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A Year of Normal Growth

“You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). A living stone not only possesses life but also grows in life. This is Christ to whom we come (v. 4). We experience Him as the stone living in us; this transforms us with His stone nature so that we may be living and be built together as the spiritual house. Lord, give us a year of normal growth. (training message 8, II.B)

USC (English speaking)

USC begins school January 14. Please pray for the Lord to reach many seeking ones among USC’s spring admits, especially freshmen, and for our reconnecting with many of the newer ones from last semester. We will be holding various welcome events and will be at the first week club fair as well. Pray for our students to be burning in spirit and in one accord as they spread the gospel to their new classmates and gospel contacts!

Santa Barbara

There will be three days of gospel time in Santa Barbara on January 16 to 18. Nine saints from L.A. will join us to participate in this time. We will pass out free Bibles at UCSB. Please pray for:

  1. adequate personal and corporate prayers be released to pave the way for God to move in this time;
  2. the saints in S.B. to be supplied and strengthened, and for the L.A. saints to be blended with us;
  3. God to bind the strong man, show mercy on His chosen vessels, and bring them in contact with us;
  4. students to be released to come to the BfA table on campus, the Wednesday night college meeting, the Thursday dinner in the homes, and the picnic on Friday afternoon;
  5. the existing students to be burdened, strengthened, and supplied to bring friends to these times.

FTTA Gospel Trips

Teams of saints will go to cities in North America, South America, Europe, South Africa, and India. The trips will be 14 to 17 days long starting the last week in January. Please pray for completion of the remaining visa, transportation, and initial arrival coordination needs for each of the gospel trips.

Australia

Monday of this week Dick Taylor travels from Perth to Sydney for a few days there, then he will go to Cairns after which he will return to L.A. next week. Among the nine or ten saints meeting in Cairns a few are locals but most have migrated from other churches. They will have their first Lord’s Table January 20. Continue to ask the Lord for His kingdom to come and His will to be done, as in heaven, so also in Australia.

Southern California Spanish-Speaking Conference

The conference will be January 18 to 20 in Anaheim. The messages will be given in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish and the meetings are open to all the saints. At the same time, we will have a Young People’s Conference and meetings for the children. The invitation (English & español) is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.

Life-Study of the Bible Seminar at Haskell

Spanish-speaking radio listeners of Estudio-Vida de la Biblia have been invited to monthly seminars in various locations in Southern California. The January 26 seminar will be at Haskell with a light dinner at 6 pm followed by sharing from BfA and testimonies. There are radio announcements about this and letters are being mailed to 300 listeners in San Fernando Valley. Please ask the Lord to supply in the practical preparations, to bring many hungry people, to nourish them, and to knit us with them.

From Boston to Europe

The Full-time Training in Anaheim–Extension Boston (FTTA-XB) was established to prepare young saints to emigrate to Europe. It provides a one-year extension of the training for the graduates of the FTTA. Twenty-seven trainees finished the first year of the FTTA-XB in June 2012. Three are currently serving in Europe, and one is attending graduate school in Italy. More would have gone to Europe if adequate finances had been available. Five additional trainees completed the Extension training in December 2012. Two are available to go to Europe immediately. Fifteen more will complete the training in June 2013, and almost half have expressed an interest in serving in Europe. Moreover, 3 couples who were married after completing the FTTA-XB will be ready to go to Europe in 2013-2014. The number of graduates who are burdened to serve in Europe has exceeded the financial resources that are currently available to support them. This means that many who are prepared and burdened for Europe may not be able to go. The cost to support an unmarried serving one in Western Europe is 1800 US$ per month.Please pray that:

  • The Lord will continue to bless the FTTA-XB and prepare more young ones for His move in Europe.
  • The necessary finances will be made available for the graduates to serve in Europe.

If you want to help financially, go to http://www.lordsmove.org/offerings.html or put a gift marked for Europe in the church offering box.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: week 6 of Taking the Lead as Elders and Responsible Ones
  2. The International Chinese-speaking Conference will be Friday evening, February 15 through Lord’s Day morning, February 17. Child care is available for kindergarten through sixth grade; children must be registered in your district in L.A. by January 29. Details are at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.