All I could exclaim yesterday during the parade was “We have a great church!”  The parade was so successful and there were so many evidences of God’s grace, including the clear weather!  When you think about it, the whole effort was such a fantastic example of the Body of Christ working together.  There were SO MANY people involved in SO MANY different ways.  It was not just a certain handful, or a few key people.  It was the entire church working together!

I believe the Name and Person of Jesus Christ was lifted high above the city of Waukegan and in the county seat of Lake.  As we moved forward in the parade form beginning to end, let’s continue to move forward together in the work that God has called us to!

With a grateful heart to God and to you,
Pastor George

On May 29, 2010, the Family Life Church council unanimously approved the funding and construction for a new (existing) space for the Most Wanted Youth Group.  Located in the lower level of the Washington Street facility, this area (which is almost as large as the previous square footage of the church sanctuary on Chestnut Street) will be completely gutted of existing materials and a new space built.

Highlights of the new space include:

-16′ Coffee bar with sink, appliances
-Full size Pool Table
-Performance stage with sound system and stage lighting
-Seating and bistro-type tables for gatherings and meetings
-New electrical panel/system to provide ample power for space
-Capability for space to be used as sanctuary overflow area or meeting room via video/audio feed

The construction officially began with the removal of the wall that was located in the center of the room.  This essentially created one large room out of two existing rooms.  The next steps will be removing the existing tile flooring and replacing with brand new tile, and building the stage.

Did you know that Pastor George and Pastor Herman (and their wives) are currently in the Philippines?   From April 19 – May 1, both couples are over there, ministering to the church we planted in Tres Cruses, Cavite.

On Monday, April 20, Pastor George and Beth were greeted by a special celebration at the church’s VBS program.

On Saturday, April 24, Lady Beth will be speaking at the graduation ceremony for the VBS Program.

On Sunday, April 25, Pastor George will be speaking at the 84th Anniversary of the Cavite City Foursquare Church

On Monday, April 26, Pastor George will be speaking at a large pastor’s conference in Tres Cruses.

FOR THE LATEST UPDATES — AS FAST AS WE RECEIVE THEM, BOOKMARK OUR TWITTER FEED

Getting Involved

PRAY: Periodic updates on the Haiti disaster and relief efforts will be sent via the Foursquare Prayer Force Update. Sign up for the updates at: http://www.foursquare.org/newsletters/

GIVE: To give to Foursquare disaster relief, make your checks payable to Family Life Church and designate them for “Foursquare Relief–Haiti”.  In addition, you can give online through Foursquare or Samaritan’s Purse.

GO: To arrange to go to Haiti with Foursquare teams, contact David Wheeler at: dwheeler@foursquare.org

In addition to staying informed of the efforts in Haiti through the Prayer Force Update, you can receive information regarding Foursquare’s work in Haiti by following the Foursquare Church on Twitter.

The Foursquare Church Responds to Haiti Disaster

The Foursquare Church has established a strong physical and spiritual presence on the ground following the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti on Tuesday, January 12.  Foursquare Missions International (FMI) has released funds to first responders on the ground in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for initial assessment and emergency aid.  A specialized medical team with disaster response experience from a U.S. Foursquare church will attempt to arrive in Haiti next week.  However, after the Port-au-Prince airport closure yesterday, the relief team is praying they will be allowed to enter.

Haitian Foursquare National Leader Guy Thomas and his wife, Soeurette, survived the quake although it took more than 48 hours to confirm their safety due to widespread communication outages in Haiti.  Initial reports from Pastor Guy indicate that some church members may have died in the quake; he and surviving church members are scrambling to rescue the injured and deal with the death and destruction around them.

Foursquare missionaries Charlie and Darla Finocchiaro live in the Dominican Republic, 150 miles from the epicenter of the quake.  Charlie is attempting to enter Port-au-Prince, Haiti, tomorrow, and he asked that our churches pray for the desperate needs of survivors: “Pray for shelter for those without a home, a loving touch through the church, that people would turn their hearts to the Lord for salvation, and for strong ministries of physical, emotional and spiritual healing.”

David Stone, FMI’s area missionary in the Caribbean, is due to arrive in Haiti on Sunday.  David reported that a 40-hour rain storm in Puerto Rico has greatly hampered relief efforts; he asks that The Foursquare Church join him in praying that the storm will move out of the region so that much-needed relief can be sent to Haiti.

To help mobilize teams and relief supplies, The Foursquare Church is accepting donations with the commitment that 100 percent of the funds donated will be sent directly to Haiti to help relieve the crisis.

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

I am not sure if Jesus is any more welcome today than He was 2,000 years ago.  However, just as there were those who warmly welcomed Him and worshiped Him then, we can be among those who welcome and worship Him now.  Let’s not give Him only a small corner of our heart, but allow Him to our God, our King and our Savior.

Have a most blessed Christmas this year!  Whether you are spending it with lots of people and food and festivities, or with just a few close loved ones, or even alone, allow the love of Jesus to assure you today.

Merry CHRISTmas,
Pastor George Jones

A new era has begun as we are now the legal owners of the property at 2313 Washington Street. It has been in the process of closing since Monday (6/1), with disbursement of money taking place about an hour ago. We thank God for the path we have been on and for the unmatched relationship that we have with The Sign of the Dove Church. We now look forward to God using us in new and greater ways for His Kingdom purposes here in Waukegan and literally to the far corners of the earth.

Let’s move together in vision, in faith and in unity!

Pastor George P. Jones

–Pastor George Jones