Topics for May 2012:

• 29th & May 2nd
• The Aliens are Coming
• Video Trailer
• 6th & 9th
• Follow Your Dreams
• Video Trailer
• 13th & 16th
• Mormons
• Video Trailer
• 20th & 23rd
• Breaking the Cycle of Sexual Abuse
• Video Trailer
• 27th & 30th
• In the Beginning…
• Video Trailer

With the recent addition of our new worship leader, it seemed appropriate this month that Member’s Corner be dedicated to offering our congregation an opportunity to get to know him, Tyler Thompson.  Hopefully, this interview will help you to feel more connected to the man who brings us into the presence of God through worship each Sunday.

            Tyler, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you and your family these past few weeks.  Tell us about the life stage you’re currently at in your life.  Hello CCC!  I am certainly in the family stage of life!  Liz and I have been married for almost 6 years, and our daughter, Charlotte, has just turned one.

            We remember those days too well!  But let’s step back a bit.  Where were you raised and what was your family life like growing up?  I had a great family growing up, raised in a Christian home.  My dad, mom, sister, and I lived in Anaheim and then Phoenix, Arizona, for most of my childhood.  I was born in Whittier, however, and it was somewhat clear that I would return to California at some point!

            What point was it, then, that you became interested in music?  I first became interested in music as a kid, around 8.  My parents made me take piano lessons, and I hated them!  I grew to love playing, however, and began to think that a career in music was both what I wanted and what God was leading me to.

            Most kids with musical giftedness have some encouragement.  How did your family support your musical interest, were they also musical?  I always say that I get my singing voice from my dad and my lungs from my mom.  My dad played the guitar and sang for us as kids, and to this day there are only a few people that I have seen project their voices better than my mom!  She taught me how to use my breath early on!

            Were there others who were most influential in your musical development?  There are several people who have been very influential in my musical development.  From afar, I grew up wanting to be the next Michael W. Smith.  He was the guy that I patterned myself after, as an early musician.  In college at Biola, my voice professor, Dr. William Lock, was highly influential in my life as a mentor and musician.  During my Master’s Degree at Cal State Fullerton, Dr. Gerald Seminatore began to have an influence and he continues to this day.  There have also been conductors and directors along the way, such as John Alexander, John Williams, and even brief encounters with Placido Domingo!  I continue to be encouraged and developed by my supervisors and colleagues at Biola, including Dr. Jeanne Robison and Walt Harrah.

            Most know that musical talent doesn’t just happen.  What did you concentrate on to develop your ability?  Using practice time well!  You have to learn how to practice well, as a musician.  Otherwise, you can be wasting your time, as well as the time of all your colleagues.  I have concentrated on a good practice routine and being wise with how I spend my time.

            The time you’ve invested appears to have paid off.  What doors have been opened to advance your career?  I have performed with opera companies across the United States, including Los Angeles Opera, Long Beach Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Toledo Opera.  I have taught in a variety of colleges and universities, including Biola University, Fullerton College, and Cypress College.  I have been blessed to be involved in worship ministries in California and Arizona, including HOPE Christian Fellowship, Grace EV Free in La Mirada, and others!

            Wow!  Sounds like you have been blessed with a well-rounded career.  But we all know what completes any endeavor. . . what place has God – and does God – play in your music?  HE is the King and the object of all our worship!  As a believer, I have been called to offer my very life as worship to the Lord.  Music is simply another tool we have to bring Him glory.  I am blessed to be involved in a wide variety of genres and arenas that can all bring glory to the Lord through music.

            It’s encouraging to know your heart for God, Tyler.  When did you first come to know Him?  I became a believer when I was four years old.  I remember coming home from church, knowing that I was a sinner, Jesus had died and rose from my sins, and that I wanted to spend eternity with Him (a childlike faith)!  My dad prayed with me in our backyard, and I came to know Him as Lord and Savior!

            Even at such an early age you sensed your need for Him, but why is worship also important to you?  It is the function of Creation to bring glory to the Creator!  I take great joy in responding to the Lord with worship.  If we do not, even the rocks will cry out!

            I like your understanding that all glory and worship is ultimately directed back to God.  This attitude must have shaped your life.  How has He moved to mold your heart (life) through the years?  God has changed my heart to be focused more on Him and on His people.  In recent years especially, God has led me to be much more concerned about seeking His Kingdom first and letting “all these other things” come as they may.  Where I used to be concerned about other things first, God has directed my heart towards Himself, my family, and His local church!

            In our favor, it appears CCC is now reaping the benefits of your spiritual growth!  How was it that your position here came about?  Our family was looking for a church in our own city!  We had seen the difficulties of connecting with a church body when attending churches that are located a distance away.  We wanted to find something right here in our own backyard!  I saw the opening that Pastor Doug had posted, and we began to pray for God’s leading.  We believe that He made it abundantly clear that He wanted us at CCC!

            And with the “us” includes your wife Liz.  I’ve had a few delightful conversations with her, but tell us more about her.  She is a beautiful, passionate, and compassionate woman!  She is constantly cheering for the underdog (which is probably why I had a shot with her in the first place) and is willing to put herself in the shoes of another to see where they might be coming from.  As a result, she is a very good listener and confidant.  She is a good mother to Charlotte and still finds time to be a wedding photographer and modern dancer!  I am blessed to have a wife such as her!

            Knowing that the introduction of a child turns lives up-side-down, how has Charlotte changed your life?  Charlotte changed EVERYTHING!  I know people always say that, but it’s true.  God used Charlotte to change my focus in so many ways and He has given us a great joy through her.  She is a blast to be with and I am so blessed to have her call me “Da-da!”  I often feel as though I am discovering life all over again through her sweet eyes!

            With family, church, careers, what does a typical week look like in your life?  I teach Monday through Friday at Biola and Fullerton College with flexible hours and will be at CCC for staff meetings, rehearsals, or any other work / relationship time that He leads in!  Saturdays are typically a Sabbath day for me, time to rest and be with the family!

            In addition to your already full life, what do you like to do for past time (hobbies, interests, sports, etc.)?  For hobbies, I like to play basketball, read, play games, and swing-dance with Liz!  I like to swim with Charlotte and I also like trying new things, to see what other hobbies I can add to the list!

            Truly God works all things for the good to those who love Him.  Now having directed your steps here, what do you envision during your time at CCC?  Growth!  For myself, for my family, and for the church.  We are excited to grow together with you and with our King!  May He conform our wills to His and add daily to our number those who are being saved!

            My prayers are definitely with you on this!  Because of having a better understanding of your heart, Tyler, I sense your position here to be a piece of a bigger and more wonderful thing God is doing here at CCC.  I believe I can confidently say on behalf of my family and me, as well as our congregation . . . Welcome!  Thank you, again, for your willingness to let us know you better.  We too look forward to growing and worshipping our Heavenly Father together with you and your family!

A light brunch will also be served consisting of deviled eggs, fresh fruit, and  cookies along with coffee or tea.

You are urged to invite your friends to join us as we remember this holy time on the Christian calendar.

If your last name begins with:

Questions:  Call Audrene at 714-526-7505

or e-mail audsch@netzero.net

Topics for April:

• 1st & 4th
• Why Did I Survive?
• Video Trailer
• 8th (Easter-No Lifetree) & 11th
• To Heaven and Back
• Video Trailer
• 15th & 18th
• Living Online
• Video Trailer
• 22nd & 25th
• Overcoming Worry
• Video Trailer
• 29th & May 2
• The Aliens are Coming
• Video Trailer

Return of Nerd Bowling!

$15/per student

Win Prizes for Best Nerd Attire!  Pizza Included

@ South & Carmenita

Need a Ride?  Leaders will be at Christ Community Church @ 5:30 to pick-up.  We WILL NOT be able to take home

Questions? Contact Kevin@ccbp.org

March brings the new & improved Sunday morning programs, ‘Dive In’ for 5th & 6th grade and ‘Wide Awake’ for 7th & 8th grade.  Starting March 11th, the Barracks will be open at 10am every Sunday for 5th through 8th graders with worship starting at 10:15am, followed by an opening game or activity.  After, we’ll split into our 2 groups for discussion time.  We are still looking for some helpers for Sunday mornings, so please let me know if you are interested.

Spring into Spring

You are invited to “Spring into Spring” at our Sociable Seniors fellowship this month.  Several activities are being planned to help us celebrate this beautiful time of year.

Feel free to call Audrene at 714.526.7505 if you have any questions.

“Every Man’s Marriage”

What every man wishes he knew about what his wife desires most.  Authors Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker (with Mike Yorkey) believe that every man can meet the secret desires of his wife.  The problem is, most of us aren’t exactly sure what that desire is and how we can go about fulfilling it faithfully.  In Every Man’s Marriage, you can discover the common misconceptions about what it means to exercise biblical authority, and understand the role of submission in the marriage relationship.  This groundbreaking book can help men grasp and apply essential but often overlooked principles for marital leadership.  Through candid reflections on their own struggles to achieve biblical unity in their own marriages, along with many years of combined experience in marital counseling, Arterburn and Stoeker apply solid, time-tested biblical wisdom to the everyday potential distortions that can lead to strife in a marriage.  The second book in the Every Man series, this is the perfect follow-up to the best-selling Every Man’s Battle. Every Man’s Marriage is a terrific resource for establishing mutual respect and sacrifice in your marriage based on Christ’s example of loving His bride, the church.

This study began March, 4 and continues for approx. 17 weeks.  Attendance is open throughout the series.

2 Kings

This month’s study takes us into 2 Kings, a continuation of 1 Kings which   traces the history of a few righteous and many not so righteous kings that sat on the earthly thrones of

Israel.  Time and time again we see the various kings trusting other gods, seeking wisdom and guidance for their future….and time and time again we see the disastrous results.  It is so easy for us to see how foolish they were to think that a pagan idol could give them what they sought and desired.  But who, or what do we turn to when we are faced with life’s challenges . . . or even the small decisions that each one of us makes daily in our lives?  Do we turn to Jesus and truly seek his guidance and wisdom?

March Circles will Meet:

Church Meetings (Room A-1)

March 1, Th – Charity 7:00pm

March 20, Tu – New Life 7:00pm

 Home Meetings

March 1, Th – Faith 10:00 am

March 1, Th – Petra 7:00 pm

March 1, Th – Hope 7:00 pm

March 5, Mo – Serenity 7:00 pm

March 19, Mo – Light 7:00 pm

 Mommy & Me

March 21, Wed @ 12:30am

“B” Bldg. Purple door

Leaders Meeting

March 27 @ 7:00pm

Jackie Koob’s home

Executive Board Meeting

March 22 @ 6:30 pm

In the Fellowship Center.

You are Invited to Attend!

Way Out Ministry in Hawaiian Gardens We are proud to have in attendance as our speakers, Berry and Terryl Bruce, the missionaries of our own Faith Circle from Women’s Ministries at Christ Community Church.  They will be sharing how they are “Spreading the Good News” in our local town of Hawaiian Gardens.  Before they were married they began their ministry with $100.00 in the bank and the support from a few members of El Dorado Park Church.  Way Out Ministry is named for the way of escape provided by Jesus from the pain and heartache that life in the inner city can bring.

The operation started from the Bruce’s home with programs that provided an alternative to gangs, “Survivors” for boys and “The Victors Club” for girls. In 1997 with a grant from The Reformed Church of America, they began the now named Turner Christian High School with one 7th grade class.  Their dream has expanded to high school classes through the 12th grade, many Adult, Youth and Outreach Programs, and a Student Center. The Bruce’s can proclaim the statement that there is “hope for the streets.”