CELEBRATING OUR 5TH YEAR! Destination Day Trip Chico

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A Postcard From God My dear, wonderful, precious, favorite …

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Sr. Pastor - Bill Cummins

elcome to the 5th Anniversary Issue of

Bear Creek Connections Magazine. It’s amazing how God has blessed and used this magazine as a positive tool of encouragement and information all over San Joaquin County!! Thanks for picking up this quarterly issue. As we approach the end of 2015, we can look back and say what an interesting year it was. We saw some ma-jor ‘cultural’ shifts take place in our nation. We have all come to realize that we are a world economy. When one country, like Greece or China, experiences an eco-nomic challenge, it directly affects our national Dow Jones economy. That’s why it is so important to make sure that our lives and souls are anchored to some-thing solid and secure. At Bear Creek Church, we offer you that hope that is rooted in solid Bible teaching, uplifting worship music, warm fellowship, and relationships that are cultivated in home groups. We also have excellent student and chil-dren’s ministries that meet every Sunday and Wednesday night. If you are not yet a part of a church family, I want to invite you to come and check us out this Sunday at 9, 11 am or 5 pm. I’ll be looking for you. With warm regards, Pastor Bill Cummins

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Humorist Jana Flaig

“I Never Asked, Why Me?” “It would have been nice if He had sent me a postcard.”

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November 25, 2015 Bear Creek Community Church

Thanksgiving Eve Service 7pm

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On Our Cover

Tucker is an 11 week old Border Collie, happily belonging to Sarah Nitschke. He likes to play with his fellow housemates, take walks and learn new tricks. Tucker knows how to sit, stay, lay down, shake, leave it, spin left, spin right and fetch. He's got big paws so he won't be small for much longer. Photo by: Brandon Savage

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Meet & Greet

I Am Bear Creek Profiles Andrae Sanchez Sr. Monique Warren Christopher A. Loyd

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I The following are excerpts from the book–FIGHT FEAR and FOSTER FAITH; Gain the Hope & Courage You Need to Overcome Difficult Circumstances

never asked God, "Why me?" However, it would have been nice if He had sent me a postcard to forewarn me of the coming battle, reassure me of its outcome, and confirm that the test of my faith would result in a clos-er relationship with him. Maybe then I wouldn't have been so afraid along the way. I imagined the postcard would read: "My dear, wonderful, precious, favorite daughter Jana" (it's my imag-ined postcard from God, so it can say whatever I want on it.) "just a line to let you know you'll be stricken with ovarian cancer, fear for your life, endure the pain of major surgeries and suffer the ill effects of chemotherapy. But, fear not for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you in my righteous right hand." Signed, God. "P.S. Don't stock up on hairspray." In a way, God did send that postcard. He was that unrelenting voice inside me: "Go back to the doctors, they haven't found it yet." Again and again I went back, driven by His perceived voice nudging me. Almighty God also gave me a sense of urgency to prepare for Christmas early, accompanied by the vexing thought: "You'll be in the hospital by Christmas." Well, that was a crazy idea because I was a health nut who has never been the patient. And besides, I was not going to be that one woman out of three to get cancer because I subscribed to Prevention Magazine and faithfully followed the cancer prevention tips. In December, I was a patient in the hospital for the first time in my life. After surgery I went home to a rent-ed hospital bed and was surrounded by Christmas decorations, complete with wrapped presents under the tree. That's the holiday I'll never forget. Not only because God forewarned me of the coming trauma and told me to prepare for Christmas early, but because of how He walked me through it with the support and faith of other Christian believers. Although their prayers and presence alone were enough, sometimes their visits included a bowl of spa-ghetti or a little gift. My friend, Amy, brought me a new pair of cozy slippers. Just in case I was too high from pain meds, on the bottom of each slipper she wrote the foot on which I should wear it. She didn't have to go that far. If she'd written it on one slipper, I could have figured out the other. My husband, Frank, gave me a practical gift. He knew the pain sometimes woke me up at night, so I kept a book on the hos-pital bed I could easily pick up and read until I could fall back to sleep. His gift was practical and creative - a combination bite guard and reading light.

God gave me hope and encour-agement through friends and my church family. It was like a postcard from God.

Jana Flaig is an Author, Speaker, Inspirational Humorist, Christian Comedian. Her book Fight Fear and Foster Faith is available at Amazon.com and the Bear Creek Church Bookstore.

www.janaflaig.com

I f you are looking to get away for a few days, I might know the perfect place. This destination has just about everything one is looking for in a "getaway." Here are 3 reasons why you should make this city your choice of destination very soon. First, the 2.5 hour drive this fall will be unforgettable! Incredible scenery and spectacular sunsets that a photo can’t truly depict will be the background for nature at its finest. You may notice numerous dots moving gracefully across the sky with a choir of thousands honking lightly in the background. As they come closer you will realize you have front row seats for a very rare and magnificent performance even Cirque du Soleil can’t match. Second, if you like to kayak, swim, hike, picnic, golf, run or play croquet, then you are heading for the right place. Chico is a mecca for sports and all outdoor activities. It has a 3,670 acre municipal park; 3rd largest in the United States. While the "upper" portion of the 11 mile park is within city limits, the rug-ged "lower" portion is set in the foothills where a well known creek flows out of a steep canyon creating stunning rock for-mations and popular swimming holes. Third, there is a vibrant downtown which is the heart of the city and the center of many cultural events. It’s a generational melt-ing pot of college students and residents who choose to sup-port the downtown merchants recognizing the benefits that a dynamic downtown offers. Here are 4 reasons why it is so pop-ular. 1) Every Saturday you can find a large gathering at the farmers market. They have the freshest of seasonal fruits and vegeta-bles. Don't forget to get your fresh eggs, just baked bread, honey right from the hive and a large bouquet of cut flowers at reasonable prices. More info at: chicofarmersmarket.com 2) Chico believes in showcasing art in public places and has been named 10th of "The 100 Best Small Art Towns in Ameri-ca,” by John Villani. One of my favorite art displays is the 16 art benches scattered downtown that were created as artistic trib-utes to famous persons who contributed to the character of Chico in some way. More info at: chico.ca.us/community/city arts/ 3) The University of Chico offers many opportunities for resi-

dents and visitors to enjoy the performing arts in many genres that in-clude music, theater, dance, comedians, etc. Check their website at: csuchico.edu/upe/performance/ 4) Downtown Chico is pedestrian and bicycling friendly. The streets are clean and the sidewalks are wide and it's easy to spend hours walking shop to shop without a care. There is quite a variety of merchants and goods that are unique and reasonably priced for the most part. My fa-vorites include: Magna Carte, Made in Chico, Christian & Johnson, Grapes and Vines, and I can't forget Colliers Hardware; you could spend hours in there alone! More info at: downtownchico.com And now the final category: Food and Drink, where you say? Down-town of course and my favorites are: Cafe Coda for breakfast; Broad-way Heights or Madison Square Garden for lunch; and Banshee for drinks, fish tacos, burgers and Mac and cheese with bacon! More info at: downtownchico.com Well, I hope you are able to get away soon and no matter which direc-tion you head I hope all your destinations are wonderful; who knows I may see you in Chico!

Photos by Nancy Jordan

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T hey are walking among us! There is a wide-spread epidemic invading civilization. An epidemic so significant, it is wreaking havoc on our lives! I'm not talking about a flesh-eating, reanimated human corpse. I'm talking about another type of "zombie." One that results in pain and disfiguration of the head and neck. I'm talking about the "Text Zombie." How can you spot these Text Zombies? All you need to do, is go to the mall and do a little people watching. Just look for those people with some small device in their hand, their necks bent forward and heads down. A condition known as "text neck." You may even catch them bumping into each other or a wall. With an attempt to make our lives faster, easier, and "better," there has been an alarming increase in popu-larity of electronics, particularly, the "smart" phone. And because we may no longer desire to actually talk to one another, our preferred method of communica-tion? Texting. The problem with texting? Aside from the fact that it ig-nores the personal/human touch of communication, aside from the fact that it takes our at-tention off much

more important matters, like our kids or our driving, texting can also have an adverse physical effect on our bodies, specifically, our head and neck.

With normal pos-ture, the weight of your head is approximately 12 lbs. For every inch forward that you carry your head as in when you are looking down at your phone, it is like adding 10 lbs. to it. When this happens, the mus-cles in your neck

and upper back work harder in order to hold your head up. This causes those muscles to fatigue. It also causes undue pressure on the joints of the spine and, in turn, the nervous system. This can result in a myriad of health problems like neck pain, fatigue, headaches, numbness or tingling of the arm or hand, visual or

hearing disturbances, to name just a few. If you think that you may be one of these Text Zombies, consult with a chiropractor immediately to see if you can be saved. Whether or not you are one of these zombies, if you must use your device, avoid looking down at it. Keep your head up and let your EYES look down at it. And be sure to educate your family and friends. Together we can stop the rise of the Text Zombies!

Scott Inoue is a chiropractor and the owner of Inoue Chiropractic, located at 333 San Carlos Way in Stockton, and has been practicing since 1997. For more information about chiropractic and how it can benefit YOU, call (209) 956-5122.

A s a fitness professional, Fibromyalgia is one health issue I frequently encounter, particularly in fe-males. It is often misunderstood when it comes to an effective fitness program. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that can affect daily life. It is characterized by widespread musculoskel-etal aches, pain and stiffness; migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), soft tissue tender points, general fa-tigue, restless legs syndrome (RLS), numbness or tin-gling of the extremities, and sleep disturbances. The specific causes of Fibromyalgia are still relatively unknown. Although pain and fatigue may make exer-cise and daily activities difficult, it’s crucial to be as physically active as possible. Scientific research has re-peatedly shown that regular exercise is one of the most effective treatments for Fibromyalgia. Those who have too much pain or fatigue to do vigorous exercise should begin with walking or other gentle exercise and build their endurance and intensity slowly. Good exercise choices include swimming, walking, biking and low im-pact aerobic classes. Although research has focused largely on the benefits of aerobic and flexibility exercises, the addition of a properly designed strength training program has been proven to be beneficial to Fibromyalgia sufferers. Working with Fibromyalgia clientele for over 10 years, I’ve learned that the easiest way to create an effective exercise program is to break it down into three areas: cardio, stretching/flexibility and strength. Learning how to start slowly and progressing at the

right pace are keys to not making symptoms worse and will eventually help provide relief from the pain of Fi-bromyalgia. Here’s a list of exercise guidelines to follow for those with Fibromyalgia: Warm-Up Proper warm up is critical. Like regular exercisers, start-ing slowly is important to loosen up the muscles and prepare the heart for exercise. At least 10 minutes should be allowed for a thorough warm up. Begin with at least five minutes of walking or light aerobic activity. Next, perform strength training movements involving each joint without weights. This is because people with Fibromyalgia usually have less blood flow, meaning it’s harder for the brain to send signals to the muscles. Stretching Stretching should be performed after warming up the muscles. Start with 5 minutes and gradually build up to 20 to 30 minutes. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 sec-onds. Your routine should not involve getting up and down from the floor too much. Stretching should be done again after cooling down. The benefits of stretch-ing include improved circulation, relieving pain symp-toms and loosening tight muscles (specifically around the neck and shoulders). Cardio Start with light walking or biking for five minutes and add two minutes every week until at least 30 minutes of continuous activity can be performed. You can then slowly progress to running, if tolerated. Aquatic exer-cise is also a great choice, since it takes pressure off the joints. Just make sure to avoid water that is too warm or cold, as this can exacerbate symptoms.

Strength Training Strength training should not be performed until you can tolerate walking and stretching without becoming exhausted. When starting a strength training program, begin with one exercise per muscle group and per-form one set. Start with a resistance light enough to perform 6 reps minimum with proper form. Perform the exercises without weights and then progress to resistance bands or machines that limit eccentric move-ments that lengthen the muscles, which are associated with increased muscle tears in people with Fibromyal-gia. Allow 2 to 3 minutes rest intervals between sets. Use this time for stretching the muscle you are work-ing. Work towards completing a strength training rou-tine 2 to3 non-consecutive days per week, and increase the number of sets and reps slowly… as tolerated. Core Development Performing abdominal and low back strengthening ex-ercises are important, but should be performed last. Relaxation Techniques Deep breathing and relaxation techniques are very helpful in alleviating Fibromyalgia symptoms and should be included in your exercise routine right away. Relaxing can help to loosen muscles and prevent ten-dons and ligaments from shortening, which makes them weaker. Examples of relaxation techniques in-clude meditation, visualization, and progressive relaxa-tion. Progressive relaxation involves tensing each mus-cle group and then releasing it. Cool Down Cool down five minutes aerobically after working out to lower your heart rate closer to your resting heart rate and prevent blood from pooling in your extremi-ties. Contraindications Those with Fibromyalgia cannot progress as fast as normal exercisers and should allow more time to in-crease weight, sets and repetitions in their programs. Since neuromuscular facilitation is also slower, moving backwards is not recommended. Exercises such as up-

right rows, knee extensions, pull ups, rowing machines, barbell squats, and cable crossover machines are con-traindicated because they put too much stress on espe-cially tender areas in Fibromyalgia sufferers. Shorter, more frequent exercise sessions are preferred initially as opposed to one long session. If chronic fatigue, troubled sleeping, or headaches develop cut back the intensity of your workouts. To get fit and help alleviate some of the pains caused by Fibromyalgia it will take your commitment towards performing a gradual fitness program consisting of car-dio, stretching and strength training. It all starts with the proper education, a little determination, and a lot of patience! Be encouraged and as always…keep the faith! Pastor Bobby

Pastor Bobby is BCCC’s Sunday Evening Pastor. A graduate of the University of Alabama, he is a certified

fitness professional. Pastor Bobby is a speaker and presenter to area schools, youth groups and churches on fitness, wellness and health-related issues. He is married to Camilla our Evening Worship Team Ministry

Leader and they have three children, Jessica, Cristen and Bronson.

Gardening & the Good Life y 5 year-old grandson Casey is crazy about superheroes. His favorites are Batman, The Hulk, Spider-man and the Green Lantern. At first, when he would tell me about their “superpowers,” I just listened. I knew we would have to sit down and have “the talk” about what’s real and what’s “not real.” Luckily, he took it well and now we make up silly su-per hero stories almost every day. They include, Aaachoo! Man, Frog Man, and Snow Ball Man, to name a few. While doing some research for this article Casey asked me, “Whatcha doin’?” and I said, “I am writ-ing about trees.” Our little chat swung back to the super heroes and I shared with him that all plants have “super powers,” but trees being the largest and longest living are the greatest help to people and ani-mals on the earth. Then I went into full on animated story mode and told him about photosynthesis. To get the full effect you’ll have to reach back and find your 5 year old imagination. “So Casey,” I started, “One of the coolest super powers a tree has is called photosynthesis. That’s because they are able to make all their own food; they don’t even need to go to a grocery store! Their hungry leaves grab a bolt of light from the sun and mix it with green goop, and then a pinch of air is added and “poof” just like magic and even faster than a microwave, the food is ready. Isn’t that crazy and amazing all rolled up into one?” His eyes lit up and he exclaimed, “That’s cool! They must be the good guys!” I say, “You are super right!” and I think to my-self, trees are pretty super and that’s only the beginning of what good they can do.

Photosynthesis (for grownups) and the downfall of the carbon cycle. Light from the sun is the major source of energy for all living creatures on Earth. The sun inundates the earth with (solar) ener-gy. 99% of that energy is absorbed by oceans, or is reflected into space; the re-maining 1% is captured by the leaves of plants, which act like solar panels. Water absorbed by the tree's roots is carried up to the leaves where carbon dioxide, ab-sorbed from the air, with sunlight and chlo-rophyll, chemically combine to create sugar. The leaves store the sugar in the form of glucose ready to increase the tree’s girth and width, which will hold 50% carbon by weight and then life giving oxy-gen is released back into the atmosphere. It’s a perfect cycle that kept carbon diox-

ide under wraps until natural disasters like vol-canoes and wildfires occurred. And then there is man, who thought slashing and burning large portions of forests in the tropics was a good idea to grow crops, but it wasn’t. The daily rain had long ago washed away nutrients the crops would need. The trees over time had found nutrients in other ways… now that’s a super power!

Trees help balance the air we breathe. The Greenhouse Effect is the insulating and warming of the earth’s surface as a result of various gases in the atmosphere such as car-bon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. Without this effect, life as we know it wouldn’t be possible, the planet would even lack water. Global warming in theory is the rising of the earth’s surface temperature as a result of increased concentrations of various gases especially the notorious villain of climates everywhere, car-bon dioxide.

Trees closer to home. Multiple plantings of trees in the city are called urban forests. They are an ecosystem of their own found in parks, school yards and residential areas and use “super powers” here as well. In cities, when concrete and asphalt heat up from the sun, trees can lower air tem-peratures by as much as 25% and also clean the air by removing dust particles and harsh pollutants. A single large tree can release up to 400 hundred gallons of water in a day. On average a mature tree releases 260 pounds of oxygen a year. Two healthy mature trees can provide enough oxygen to support a family of four. Trees add beauty to our communities and research has shown we can gain a sense of well being and vitality in their presence. As you can see, trees are a wise investment and we should plant as many as we can especially in our own neighborhoods and that would make us super heroes too.

Photos by Nancy Jordan

S aturday, August 1 was a beautiful morn-ing. University of the Pacific was the perfect venue for a 5K and Kids Run! Over 100 runners and walkers came out to support Bear Creek Water and get some exer-cise. Drip, our mascot, was there to cheer everyone on as they crossed the finish line. Families and friends en-joyed bagels and coffee and a chance to win some pretty awesome raffle prizes. Thanks to everyone in-volved and especially to our Coordinator, Melody Mun-sey. The result was a fun morning for all and over $4000 raised toward wells 75 (in partnership with Tem-ple Baptist Lodi) and 76 which is being drilled in Ethio-pia! Keep your eyes open for information on next year's Run for Water!

S ince joining Bear Creek Church 4 years ago the cause of Bear Creek Water and Living Water International has been near and dear to my family’s heart. As a mother of 3 children, I am concerned about the future. We are recycling, but now recycling has taken on a whole new meaning for my family. When we go to the park, to a party, or on a walk, we always bring a bag for the collecting bottles and cans. We ask our family and friends to col-lect on our behalf and we let them know what Bear Creek Water does so they can be as excited as we are about recycling and helping bring clean water to other countries. It’s easy in this day and age to worry more about what is happening close to home instead of the plight of those in far away places. We feel blessed to be able to share these dis-cussions with our children. Watching our oldest, Xavier, share with others about the cause of build-ing wells is inspiring. He takes his job of spotting bottles and cans very seriously and is happy to jump out of the car to grab a bottle or can off the street if we see one in the gutter or in a trash can. He and our daughter Jocelyn will even fight over who gets to jump out and grab it! Even our youngest, Ezekiel at 3 years old gets in on the fun by yelling at people he sees throwing away bottles instead of putting them in a recy-cling bin. He proudly says, "We recycle!"

by Anna Davis

hose were the words that a bewildered man shared with me one day. As he poured out his heart, his voice reflected the utter frustration and despair he faced. His teenager was using drugs and failing in school. His wife was questioning whether or not they should continue their marriage. He was having doubts about stay-ing in a troubling relationship and was daydreaming about walking away from it all! Sound familiar? Well, it’s a fact. All relationships have troubles, difficul-ties and challeng-es. It comes with life. But fortunate-ly we do not have to do life alone or in a vacuum. We can do life together with others in this amazing place called ‘The Church.’ ‘The Church’ is really a hospital for sinners and not a showcase for saints. ‘The Church’ is a place to receive healing, hope and resto-ration for a life that has been turned upside down. At Bear Creek Church we know that life is hard and that most of us struggle with issues in our marriages, our families and our inner selves. Because that is true, we are offering you hope, teaching and encouragement. On Wednesday nights, we have a ministry called THRIVE. We provide age appropriate classes for your entire family. We offer classes designed to strengthen your family and your marriage. It all starts at 5:30 p.m. where we provide a delicious meal for only $3 per per-son. At 6:30 p.m. all of our adults, teens and chil-dren’s classes begin. Just show up and join us on Wednesday nights. Each Sunday this fall, I am doing a teaching series on

marriage and the family. We will examine a broad ar-ray of topics and issues that people are facing today in their relationships. We’ll look at the ‘First Family’ (not the Obama’s) but Adam and Eve. We’ll examine their mistakes and learn how to avoid them in the future. We’ll then study principles that create a happy family

environment for hus-bands, wives and the kids. One Sunday I’ll talk about ‘How to attract God’s favor on your family.’ Future teach-ings will focus on God’s blueprint for your fami-ly, how to avoid being a destructive husband or wife and how to build a strong family when you are a solo parent. You won’t want to miss a single Sunday at Bear Creek Church. But if you have to be gone, you

can always check out each Sunday’s teaching by going to our website at www.bearcreekchurch.com and fol-low the links to Sunday Sermons. Our church is a community church and we really care about our community. That’s why we not only offer exciting and stimulating services, but we reach out in-to our community to make a difference in the lives of people in Stock-ton and Lodi and the surrounding areas. I am looking forward to meeting you some Sun-day and welcoming you to our church family. God Bless You!! Pastor Bill

Pastor Bill has a unique teaching style that combines humor and truth with compelling insights

into God’s Word. The Sunday messages feel more like conversations than sermons, motivating listeners to join him on the journey to discover God’s purpose and passion for their lives.

Howdy! If you haven’t yet attended the Old West Har-vest Faire at Bear Creek Community Church you’re missing out on a great night out for the whole family. Come dis-cover all the fun and ex-citement that awaits you on Saturday, October 24 from 5 – 8 p.m. There’s lots of Free Fun at Bear Creek Gulch (Old West Town) where every building has a themed game plus face painting, crafts and live music in our huge Teepee. You won’t want to

miss the Trunk or Treat Miner’s camp where you’ll get lots of candy! You’ll want to take a break at the Chuck

Wagon where grub is only 4 bits each (50 cents) and don’t miss the OK Corral where you can ride a real horse for only 2 bucks. Admission is only one can of food per person. B Triple C Ranch, oth-erwise known as Bear Creek

Community Church, is conveniently located between Lodi and Stockton just North of Eight Mile Road. Check us out at www.bearcreekchurch.com.

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A ccording to a study on media influence by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 8 to 18-year-olds spend over seven hours a day using entertainment media. That's over 50 hours per week! And when they're involved with screen time they're not exer-cising, meeting with friends, talk-ing with family or negotiating in-person relation-ships. Now maybe it’s just me, and the teenagers in my house, but I found that if we really want to connect with each other, we must be even more intentional about all of those things. Let’s face it, we’re all busy and at the end of the day most of us would rather order out, sit on the couch and tune out the world around us. But wait – what is this doing to one of the most im-portant groups in the world - the family group? The family connection? No surprise that it’s deteriorat-ing. We’re not engaging one another face to face, not looking each other in the eye…we have left the “confines” of face to face conversation to the more

freeing and lazy avenue of texting each other even when sitting in the same room! So what can you do? Here’s 3 quick steps to help you

connect the family to each other. Step 1 – Once everyone is home from school (or work), set a time limit on devices be-fore and after dinner. Step 2 – Have a defined dinner time…whether it’s just you and the family cat or you and the whole family tonight, put down the phone and don’t pick it up until the dishes are done. You’ll be amazed at what hap-pens.

Step 3 – Designate at least one movie night and one game (like a board game) night every week. With the winter months upon us, this should be an easier task and your kids will start to count on it and even look for-ward to it! The real key is this – it takes effort and at first it won’t be popular with your kids, but let’s all remember that “parenting” is not spelled F-R-I-E-N-D. Blessings! Or should I say #blessings?

Pastor Gene Hardin joined the Bear Creek staff in November 2014 as Pastor of

GroupLife (formerly small groups). He has served on staff at area churches as well

as currently working with the Child Abuse Prevention Council in Stockton as the Director of The Lisa Project.

He is married to Lindy who partners with him in GroupLife as well as serving as the

Executive Director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council.

O That brings us to today. I would like to point out that there are some award-winning crime dramas. But, as well-written and well-produced as these shows are, they are not without their potent edgi-ness, therefore, I cannot recom-mend them so freely. There are some funny comedies, like… actually, I can’t think of any of those either that I can recom-mend with a clear-conscience. Help me out here folks! I’m wracking my brain for a mod-ern, specific program that I can list and can’t think of one. What does that say about what we are watching? One day I thought I’d check out a current, critically-acclaimed western series. But, unfortunately I had to abandon it early on because of the language alone, and I went to Rutter Jr. High! My grandma loved westerns, but she would have been appalled at this one! Are there wholesome, current shows on television? Yes. Some folks like The Hallmark Channel, but I pre-fer Huell Howser’s travelogues on PBS and some His-tory Channel shows like Wild West Tech and American

Pickers. I have checked out some of those “swamp shows” too. They can be quite entertain-ing, but I tend to be extremely selective when it comes to reali-ty shows, especially when

they’re all about laughing at a real person’s mistakes, weaknesses and problems.

I can say with conviction that whatever programs we have nowadays, they will never be as zany or imaginative as a family of hillbillies from Arkan-sas that strike oil, get rich and move to L.A., a wise-cracking talking horse, a sweet-natured Frankenstein monster, a goofy Marine who constantly gets on his drill sergeant’s nerves, or a deputy sheriff in a small town, whose antics we can’t help but laugh at, because we recog-

nize our own awkwardness at his character’s ex-pense. Unfortunately, so much of today’s comedy is built on cheap laughs, innuendo and shock humor; it is all the same, and boring, wit and humor… do not enter into it. I used to like some of the cartoons like King of the Hill and the Simpsons because I recog-nized characteristics of people I knew and myself, alt-hough quite exaggerated in those outlandish charac-ters. But yes, those are now classic TV shows, as well. It’s really no surprise that classic TV has endured! You can easily find the good classic shows on Me TV, An-tenna TV, Hulu and NetFlix plus various other cable channels and internet sites, just to name a few. Just think, in 2015, you can still enjoy TV that you, your kids and your grandma can enjoy together!

K, everyone who knows me, knows that I enjoy many of the old television programs from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Since I have a slight aversion to the word “old,” I would prefer to categorize them as clas-sic TV. I recognize that there are current television programs that contain some fine writing, acting and production value, but I must argue that today’s enter-tainment industry frequently favors being edgy over being creative. The programming of yesterday had better variety and I maintain was much more imagina-tive. In the 50s, 60s and early 70s we had: Leave it to Bea-ver, Dennis the Menace, I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, Rifle-man, Rawhide, Bonanza, the Munsters, The Addams Family, Gilligan’s Island, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Andy Griffith Show, The Wonderful World of Disney, F Troop, Green Acres,

The Beverly Hillbillies, I Spy, My Mother the Car, Mis-sion Impossible, Route 66, Dobie Gillis, Gomer Pyle USMC, Mr. Ed, The Ozzie and Harriet Show, Charlie’s Angels, The Dukes of Hazzard, Happy Days, All in the Family, Adam 12, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mork and Mindy, Hee Haw and many more. Look at the va-riety in the above mentioned programming: west-erns, kid shows, satirical horror characters, rural-family comedy, urban-family comedy, “fish-out of wa-ter” comedy, talking horses, talking cars, espionage drama, police dramas, western spoofs, social com-mentary and teen comedies. Some shows weren’t always so good, but some were great and timeless; check out the Dick Van Dyke Show and Andy Griffith Show, for two stellar examples. In addition to that, I can’t recall watching anything from that era that was obnoxiously politically correct, propaganda-laden or preachy, just entertaining.

That brings us to today. I would like to point out that there are some award-winning crime dramas. But, as well-written and well-produced as these shows are, they are not without their potent edgi-ness, therefore, I cannot recom-mend them so freely. There are some funny comedies, like… actually, I can’t think of any of those either that I can recom-mend with a clear-conscience. Help me out here folks! I’m wracking my brain for a mod-ern, specific program that I can list and can’t think of one. What does that say about what we are watching? One day I thought I’d check out a current, critically-acclaimed western series. But, unfortunately I had to abandon it early on because of the language alone, and I went to Rutter Jr. High! My grandma loved westerns, but she would have been appalled at this one! Are there wholesome, current shows on television? Yes. Some folks like The Hallmark Channel, but I pre-fer Huell Howser’s travelogues on PBS and some His-tory Channel shows like Wild West Tech and American

Pickers. I have checked out some of those “swamp shows” too. They can be quite entertain-ing, but I tend to be extremely selective when it comes to reali-ty shows, especially when

they’re all about laughing at a real person’s mistakes, weaknesses and problems.

I can say with conviction that whatever programs we have nowadays, they will never be as zany or imaginative as a family of hillbillies from Arkan-sas that strike oil, get rich and move to L.A., a wise-cracking talking horse, a sweet-natured Frankenstein monster, a goofy Marine who constantly gets on his drill sergeant’s nerves, or a deputy sheriff in a small town, whose antics we can’t help but laugh at, because we recog-

nize our own awkwardness at his character’s ex-pense. Unfortunately, so much of today’s comedy is built on cheap laughs, innuendo and shock humor; it is all the same, and boring, wit and humor… do not enter into it. I used to like some of the cartoons like King of the Hill and the Simpsons because I recog-nized characteristics of people I knew and myself, alt-hough quite exaggerated in those outlandish charac-ters. But yes, those are now classic TV shows, as well. It’s really no surprise that classic TV has endured! You can easily find the good classic shows on Me TV, An-tenna TV, Hulu and NetFlix plus various other cable channels and internet sites, just to name a few. Just think, in 2015, you can still enjoy TV that you, your kids and your grandma can enjoy together!

Pastor Jebby joined our church staff as Pastor of Worship & Drama in the fall of 2006. Pastor Jebby

brings a rich background in leading worship and drama. He has written several original musical dramas as well as worship songs. Pastor Jebby has over twenty years of worship leading experience. He is

married to Ronda who serves alongside him in our Drama Ministry. They have two adult sons, Garrett and Graeme.

S

o, as I am writing this, we are still in summer – the weather, high double or even triple digits. Summer eve-nings, BBQ’s, pool parties, picnics with family and friends. Baseball season, soccer season, football pre-season. It’s back to school or college for some and for others, it’s the first time they set foot in unfamiliar plac-es with even more unfamiliar faces. Then all of a sud-den those of us involved in the music ministry at church begin to think about preparing for the season of sea-sons. Yes, you’ve guessed it, Christmas. Let’s see, what should we do, a drama, a cantata? Who should we in-volved? When do we start rehearsals? Trying to get vol-unteers… so it goes on. Breathe… Don’t forget to breathe… In the meantime all the regular church ministries con-tinue. Children’s, Women’s, Men’s & Youth, Bible Study, Group Life… As we focus on reaching the lost for Christ and building up the faith of those who already have a personal relationship. Did I mention we’ve probably de-cided on our Christmas program and rehearsals have already begun? Breathe… Don’t forget to breathe… The season begins to change as we move into fall. This is so an American thing; no white after Labor Day. I still don’t get it. Students have settled into their routine. Now we turn our thoughts to those other events. Har-vest Faire, Halloween, Thanksgiving… We’re really in the thick of things now.

Breath… Don’t forget to breath... WAIT!

My life shouldn’t be this way Lord Jesus This isn’t why You came, Lord Jesus

I want my Life to change and find a better way I want the Prince of Peace to reign

Prince of Peace by Celeste Clydesdale So glad that Christmas is the one time when we are able to really focus our thoughts on why Jesus came into the world. We can use this time to teach our chil-dren and remind the world and ourselves that Christ is indeed the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, Emmanuel, Je-sus the name above all names. Christ came into the world because He is Love! Let us not be reticent in wishing everyone we meet a Merry Christmas and go even further by saying Jesus Loves You. After all, He is really the reason for the season. By the way, our Christmas program is a musical, The Christmas County Spelling Bee. It takes place on Sun-day, December 20th at 5pm. Please come along and enjoy this amazing musical which is all about how we spell LOVE… J.E.S.U.S!

Elaine Hanley joined our church staff in January 2015. Elaine is a gifted singer, songwriter,

recording artist and worship leader. She began her ministry of music in her home town of Manchester, UK. Elaine garnered wide experience working with choirs of varying ages within the

church, schools and community settings. She has also taught in colleges and has diplomas in Adult Education and Music. Plus, she has a lovely English accent.

“Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well and the Lord will raise him up.” James 5:14-15

PRAYER for HEALING

MONDAY NIGHTS

Drop by 6-8pm FRIDAY MORNINGS

By Appointment

OPEN to EVERYONE

For more information:

Call or email Dotti Cummins

(209) 329-1551 ~ prayingdotti@aol.com

or call the church office

W hen I graduated high school there was a question lurking in the back of my mind that I was afraid to ask…what is this all for? I had worked to get into a good college, and I had achieved that goal. Looking ahead, I saw my life unfolding. I would go to college, graduate, get a job, etc. But, what was the purpose of all that? I didn’t know the answer yet, and that scared me. In a talk put on by a club I joined at USC I heard a speak-er say something that really stuck with me, “There are three things in life everyone will decide, whether they think they have or not: their master, their mission, and their mate.” He proceeded to explain how your master would be whatever you put in charge of your life. It could be God, a job, a relationship, your family, or even the pursuit of a good time. Your mission is what your life is about, what you’re striving and working for; and your mate is who you chose to partner with in this. Who you chose as a master will dictate what your mission is; for example if you make “fun” your master, then your life’s mission will be to have fun. It’s important to deter-mine your master and mission before you choose a mate, because you’re going to want the person you team up with to be going in the same direction (Amos 3:3). Thinking through what that speaker said, I realized that until my sophomore year in college, I had chosen the wrong master. For a long time, I gave school the king’s throne in my life. I let it determine my priorities, schedule, and ultimately my self worth. When I did well in school, I felt good about myself, and when I did poorly in school, I felt as though I was the worst person to ever exist. Luckily, I had a friend who loved me enough to tell me about God. Until my conversation with her I never truly understood just how much God loves me, or the great sacrifice He made for me. The moment I caught a glimpse of who God is, I knew He was the one I wanted to spend my life following. School was a terrible master. It ordered me to stretch myself thin, measure myself by my grades, and chase after the wind. God is a perfect master. He has my best interests at heart and I know He is more than worthy of my trust. Since the day I made the choice to follow Him, the mission of my life changed. To know Him and to make Him known are now the objectives of my life, because there is nothing greater than God. If I could encourage you to do one thing, it would be to seriously ask yourself: who or what have I made the master of my life? Are you happy with that choice?

Pastor Brandon Savage is the Pastor of Youth Ministries at Bear Creek Community Church. He focuses on relationship building with teenagers in order to better impact their lives for Jesus Christ. He is passionate about showing students how a life fully devoted to God can be entirely fulfilling. Contact Pastor Brandon at : PastorBrandon@BearCreekChurch.com

Mention this ad and receive 10% off your book purchase at the Bear Creek Bookstore.

Open Sundays 8:00—1:00

Name: Andrae Sanchez Sr. Age: 40 Occupation: Small Business (screen printing); Con-struction (remodeling). City I live in: Lodi CA. How long I’ve attended Bear Creek Church: Around 8 years. What I enjoy most about BCC: I enjoy the fellow-ship and the love that’s felt through each Bear Creek Family member. Ministry I serve in: Amplified Youth; Celebrate Recovery—The Landing program; Sunday Morning Prayer. Why I serve in this ministry: I was called to help in each Ministry and led by the Spirit. I do have a deep passion for helping with any youth program. When telling others about BCC I use these words: The presence of the Holy Spirit. A key event in my life and the impact it had on me: When my son was diagnosed with cancer, it showed me how to fully trust in our Lord and Savior. If I could do anything, I would: I would take the place of my son’s battle with cancer. Favorite Bible Verse: Matthew 11:28—30. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Favorite BCC Event/Activity: Wednesday night THRIVE. Last Movie I saw or Book I read: Hosting the Presence by Bill Johnson. Favorite vacation destination: Southern CA, Disneyland. Hobbies/Special Interests: Huge RAIDER fan. RAIDER NATION!! Favorite Holiday: Christmas & 4th of July. Favorite time of day: Bedtime. Pets: Two dogs—Patchez & Bubblez. The people who mean the most to me: Christ first, then my boys, family, and BCCC extended family. Other information: I am always given what I need through trusting in our Father, Christ Jesus.

Andrae

Photos by Steve Spurlin

“I have never felt so blessed. The fact that through

troubles, Christ has restored and given me strength.”

Photos by Steve Spurlin

Name: Monique Warren. Age: 24. Occupation: Environmental Engineer. City I live in: Stockton, CA. How Long I’ve attended Bear Creek Church: 1 year. What I enjoy most about BCC: Worship with people who have a love for Christ, family and each other. Ministry I serve in: Bear Gardens, Ampli-fied Youth, Anchor and morning announce-

ments. Why I serve in this ministry: In short, God calls me to serve

(Mark 10:45) and I love kids! When telling others about BCC I use these words: No

matter where you are in your relationship with God BCC is a great place to learn and grow with a group of truly ac-

cepting and welcoming people. A Key event in my life and the impact it had on me: One

day during lunch with my friend Erin, she explained God’s love to me. She extended a pen to me and asked, “If I’m

offering this pen to you, when does it become yours?” I was unsure what she meant and said, “When you give it to me?”

And she replied, “No, it becomes yours when you decide to take it.” Until that conversation with her, I never realized that I had

spent my whole life basically rejecting God. Hearing that God not only loved me, but completely loved me before I even accepted Him, totally changed my perspective. It was then that I under-stood what it means to be a Christian, and from then on I have completely committed my life to Christ. If I could do anything, I would: Become a long-term mission-ary to an unreached people. Favorite Bible Verse: Joshua 1:9 & Romans 5:3-5. Favorite BCC Event/Activity: Club 31 and the Harvest Faire. The people who mean the most to me: My family, friends

and community in LA. Really, everyone God has placed in my life.

Other information: So blessed to find BCC since I left my church and com-munity in LA last year.

Monique

“… God not only loved me, but completely

loved me before I even accepted Him…”

Photos by Steve Spurlin

Name: Christopher A. Loyd Age: 37 Occupation: Firefighter / EMT City I live in: Stockton How long I have attended Bear Creek Church: Since December 22, 2013. What I enjoy most about BCC: I felt at home from the first time I walked into the lobby and still do. Ministries I serve in: Youth Leader / Security Team Member / Prayer Room / Worship Team Altar Prayer Partner / Celebrate Recovery. Why I participate in these ministries: John 12:26—Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. I wanted to become a con-tributing member, not just a church attendee. When telling others about BCC I use these words: I met Jesus there… Come and See (John 1:39) A key event in my life and the impact it had on me: Being baptized with my wife this past year. I became sold out to Christ, taking part in His death (Romans 6:3-5), and becoming united with His spirit. If I could do anything, I would: Retire early and pursue a career in the Ministry. My favorite family Bible verse: Galatians 2:20. I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Favorite BCC Event/Activities: Picture of Jesus-drama. I was invited to play the role of a Roman Soldier. Last movie I saw or Book I read: Experiencing God (Blackaby,1994). Favorite vacation destination: Time away from work, with the family, we are more day trip people as opposed to travel people. Favorite Holiday: Christmas. Favorite time of day: The first hour of the day. I am not a morning person, but this is the time I spend almost exclusively with the Lord, praying and reading. Pets: Chihuahua’s Lilly & Cash and a Rat Terrier, T-Bone. The people who mean the most to us: My beautiful wife, Jennifer and my two children Byron and Aubrey. Other information you would like to share: Come to our Men's Group Thursday nights at 6:30 pm in the ‘lounge’ at Bear Creek Church.

Christopher

“I wanted to become a contributing member,

not just a church attendee..”

Lane Pearson

209.481.1017

LP@LanePearson.com

P earson

REAL ESTATE

since 1989

N ow that the fall months are rapidly approach-ing, the summer seems to be so far away. The Amplified Student Ministry at Bear Creek Church had a jam packed, fun-filled summer season. And, the highlight of our summer was our trip to Camp Berryessa. We had a weeklong stay at the cabins of Camp Berryessa at Pleasure Cove Marina in Lake Berryessa. Altogether, we had 27 students and 10 adults for a fun-filled week with water sports, games and most im-portantly, God’s Word. Eve-ry day we would wake up, have break-fast and spend time with God. We praised God together and spent 45 minutes alone talking to God. Sometimes this is the most challenging part of church camps. Trying to think of something to talk to God about for 45 minutes can seem like an eternity, but as the week progressed and each one of us got more practice at it, it started to feel

more comfortable. After our time with God in the morning, we started our day of water sports. This included a 24-passenger pontoon boat (or sometimes better known as a par-ty boat), a 15-passenger wake set-ter ski boat, and 2 Seadoo jet skis. Many students got to try

wakeboarding for the first time, most of them suc-ceeding to stand up on the board, and we also had a three person tube that was a favorite.

Every evening we docked the boats and came in for food and the Word of God. We were privileged to have Kord Jacobsen from River Oaks Grace Church in Oakdale, Cali-fornia to come for the week as our guest speaker. He taught on the Armor of God out of Ephesians 6. After a piece of armor was taught on, students had to gather in their teams to make that piece of armor out of duck tape and

cardboard. The armor was then put on for a final wa-ter balloon battle at the end of the week. All in all, camp was a success.

Pastor Brandon Savage is the Pastor of Youth Ministries at Bear Creek Community Church. He focuses on relationship building with teenagers in order to better impact their lives for Jesus Christ. He is passionate about showing students how a life fully devoted to God can be entirely fulfilling. Contact Pastor Brandon at : PastorBrandon@BearCreekChurch.com

W

e are thankful for the many blessings we have received and the ones we have been able to give others on our Mexico Mission Trip July 13-18, 2015. Our mission trip to Tijuana with Spectrum Ministries, was a time of caring, helping and loving the people of Mexico who have much less than we do. We had many moments of joy and blessings. We started off the week preparing 700 sandwiches and taking them to the dump to feed those who were working there, then it was off to the Boys Home to give them a donation to purchase items needed for school - shoes being the number one item purchased. We also made burritos for the Ray of Light orphanage, played games with the kids and did some wild face painting. Bags of groceries were delivered to a poor neighborhood, where most live days without any food for their families. Thursday is Activity Day for Spectrum. This day includes washing hair and feet after the children have the joy of selecting clean clothing and socks. Boys receive hair-cuts as well. Each child is given a bag with a banana, orange and apple in it. There are over 200 children who take part in this day. Adults go thru a line and receive vegetables. On our last day we built a home for a single mom with three children. This house which would be like a shed for us, has one window and one door and is completed in one day. The cement floor was prepared for us ahead of time so it was ready for construction when we arrived. Building this home is a team effort that all of us participated in - from the youngest to the oldest, male & female. We carried wood, transported building sup-plies to the construction site, hammered away, held up walls to be attached and the young ones even helped with the roofing. We had long days, but working together as a team we were blessed. We were also blessed with short lines when we crossed back over the border at the end of the day. This made our tired team very happy this year.

What we need are serving experiences in which we can ex-

ercise our spiritual muscles. Serving is the opposite of

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goldi2540@hotmail.com License No. OH48391

What we need are serving experiences in which we can exercise our spiritual muscles. Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we’re more interested in “serve us” than service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, “Who’s going to meet my needs?” and starts asking, “Whose needs can I meet?” These trips are life changing and you find that it creates relationships and builds a sense of community different than what we are used to in life, work or at school. We want to thank everyone in our church family for the donations made. We were able to fill one church van to the brim with clothes and other supplies. This really makes this trip successful because Spectrum needs all of these things to be successful in their mission each week. We are already planning our 2016 Annual Mexico Mission Trip for next July 11 – 16. Something new we have add-ed is taking 3 day mission trips (Wednesday to Saturday) during the year. If you are interested in participating in either of these opportunities to serve God by serving in Tijuana, Mexico, contact us, Bob and Judy Lees at 952-5541.

H.O.P.E., (Helping Other People to Expand), is a Stock-ton based non-profit organization that continues to grow. H.O.P.E. is dedicated to decreasing gang mem-bership and focuses on increasing safety in Stockton through evidence based educational programs and one-on-one street outreach with at risk youth and adults. During the sum-mer of 2015, our summer youth participants cleaned up over 40 city blocks, in-cluding the histor-ic Magnolia dis-trict. H.O.P.E. con-tinues to maintain these areas, as well as cleaning up the community parks, including: E Weber, Sandman, Dentoni and Eden. We also provide assistance to local businesses to maintain their properties and keep Stockton looking like an all American City at all times. The summer youth were featured on KCRA news on June 28, 2015, the Stockton Record on July 3rd, and Channel 10 on July 10. During summer of 2015 we mentored at risk youth one on one so they could learn about working, having skills and showing their peers they are serious about being stable adults. In the youths own words they learned respect, responsibility, leadership and integrity. We have also helped raise sexual assault awareness while working with Saving Stephanie. H.O.P.E continues to work with Stockton Unified School District, Lincoln

Unified and the homeless. H.O.P.E. programs need your support to maintain the goal for our outreach pro-grams. H.O.P.E. helps the underprivileged through our food distribution pantry. We host a food giveaway once each month for the families who are short of food. Held

on the third Thurs-day of each month, partici-pants must sign up the day before to receive a ticket to attend the pan-try giveaway. Presently, H.O.P.E. serves at risk youth and adults in Stockton providing counsel-ing, job training, job placement, education, and positive re-entry into society for parolees. H.O.P.E.

also served thousands of community members per year at monthly picnics and community outreach events, providing support and services to help with long and short term issues. With a 67% success rate, H.O.P.E. has assisted at risk youth and adults with employment, and many are in a GED Program or in college. H.O.P.E. builds positive mentors to replace negativity in communities. To date, we have helped 286 participants with job placement. H.O.P.E. also assists our veterans with the hardships of life. H.O.P.E. offers several different programs to our veterans to help them get back on track. The programs consist of, the Dress to Achieve, Computer Literacy and our food program. The veterans appreciate knowing

there is someone out there for them. H.O.P.E. is currently gearing up for this year’s holiday season with hopes of sur-passing last year’s numbers of over 800 families served at our 2014 Thanksgiving events and Christmas toy drive. The con-tinuing success of H.O.P.E. depends on community donations. With the continued support of our generous community mem-bers and local businesses, we can continue to change people’s lives for the better, and help the less fortunate with opportu-nities they may not otherwise have. Anyone that would like to help support our cause may do so by submitting your contribution to the H.O.P.E. organization in person, by mail or at our website: www.hopesjc.org, or feel free to contact our office at 209-565-5729. You can also find us on Facebook at Helping Other Peo-ple to Expand; we also have a wish list for items needed around the office and out-side projects. All donations are tax deduct-ible and may be acknowledged in several ways. We will list your name or the name of your organization in our annual pro-gram book, as well as on any promotional material we produce. H.O.P.E. relies on the support of generous donors such as you. Your donation will help ensure the success of our youth, our future and the future of Stockton leaders.

WISH LIST: Office equipment: Printer ink, printers, new or refurbished computers. Lawn and Garden equipment: Weed eater, lawn mower, leaf blower General Items Store gift cards Van for transporting volunteers.

Helping Other People Expand Founded by Glenn & Audrey Jose 920 N. Hunter St., Stockton, CA 95202 Phone 209-565-5729 www.HOPEsjc.org 501c3 Nonprofit Agency Tax ID 26-3736086

Kids in Christ — 1st through 6th grades The purpose of this ministry is to connect children to

Jesus; teaching them to honor God by obeying His

Word; to respect one another; to invest time and

talent by serving; to spiritually grow, developing a

biblical world view, so that lives are transformed.

Our vision is that Kids In Christ will be a program in

which hundreds of children will participate because

they feel Christ’s love and acceptance here; they en-

joy an exciting environment in which to learn; they

live God’s Word; they want to invite their friends;

they feel safe; they bond together with their fami-

lies. If you have questions about our programs con-

tact:

Ann Pacheco childrensdirector@bearcreekchurch.com

Nursery/Kindergarten Your children from

birth to Kindergarten

are nurtured in a safe

and comfortable envi-

ronment. Bear Creek

Community Church is committed to providing a hap-

py, secure experience for your little ones. Our care-

givers and teachers are prepared to show your child

God’s love in an environment in which biblical teach-

ing, Christian compassion and servanthood are

demonstrated and taught. This will be the beginning

of a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Our goal

is to assist parents in laying a solid foundation of

faith in the lives of their children. If you have ques-

tions about our care contact:

Flower Hagele nursery@bearcreekchurch.com

High School —

9th through 12th grades The purpose of this ministry is to foster a vibrant,

growing Youth Group that recognizes teen’s need

for acceptance, boundaries, fun and fellowship with

adults who love them unconditionally. We show

teens they are loved, accepted, and part of a thriv-

ing community. We encourage teens to enthusiasti-

cally pursue being intellectually, physically, emotion-

ally and spiritually fit, and inviting their friends to

join them in this

pursuit. Most

importantly we

continually en-

courage these

young people to

discover, con-

nect with and

follow Jesus. If

you have questions about our programs contact:

Brandon Savage pastorbrandon@bearcreekchurch.com

Unshakeable Jr. High — 7th & 8th grades “I wait quietly be-

fore God for my

salvation comes

from Him, He alone is my rock and my salvation; my

fortress where I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2

This is our verse for the Junior High ministry and

where we get the name Unshakeable. The purpose

of this ministry is to foster a strong sense of who

the Lord is and encourage them to go out into the

world with this truth firmly rooted in their lives. We

provide a safe place for teens to be themselves

while setting boundaries and demonstrating respect

for others. If you have questions about our pro-

grams contact:

Sonia Siria Sonia_S@bearcreekchurch.com

Group Life Join a small

group and

experience:

Strength to endure life's challenges.

Wisdom to make everyday decisions.

Accountability which is vital to your spiritual

growth.

Friendships that will encourage you in Christ.

Here at Bear Creek Community Church we believe in

the value of community. We have small groups for

adults in every stage of life from singles to newly-

weds to empty nesters. We have a group for you! If

you have questions about our programs contact:

Pastor Gene pastorgene@bearcreekchurch.com

Men’s Ministry BCCC Men’s Ministry is a place to learn about God’s

plan and work God’s plan for his children, in our

church and our community. The Masculinity of Jesus

is our model. We want

to develop men who

sense what biblically

muscular, masculine

Christianity is all about.

Power under control.

Strength clothed in

tenderness. As we

work with men on this

level and use Scripture

to reshape their atti-

tudes, they will be-

come all that God

meant them to be. If you have questions about our

programs contact:

Rich Manning r-manning@sbcglobal.net

Young at Heart Young at Heart is for those who are 50 years and

older or those who just like to have fun. Enjoying a

delicious potluck meal, listening to and learning

from guest speakers, movie nights and participating

in various other activities

together form the basis of

lively Young at Heart get-

togethers. It’s a great time

to connect with friends

and embrace new ones!

Young at Heart meets the

third Friday of every

month (between January

and October) at 6:00 p.m.

in the Worship Center Lobby of Bear Creek Commu-

nity Church. If you have questions about our pro-

grams contact:

Donna Davis davis820@sbcglobal.net

Women’s Ministry The purpose of this

ministry is to help

women become con-

nected to each other,

deeply and meaningful-

ly. We need each other

in a world that is fast paced and pulling on us from

every direction. Even more importantly, Women’s

Ministries exists to connect women deeply and

meaningfully to God. Our purpose is to encourage,

equip and enrich. We do this through opportunities

to study God’s Word together; pray together; laugh

and have fun and fellowship together; learn spiritual

principles that equip us to face the challenges and

choices that confront us; serve God with our gifts

and talents; reach out and serve others; and support

one another. If you have questions about our pro-

grams contact:

Dotti Cummins wm@bearcreekchurch.com

EDUCATION/GROWTH CLASS 301—ESSENTIALS

OCTOBER 25, 11AM

CLASS 101—CONNECTIONS

NOVEMBER 4, 6:30PM

CLASS 401—SPIRITUAL GIFTS

NOVEMBER 22, 11AM

FELLOWSHIP

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

MONDAYS 7PM

ANCHOR—YOUNG ADULTS

MONDAYS, 7PM

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

TUESDAYS, 6:30PM

YOUNG AT HEART

3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, 6PM

MEN’S BREAKFAST

2ND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, 9AM

CLUB 31

3RD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, 9AM

SMALL GROUPS

MONDAY—FRIDAY IN STOCKTON & LODI

SPECIAL EVENTS ACAPULCO WAY OUTREACH FALL FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 10, 11AM—3PM

WOMEN’S RETREAT

OCTOBER 16—18, SUTTER CREEK

HARVEST FAIRE

OCTOBER 24, 5PM—8PM

GUEST SPEAKERS: RON & DONNA MUELLER

MISSIONARIES TO AFRICA NOVEMBER 22, 9AM & 11AM SERVICES

THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE

NOVEMBER 25, 7PM

ISRAEL MISSION TRIP

DECEMBER 10—20

CHRISTMAS PLAY—CHRISTMAS SPELLING BEE

DECEMBER 20, 5PM

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE

DECEMBER 20, 5PM

Mark Your Calendar April-June 2015

The Redwoods Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Board of Directors

Michael Boyles

Paul Fillon

Mike Glover

Fred Hagele

Charley Hauner

Daryl Labarthe

Heather Tiffee

Fred Weibel

Elders

Ismael Hernandez

Ken Kreitzer

Janie Labarthe

Curtis LaFever

Rich Manning

Donna Siria

Rob Siria

FOUNDING & SENIOR PASTOR - Bill Cummins ............ pastorbill@bearcreekchurch.com

WORSHIP/DRAMA PASTOR - Jebby Moates ........... pastorjebby@bearcreekchurch.com

SUNDAY EVENING PASTOR - Bobby Spencer .......... pastorbobby@bearcreekchurch.com

GROUPLIFE - Gene Hardin ………………………………….pastorgene@bearcreekchurch.com

YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES - Brandon Savage ............... anchor@bearcreekchurch.com

YOUTH MINISTRIES - Brandon Savage .............. pastorbrandon@bearcreekchurch.com

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY - Ann Pacheco ............ childrensdirector@bearcreekchurch.com

NURSERY/KINDERGARTEN - Flower Hagele .................. nursery@bearcreekchurch.com

WOMEN’S MINISTRY - Dotti Cummins ............................... wm@bearcreekchurch.com

MEN’S MINISTRY - Rich Manning ....................................... R-manning@sbcglobal.net

PRAYER MINISTRY - Dotti Cummins ......................................... prayingdotti@aol.com

MISSIONS MINISTRY - Debby Harris ........................... debbyh@bearcreekchurch.com

CELEBRATE RECOVERY - Paul Fillon.................................... paulndeanna@hotmail.com

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR - Tamra Quinn .................. tamraq@bearcreekchurch.com

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR - Debby Harris ...................... debbyh@bearcreekchurch.com

Bugs Collision & Restoration 1251 E Bianchi Rd Stockton CA (209) 474-3372 Page 24

Eco Chic Salon 5940 Pacific Ave, Ste C Stockton CA (209) 644-8111 Page 17

Lodi Auto Repair & Smog 2501 S Stockton St, Ste C Lodi CA (209) 334-9999 Page 13

Lodi Tile Works 130 N Sacramento Rd Lodi CA (209) 369-9682 Page 51

McSparren Auto Glass 2634 N Wilson Way Stockton CA (209) 466-4901 Page 26

830 S Beckman Rd, Ste L Lodi CA (209) 333-2601

Nationwide Insurance 123 S School St Lodi CA (209) 334-1400 Page 28

Mike Torrente’s Automotive 420 W Lodi Ave, Ste B Lodi CA (209) 334-4610 Page 5

Village Flowers & Gifts 527 W Lodi Ave Lodi CA (209) 333-3377 Page 6

Vision Flooring 13400 E Collier Rd Lodi CA (209) 369-1166 Page 2

Weibel Family Winery 13 N School St Lodi CA (209) 370-6013 Page 32

California Pest Control calpestcontrol@gmail.com (209) 242-2784 Page 36

Mary Kay Consultant BriAnne Eaton brisbees@marykay.com (916) 792-0975 Page 43

TX Sayles Construction Company Thomasxsayles@hotmail.com 9209) 570-2196 Page 10

Alpine Mortgage Rich Longmire (209) 327-0263 Christy Torres (209) 955-9568 Page 38

Ellie Chitwood Insurance (209) 327-7797 Page 36

Greenfield Property Management www.greenfieldPM.com (209) 263-0122 Page 5

Jim’s Computer Service & Repair www.jimscomputerservice.com (209) 662-1063 Page 38

Lyon’s Garage www.LyonsGarage.net (209) 200-3944 Page 22

Pearson Real Estate www.LanePearson.com (209) 481-1017 Page 36

Reach For Life www.REACHair.com/membership (800) 793-0010 Page 30

Xerox Color Press www.fourcopies.com (877) 522-5587 Page 52

Covered California goldi2540@hotmail.com (209) 479-8831 Page 43

Steve Spurlin Photography ssfrphoto@gmail.com (209) 482-0768 Page 22

Special Note:

This Business/Service Directory is published as a service only.

BCCC takes no responsibility for the validity of businesses or services listed in this directory.

To list your Business/Service please contact Debby Harris at (209) 951-9229.

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This magazine printed on the Xerox Color J75 Press.