The Scroll: December 2016

December 2016
Inside:
EXIT83 YOUTH WINTER CAMPS
LOOK BOTH WAYS | REACH OUT THIS CHRISTMAS
SPECIAL HOLIDAY SERVICES

The Scroll | December 2016
CONTRIBUTING PASTORS,
DIRECTORS & STAFF
GARY KEITH
Lead Pastor
gary@lbfchurch.com
DAN FRANKLIN
Pastor of Teaching
danfranklin
@lbfchurch.com
JEFF TAYLOR
Pastor of Student
Ministries
jeff@lbfchurch.com
MIKE CLOUD
Pastor of Care
& Visitation
mikecloud
@lbfchurch.com
PHIL SHAHBAZ
Pastor of
Community Life
phil@lbfchurch.com
ANDY WATSON
Pastor of Worship
andywatson
@lbfchurch.com
MARNIE GRIGSBY
Pastor of
Women’s Ministries
marnie
@lbfchurch.com
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LAURIE BAIZ
Director of
LIFEkids Ministry
laurie
@lbfchurch.com
CAROL HAWKINS
Missions Coordinator
carol@lbfchurch.com
MIKE SLOCUM
Director of Business
Operations
mikeslocum
@lbfchurch.com
LEA LEE
Programs Coordinator
lea@lbfchurch.com
DANIEL DUKES
Creative
Communications
Director
danieldukes
@lbfchurch.com
HEIDI ROGERS
Graphic Designer
heidi@lbfchurch.com
2426 N. Euclid Ave.
Upland, CA 91784
Ph: 909.981.4848
Email: lbfchurch@lbfchurch.com
Web: www.lbf.church
FB: facebook.com/lifebiblefellowship
Twitter: @LBFChurch
Instagram: lbfchurch
Christmas Eve at LBF 2016
By Gary Keith, Lead Pastor
In the life of the church, some things never change, but other things seem to
change constantly. While our message must never change, the way we deliver
that message must be updated to reach a new generation. With this theme in
mind, I want to let you know about some changes this year to the plans for
Christmas Eve at Life Bible Fellowship Church.
What Are the Changes?
For the past several years we’ve held three different Christmas Eve services.
At 7 p.m. we had a service designed specifically for children and parents. At
8:30 we had a contemporary service. And at 11 o’clock we held a traditional
candlelight service.
After last year’s Christmas Eve services, time was spent evaluating the purpose of
each service, looking at how we could improve our effectiveness. After seeking
the Lord and staff dialogue, we have decided to change our approach this year.
As in the past several years, this Christmas Eve we will hold three services.
However, we will have two identical services at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and
then we will continue to hold our traditional candlelight service at 11 p.m.
If you’re familiar with what we’ve done on Christmas Eve in the past, you will
notice that the key changes are that (1) the first two services will be earlier than
in years past, and that (2) the first two services will be identical instead of the first
being a family service and the second being a contemporary service.
Why Earlier Services?
The reason for holding the first two services earlier is to complement family
Christmas celebrations. We know that many come to Christmas Eve services to
celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But we also know that Christmas
Eve is a significant time for families to gather to celebrate. Instead of competing
with family Christmas Eve celebrations, we want to complement those celebrations
with an opportunity to gather with the LBF church family. We believe that the
earlier start time will best facilitate this.
Why the change to both the 7 o’clock and 8:30 services?
In past years we have had a Family Service (at 7 p.m.) that is geared toward
early grade-school children and then a Contemporary Service (at 8:30) that is
geared more toward adults. This Christmas we will have two identical services
that will be geared toward families. The way the service will be ordered will
make it friendly to both children and adults.
The main reason for this change is that we believe it is the best way to facilitate
families celebrating Christmas together. In the past, the 7 o’clock service was
functionally a service for children, and parents were invited to be present.
While we enjoyed these times, we want to provide an opportunity for families
to worship together.
We thought about how we currently do ministry on Sunday: The children head
off to their own program on Sunday morning while their parents are in church.
There is not really an opportunity for children and parents to sit together and
Christmas Eve continued on page 5.

Life Bible Fellowship Church
Service Times
Sunday @ 8, 9:15 & 10:45 am
LIFEkids Ministry programs
available @ all services, except
Nursery-Kindergarten @ 8 am
Exit83 Jr. High & High School
Sunday @ 9:15 am &
Wednesday @ 7 pm
For more info on these
programs, plus LIFEgroups,
Bible studies, and upcoming
events, visit www.lbf.church.
LBF reserves the right to use photos
and video taken on campus and at
LBF-related events. Any who do
not wish to comply with this policy
must notify the church office
at (909) 981-4848 or
lbfchurch@lbfchurch.com.
Anniversaries & Births to Celebrate, Losses to Mourn
Share in the joy of marriage and new life, and reach out to those in grief.
December Anniversaries
1 Jack & Janet Kennedy, 20 years
1 Tom & Linda Ratcliffe, 37 years
2 Erik & Jeri Jacobsen, 21 years
3 Gene & Rosalind Dauk, 22 years
3 Julius & Julia Chun, 28 years
4 Bill & Tracy Wrigley, 23 years
5 Oscar & Kim Ornelas, 18 years
6 Dan & Kathy Shafer, 36 years
7 Scott & Shannon Iavarone,
13 years
8 Jason & Tina Steen, 4 years
9 Phillip & Laura Holmes, 26 years
10 Cliff & Lynn Saunders, 22 years
12 Mike & Lisa Marie Bachman,
25 years
14 Ryan & Kathy Godoy, 2 years
16 Felix & Pauline Bermudez, 49 years
17 Craig & Linda Matthews, 28 years
17 Frank & Barbara Pagura, 28 years
17 John & Anne Trudel, 39 years
18 Charles & Sherri Kurtek, 12 years
18 Jason & Stephanie Stever, 12 years
18 Andy & Laura Watson, 12 years
20 Don & Susan Pearson, 30 years
20 Randy & Barbara Gillett, 42 years
24 Rick & Cindi Simon, 20 years
26 Sean & Jill Allen, 8 years
26 Gary & Lily Gidcumb, 9 years
27 Steve & Adrianna Barrett, 13 years
27 Chad & Melissa Germann,
20 years
27 Marty & Debbie Kaufman,
35 years
27 Russ & Nancy Sauter, 30 years
28 Eric & Leidy Drewry, 32 years
28 Edgar & Tania Trujillo, 14 years
If any anniversary information
is incorrect, please contact the
church office.
In Memory
Earl Rohland
November 7, 2016
Survived by Pat Royalty, brother
Follow the Star on
Sunday, December 4
at 4:30 p.m.
By Laurie Baiz, Director
of LIFEkids Ministry
This December I am very excited to
invite you to Follow the Star by our
LIFEkids Choir. The kids have been
working hard and are looking forward
to sharing the story of Jesus’ birth with
you. Our 1 st -6 th graders will be sharing
this story through narration and song,
and my hope is that this will be a time
for our kids to bring glory to Jesus with
their voices and the message. May our
families also be blessed by this time
of being together and hearing an
important message for this holiday
season. So join us on Sunday,
December 4 at 4:30 p.m. in the
Worship Center for Follow the Star.
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The Scroll | December 2016
We Love Because He First Loved Us
1 John 4:19
By Marnie Grigsby, Pastor of Women’s Ministries
Christmas can be hard. While many of us are out and about, enjoying a very
“Holly Jolly Christmas,” sometimes there are those in our midst who are not so
lucky. Life can be difficult at times for all of us. No one is immune to pain or
suffering, but if we are able to delight in this wonderfully joyous season, let’s
not forget those around us who are struggling. It could be a season of grief
and sadness, the loss of a job or one’s health, or perhaps the pain of just
being alone.
One of my favorite holiday traditions is watching the timeless Christmas classic,
“It’s A Wonderful Life.” It always gets me! The heartwarming ending never fails
to have me reaching for the Kleenex box, crying my eyes out. I think one of the
reasons this movie is loved by so many, is because we can all relate to George
Bailey, in one way or another. We all have our dreams and our struggles.
The most pivotal scene in the movie comes when George staggers into his
friend Martini’s Tavern, and in a moment of utter desperation, whispers a simple
heartfelt prayer. “Dear Father in heaven, show me the way.” God’s swift and
miraculous answer to George’s prayer comes in two unique ways.
First, God sends “Clarence,” a lovable and sweet-natured angel. Clarence soon
realizes, though, that in order to help George, he must show him the value of
his life. What would it be like in Bedford Falls if he had never been born?
Clarence helps George realize how much God loves him and that his life
is precious.
Second, as his community becomes more aware of his serious situation (the loss
of $8,000), they proceed to show him by their generous giving that he’s loved
and God really cares. It’s a wonderful story with a valuable Christmas message
for all of us this season.
Each of us can make such a huge difference in the lives of the hurting people
around us. Let’s ask God to show us someone that we can reach out to – helping
them to know, as Clarence and the people of Bedford Falls did so well, that they
are loved.
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only
Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.
This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and
sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since
God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”
Christmas Day and
New Year’s Day
Services at LBF
By Andy Watson, Pastor
of Worship
On Christmas Day (Sunday,
December 25) we are going to
have one service at 10 a.m. It
will be a great time celebrating
the arrival of our Lord and
Savior as a church family. We
will have childcare provided for
up to Kindergarten. As part of
the services, we will be taking
communion together.
On Sunday, January 1 we will
have our normal schedule
of services (8, 9:15, and
10:45 a.m.), but these will
be all-age worship services.
Childcare will be provided for
up to Kindergarten. We are
excited for that Sunday to
worship as families and model
for our children how to worship
corporately. It is going to be
a great way to start off the
New Year!
I am so grateful for all that the
Lord is doing in our church and
I’m praying that He will reveal
Himself to us through this advent
season and into the New Year in
a unique way.
(1 JOHN 4:9-11)
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Life Bible Fellowship Church
Christmas Eve continued from page 2.
worship. We believe Christmas Eve is a
great time for parents and children to
experience the service together. So we
are creating two opportunities for this
to happen. We realize that for this to
be successful we will need to structure
the service toward the attention span
of our children. We will bring certain
elements from the 7 p.m. service of
last year into both of the services this
year. The services will also include
Christmas music we are familiar with
and a short, captivating message. We
also have a goal of providing childcare
for our pre-school aged children.
Why no changes to the
11 o’clock service?
Over the years, we’ve come to believe
that there is a unique place for our
11 p.m. Candlelight service that
ends right at midnight, by ushering
in Christmas morning. It is a rich and
powerful time for our church family to
gather and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Because of this, the 11 p.m. service
will keep its same time and same basic
format. In fact, even if you attend an
earlier service with your family and
then have your own family celebration,
feel free to come back and join us by
ushering in Christmas morning
through traditional carols, communion,
Scripture reading, and candle lighting.
Lastly, I want to also let you know that
on Sunday, December 4, our LIFEkids
Ministry is presenting a program
geared directly for our children. The
theme of this event is “Follow the Star.”
You can read more about it on page 3.
Thanks so much for being a part of
the Life Bible Fellowship Church
family. We look forward to a rich and
powerful time this Christmas season
as we celebrate the Son of God, who
took on human flesh in order to save
us from our sins.
It’s Time for Exit83 Winter Camp
By Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Student Ministries
Whether we’re on the rock wall, zip lining, playing paintball, hanging in the
malt shop and game room, or just relaxing under a tree in the forest, winter
camp is always a wonderful time of making memories, building relationships,
and spending the weekend away from the hustle and bustle of daily schedules.
It’s a time to focus on God’s presence and call on our lives.
This year our jr. high winter camp will be at Thousand Pines Christian Camps
from February 3-5, for $175. Our high school winter camp will also be at
Thousand Pines Christian Camps, from February 17-20 (President’s holiday
weekend!), for $225.
Sign-ups for camp will begin this month. Students can register and pay online
at www.lbf.church/connect/youth. A $100 deposit is required at the time of
registration and final payment will be due online two weeks before camp.
If you have any questions about our group going to camp, please feel free
to contact me via email (jeff@lbfchurch.com), or at the church office
(909-981-4848, ext. 227). If you would like to know more about the camp
itself, you can get more information at www.thousandpines.org.
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The Scroll | December 2016
The Importance of Bible Translation and
What “Heart Language” Means
By Carol Hawkins, Missions Coordinator
This month I want to share with you some thoughts about the importance of
Bible translation and why men and women spend decades living in a foreign
country with a people group not their own, learning a different culture and
language, and developing a translation team to help in bringing scripture
to these people.
Contrary to what we may think, the scriptures have not always been available to
everyone. In the 14 th Century, John Wycliffe believed that it was important for the
“common person” (like us) to be able to read the Bible in their own language.
Up to that time, scriptures were either in the original languages of Hebrew,
Aramaic, and Greek, or in a Latin translation, called the Vulgate. The church
leaders were the only ones who could read the scriptures and then in turn, teach
the people, so access to God’s word wasn’t available to most of the people.
Wycliffe believed so strongly about this that in 1382 he and others produced
the first hand-written copy of the Bible in English. What an accomplishment – to
hand write the entire Bible! And what a gift to bring the truth of God’s word to
the average person. It was a controversial topic back then, but today you and I
can thank Wycliffe and others for their role in bringing the scriptures to countless
people – like us.
There is something very important about reading, hearing, and studying God’s
word in our native language. We call our native language our “heart language,”
because that’s the language we learned first as a child, and that’s the language
that touches deep within our hearts.
My heart language is English. Even though I’ve learned songs in other
languages and I know what the words mean, they don’t touch me quite
the same as singing them in English.
At LBF we are privileged to have two missionary families who believe so strongly
in bringing God’s word to others, that they serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators
and have translated the scriptures into
three different languages. What an honor
that we can be part of bringing God’s
word to the Pame, Southeast Ambrym,
and Paama people groups. Scott and
Tonia Berthiaume and Leigh and
Barbara Labrecque have spent many
years serving these people in order for
them to have access to God’s word.
What a joy that these people groups
now have the scriptures that they can
understand – with their heart.
Because of your support of LBF, we’re
able to bring scriptures to others. Be
encouraged – you’re impacting lives
for eternity!
GIVING UPDATE
Fiscal Year July 2016-June 2017 Total Budget: $2,100,000
Budget Goal Giving Received Over/Under
September $135,368 $142,284 $6,916
October $172,709 $178,033 $5,324
Year to Date $608,289 $649,386 $41,097
DEBT REDUCTION FUND
Giving Received
September $8,297
October $21,970
YTD $37,329
Is the Holiday
Season Difficult
for You?
By Shauntel Raymond,
LIFEcare Coordinator
The holiday season can be a magical
time with loved ones, creating beautiful
memories. It can also be a source of
pain for others. Many of us have
broken relationships, are grieving
loved ones that have passed, or are
facing loneliness. Do you feel like
there may never be restoration in your
relationship with someone? Do you
suffer from the pain of grief and loss?
You don’t have to walk alone.
Sometimes just sitting down with
someone who can provide a listening
ear and be able to pray with you can
be healing and help you feel loved
and cared for. God is with the grieving
and with the broken hearted. Here
at LBF, we offer many support groups
and people that can walk beside you
during a difficult time, too. Contact
the church office at (909) 981-4848
or lifecare@lbfchurch.com. We look
forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for your generosity. We offer
four convenient giving options:
• lbf.church/give
• LBF App (tap “give”)
• Text “GIVE” to (909) 891-0115
• Offering boxes located at each exit

Life Bible Fellowship Church
LOOK BOTH WAYS
By Dan Franklin, Pastor of Teaching
“Look both ways before crossing the
street.” That’s what we were all told
when we were children. To begin
crossing without looking in either
direction would be foolish because we
would have absolutely no awareness
of what is happening around us. To
look in one direction would be better
than nothing, but it would still leave a
glaring blind spot that could lead us
into unnecessary danger. Wisdom tells
us that we have the best opportunity
for safety and success if we look in
both directions.
This Christmas we are talking about
the importance of looking both ways.
It is important for us to look back
at what God has done in the past,
and what He has promised to do in
the future.
Some of us, though, have trouble
looking both ways in our lives. In fact,
some of us don’t look around at all.
We live our lives with very little
introspection or awareness. We make
decisions based on the moment, rather
than taking in the whole picture.
Others of us spend a great amount of
time looking at the past. We frequently
reflect on the key events of our lives.
Sometimes this makes us thankful.
Sometimes this makes us bitter.
Sometimes we even reflect on the
good things that God has done in
our lives and in the world. But we feel
stuck in the past, either because we
believe that those were our best days,
or because we believe that our regrets
and losses are what determine our
lives today.
In contrast, others of us spend most of
our time thinking ahead. We plan for
the future and we dream about what
is next. Unfortunately, this can make
us repeat the mistakes of the past
because we move forward too quickly.
Our dreams of the future have no
basis in reality because we only look
one way: forward. Or our thoughts
about the future lead us to deep
anxiety because we realize the
uncertainty that we face. Simply
looking forward can be
overwhelming or naïve.
The solution is simple: We must look
both ways. We must look at the past
in order to remember what God has
done, and we must look to the future
to remember what God has promised.
The Christmas story invites us to look
both ways. We are invited to look back
at the hope that was brought through
the God who took on flesh. We are
invited to look back at the peace that
Jesus brought through His sacrificial
birth, life, death, and resurrection.
We are invited to look back at the
joy that the angels announced to the
shepherds when they said, “A savior is
born.” And we are invited to look back
at the love that God showed the world
by sending His only begotten Son.
But the Christmas story also invites us
to look forward. We are invited to look
forward to the fulfillment of our hope
when Jesus returns not in humility, but
in glory. We are invited to look forward
to the peace that Jesus will bring in
the future, now that He has secured
that peace in the past. We are invited
to look forward to the joy that will be
ours when our great Savior brings final
salvation. We are invited to look
forward to the love that we will more
fully experience when the God who
sent His only begotten Son comes to
dwell with His people forever.
As you engage with these lessons,
you are invited to look both ways.
Take time not only to reflect on the
Christmas story, but also reflect on
your own past and future. Reflect on
God’s good work in your past, and
in the gifts He has given you over the
course of your life. Revel in the joy
and gratitude that are yours through
Jesus. Reflect also on the bright future
that Jesus secured for you. That bright
future is only possible because of the
initial step that He took to take on
flesh on that first Christmas day.
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