Gracious Triune God, 

When you made man, you made him in your image and likeness. I shared your intellect, your will, and your heart. How great his powers must have been that he was able to immediately name, categorize, and manage all of your creation in less than a day! Yet, you declared of him, "It is not good for man to be alone! Let us make a helper suitable for him." 

After man saw that he needed a wife and desired one from your hand, you gave him the most blessed gifts, a partner to share in the burden, to share in each other, and to share in the joy of your blessings. Even after the fall into sin, the wise see how important the institution of marriage is as the foundation for our society, the first church where a child will hear about Jesus, and a place of solace in the storms and trials of life. 

Lord, in these days of quarantine, we ask a special measure of Your grace upon husbands and wives. We ask you to give them an extra gift of patience and forgiveness when the stresses of confinement, unemployment, and sickness weary them. We ask that you give both husband and wife to fight the temptation to resentment, for how easily resentment turns into contempt, and contempt is like acid that destroys the love you created between them. Holy and Sovereign God, keep them from arguments and sinful words.

Instead, O Lord, we ask that you give them this time to rediscover their love for each other and your love for them. In this time of trial, forge in them a love that Solomon describes, Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm, because love is as strong as death. Its passion is as relentless as the grave. Its flames are flames of fire, a mighty blaze."

Lord, keep all husbands and wives steadfast in your Word. Let them each day approach your altar of grace in true contrition and repentance, and then let them arise with you, arm and arm, heart to heart, soul to soul as they share one life together in you. 

Amen
-Pastor Meitner

Congregational Survey 

Please click on this Google link- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBsW7cn7ocy8AB2qkiH9fVcAXEpqwEpi7LeOZtUusRGbUG2g/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1 - to fill out a congregational needs survey prepared by Pastor Jon Buchholz, our CA-AZ District President. The survey is not long, but it will require you to consider prayerfully our current ministry and the skills and leadership traits that will help it reach its fullest potential. 

This information will help Pastor Buchholz prepare for our (as yet unscheduled) pre-call meeting, where we will discuss as a congregation what it means to call a pastor and what our ministerial needs and goals are. After this pre-call meeting, Pastor Buchholz will have enough information to create our first pastoral call list. 

God’s blessings as you think about how we can best serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ here in the San Fernando Valley.

Attention Council Members! This is a reminder that the full council will meet Monday, May 4, 2020, at 7:30 pm. It will be via ZOOM, so be on the lookout for an invitation from Mike Robinson to join in. 

The individual boards will be making their own arrangements for meeting so check with your Board Chairman. 


Please note that the May 4 full council meeting is one week earlier than our normal meeting time. Any questions, call Kevin Coffee, Santi Botero, or Mike Robinson.