Young Believers Breakfast Service Fundraiser is this coming Sunday morning!  Come with a hearty appetite!  They’ll be cooking all your breakfast favorites. 

Remember, early bird gets catches the tocino.

The church’s schedule for the Camden Neighborhood Center Homeless Soup Kitchen feeding is every last Monday of the month @ 11:30am.  Next feeding is February 25, 2008.  For more details, see Sis. Ligaya.

A prayer gathering starts at 8pm and will end at 10pm.  Elders and Deacons will wait and seek the face of God for direction, guidance and empowerment in the doing of His work through the church.

February 29
8pm-10pm

Evangelism conference is coming.  Please ask Bro.Popoy for details, for those who are interested in attending.

Come Celebrate With Us

9 years of God’s Faithfulness!

There is One Body and One Spirit just as You were called,  One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4-6

March 01, 2008, 3:00 pm
American Legion Hall, Post # 28
New Jersey and Mill Rd.
Absecon NJ, 08201

Contact Info:
Pastor Justin Gipitulan, 856.383.0215
jgipitulan@hotmail.com

The year 2007 has ended in a positive note.  The year 2008 has become a delight to look forward to.  To encourage you to move forward, there are some summary thoughts that reflect what we have done together, UNDER God this year.

• 1. Family Camp Retreat:  Great Support and Great Number of People
  We’re blessed by the kind of enthusiasm and support our people, friends, and participants have shown in our latest family camp.  Families were encouraged and inspired and challenged to build up and nurture a strong family.  This retreat is proving to be very helpful to everyone that came.  Next year, we’re forced to look for another venue to accommodate our growing number.  We’re looking forward to have about 300 participants up from 260.
• 2. Strong Giving:  Tithes and Offering Increase
  We’re commending the strong showing of our people towards faithful and consistent giving.  The record shows that our people have surpassed the previous year’s giving.  Our attendance has not moved much and thus, sees giving in the light of members growing on their practice of giving and those former students who have graduated and have become earners themselves now.
• 3.  Conscientious Fiscal Management
  Due to increased and bigger number of activities this year, we spend slightly above our projected expenses.  We commend the BOT for responding accordingly to situations that need their decisions.  You’ll be encouraged by their report come our Annual Meeting.
• 4.  Youth Group Stepping Up
  We do appreciate what the Youth group is doing.  They want to make a difference and so have domed some fund-raising campaigns.  They are maturing in the faith and work to get their needs.  They have shown commendable unity, love and strength when brokenness came their way!  We appreciate very much the labors of love: Bro. Rogie, Bro. Perze, and Sis. Marchesa are giving to these people.  Together, this bunch of people is potent.
• 5. Music and Worship Ministry
  We thank the Lord for the kind of gifted leaders and members we have leading our Worship Ministry.  More and more our praise time is very engaging.  Cantata presentations reveal the excellence our Worship has reached.  Glory be to God  for giving us men and women who love to work together for the glory of God.  We commend Bro. Dolly and Sis. Marchesa for leading praise Teams and Choir, Bro. Tom manning the sound system, and Choir members for work well done.
• 6.  Deacons Leading Major Ministries
  Deacons shall take charge in leading the major ministries of the church beginning January.  This is a new development in the approach of doing our ministry.  They shall form Ministry Team that will hlep them accomplish the task their given ministry undertakes.
• 7.  Church-Start Work
  We tried to start a mission work in Mt. Holly-Mt. Laurel area but generated no response.  We closed the attempted work last September and started to pray for a new one.  We appreciate very much the passion shown by the Mission Team for seeking the lost and bring them to the saving knowledge of the gospel of Christ.  We will attempt to start anew. 
• 8.  WMU Rejuvenated
  The series of Fund-raising Campaigns and Tea Parties proved to be healthy dosages for WMU.  They have accomplished so much and revived their fellowship.  They rediscovered what useful things they can do and accomplished together.  This is a great news for the church.  WMU forged and mobilized has always been a tremendous asset to church life and ministry growth.  Proven na yan.
• 9.  Re-Location Committee Formed
  The formation of official committee for relocation project signals the seriousness of our intent to move ahead and find solutions to our present need and future ministry developments.  This will bring us face to face with hard and costly decisions.  We have cast our long look forward and we are ready to take the necessary steps.  The greater the goal the greater the faith we have to exercise.  God honors the faith of those who trust Him.
• 10.  Baptism and Evangelism
  Thank God for the number of people baptized during our Family camp Retreat.  They are fruits of your witnessing and Bible Studies.  We are looking forward to having more people baptized this coming year.
• 11. SJBCI Cooperative Efforts
  We remain faithful to our commitments to our Associations and State convention through Cooperative Program offerings.  We remain one of the strongest ethnic churches in our State Convention and Association.  Bro. Popoy’s election tot he highest governing body of our entire denomination (as member of the Executive Com.) is a modest recognition of our church’s consistent and faithful support to our denominational efforts of reaching out to the lost and plant churches, locally and globally.
• 12. Daughter churches:
  Churches led by Pstr. Manao & Pstr. Yanson has reached stages of church life that show they are moving and maturing in the faith.  Soon, we will see their full independence from us.  The Church of the Good Shepherd in Voorhees is also set to conduct their constituting service next year.  Our daughter churches are curving their own growth pattern and are right now playing crucial roles in reaching out to their community.

We may not see it immediately but our won church has gained tremendous maturity over the year.  We overcame controversy and conflicts over issues and came out wounded but victorious.  We learned to bind our wounds and realize it is for greater advantage if we’ll move forward together than separate.  That forgiveness and reconciliation is by far, and excellent option than bitterness, condemnation, and judgment.  We learned how small we are and too preoccupied of ourselves.   Now we think more of others and how we can be of help to them.

We also sense the growing pleasure of giving the ministry than receiving the ministry.  A shift from expecting being ministered unto, to ministering unto others.   We are learning to live out the principles of koinonia and diakonia in our church.

Pray therefore that the LORD will bless HIS CHURCH, even more as we continue to follow to obey HIM in 2008.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 15:58

The SJBCI Online Calendar has been recently updated as of today.  Please feel free to use this resource as a reminder for all of SJBCI’s activities for 2008.  The SJBCI.org calendar is updated frequently, as more events are created throughout the year.

Some events have more information, so click on the name link of the event.

For those who want to submit dates, events, details, etc. please contact  marchesa.ababa@gmail.com.

The venue for the Valentine Fellowship for 2008 will be held at Columbus Manor from 6:30-11pm.  Please be a part of this event and reserve the date.  For further information, see Sis. Minda Jardinico or Sis. Josie Rimmey.

Valentine Fellowship: The Many Faces of Love
February 15, 2008
6:30-11pm

Rosewood Room @ Masso’s Columbus Manor
1351 North Blackhorse Pike
Williamstown, NJ 08094

Guest Speaker:
Dr. Stan Smith
State Director of  Missions
PA-SJ State Convention

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• To save/print an invitation, click on the bottom image.