Much love and thanks...

Dear GC Friends and Co Laborers in Christ!

Thank you, Thank you! Words cannot express the complete awe John and I were in when Hannah/on behalf of all of YOU presented us with words of love and appreciation - - with the unbelievable surprise of a generous and sacrificial gift to purchase a dishwasher! As I write this I still can see my face in utter shock and amazement!

We both are so humbled and honored by God to serve YOU! And blessed beyond measure that this gift was bestowed on us! The GC Class - - or what we now refer to as the GC EXPERIENCE is all that it is because of YOU and your hungry hearts to respond to more of JESUS! That gift is one that is imprinted on our hearts as ETERNAL, and I know we will rejoice together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Revelation 19:9

Our hearts are deeply touched and forever grateful and it is evident that you love as Jesus loves... “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]” Ephesians 3:20

We pray God’s richest, superabundant blessing of Ephesians 3:20 over your lives!

Thank you! Thank you!

In Jesus Name and Love,
Pastor Marlene and John

BUILDING ON A STRONG FOUNDATION!

To watch a clip from our class as Don shared about building our lives on a firm foundation please click the following link-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0gQ1VbgTds

GET CONNECTED is approximately a 14 week interactive adult/young adult fellowship where you will come to know the body of Christ at ZCC by sharing your stories, acting out skits, learning how to apply God's Word in your personal journey and hearing powerful testimony of other ZCC Leaders and GCC Alumni! In our growing church, this special time of fellowship together will bring opportunity to make friends and connect in a smaller setting while preparing to PLUG IN to the BIGGER PICTURE of using your God given gifts to strengthen the Body of Christ at ZCC to fulfill God's plan to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES!

Pastor Marlene will take you through this journey interweaving Biblical accounts to enhance your experience of personal application as she encourages you to WALK BY FAITH daily with Jesus! Each class is uniquely different because YOU are there! The curriculum we are using is “Design for Discipleship” by Nav Press and just a guide to assist you, but your BIBLE is a must! Many other topics will include: Learning the Voice of God, Walking in the Spirit, Spiritual Warfare, Recognizing Your Gifts, the Character of a Leader and more. NOTE: This class adult/young adult fellowship prepares you for ZCC Membership and a criteria for leadership here at Zarephath Christian Church.

WALKING IN VICTORY!

click above for video clip

John Babinetz is a man changed by God! Broken, arrogant, prideful, and selfish-- only God can restore a life characterized by these words. Through wise counsel, fellowship with other men, and the truth of God's Word he is being set free. John has seen his marriage to Nanette begin to grow and flourish, he has walked with his daughter through a very difficult time, and is now serving and leading others with his gift of helps at ZCC.

SPRING FELLOWSHIP

Our time together was a such blessing as we enjoyed sitting at tables with beautiful flowers, eating great food, and sharing in moments of sweet fellowship.

THE HEART OF A LEADER

Servant. Compassionate. Faithful. Humble. Loving. Courageous. Honest. Heart. Passion. These are just a few of the words that those in our class used to describe the character of a leader. We are blessed to have two amazing women serving on our GC team whose lives reflect these words and so much more-- Kathy Miller and Maura James clearly have the heart of a true leader as they serve the Lord, one another and His people! What a powerful experience we had in class as each of them shared their personal story of how God has walked with them through tragedy and brought them to a place of using their own pain to now minister to others here at ZCC. The testimony time concluded with this moment above of washing one anothers feet--it was a beautiful and humbling picture of Jesus as He washed His disciples feet and an example of how we are to serve and love one another.

Maure and Kathy serve as a team with Eloise Russo in our Griefshare Ministry. For more information about Griefshare please contact Eloise at erusso@pillar.org.

HOPE AND HEALING!

Transformation. Healing. Freedom. Redemption. Restoration. These are just a few of the words to describe the class where lives are being changed through the Blood of Jesus, the study of God's Word, prayer, and by hearing the changed life stories of our ZCC Ministry Leaders and many others.

"THEY OVERCAME HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND BY THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY." Revelation 12:11

David Tarantino walked us through his journey from being diagnosed with cancer through the time of miraculous healing and what it was like to trust God through that season of suffering... He encouraged us with this passage, 1 Peter 4:10, "And the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." David is now serving the Lord within our missions outreach, "Street Church," bringing the Gospel to the homeless and nursing home ministries.

What a blessing it is each week to connect with others and hear the stories of those who have walked through the storms of life and praised God through it!

OVERCOMER IN CHRIST!

"But for that very reason I was shown as an example for those

who would believe on Him and recieve eternal life. " 1 Timothy 1:6

Anthony Torres shared his journey from the depths of destruction to the heights of restoration. He "had everything a man could want, except a home with peace." Addiction and pride led to destruction and despair. In the depths of Anthony's hurt, God answered the steadfast prayers of his wife Michele and he was plucked from death, delivered from addiction and their marriage was restored. Anthony's story is not about the addiction, he says, but about the Lord's restoration! The Lord is the lover of our souls! Anthony and Michele are leaders of our Overcomers and Crossroads Ministries. Please connect with them at atorres@zarepath.org for more information.

RESCUED, RESTORED, AND REVIVED!!!

"He has given me beauty for ashes and the oil of joy (Isaiah 61)." God has rescued Vicki Paul from the occult, an abusive marriage, and depression. He has restored and revived her life through her relationship with Jesus Christ and now she serves in the ZCC Focus Ministry- a ministry devoted to victims of Domestic Violence and their families. God is using her in a mighty way to help bring hope and healing to others! For more information about this ministry please contact her at renewzcc@optonline.net.

GETTING CONNECTED!

"How have I built my life on faulty, man-made foundations?" That was the question from Pastor Marlene this week as we shared together in small groups. Isolation, pursuit of unhealthy relationships, idolatry, pride, and addiction were just a few of the responses that were shared. Through it all we came to conclude that it is only on the foundation of Christ that we can be truly secure. "ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND!"

A SURRENDERED LIFE

Beth Edwards, a leader of the Single Mom's Ministry, testified to our class of coming to the place of surrender in her own life as a single mom and how God met her and became her sure foundation!

CHRISTMAS FELLOWSHIP

What an awesome time we had-- eating, singing, fellowshipping, and growing together through the teaching of Pastor Marlene!

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT!

Only God can put the details of our class together in such a way that Joshua Paul would come and share his story and it would fit so perfectly with the heart of the message that Pastor Marlene was teaching us about that morning- WALKING IN THE SPIRIT!!! Joshua is a young man who has been literally and spiritually imprisoned but God has set him free! "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! " John 8:36 God is transforming him into a dynamic and annointed man who is learning day by day to walk in power of the Holy Spirit and live a life that is obedient to God. Today God has led him to pursue a college education at Somerset Christian College and daily he is reaching out to the young people that God places in his path.

LEADERSHIP!

Jim Bennett, a successful corporate businessman, traveled extensively until one day God interrupted his life through a doctor's prognosis for his young daughter. God used this season in Jim and his family's life to get his attention and draw him to Himself --what once was a surface religious belief system turned into a surrendered heart as Jim came to trust Jesus Christ as His Savior.

NEWNESS OF LIFE!

What a special weekend this was as many of our GCC members (Patrick Aitcheson, Adolphy DaCosta, Jeff Hackworth, Maya Miernik, Carl Scialfa, Deb Scialfa and Barb Toth) made a public declaration of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism! Joe and Joyce Giorgi(pictured above) were able to walk this road together as they recently came to know Christ just weeks earlier in our Get Connected Class. Praise the Lord! "We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life." Romans 6:4

A MEMORIAL!

My dear friends,
Recently, Olive Cruver, a dear sister, mother, and friend went home to be with Jesus. There is a woman in the Bible that Jesus spoke of and said her life would be a memorial - - Olive Cruver was one such as this, a hero of the faith, an Esther in her own right! Once orphaned and brought lovingly into a Christian family she came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior. Olive brought the Gospel to the Nations! You may say “How can that be?” She did this by faithfully and passionately passing the Gospel to her children. If you have had the blessing of knowing Rob (our Pastor), Sarah, Beth, Becky, Jen and Terry you would agree that HER MEMORIAL TO JESUS continues to multiply like the fish and the loaves.

This was one of her favorite portions of Scripture that she shared with many of us - -

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Psalm 46

As we birth this site, I would like to dedicate it to Olive, her children, and her children’s children. I am so thankful that I had the privileged opportunity to share a small piece of a spiritual mother that I will miss deeply with all my heart-- what a great honor that in this lifetime I can say she was my friend….

Love in Jesus,
Pastor Marlene