between 4:00pm & 7:00pm. Register before April 12th to receive a free t-shirt!

Inviting Others to Christ This Season

1. When someone asks, “How are you today?” Reply, “If I were any better, I would have to be sedated!” (Then smile!) What’s it about? Relationship to Christ that changes my life.

2. Smile more to get conversations started. A real smile starts inside, and as you go throughout the day, think about God’s love for you and others.  

3. Ask a question about family, friends, and then faith. 

4. Assume that everyone has a interest and need for God. They have at least one, sometimes both. And ask them about their faith, “can you tell me about your religion", and how they found out “about God.” A conversation about truth can happen even if they don’t know the truth, and listening to them not only starts a conversation, but helps you to know how to speak truth toward where they are at.

5. Appeal to our greatest message. God is love, and He has come near to you, and many others in Christ. 

6. Ask a question based on the annual TIME covers to start a conversation about the truth. “Did you read that…?” What do you think about that?

7. Appeal to the time of year, and holidays. Will you go to church this Easter? Spring reminds me of new life, and God’s good news…”. Statements like this will either begin a conversation, or not. It’s not our job to open a heart, but to find open hearts by asking.

VGC Youth Missions Trip

This summer, the VGC teens are headed to the Grand Canyon on a missions trip! The Grand Canyon is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and nearly five million people from all around the world visit it each year. What a unique opportunity we have to share the Gospel with all nations!

If you are a student who has completed 6th-12th grade, we’d love to have you join us! Not sure how to share your faith? No worries! We will provide a few days of evangelism training to help you get comfortable sharing. Training will be July 10th and 11th here in the East Mountains and we will spend July 12th-16th at the Grand Canyon. The cost of the trip is still to be determined.

Want to help the teens get to the Grand Canyon? Fundraising will begin shortly! Stay tuned for more information.

If you have any questions about the trip, please contact Mike Harding at 505-382-7157 or mharding2@liberty.edu.

Calendar Event Details

· Apr 1—Men’s Breakfast, 8am-10am @ VGC, please RSVP with Tom Meluso (vista880m@gmail.com)

· Apr 1, 8—2:7 Discipleship Class, led by Stan McCoy @ VGC

· Apr 2, 9, 16, 23, 30—8:30am Service @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 8am

· Apr 2, 9, 16, 23, 30— 10:30am Service @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 10am

· Apr 2—2:7 Discipleship Class, led by Fred Woodfin @ VGC

· Apr 2, 9, 23, 30—Youth Service, 5pm-7pm @ VGC

· Apr 3, 10, 17, 24—Leavitt LIFE Group, 6pm-8pm @ Leavitt home

· Apr 5, 12, 19, 26—Prayer Meeting/Dinner, 5:30pm-6:15pm prayer and 6:15pm-6:55pm    dinner @ VGC

· Apr 5—Israel Study, 7pm-8pm @ VGC, led by Alice Kraft

· Apr 5, 19, 26—College & Young  Careers LIFE Group, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Harding home

· Apr 6, 13, 20, 27—Worship Practice, 6pm-7pm @ VGC

· Apr 6— STORM “Countdown to Easter” Puppet Show, 6:30pm @ Good Shepherd Lutheran in Edgewood

· Apr 7—Young At Heart Spring Concert, 2pm and 7pm @ Sandia Baptist in ABQ ($15), meals @ 11:30am and 5pm ($10), purchase tickets at yahconnie@ aol.com

· Apr 8—Vista Sisters Breakfast, 9:30am-11:30am @ VGC, please RSVP with Sheryl Stewart (sheryl@barryhess.com) or Christie Lord (crickandchas@yahoo.com)

· Apr 12, 26—Feed the Kids, 10am-12pm @ First Baptist Tijeras

· Apr 13— STORM “Countdown to Easter” Puppet Show, 6pm @ Monterrey Baptist in ABQ

· Apr 22—Young Lives Ablaze Evangelism Conference, 9:30am-3pm @ Eastern Hills Baptist in ABQ, for students 3rd-6th grades, $30 before 4/7 and $35 after 4/7, contact Gayle DeRose for details (deyellow rose@hotmail.com)

· Apr 22—Feed the Kids 5K/Walk, 9am @ Roosevelt Middle School in Tijeras, fee is $35, register @ www.active.com

· Apr 27—Storehouse Mobile Pantry, 2:15pm-5pm @ A Montoya Elementary School, volunteers needed, contact Sheryl Stewart for details

March 2017 Newsletter

VGC Prayer Ministry

The Wednesday evening prayer team is alive and well. In fact, it’s better than that: we are thriving. A core group of 8-12 people have been meeting each week at 5:30pm for intercessory prayer. If you are reading this, you have most likely been prayed over. We ask our loving Father to guide, protect, and use you for His divine purposes. The time spent in pray

er for our church family is precious and valued to everyone participating, but most importantly it is precious and valued by God.

The VGC prayer team adjusted the time and location of our meetings in hopes that more VGC members will join us in interceding for one another. We are hopeful that a 5:30pm prayer time followed by a time of fellowship and food 6:15pm to 7:00pm will make it convenient for folks returning home from work. We will have a crock pot or two with hot soup etc to share as we fellowship.

This time spent in prayer is important and our heart is to have this ministry continue to grow. Prayer changes things; we’d love to have you join us on Wednesday nights as we humbly come before our Heavenly Father on behalf of our church, our community, our state, our nation, and our world.

Have questions about the VGC Prayer Ministry? Please contact Pastor Charles Lord at 505-206-3210 or Jim Brown at 505-269-8911.

Feed the Kids Funding

Thank you for the sponsorship of Feed the Kids and your faithful giving each month. God works wonders with those funds and has stretched them to extend our packing in the East Mountains Tijeras Canyon schools to help 53 children each week. We received word in mid-February that our mission grant funds will be less in 2017 than we received in 2016. We’re not worried; God’s got this and He provides.

If you are not sponsoring a child or children and want to, it’s easy. For $20 a month (or whatever amount you can do), put that in your check to Vista Grande Church and note on the memo line “Feed the Kids.” The Treasurer makes sure Feed the Kids gets the funds regularly so we can shop and pack bags.

Do you like to shop? That’s a great help! We have a list of non-perishable foods we make menus out of each week. If you need a copy of the grocery list, there are hardcopies on the table by the front entrance at church. It is also available online on the church website on the “Feed the Kids” tab located under “Ministries.”

You can also help support Feed the Kids by shopping on Amazon through their AmazonSmile program. It is a free program that donates a portion of your purchases to the charity/organization of your choice. You will find instructions below on how to sign up.

And finally, if you like to serve, join us twice a month as we pack for two weeks at a time. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays at 10am at First Baptist Tijeras.

Thank you again for your support of this vital ministry!

AmazonSmile & Feed the Kids

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. Purchases must be made through smile.amazon.com in order to support your chosen charity.

You can change your charity any time. To change your charity, sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser and simply select “Change your Charity” in “Your Account.”

1. Go to https://smile.amazon. com

2. Hover over “Your Account” then click on “Your Account”

3. Under the “Settings” section, select “Change Your Charity”

4. Type “Vista Grande Church” into the search box and click “Search”

5. Locate the correct “Vista Grande Church” and click “Select”

6. Vista Grande Church is your new charity!

All donations will benefit VGC’s Feed the Kids ministry.

Storehouse Mobile Pantry

The Storehouse Mobile Neighborhood Food Pantry launched at A Montoya Elementary School on Thursday, February 23rd.

This service is for all the families of A Montoya Elementary, San Antonito Elementary, and Roosevelt Middle schools. The Pantry will be offered once a month until the end of the school year. The other dates for the Pantry are March 30th, April 27th, and May 25th.

The Pantry brings a team with 2 trucks of food that feeds 100 to 150 families. The families can choose the food items they want, which include fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats, breads, and non-perishable foods. What a huge blessing!

Along with the team that accompanies the trucks, the Pantry needs volunteers to help set up, help families with their carts, and get the food to their cars. Volunteers arrive at A Montoya Elementary School at 2:15pm to set up, and the shopping begins at 3pm and goes until 4:30pm.

Having the Pantry come to A Montoya for these events does not mean that we won’t still pack for the kids—we will! This just means that it helps the whole family a bit more than what we can currently offer.

If this is something you are able and willing to help with, please contact Sheryl Stewart.

VGC Summer Outreaches

This summer, VGC will be offering three outreach opportunities aimed at introducing and encouraging children to pursue a relationship with Jesus in fun and interactive ways.

First, we will be hosting Quest Sports Camp at the Vista Grande Community Center June 5th-8th, 8am-3pm each day. This outreach event is for children who have completed grades K-5th; cost is $15 per child. The camp  focuses on teaching children basketball and soccer skills, drills and games, as well as introducing them to archery. The camp also includes Bible lessons, skits, and songs. Since we are hosting this outreach, we need as many volunteers as possible! This is the third year we have offered Quest and last year we had over 60 children attend!

Second, we will be traveling up to Dulce, NM to help run an AWANA camp for the children on the reservation, June 25th-30th. Only a handful of volunteers are needed, please contact Pastor Charles for more details.

Third, we will travel up to Dulce again in July to help run a VBS for the children, July 22nd-27th. Again, only a handful of volunteers are needed, please contact Pastor Charles for more details.

March Calendar Event Details

· Mar 1, 15, 29—Feed the Kids, 10am-12pm @ First Baptist Church Tijeras

· Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29—Prayer Meeting/Dinner, 5:30pm-6:15pm prayer and 6:15pm-6:55pm dinner @ VGC

· Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29—Israel Study, 7pm-8pm @ VGC, led by Alice Kraft

· Mar 8, 22—Hope Ahead Study, 6:30pm-8pm @ East Mountain Vineyard Church, led by Sara Ghormley

· Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29—College & Young Careers LIFE Group, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Harding home, led by Mike Harding

· Mar 4—Men’s Breakfast, 8am-10am @ VGC, please RSVP with Tom   Meluso (vista880m@gmail.com)

· Mar 4, 11, 18, 25— 2:7 Discipleship Class, 6pm-7pm @ VGC, led by Stan McCoy

· Mar 5, 12, 19, 26—Early Worship Service, 8:30am @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 8am

· Mar 5, 12, 19, 26—Late Worship Service, 10:30am @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 10am

· Mar 5, 12, 19, 26— 2:7 Discipleship Class, 2pm-3pm @ VGC, led by Fred Woodfin

· Mar 5, 12, 19, 26—Youth Service, 5pm-7pm @ VGC

· Mar 6, 13, 20, 27—Leavitt LIFE Group, 6pm-8pm @ Leavitt home, led by Pastor Charles Lord

· Mar 7, 14, 21, 28— Vista Sisters Daytime LIFE Group, 10am-12pm @ VGC, led by Sheryl Stewart and Christie Lord

· Mar 11—Vista Sisters Breakfast, 9:30am-11:30am @ VGC, please RSVP with Sheryl Stewart (sheryl@barryhess.com) or Christie Lord (crickandchas@yahoo.com

· Mar 30— Storehouse Mobile Pantry, 2:15pm-5pm @ A Montoya Elementary School, volunteers needed, please contact Sheryl Stewart if interested and/or for more information

February 2017 Newsletter

Feed the Kids 2016 Review

To show our thanks and appreciation for VGC folks being so generous with your time and money, here’s a recap of the numbers of children fed and the amounts of bags packed in 2016. Amazing work and amazing grace from our Lord! Only through His provisions and your generosity can these kids be helped each week.

1st Quarter (Jan-Mar): 169 bags/1,707 meals

2nd Quarter (Apr-Jun): 236 bags/1,416 meals

3rd Quarter (Jul-Sep): 192 bags/1,164 meals

4th Quarter (Oct-Dec): 488 bags/4,253 meals

Totals: 1,085 bags/9,625 meals

Variances in numbers reflect the number of children we are feeding, the number of days we pack for (if it’s a 2-day, 3-day, or more weekend/break from school), and we do not pack during the summer months (we haven’t figured out a way to get the food bags to the kids during their summer break).

In 2017 we will continue to plan, shop, and pack twice a month. If you would like to sponsor a child, $20 a month feeds them for the weekends when they are not in school. Make checks payable to Vista Grande Church and note “Feed the Kids” in the memo line. As always, if you prefer to shop for food and donate, there is a “grocery list” available and all donations are accepted.

Thank YOU!

Spring 2017 LIFE Groups

 There are currently 7 LIFE Groups/Studies being offered this Spring. Please contact Pastor Charles if you would like to start a LIFE Group.

· Leavitt LIFE Group: led by Pastor Charles @ Leavitt home, Mondays @ 6pm-8pm

· Women’s Daytime LIFE Group: led by Sheryl Stewart and Christie Lord @ VGC, Tuesdays @ 10am-12pm

· Hope Ahead LIFE Group: led by Sara Ghormley @ Vineyard Church, Wednesdays bi-weekly @ 6:30pm-8pm

· College & Young Careers LIFE Group: led by Mike Harding @ Harding home, Wednesdays @ 6:30pm-8:30pm

· Israel Study: led by Alice Kraft @ VGC, Wednesdays @ 7pm-8pm

· Teen Girls LIFE Group: led by Emily Harding @ Harding home, Thursdays @ 7pm-8pm

· Teen Guys LIFE Group: led by Mike Harding @ Harding home, Thursdays @ 7pm-8pm

February Calendar Event Details

 · Feb 1, 15—Feed the Kids, 10am-12pm @ First Baptist Church   Tijeras

· Feb 1, 8, 15, 22—Prayer Meeting/Dinner, 5:30pm-6:15pm prayer and 6:15pm-6:55pm    dinner @ VGC

· Feb 1, 8, 15, 22—Israel Study, 7pm-8pm @ VGC, led by Alice Kraft

· Feb 8, 22—Hope Ahead Study, 6:30pm-8pm @ East Mountain Vineyard Church, led by Sara Ghormley

· Feb 1, 8, 15, 22—College & Young  Careers LIFE Group, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Harding home

· Feb 2, 9, 16, 23—Teen Guys LIFE Group, 7pm-8pm @    Harding home, led by Mike Harding

· Feb 2, 9, 16, 23—Teen Girls LIFE Group, 7pm-8pm @ Harding home, led by Emily Harding

· Feb 4—Men’s Breakfast, 8am-10am @ VGC, please RSVP with Tom Meluso (vista880m@gmail.com)

· Feb 4, 11, 18, 25—2:7 Discipleship Class, led by Stan McCoy @ VGC

· Feb 5, 12, 19, 26—Early Worship Service, 8:30am @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 8am

· Feb 5, 12, 19, 26—Late Worship Service, 10:30am @ VGC, coffee fellowship @ 10am

· Feb 5, 12, 19, 26—2:7 Discipleship Class, led by Fred Woodfin @ VGC

· Feb 5, 12, 19, 26—Youth Service, 5pm-7pm @ VGC

· Feb 6, 13, 20, 27—Leavitt LIFE Group, 6pm-8pm @ Leavitt home

· Feb 6, 13, 20, 27—2:7 Discipleship Class, led by John Torrison @ VGC

· Feb 7, 14, 21, 28—Vista Sisters Daytime LIFE Group, 10am-12pm @ VGC, led by Sheryl Stewart and Christie Lord

· Feb 11—Vista Sisters Outing (Encounter Women’s Conference), 9am-1pm @ Monterey Baptist Church, cost $20 when pre-registered and $25 at the door, contact Sheryl Stewart with questions (sheryl@barryhess.com)