Pastoral Ponderings Archive Page

Manna from Heaven in 2011

We must be having fun because time is truly flying. As we gear up for a New Year, let us take a moment to thank God for the many blessings and challenges we faced in 2010. His grace on our journey was evident throughout and I am confident He will continue to guide our footsteps. Our partnerships with the Ark Program and Promise Neighborhood have been true blessings to our ability to minister to the children and families of our community. The yearend Christmas Banquet was a testament to how wonderful partnerships can be. The birthing of the Community Neighborhood Association has created a new momentum to see good things happen; God is at work.

Now as we gaze into an uncertain future, may we find comfort in the fact that God is with us. As I was praying about a theme for the New Year, it came to me that this year will be about “Manna from Heaven in 2011.” God has provision for His children no matter what the challenges are. We must lean on and trust that God will meet our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. We caught a glimpse of the harvest during the holiday season but we must prepare to build relationships, focus our energies and walk under the anointing of God’s Word as we do His work. I will be providing daily scripture readings in the New Year so that we as a congregation can read the Bible through this year and be fed by our Heavenly Father as we seek “Manna from Heaven in 2011.”
 
~Pastor David

In a few weeks, we’ll be into the summer season, I’m sorry but the Caribbean in me enjoys the summer.  It’s the time of years the kids look forward to  after the demands of school are in their rear view mirror.  It’s also a time when you and I will have opportunity to meet our neighbors and friends as we linger  outdoors more than we usually do the rest of the year.

Our theme for this month is “On a Road Trip with Jesus.”  We will ponder different encounters Jesus had with ordinary people and how they changed because of it.

We will be shutting down our Crusaders and M & M outreaches for summer break but I hope we can have a BBQ in July and in August to touch our neighborhood.  We are also planning to have a summer game night coordinated by Sis Penny and Aaron so if you want to be involved, let them know.

I want to thank all of you who volunteer and make a tremendous difference in the lives of our children.  Be safe, Be prayerful but don’t be afraid to take a risk for Jesus.

Love,
Pastor David

SPRING IS HERE!!! We can see our lawns again and things are growing all around us. I know, the weathermen are still teasing us about snow, but I’ll be perfectly content if I don’t see another snowflake until December 2010.

Some growth is inevitable like growing old, and I know most of us invest a lot of energy trying to deny the turn of the clock. Other growth comes through experience, as we give ourselves over to new ways of doing things or learn new skills. Still other growth comes through the press of life that causes us to change even as we resist it.

Let us invite growth as a friend and affirm that God is at work in our lives to make us more effective servants in His Kingdom.

Our theme this month is Growing in Grace and we will examine the dynamics of growth in the lives of New Testament characters who in their pursuit of God, found a deeper relationship with Jesus and others.

He is risen and we are growing! 

Pastor Dave - April 2010

It’s co-o-l-l-d-d-d out. The ground is hard but underneath the stillness God is preparing the earth for the birthing of seeds that will break out into NEW life. Colors will surround us, fragrances invade our nasal passages and cause us to smile. It’s the promise of Spring that helps us endure the rigors of winter.

Our hearts can get cold too. We can become calloused to the needs around us simply because they are such common, every day occurrences, that we stop feeling, hearing or seeing the distress of others. Then a tragedy strikes, like the earthquakes of Haiti, and we see countless images of total devastation but that’s hundreds of miles away so it still doesn’t hit home.

The one thing I fear about living in America is that we can so easily take for granted the blessings God has bestowed upon us, that we forget the horrible death Jesus died to grace us with forgiveness. We forget the terrible sacrifices Jesus made to gift us with the promises of heaven. “And because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12).

Our theme for February is “Matters of the Heart” and we will embark on a journey to prepare our hearts for the coming of spring. The seeds are in the ground and God is about to breathe NEW life into our City the likes of which, we have NEVER experienced.

BE READY, BE PRAYERFUL, EXPECT A MIRACLE!!!

Pastor David - February 2010

Well summer is gone and the leaves are beginning to change. My highlight was the weekend under the BIG Tent and all the people of the neighborhood who celebrated the 4th of July with us. I don’t say enough how much I love the spirit of cooperation and compassion that graces our existence at the Clifton Ave. Church of God. Thank you for all you do to touch broken peoples’ lives.
As you receive this, my wife & I are off to Brooklyn, New York to celebrate Sis. Hattie Downer’s 95th birthday with a special appreciation banquet. Keep us in your prayers.

You won’t want to miss our preaching services for October. Theme: Royal Pains; we will look at leadership lessons from the Kings of Israel & Judah to see how people get in or out of trouble in troubled times.

The kids are back on Wednesday nights and Sis. Debbie has programmed an awesome schedule of learning, fun, & food that will touch our community kids. We want to increase our kids outreach on Sunday mornings so Bro. Charlie Phillips has come up with an idea to motivate inviting family & friends. Come hear about the Jar of Joy on Sunday, Oct. 4th in our worship service. Our WCG Women are preparing for this year’s Christ Birthday offering & I want to borrow an idea from one of our sister churches to see if we can raise a big offering for Jesus this Christmas!

I spent 3 days in Olathe, Kansas with a bunch of Church Planters and received great encouragement at the C.M.A. conference “Chase the Dream.” Their leader, Robin Wood, will be with us on November 12-15, put it on your calendar, invite your neighbor and friends. Your life is about to change.

Love & Prayers, Pastor Dave

I don’t want to say goodbye to the summer, but it won’t be long before the leaves start turning. Praise the Lord for His provision and protection. This month we will close out the final steps of CELEBRATE RECOVERY and pick up “The Abundant Life.” Too many times we are living below our privilege as God’s children and I want to make sure we remember how GOOD God is!! David Witt from Voices of the Martyrs will be with us on the 13th so if you think you’ve had it rough, hear this man of God give his story of how God is moving in other lands.

Continue to pray for Kids Hope USA which we will be ready to launch in October. And pray for the workers of our M&M and Crusaders Ministries, that will start soon and ask for a fresh anointing.

We love you all & pray God’s richest blessing on your family.

Pastor Cotto and Team are in Quito, Ecuador from August 20-29. Pray for them!

Learn more about Quito, Ecuador, visit Wikipedia article here!

WOW! Summer is moving so quickly & before we know it, the leaves will start to change! What’s going on at Clifton? Well for starters, Sis. Penny & her crew have begun to do basketball clinics with the neighborhood kids & its exciting to see the kids gain confidence as they practice the basics. Sis. Debbie H. is collecting school supplies for our Back 2 School celebration on the 22nd & we will touch a host of children’s lives. Brother Chad Vickers is joining our staff (volunteer) as our pastor of discipleship while prayerfully seeks God’s will for his next assignment. I am praying for God to make super natural provision so that his next assignment will be right here. We are an urban ministry church that provides hands-on experience for ministering to the poor, bruised, broken, & wounded in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the fall, we will begin walking with Lincoln Elementary School under the guidance of Sister Laura Hufford. We still need tutors, substitutes & prayer partners to insure a life-changing experience. God is at work, the water in the pool is stirred, jump in!

Celebrate the Road to Recovery

The heat is on and people like to be outdoors. We’ll start off the month with our Jesus Jam, a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with our neighbors and friends. Come join us under the Big Tent. A special shout out to Level 3:16 & Team Xtreme for helping make this an unforgettable weekend.

Our theme for this month is The Road to Recovery. We are going to deal with handling the hurts in your life, the habits that are messing up your life and the hang-ups that cause you pain. We have guest speakers on July 12th, Chad Vickers, and July 26th, Darren Carter from Kansas City. Darren and his wife will facilitate our couples gathering on Saturday, July 25th and Bro. Darren will preach on Sunday morning. This dynamic couple will bless your heart.
 
Reach up, Reach out

We are receiving Faith Promise pledges for July 2009-2010. The idea is to prayerfully ask God to provide an amount of money that you would give to mission & outreach of our local congregation above & beyond the regular giving of tithe & offerings. This is money received in one of the four ways:

1. Money usually attained– a pay raise, a promotion, a bonus, an inheritance, a gift.
2. Money deliberately retained– changed priorities that frees up money, denying a luxury, delaying a purchase, skipping a meal.
3. Money surprisingly regained– a tax refund, a stimulus check, a repaid debt, a rebate.
4. Money intentionally maintained– commitment to regular giving, trusting God to supply.

Fill out a commitment card and drop it in the offering plate by Sunday July 26th.

You can make a difference!!!

Desperate Households

June is here and that means the summer time. I confess, this is my favorite time of year. I think the 12 years I lived in tropical Puerto Rico greatly influenced my taste. The only thing challenging about the summer is: bugs. You have to deal with more bugs this time of year than any other.

This month as we ponder a NEW season. I will be looking at various biblical households and the things that held them together or tore them apart in the midst of trying times. I believe God has given us an instruction manual for guiding our families through difficult seasons so I hope you will journey with me through these families lives and learn together how we can strengthen our resolve to hold families together and live in such a way a to honor and trust in our Lord. We are called to be the light of the world, but remember, light attracts bugs.

Enjoy your summer.

~Pastor David Cotto