We have loaded the photos from the Villages Chapel 50th Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 18 to our gallery.
Sermons
Announcements
Importance of Small Groups
The following was presented by Mike Falarski at the Chapel Sunday worship service on Sunday 4/22/18 as the Invocation. We are repeating this on the web site because of the importance of Small Groups to the future of the Chapel. We encourage you to seek out Pastor Bill, any member of the Chapel Board, or any member of the small group that Mike belongs to:
Mike and Judi Falarski
Sherry Benz and Dennis Cullen
Brooks and Cindy Fuller
Katharine and Brian Dombrowski
Don and Joyce Kludt
Pentecost, the day the Spirit descended onto the Apostles, is on May 20 this year. Pentecost is generally recognized as the birthday of the Church. People tend to think of church as a place. In actual fact, ‘Church’ is the name given to people who follow Jesus, who meet together to worship God and learn to do what God asks of them. The very first churches were formed by communities of people who met in each other’s homes. These early Churches had four primary characteristics: They devoted themselves to the Apostles teachings, to fellowship, to the “breaking of bread and to prayer.
So why mention this today? Because, I feel like I am in the midst of a new church. It is called a ‘small group’ which we helped form a couple of months ago. It consists of 5 couples that have joined together to grow closer to the Lord and each other. We pray together, we study the bible together, we support each other in troubled times. Does that sound familiar? I just think it must not be much different than the early churches. It certainly is transforming my sense of being a Christian and bring me closer to the Lord. I am beginning to understand the feeling of the Spirit being with me. I can’t help but want to share this with everyone.
I have been advocating small groups for years but never pulled the trigger to form one myself. I guess I always worried about being rejected, was just too busy, or was not Christian enough. Pastor Bill asked me at dinner one evening when I was going to form a small group. I could not come up with any good excuse why not so our group was born. It turned out to be the easiest and best thing I have done in a long, long time. I love being able to share my thoughts and concerns with a group of friends and fellow Christians. We are a Church!! I anticipate sometime in the future our group will spin off into more groups just like the original Church.
I encourage you all seriously to get involved in a small group. You may be able to join an existing one but, if not, start one of your own. I am happy to offer my help. Don’t wait for Pastor Bill to ask you why you aren’t in a small group.
Welcome to the Villlages Community Chapel
The Villages Community Chapel is a multi denominational Christian Church serving those who live the Villages Golf and Country Club and the nearby Assisted Living Facilities in San Jose, CA. Our weekly worship service is held at 10AM Sundays in the Cribari Auditorium in the Villages.
A Word From The Pastor
Restoration
Author:
Senior Pastor Bill Hayden
Date Published:
Friday, December 7, 2018
What does restoration mean to you? I like the definition in Webster’s Dictionary of the word restoration. It is a return of something to a former, original, normal or unimpaired condition. There may be lots of things that you can think of, such as a house, a car, a piece of furniture or a relationship that over time loses its luster.
I’ve seen houses that appear to be unrepairable and should be considered for demolition. There were broken windows, doors off the hinges and electrical wiring stripped from the walls, holes in the roof and floors while the structure and foundation remained intact. I also observed, while riding my motorcycle on back roads, old rusty abandoned cars that were pristine in their day. It’s not unusual to see discarded piece of furniture on the curb with a sign that says, “FREE.”
A person who has vision and the resources can bring back items to their original state or better. The house will be restored with new windows, doors, wiring, new paint, roof and all the trimmings. It will be grander and more beautiful than the original state.
After the rust is removed from that old deserted car, bumpers repaired, fenders hammered out, and engine tweaked, and new paint sprayed it will be priceless. When that abandoned piece of furniture has been sanded, re-glued, stained and refinished it will resemble a piece of new furniture bought straight from the factory.
Broken relationships are harder to repair than houses, cars or furniture because there are so many human factors to consider, such as honesty, reliability, trust, love, forgiveness and a person’s emotional state. Relationships can also be complicated because it involves imperfect people who were created for relationships which are important to God.
God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness to have open, honest and healthy relationships with Him. It lasted until they decided to disobey which resulted in a broken relationship. God realized our brokenness and the feelings of abandonment, so He sent His One and Only Son to restore our relationship with Him and each other. You are worth restoring and in the Master’s hand you will be better than that old house, abandoned car and discarded furniture. II Corinthians 5:17 NLT (New Living Translation) “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old has gone; a new like has begun!”
Please join us at the Villages Community Chapel in the Cribari Auditorium each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The chapel is a place for Needs to be met, Faith to be affirmed and People to Love. We would love to meet you! To learn more about the Villages Community Chapel visit our website at http://villagescommunitychapel.org/. You can hear previous and current Sunday Sermons.