In Community:

December 2019 Newsletter

Are You Ready for 2020?

By Pastor Mike Kurtz

I know it’s December when all thoughts turn toward Christmas. But before you know it, it’s going to be a new year, and I thought it would be better to start thinking about the new year now rather than after we’re already into it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year. It’s also one of the busiest times of year, which is why I’m going to start thinking about 2020 now. Wow. 2020.

Undoubtedly there will be numerous articles playing on this number, 2020. Let me be one of the first.

Let’s talk about eyesight. Most people don’t see 20/20 naturally. Statistics are all over the place when it comes to the number of people who need vision correction, but I think it’s safe to say that most people you and I know probably are wearing contact lenses or glasses. I read an article recently that noted that nearsightedness is reaching epidemic proportions around the world. The reason: research is showing young people are spending too much time indoors. The research syncs up with a stronger emphasis on education. Check this out:

In China, almost 90 percent of teenagers and young adults are nearsighted (compared to 10 to 20 percent 60 years ago), and it’s no coincidence that the average 15-year-old in Shanghai spends 14 hours per week doing homework. (source: zmescience.com)

And while it might seem as though poor vision is due to too much close-up work, it’s actually not. Studies are finding it may be due to not being outside in the sun enough.

Likewise, for many people, our greatest anxieties and fears come from not knowing what’s ahead. We worry because we can’t see how our present struggles will be resolved. We worry because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Our problem: we look inside for answers rather than looking outside ourselves and to the God who can see all things.

The new year will bring new struggles (and new praises!). And though we may not see but a few feet in front of us, we can trust that God can see infinitely the path ahead for each of us. Let’s enter the new year with these in mind:

Don’t put your trust in what you see. Trust the Lord’s all-knowing, all-seeing eyes. We may not see the reasons for our present struggles, but He does. We may not know what will happen next, but He does. There’s no need to get anxious about what we can’t see. He can see it all. Just trust Him.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1)

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” (Matthew 5:30)

Be faithful one step at a time. In our limited vision, we need only look at what’s right in front of us. The path may look blurry ahead, but if we can focus on what’s right in front of us and be faithful in the present, the rest will take care of itself in God’s hands.

Our family watched the movie Frozen 2 this week (no spoiler alert needed). One of the things Anna says often in light of her inability to know what lies ahead are these simple words: Do the next right thing.  That’s really all God asks of us – to just do the next right thing. One good step leads to another with God directing us to His ultimate destination.

It’s the Christmas season, but get ready – 2020 is right around the corner! Let’s see 20/20 in 2020 with faith.

Introduction of the Takeda family

By Pastor Kohei Takeda

Hello FBC! My name is Kohei Takeda, and we are excited to be part of this loving community! We would like to give thanks to all who have been constantly praying for our family. After waiting for nearly two years, we praise God for His faithfulness, not only because of all the answers to our prayers, but because of who He is. God has been always with us, caring, providing, and loving us, both in good and difficult times. I am sure this was also true to FBC. God guides, uses, blesses us, not because of who we are, or what we do, but because of who God is, as 1 John 4 says “God is love.” We just stand before Him in awe and wonder.

Both my wife Akiko and I were born and raised in Japan. Before going to seminary, I worked in Tokyo as a researcher in a pharmaceutical company. Though I spent a few years in Los Angeles during my early childhood, I came back to the US for seminary in Boston for the first time in 25 years. By God’s grace, He led me to complete my Master of Divinity, and Master of Theology in Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theology Seminary, and also study leadership and communication at Harvard. We stayed in Boston for five years to study and also pastor a local church there.

I had the privilege of serving in a pastoral role in multicultural churches, both in Boston and Tokyo, for seven years. My passion as a pastor is preaching, evangelism, and discipleship. I have also been serving with a global Christian movement called “the Lausanne Movement” since 2016, especially to unite and mobilize the next generation of Christian leaders in East Asia.

It was Akiko’s first time living overseas when we were in Boston. Before going to Boston, she worked as a surgical nurse in Yokohama. In Boston, though she was not confident in English, Akiko played an important role starting up a Japanese outreach ministry in a local American church. Along with raising the kids, she served the church by preparing food, hosting a small group, and leading a Bible study for Japanese moms.

Since we got married, it has been our DNA to invite both believers and nonbelievers each week to share life and stories, according to the early church in the book of Acts. It is such a joy. Also, we witnessed the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit by seeing many people coming to faith. Other than ministry, I enjoy playing with the kids, hiking, and sometimes riding a motorcycle, when possible. Akiko loves driving, traveling, and camping as well.

We arrived in Boston with one child Akashi(“証” which means “God’s testimony”), but God blessed us with two more children during the time in Boston, John (Japanese name, Kei, “契” which means “God’s Covenant”) and Elijah (Sei, “誠” which means “God’s faithfulness”).

Now, we shared about us a little bit with you, so it is your turn to share about you with us. How is your life? What is God doing/speaking in your life? Before going deeper, why don’t we just go out for lunch or coffee? I look forward to knowing more about you. Again, thank you for all your support and prayers for our family. I am privileged and grateful to serve with you, as one body of Christ, to go and make Jesus’ disciples (Matt. 28) in the Seattle area.

CYC (College & Young Career) Update

By Jennifer Cohen

CYC welcomed back many of our college students & faithful post-grads at the end of September and it was so nice to be reunited after everyone’s various summers all over the place! Here’s a (relatively) quick recap of everything we’ve been up to since then:

Back2CYC BBQ:

For our first event of the new school year, we ambitiously planned a BBQ at Golden Gardens – during the first weekend of October…..safe to say we had some doubters in our group (myself included, oops) who really didn’t think the weather would hold up since the forecast predicted rain for quite some time. But Amy Li’s optimism persisted, and it actually ended up being a beautiful sunny, autumn day here in Seattle – praise God! Burgers and hot dogs were eaten, footballs were thrown, s’mores were assembled, and good conversation was had.

The Well:

This year we brought back an old fan-favorite called “The Well” – something my parents started a few years back but has been on a hiatus the past couple years. It is essentially a time of meeting the CYC members where they’re at (literally – we go to the UW, SPU & SU areas) and are able to just share life, catch up, and pray for one another in a smaller setting. Snacks are also a given. It’s always such a blessing to meet up with people mid-week and get to fellowship with one another!

Tough Topics Session:

New this year is something we are trying out called “tough topics sessions” – a time where we attempt to tackle some of the harder issues we face and come at them from a biblical perspective. The goal is to get us more familiar with these issues and help equip us to be able to better understand them so we can have well-informed conversations with other people – both Christians & non-Christians. The inaugural session took place in our living room and we went over the topic of Social Justice. It was a wonderful time of discussion, questions, and convictions!

CYC + ROCK Worship Night:

Another new thing we’ve done this year is our first ever CYC + ROCK worship night! Organized mostly by ROCK band leader El, he assembled a great worship team from our group & we had an awesome night of bonding and worshipping together. It was very cool to see people using their musical gifts to bless the rest of us.

Annual Thanksgiving Fellowship:

Last but not least, our annual Thanksgiving fellowship was definitely a highlight of the year so far. Graciously hosted again by my parents (for the 8^th year in a row!), there was an abundance of yummy Thanksgiving food (thank you also to everyone else who contributed – we appreciate your help in feeding 45 very hungry college/post-grads!). After a get-to-know-you icebreaker, the main event was simply a time of worship – both with music and with sharing all the victories God has accomplished in our lives. It was a blessing to hear how God has been working in so many people within our group and we can’t help but give Him all the praise! We ended the night with another annual tradition – assembling shoeboxes for Sacred Road. Thanks to many generous contributions from within the group, we were able to make 23 filled-to-the-brim boxes! It’s always a joyous time filling those boxes with candy, toys, and more candy.

If you’ve managed to read all of this – congratulations! Thanks to you all for the prayer and support you give our group – we definitely feel it and appreciate it!

Seniors Thanksgiving Luncheon

By Kevin Chan

We should always be thankful and not only around Thanksgiving time!  Even though some of us have health challenges, if we have a warm and comfortable place to call home with hot meals to eat, then we are well sheltered under God’s grace!

On Saturday, November 16^th, we were super excited to see the 100 seniors and guests who were coming to this wonderful time of fellowship and great feast that had been planned.  This would also be: an informative time of health awareness, an energizing time of aerobics, a joyful time of singing, and a blessed time of sharing and in the Word.

Sue Machida was ready to start cooking first thing this morning in the FBC kitchen, as she had several large racks of prime rib all seasoned/rubbed down and ready to slow cook in the ovens.  Next came the cutting, seasoning and marinating of all the colorful fresh vegetables being readied for roasting.  Everyone working in the kitchen, the serving room and the dining room manned a post.  People were: boiling water, mixing the gravy, mashing the potatoes, cutting fruit, tossing the salad, presenting the sushi, cutting the rotisserie chicken, brewing the coffee, mixing the punch, cutting the cake, washing the dishes and much-much more!  We are truly thankful for all the many and willing hands of our committee members and faithful helpers; otherwise it simply would not be possible to host these special luncheons!

Well…before long, our guests started arriving and as they entered the dining room, they were greeted by: John & Gloria Nakamura, Alan & Judy Fukuda, and Ken & Keiko Tanase.  As our guests made their way to their tables, they were quickly greeted with a tasty cup of punch by our young members (Matthew Machida, Kaleo, Keoki, and Kulani Chan).

As our festivities began, Watson Louie gave a very warm welcome to our guests before he introduced his ice breaker game (which is always a hit with lots of laughter and ah-ha’s around the whole room).  So, this time, it’s “Food Trivia”.  Let’s test everyone’s food knowledge!

Q: What was the first fruit eaten on the moon?  A: Peach

Q: What is the most produced and consumed grain in the world?  A: Corn

Q: What is the official state vegetable of Oklahoma?  A: Watermelon (really?)

Q: Where was the Hawaiian pizza invented?  A: Canada (that’s why they use Canadian bacon…ah-ha!)

Q: An average ear of corn has an even number of rows, so it usually has how many rows?  A: The average is 16 rows

Q: What is the only food that doesn’t rot?  A: Honey (even if it crystallizes, you can heat it up and it’ll melt down again)

Q: What is the most stolen food in the USA? A: Meat, candy, infant formula and cheese (while cheese is #1 in the world)

Q: During any given month, 36% of Americans actually eat what for breakfast?  A: Cold pizza (must be all college kids?)

Q: What is the most eaten vegetable in Japan?  A: Daikon (of course!)

Q: What company produced an electric rice cooker as its very first product?  A: Sony (thought they only made TVs?)

Pastor Mike came up to pray, asking the Lord to bless our time together and for our food.  So, there was actually one table that got five correct answers on the trivia and they got to go to the buffet line first.  Lucky!!  Our menu this time included: prime rib, rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, sushi, roasted vegetables, sweet rolls, mandarin orange salad, fruit platter, and strawberry cake for dessert.

After lunch, Dr. Gary Kato had some more great health tips and advice for everyone.  If you have prescribed hearing aids or know someone that does, please be sure to use them or remind others to use them.  Studies have shown that using those hearing aids actually help slow down memory loss.  To aid in fall prevention, take a recommended daily dose of Vitamin D and B12 to boost your alertness/response.

So, whenever we wish someone a special day or a _____ holiday, we’d often say “Happy _____!”  The key word is Happy ⇔ Happiness.  In scripture, Blessed ⇔ Asher (which in Hebrew means happy).  Dr. Gary wanted to make sure that everyone knows this, especially around this time of the year with less daylight time and/or the absence of family members, people can often get depressed without being aware of it.  And serious depression can set in quickly if left unchecked.  An even more serious condition can stem from chemical imbalance which needs medical attention immediately.  These are issues that can seriously affect the young and the elderly!  Dr. Gary handed out a quick survey to everyone and asked them to grade themselves on their current mental state.  He also advised everyone to be honest with himself/herself and to seek proper medical or counseling help if he/she is worried/believe to be needed.

Dr. Gary read from scripture and cited eight passages that will help everyone be filled with bliss and happiness: Mark 11:25, Philippians 3:13-14, Matthew 6:25,27, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Philippians 4:11-12, I Peter (list of virtues), Hebrew 4:16, and Matthew 6:33.

When Jim Spray came up, he told everyone that he’s really thankful!  Especially during this time of the year, he is really thankful for cranberries, because he loves eating cranberry sauce with his turkey.  One year, after their thanksgiving meal, he saw that there was a lot of cranberry sauce left and he wondered why that was.  So, Grace, his wife told him that he was the only one in their family that was excited about cranberry sauce…and the audience laughed!  Alright, Jim’s joke for the day: What’s the difference between a cranberry farmer and a pirate?  Answer: The farmer treasures his berries, but the pirate berries his treasures…and the audience chuckled!

Better move on to the aerobics Uncle Jim!  Okay, let’s do some: squats, stretches and deep breaths.  Forward kicks and punches…1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.  Side kicks and punches…  Repeaters à Knee lifts to the side and punches to the right and to the left…  Hey come on, is that John Nakamura dozing off at the back of the room?

Theone Tollefson and Lisa Brouwer (on keyboard) came up to lead everyone in a joyful time of group singing.  Theone told everyone that when you’re thankful and merry, your happiness will certainly come out in your singing.  You know what?  She was right!  Everyone sang: (1) Come, Ye Thankful People, Come; (2) We Gather Together; (3) Ring Those Bells; (4) We Wish You A Merry Christmas; (5) Joy To The World; (6) Silent Night; (7) Mele Kalikimaka.

Many of us may know Merrill and Jo Valberg simply as a friendly couple that sits quietly in the pews each Sunday morning.  But how many of us knew that: they’ve both served in the USAF; they met while working in Micronesia; they’ve been married for nearly 50 years now and have been attending FBC for just about as long; they have three children and two grandchildren; they’ve started, owned and ran several very successful manufacturing businesses over the years; and they’ve ministered to Washington State inmates for many years?

Jo Valberg graciously shared her testimony with us this day.  Jo was born into the Takara family in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1947 and was adopted by her paternal aunt’s family that same year.  Growing up, she attended church with her friends and accepted the Lord as Savior when she was 12.  Jo recalled how the Word spoke to her: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”  Jo understood that she would become His child by childlike faith in His work to bring her into a relationship with Him, as He showed His love by dying for her and the world.  Therefore, she was born again.  Amen!

Jo grew up in the Manoa Valley, where she graduated from Roosevelt High School before moving to the mainland to attend nursing school at the University of Colorado.  Through her college years, she attended IVCF and continued growing and trusting the God of the Bible and His will for her life.  Upon graduation, Jo became a nurse and moved to the island of Kwajalein in Micronesia.  There, she met Merrill, who was working in a satellite tracking station.  And the two have been together ever since!

Throughout her life, Jo have had fine muscle tremors, which last year was finally diagnosed as Essential Tremors, a hereditary condition affecting 3 of the 6 siblings of her birth family.  It had been a daily struggle for her coping with activities such as writing and eating.  And by last year, she shared with Merrill her struggle while taking the communion cup.  Merrill lovingly said, “Don’t worry dear, I’ve got it.”  As the communion tray would go by, he took her cup and placed it in the pew’s cup holder, then he would pass the cup to her and they’d share in the Lord’s communion together!  Isn’t the Lord (and Merrill) just wonderful!

Jo continues by sharing about The Lord’s Table ministry, which she and many others (at FBC and other churches) have faithfully served under the tutelage of Kay Abe, has fed the Seattle downtown homeless for over twenty-five years.  Faithful FBC volunteers would prepare and cook a hardy meal of chicken vegetable stew with all the helpings, condiments, desserts, and hot/cold drinks and haul everything down to 6^th Avenue and Cherry Street (to a secured feeding site) to feed the long line of homeless and hungry people at 8pm.  Various churches would do different days of the week and together they’d feed the homeless four nights each week.

After, they’re done feeding the people and packing up, they’d end in a circle of prayer led by Kay Abe, giving God all the glory.  Kay would share references from Isaiah 58; Proverbs and Matthew 25, which led her to The Lord’s Table ministry through her son, Norman, in 1991.  Kay had faithfully served for 27 years and was physically at the feeding site when the Lord called her home last year (at age 91).  She was a true hero to the homeless and to so many others, as she radiated the love of Jesus!

So beyond clear directives to feed the hungry, Jo feels personally challenged by what the prophet Isaiah had said: ‘To lose the chains of injustice, set the oppressed free, break every yoke, provide the poor with shelter, clothe the naked and not turn away from our own flesh and blood.’  We’d want to love and serve those who are in need, especially praying for them and be present with them, as God is.  The Lord provides in the finest of details.  Jo blesses the Lord for His faithful calling on those in our congregation, who’d continuously serve quietly and faithfully.

In closing, Jo shares that being a part of The Lord’s Table has been a way of experiencing the body of Christ working in synchrony, with God’s living Spirit orchestrating His work even to the minutest details.  She sees His leading in the lives of the seniors, young adults, in their families and in their children.  Jo is grateful for their commitment and trusts His raising up those who will follow Him in the future.  She is excited to see what exceeding and abundant plans even beyond everyone’s expectations that the Lord has for all of our lives, at FBC, and at His Table that will bring Him pleasure and blessing!

Pastor Mike, in closing, thanked Jo for her many years of faithful service and encouraged others to share and get involved.  As the Valbergs are now retired and may be relocating out of the Seattle area, a new generation of helpers will be needed to help in the ministry.  Pastor Mike prayed and closed our time together.  The Seniors committee wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas and (as Dr. Gary would agree) a Blissful New Year!!!

Christian Sports League – Basketball

Sep 8 – Nov 24

FBC Knights team & JxJ Allstars team