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
Leading a Purposeful Life
Author:
Senior Pastor Bill Hayden
Date Published:
Friday, February 22, 2019
Are you living purposefully or are you just living and going with the flow of life? I enjoy watching the old black and white movies of years gone by. I’m often moved by the thought, “How did they view life and what did they really value in life?”
Sometimes you hear that some of them lived life as if there was no tomorrow (eat, drink and be merry), while others were governed by a moral compass that gave them balance.
There were actors and actresses that I admired because they made life more imaginable and realistic in the characters that they portrayed. When you discover that some of them lived double lives your hopes, dreams and spirit were crushed. Especially, when they had always projected a different image in so many wholesome, inspiring and believable character roles. Well, that is what actors do.
William Shakespeare said, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”
What do you want people to believe that is true about you, when you make the final curtain call? I can honestly say, that there are and have been very few people in my life that have made a lasting impression. The few who have I will never forget. I can also say because of those few, I’m a better person today and when I think about them I get a little misty. I am eternally grateful for the brief but impactful life experiences we shared together.
Let’s agree to leave our mark upon people who are viewing our lives and how we endure the times that challenge our souls. Life should be good because you are among us. “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 NLT
Please join us at the Villages Community Chapel in the Cribari Auditorium each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Our chapel is a place for Needs to be Met, Faith to be Affirmed and People to Love. We would love to meet you. Find us @ http://villagescommunitychapel.org/