Thanks for reading "Heartbeat" - a weekly article printed in our Sunday bulletin and emailed to our friends and partners in our circulation list. Here is FFAC's pulse in dateline format:

      Dec 4 - Alliance Women Christmas Party

      Dec 6 - Conclusion of Hebrews Series - The Superiority of Jesus

      Dec 12 - Alliance Men, YACTS Christmas Parties (separate events)

      Dec 13 - Christmas Lunch after Sunday Worship

                   Launch of 2-part series - Generous God

      Dec 20 - "My Birthday Gift to Jesus" - Special Christmas Offering

                   Proceeds will go towards

                   FFAC's Partners in Compassionate Ministry

      Dec 27, Jan 3, 10 - Dr. Stewart Brown preaches

      Jan 2 - FFAC Mission Team arrive in Isabela, Orientation Evening

      Jan 3 - ***MALLIG, Isabela - Worship Service

      Jan 4 - ***SAN MANUEL, Isabela

      Jan 5 - Travel to Manila

      Jan 6 - Fish & Bread Ministry in San Juan, Metro Manila

      Jan 7 - first wave of mission team return to Canada

      Jan 8 - All-day Teaching Ministry - Malu & Bong Cabuhat, RPM

      Jan 9 - RPM speaking in Cavite (to be confirmed)

      Jan 10 - RPM preaching in two churches (Camp Aguinaldo Church and another local church sponsoring a Fish & Bread site)

      Jan 15-16 "Discovering God's Amazing Love & Acceptance"

                         A Seminar by Grace Walk Ministries here at FFAC

      Jan 17 - Rev. Mike Zenker, guest preacher, Grace Walk Ministries

It may be a shock to your system to read only a timeline of events in heartbeat. Therefore, with the above information, I will leave you with a thought I gleaned recently. It would sound familiar if you remember what I wrote the other Sunday Nov 22. It is worth quoting here again:

"I was rummaging through my books recently, when I picked up John Piper's Brothers, We Are NOT Professionals (A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry). In the chapter entitled "Brothers, Let Us Pray," Piper says: "...there is one thing God loves to do more than bless the world. He loves to bless the world in answer to prayer." Pastor John argues that it is precisely the reason why Jesus, the vineyard owner, urges the farm helpers like us, to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to raise laborers. There are so many people that are clueless about their permanent residence, whether it's down without God or up with God forever."

So would you pray that people would be brought closer to Jesus whether it's a Christmas party or handing out care packages in Manila or Isabela, whether it's using a movie to reach out to folks without a clue about being sure of their relationship with God or long-time believers learning and reviewing how to walk in God's Spirit.

Cry out to God. Pray. Invite your friends, your family, and your small group and gather to pray whether you are staying or going with the team. May people encounter Jesus in our Christmas Party on December 13 and the other gatherings of our Young Adults Committed To Serve (YACTS), Alliance Men & Women gatherings, when our youth CHILL (Children Hungry for an Intimate Life in the Lord - or something like that) have their own gathering.

Pray that God's Spirit would be pleased to depopulate hell and populate heaven. May God use us as His ushers in this task.

ricky p. mapa, pastor

***Medical-Dental Clinic & Outreach all-day, evangelistic movie showing in the evening