Dear members and friends of Valley Park,

Please continue to utilize our third Sundays as a great reason to invite people to church on
November 20. I believe that every Sunday is a great reason to reach out to people but we do put extra
work into the third Sundays for the purpose of being extra hospitable. We are also proud that we are
representing a valued treasured American tradition that is almost 200 years old. Make sure you take
“Invite Cards” with you after church and look for opportunities to give them to people during the week.
We need to care about people as much as Jesus did.

We are seeing our efforts to do outreach produce a transformation of Valley Park in small ways.
We are seeing more visitors than at any time over the last five years. Our members are engaging more
in reaching out to their neighbors and friends. There is “buy-in” on the part of our church family to be
more deliberately involved in people’s lives. It will take time to see significant growth but, for now, we
are seeing some. I am grateful to see what God “is” doing.

I am anticipating more visitors throughout the next two months because of “Thanksgiving” and
“Christmas.” It is a time of the year to contemplate our attitude of gratitude in everything we do
including displaying love of Jesus. Christmas is all about Jesus; the reason for the season.

Are you excited about your growth as a follower of Jesus?

I always think of the excitement I experienced when I finally understood that I could trust Jesus to
teach me and guide me in life. I had been on a search for the meaning of life and understanding that
would give me hope for the future through my youth. Even recently, I shared with our congregation on
a Sunday morning the hope in cultures from 4,000 BC up to the present. I shared beliefs about the
afterlife as found in the writings of Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Buddhists, Hindus
and modern-day atheists. For me, the beliefs of every one of these cultures were dark and
discouraging. They all shared a common imagined existence beyond this life that was without real
hope. The best each one could imagine was less than what we know in this life.
Jesus gives hope to all along with reasons to believe He knew what He could do for all humanity.
Jesus gives us abundant, genuine, and encouraging hope.

• Jesus promised that we will never die if we believe in him. (John 8:52; 11:26)
• Jesus rose from the dead as proof that He had authority over death. We know He can do what He promised because He did it. (Matthew 12:38-40; Luke 24)

I remember my excitement about realizing that God was real and the things Jesus said and did proved this. I could not help but talk about it with everyone I knew or met. The multitude of people in the world who do not know about our resurrection hope need Jesus to open their eyes. We are the voice, hands, and feet of Jesus. Let’s rekindle our faith and excitement in knowing who we are in Christ so that we will be excited to share what we know over the months leading up to Christmas. Christmas is when we provide an extra focus on the joy we know because God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus. Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I Peter 1:13

May God work through us to reach more people who need the hope we enjoy in Christ!

Pastor Kevyn

“Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also
received, in which you also stand,  2  by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3  For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  4  and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  5  and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  6  After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;  7  then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;  8  and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.  9  For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  10  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.  11  Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12  Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  13  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised;  14  and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain.  15  Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.  16  For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised;  17  and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  18  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19  If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

I Corinthians 15

Valley Park Ministries: Pray for the Following Ministries

Project Angel Tree (Prison Fellowship)                                           
VPC will participate in “Project Angel Tree” by providing gifts to children on behalf of an
incarcerated parent. Starting on Sunday, November 20 th there will be a sign-up table in the
courtyard. Unwrapped gifts/gift cards will be due on Sunday, December 11th. You may also
give online: https://valleyparkchurch.com/give/  Valley Park’s Website or at
https://secure.prisonfellowship.org/donate/AngelTree?ms=PATWL0G200102000&_ga=2.143921077.1
287563881.1636068476-1791949567.1632768164

Children’s Ministry – Diana Nason
Children join parents in the sanctuary at 10:30 AM for music and worship. They are
dismissed to their class at approximately 11:00 AM, during the greeting time before the
sermon. Parents can sign in and pick up their children in Room 4 (1 st – 5 th grade) or the Nursery/Preschool/Kindergarten in Room 2.

Youth Ministry – Victor Paz
Meeting Location- Ranch House
Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 PM
Sundays from 10:30 AM in sanctuary for worship and 11 AM to 12 PM in the Ranch
House.

Small Group Opportunities to study, talk and pray
Tuesday mornings at 10 AM in the Conference Room.
Wednesday evenings via ZOOM at 7 pm with Vivian and Budd Rude.
Wednesday evenings at 7 PM in the Conference Room.
Sunday evenings at 5 PM in the Chapel and Conference Rooms.

Food Pantry
Wednesdays. We are serving approximately 110 families involving close to 500
people. We always need help between 1-5 PM with set up, serving and cleanup.
Please help us reach out to the people who come.

Valley Park’s November Birthdays: Members, Friends and Youth
Please consider giving us your contact info and birthday so we can include you in our
recognition of birthdays.

06 Vicky Jimenez
07   Bill James, Joseph Tagnipes
08   Nicholas Kirar-Villanueva (child)
09   Ginny Hoover
22   Wilna Brestel
24   Monica Paz