In Community:
April 2016 Newsletter
The King of kings
By Pastor Craig
This has been a bewildering campaign cycle to say the least. It’s hard to imagine how candidates can have such unwavering support in spite of the things they say, do or are under investigation for doing. What is also concerning to me is to see the extreme responses that people have to the hypothetical election of one candidate or another; from total disregard for moral character to threatening to move to a foreign country.
I’d like us all to recall the example of a faithful follower of the Lord who lived through the midst of tumultuous political times. I’m thinking of the prophet Daniel who served as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar who could quite possibly rank up there with some of the more bizarre world leaders of today. Nebuchadnezzar had a 90-foot gold statue of himself erected and forced all government officials to bow before it. Those who refused were not incarcerated but incinerated. He threatened his advisors with death if they were unable to interpret a dream but he wouldn’t tell anyone what the dream was.
But Daniel didn’t panic. He didn’t quit or move away. He knew that even though Nebuchadnezzar sat on the throne of the most powerful nation on earth, he was not sovereign – God was. Notice what Daniel penned during dark days on the job. “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them.” (Daniel 2:20-21)
If Daniel was able to say that about a ruler who had no term limits (he reigned for 43 years) and no checks or balances on his power, how much more confident can we be of our sovereign God’s eternal plan this election season. Psalm 20:7 says that “some trust in chariots and some in horses (political and military power) but we trust in the name of the Lord our God”. My hope is that amid all the anxiety and dread in our culture, God’s people can live with certainty and faith in the King of kings – and the King of presidents too.
ROCK Winter Retreat
By Alisa Williamson
As with many of our gatherings, our journey began with a caravan of cars setting out on the long winding roads to our destination. Eventually, we all reached Buck Creek retreat. Upon arrival immediately we noticed the lingering snow throughout the grounds and the cool crisp air.
Once we had a chance to settle in our group was led to an open field with a pole on one end and a massive hill on the other with a wire overhead spanning the distance. We put on helmets and secured our harnesses. The time had finally arrived to zip line! One by one we trekked up the hill, squirreled up another pole to a platform with a camp staffer who strapped us in and waited.
The staff exchanged confirmations until: ”ZIP ON!”
Once we were connected to the wire. “ZIPPING! You can go now.”
That last part was for us. “Now?”
“Just jump or step off the platform.” And just like that with a deep breath, laugh and/or scream we let out our inner Tarzans and flew the distance of the wire! The next challenge we each faced…how to get down?
After dinner the rest of the evening was full of Spike ball tournaments (highly recommended!), Spoons, Apples to Apples, Star Wars Episode IV and lots of Mafia!
The next morning we had a time of worship with hymnals and watched an incredible message given by Louie Giglio about How Great is Our God. He spoke about the largest stars in the universe (VY Canis Majoris is 1200 times larger than the sun!) in relation to the God who not only breathed them into existence but also created each and every one of us!
Following lunch we went on a hike down to the creek and explored a stretch of it until it was time to make our way back. After our hike we packed up and got back on the winding roads to head home.
College Lock-In and Bunco
By Lisa Tsuji
God is at work, and He is so good! The College group has been intentionally trying to stay connected both to others in the group and to the church as a whole. Along with small group discussion during Sunday School and providing opportunities to meet and pray together at The Well at UW & SU once a month, we also meet together as a large group every month.
In January we had our very first college Lock In (sleepover) at church. Over thirty students came to hang out for an extended time together. We started out with a Get To Know You (GTKY) game and testimony time with Pastor Mike, Lyanne & Maili Kurtz that included a meaningful time of worship. We also enjoyed a time of fellowship with one another as we happily ate through all the snacks the college students brought to share. Then it was time for a group game that brought about unity & teamwork, showcased some surprising talent & over all, included lots of laughter & high fives. With many of the students new to FBC, we were able to give them a tour of the building, which helped as many then played a rousing game of Monster. You may wonder, “How late did people stay up?” Well, accounts would vary, but we hear the last ones may have stayed up til 4am (truly enjoying their time at FBC). Along with the great time together, what stood out to us were the amazing students who woke up early and on their own to help prepare breakfast for everyone. We were thankful for those who signed up to be on the clean-up committee and for everyone else who pitched in in many ways… including Pastor Craig & Lois who came to make homemade malasadas for the group. We also had quiet times and though some were pretty groggy during breakfast, they woke up after eating the delicious meal and conversing with one another. A highlight was when at the end of our time together, we all shared to the whole group one thing about someone else that we had learned during breakfast. It was a special and blessed time together.
One of the things we’ve been trying to incorporate is helping our college students get to know others at church and vice versa. So in February, we invited the high school ROCK group to a Bunco night. Bunco is a friendly dice game that’s easy to learn, & it offers a chance to meet different people as you move from table to table. The evening was blessed with a meal prepared by many wonderful & helpful ladies at FBC; no easy task feeding a hungry brood of nearly 50 mouths! While the game was new for many, it didn’t take long for people to learn & enjoy it. The room soon grew loud with cheering, laughter, and high-fives. We are thankful for the six high schoolers who bravely came to meet & mingle with the college students.
We are grateful for the guidance and love from the Lord and all that He is doing in the students’ lives. In March, we were able to rejoice, witness and celebrate the baptism of two in the college group. Kalei Sur, a freshman at Seattle University from Hawaii & Garrett Wong, a sophomore at Seattle University from California, both publicly declared their love and obedience to the Lord on Easter morning. We thank the Lord for all the young people He’s brought to FBC and all that He is doing in this generation.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’ Hebrews 10:24–25
Baptisms!
Amelie Roman
For me, Jesus is my Savior and He died for our sins. I know that Jesus did not have any sins and that is why He could die for us on the cross. I believe that Jesus died and on the third day rose from the grave. In the Bible, when Jesus was on the cross, there were two other people with Him who were robbers. One of them did not trust or believe in Jesus but the other did. He asked Jesus if he could forgive his sins and He did. Jesus died on the cross for those who are separated from God by sins. People can be forgiven but you must believe and ask God for forgiveness.
Today, I want to know the feeling of being baptized. When I was only 1 year old, I was baptized in New York City but don’t remember. I learned that getting baptized does not make you a Christian but it shows that you love God and believe in His promises. So that is why I asked my Dad and Mom if I could be baptized. When I was talking with Pastor Craig about baptism, he said that baptism is like dying in the water. When you come up, it is the same as if you rise with Jesus and I think the same way as Pastor Craig.
Kalei Sur
Hi! I’m Kalei Sur, and I’m from Honolulu, Hawaii. It’s my first year at Seattle University and I’m majoring in Civil Engineering. Growing up, I was Catholic, going to church every once in a while, but I knew nothing about having a personal relationship with Jesus. It was the summer of 2013 when my best friend asked me to go to church with her that I started my walk with Christ. In the service, the pastor spoke about how God never leaves you, and in those words, I found a comfort that I never felt before. From then, I started going to church, and in that same summer accepted Christ as my savior.
Fast forward to my senior year in high school, I started to feel like God wanted more of me. During that time, I saw Him break apart many aspects of my life, in order to draw me closer to Him. Going through that time of struggle, I saw my family, relationships, health,
and performance in school all go downhill. I had nowhere else to turn to but to God. There were all of these “worldly things” that I put my hopes in failing me, and I learned so greatly how much I needed to depend on God, and to keep all of my hope and faith in Him! In that time of darkness, He got me to see His love, His vision for my life, and the strength that He blesses us with to keep striving!
Through it all, it was the most humbling experience, because I found what it really means to give all the glory to Him. Ending my Senior year, God led me to the Civil Engineering major at Seattle University, He blessed me with great scholarships, and placed me in an awesome church like Faith Bible that I’m so grateful for as I continue to draw closer and closer to Him.
Ayako Kasai
Hello, my name is Ayako Kasai. I’m from Japan. When I was 16 years old, I wanted to study abroad during my summer break since I enjoyed learning about different cultures. My friend encouraged me to go to the Word of Life summer camp in New York with her.
After deciding to go to the camp, I found out that the camp was organized by a Christian school. When I arrived in New York, I received a Bible for the first time in my life. Every day, I attended the service and listened, but I couldn’t understand what motivated other people to believe in God so strongly. My understanding of the Christian God was so vague, and I didn’t have any convictions regarding my past. I felt confused because I couldn’t understand what Christianity was, and the feeling persisted throughout the camp.
The feeling continued until when Pastor Kato, one of the speakers at the camp, shared with us about his wife who passed away because of cancer. Despite his wife’s passing, he said, “I’m sad that my wife is not here, but I’m happy because she has a place to go”. After hearing Pastor Kato’s words, I wanted to learn more about God because I wanted to receive the same kind of peace. However, I didn’t know if God would be pleased with me becoming a Christian because of previous experiences in life that I felt guilty about. I talked about it with my mentor who was one of the students, and she told me, “God doesn’t judge you whether you know Him or not. He wants to know you. That’s why you are here. If you believe in Him, there will be a celebration in the kingdom of God.” I wanted to please God, so I believed in Him.
Everything that had happened was under the guidance of God since the day I joined the Bible camp in New York. I want to follow the Word of God, as I am a beloved child of His.
Garrett Wong
Hi! My name is Garrett Wong and I am Sophomore at Seattle University. I am originally from Huntington Beach, CA and I moved up to Seattle for college last year. I was born and raised in a Christian household and for as long as I remember my family and I went to church together. In 2nd grade during VBS, I accepted Jesus into my heart, however I came to the realization that I truly didn’t know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It wasn’t until the summer going into my sophomore year of high school at a Christian camp called Mt Hermon where I officially understood the gospel message of Jesus and the act of grace He showed on the cross which was all out of His love for you and me. One of the many ways I have seen God in my life is through Him leading me to Seattle U. In the beginning, I came solely for the Nursing program but through the one and a half years I ‘ve been in college I have realized that there are many more reasons that He has revealed to me. I have seen God work through hardships that I have faced in college, one of which was keeping the GPA requirement to stay in the nursing program. Ever since the end of spring quarter freshman year, I have been struggling to stay above the requirement. This was something that I was ashamed to tell people because of my pride and the fear of what others would think of me. It has been a long internal struggle that I have been dealing with but through the constant reminders from daily devotions and lots of prayer, God has comforted my heart in knowing that He is indeed in control of my life and has His best interest for me. It is not up to me to decide what I want for my life; that’s up to God and is in His hands. What I can do now is live out my life boldly and confidently and not be afraid of what lies ahead because whatever the future holds will be God’s way of using Me to glorify His kingdom.
Faith Story: Shun Horiguichi
I’m thankful that I’m able to share my testimony with you today. I’d like to share my background and why I came to Seattle as well as the things that became a springboard for making a decision to believe in God.
I was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, where my family was living because of my father’s job. I lived in Sapporo until I was 18 month old, in Gifu until I was 4 years old, in Saitama until I was 11 years old, in Gifu again until I was 15 years old, and since then, going back and forth between my home in Gifu and my school dormitory in Mie prefecture. Since my father’s work manages launching prepared food (deli) factories, he needed to get relocated every time the new launching project started. Since I was little, I had experienced being apart from my close friends I made in school, and also being bullied because of being a new person at the schools I was transferred into. I had thought about ending my life, had lost hope and disappointed in life. When I was down, I received power from Gospel music. Someone I know was serving as a pianist and Gospel choir director at a military base in Japan. Five years ago when I attended his workshop, I encountered a Gospel choir for the first time. I learned the song “(I’m) Pressing My Way” and I was deeply affected by this song. The title and main theme “I’m pressing my way” gave me hope for my life and encouraged me to keep going my way. I was culture-shocked to know that there is such powerful music in this world. I started listening to Gospel music after the workshop. At this time, I wasn’t that interested in Christianity. I simply liked Gospel songs because they sounded cool to me and gave me strength.
I first encountered Christianity in 2010. When I was in 7th grade, I had a homestay experience at a pastor’s house in North Carolina for one month. The first time we shared a meal with them was at a restaurant, but the family held hands together and prayed before the meal. At first, I accepted this as a custom that American Christians practice. Soon after I arrived at their home, the family gave me a bilingual Living Bible. This was my first time seeing a Bible. The first Sunday with them, I went to church with excitement and fear. Of course, there was no other Japanese and the service was in English, so I didn’t understand the message. Although I didn’t understand the language very well, it was different from what I expected, and I had a positive impression. During the month I stayed with this family, I attended a Bible study and Sunday services without missing. When I had to leave, I was sad not being able to go to church any more, but I didn’t have courage to tell my family that I wanted to go to church either. I read through the Bible once but left it in my bookshelf since then.
I had a major turning point in my life last year. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan and Mie prefecture offered a scholarship program that would cover the majority of the cost of studying abroad, if you could pass the examination and your interest was in aerospace industry. I’ve always wanted to come back to the States, but didn’t want to bother my parents for the expenses. I decided to try to apply for this scholarship and if I didn’t pass, I would give up my dream of studying abroad. The reason I chose Seattle was because of Boeing. I didn’t expect to pass all these examinations and interviews, but luckily I passed the examination of documents and was about to take the final interview. Both the teacher who helped me to apply and I thought the chance that I would pass the interview exam was very low. I prepared answers to a few possible questions and went to the interview. Believe it or not, the questions that I was asked at the interview were exactly the questions that I prepared the answers for ahead of time. I had a good response from the interviewer, and I passed the final interview. Because the government gave me a scholarship, I was able to study in Seattle from September 2015 to February 2016.
On September 24th, 10 days after my exciting Seattle life had started, an even bigger incident happened. I was on the charter bus for my school trip, and the Ride the Ducks tour bus, which was driving the opposite direction, collided with our bus. It first seemed like a slow motion video just like in a TV drama, and then I experienced a big shock. Right after the accident, it still felt like I was in my dream and I couldn’t believe what just happened. I looked to my left. The seats were all broken and the people who were sitting across the aisle from me were gone. I was sitting on the other side of where the tour bus crashed into. I was in pain but still able to walk on my own to get off the bus. After looking outside, I realized how awful this accident was. At the same time, the first thing that came in my mind was Jesus. I strongly felt that God protected my life. I sensed that this could be a reason for me to visit church. However, since I was here only for a short time, I did not know how to look for a church. A month after the accident, at some event, I met Naoki Hayasaka. A few days after that, Naoki also introduced me to his wife Sakurako, and they asked me if I was interested in going to the church that they attend. I was waiting for this opportunity, so I went to church after having 5 years of a break. It was my first time to attend a Japanese worship service. I clearly sensed that what I was searching for was our Lord, Jesus Christ. I’m thankful that I can attend a worship service every Sunday at Faith Bible Church and have fellowship inside and outside of church. I always look forward to coming to church on Sundays.
I’d like to share my favorite verse. Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I think it is important to pray with thanksgiving and remember that the Lord is the one who allows us to live and protects. I’m thankful for this opportunity to share my testimony here in Seattle.
Prayer Gathering for Seattle Public Schools & Community
By Reiko Aramaki
On March 17th, we had our quarterly multi-church prayer gathering at Faith Bible Church to pray for the Seattle Schools and the church/school partnerships in the community. Sixteen of us gathered from 11 different churches from the greater Seattle area to share how our churches and Christian organizations are partnering with schools, and we also shared and prayed over our prayer concerns and praises for the Seattle community. Prayer requests included praying over the SE Seattle region where there is a lot of poverty and increasing violence in the area, as well as prayer for teachers/staff in the schools to connect better with kids of color. We also prayed over potential new church/school partnerships like Union Church (located near Lake Union) that desire to partner with nearby Lowell Elementary, a school that has a large number of homeless students. We also prayed over the seven schools in SE Seattle (including Beacon Hill Elementary) that are going through a leadership transition and will be hiring new principals for the upcoming school year.
Since our last prayer gathering in August, God has also been answering our group’s prayers and we definitely see Him at work in the community! For example, God answered our desire to have a Seattle Service Day where many churches come together one day in August to help teachers in the Seattle Schools get ready for the new school year. Last fall, the Union Gospel Mission started a planning committee to organize a Seattle Service Day and currently, 20+ churches are planning to participate. Also, churches like Rainier Avenue Church in Rainier Valley are seeing their congregation have a stronger desire to connect more with their neighboring schools. And a big praise was shared by the children’s pastor at Chinese Baptist Church (CBC), who has been seeing a greater openness of their neighboring elementary school in partnering with the church. Over the last few months for example, CBC has been invited to volunteer in the school’s classrooms and to the teachers’ prayer meetings at the school.
Our next prayer gathering is scheduled for June 16th at Rainier Avenue Church. We’re excited to hear more stories of how God is moving in Seattle and to also pray for protection over the students while they are on summer break and to pray over the summer programs that are offered at churches throughout the Seattle area.
Bill’s Book Blurbs
By Bill Hamasaki
FBC Library Biographies
In this section of our FBC library, we have a large selection of biographies of famous and some not so familiar people who were greatly used by God to accomplish His work in our world. Reading biographies to young children can help instill a vision and a sense of purpose for their lives. Biographies can often inspire and encourage young people and adults to live lives that make a difference and bring glory to God.
Eric Metaxas has written a highly regarded biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His Seven Men and Seven Women also come highly recommended. Billy Graham’s Just As I Am is a great and personal look at a man who has been used by God to lead many to the Savior. We have Chuck Colson’s Born Again as well as Daws by Betty Skinner on the life of Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators. Alister McGrath has written a biography on the life of J.I. Packer, the great and influential theologian and author of Knowing God.
Other biographies in our library include A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliott on the life of Amy Carmichael, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards, Norman Grubb’s biography on the life of C.T. Studd, Wingspread by A.W Tozer on the life of Albert B. Simpson, Hudson Taylor in Early Years by Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor, Tramp For the Lord by Corrie ten Boom (a sequel to The Hiding Place), the Autobiography of George Muller, and Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis.
Those who have been touched by the ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada will want to read her earlier book Choices, Changes as well as her more recent book Joni & Ken. For sports fans, John Wooden is considered by many to be the greatest coach who ever lived. His book They Call Me Coach is an interesting look into how he influenced so many players and coaches in several sports.
These are just some of the inspiring biographies available in our church library. Several biographies written for children are also available. Hope to see you in the library!
