Inauguration Service at Agape Community Church Office at 115 College Street

On Dec 22, Inauguration Service took place in Burlington Agape Community Church Office for the new found location, 3rd Floor, 115 College Street, Burlington.

The text of the message is from Ephesians 4:17-24 and the title is "to put off your old self and to put on the new self". Paul says "to put off your old self". It's the metaphor of garments. It is like the garments that we can put off. Because of the work of Christ, our old self died, we just need to put off that. Our life and our ministry will be renewed.

"It's a new space, and it's almost new year. However, more important than that is the word of God renews me and God gives me another beginning", the minister says, "I believe the mission will develop if I continually welcome the work of Spirit here."

All who are interested in studying the Bible are welcome!

You are Invited to A Warm Christmas Eve

Want to find more than dinner and shopping at Christmas Eve? You are invited to the Christmas Eve event in Agape Community Church on Third Floor of 115 College Street. We will look at the burning love of God the creator to us through the incarnation of His Son.

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?”

December 6-8 NYC Christmas Retreat Concludes with Abundant Grace

From December 6th to December 8^th, Minister John went to NYC to attend the NYC Christmas Retreat hosted by Immanuel Bronx, which was a refreshing experience.

40 Ministers and Bible students from Immanuel Bronx, Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven, Burlington, Manchester and Jersey City and more joined the retreat. The theme was “The Birth of Jesus” and students were given the opportunity to study messages answering where, why, when and how Jesus came to this earth. Each message was prepared and delivered with lots of love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The retreat featured several activities including an open-mic night, a gift-exchange, testimony time, prayer meeting and lots of opportunities to break-bread and converse.

The minister himself testified, “Even as Christians, we don’t think about why and how Jesus as Son of God came to the world. You can see the Gospel, the power of salvation when you look at his incarnation.”

Christmas Retreat in Burlington Agape Community Church will be planned around Christmas. All are welcome!

Welcome to Agape Thanksgiving Event on Wednesday Evening

There will Agape Thanksgiving Event on Wednesday Evening right before Thanksgiving. We welcome all people who like to gather together to remember the stories of thanks and share them. Let it be the evening full of thanks, grace and love! All are welcome! You can bring food as well your thanks stories.

Welcome to Daily Devotionals

Thank you! Daily Devotionals will come out next week.

New Poster and Flyer Being Used in Evangelism

New poster and flyer have been designed and are being used from October 25. We hope they will help us to witness the grace and life in Jesus Christ more effectively.

Reaching People in Different Ways in Evangelism

Agape Community Church is trying to reach people in different ways, which is making the evangelism more active and effective.

What impressed the minister is that it’s not easy to see people except in universities and in downtown, which makes the evangelism being limited. But now he found more ways to reach people.

Table in the Street and Universities

Agape Community Church has applied showing materials and doing evangelism by reserving a table in the main street of downtown once. Signs and flyers are being prepared for another one tomorrow. We will try to reserve table in the campus to do evangelism, too.



Flyers with Short Messages

The minister is making short messages to hand them out in evangelism, so people can read them even they have rejected the offer of Bible studies.

Posters

Posters are being made to be posted in the street and universities, which will inform more people.

Local gatherings

Residents here have many gatherings for different kind of people. We are following the events from local newspapers and are doing evangelism at the places where people gather.

Bible Study Programs

Bible Studies on Romans are being held in different places at fixed time, praying that people who are interested will come.

An Office in Downtown

We are praying for and looking for an office in downtown, and it will make the bible studies more convenient for people around.

We invite your prayers for the mission here – the minister can preach the good news of salvation and people here can seek and accept the salvation from God.

Invitation to retreat in Jersey City

Brothers and sisters in Agape Community Church are invited to attend the retreat held in Jersey City from Jersey City Ephesus Church on August 24 and 25.

It will be a wonderful time when you can have bible studies intensely, meet members from other cities and have joyful fellowship with each other. We will study the path of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph in the Genesis.

You are welcome to attend the retreat even you are not a member in Agape. Just send us email to office@burlingtonagape.org . Booking tickets from Megabus is a cheap way if you don’t want to drive there. (Just book the ticket to New York City)

Sunday Service and Fellowship with Grace

On July 7, two new comers from Burlington Emergency Shelter visited Agape Community Church to attend the Sunday service and had fellowship with the minister.

Valerie Brosseau and her husband are working in Burlington Emergency Shelter. The minister introduced himself and the church after service and they also gave their testimony and their opinions on spreading the Gospel.

As two Vermonters, they said that people here are easy to think about you are selling something, which reminds me of witnessing the Gospel only with love. We welcome anyone who wants to know the love of God to come.

Round-table Bible Study: Romans 1-8 Salvation and Justification

For you and I, nothing is more important than salvation.

In Romans 1-8, Paul writes about the justification and Sanctification. We are saved through the blood of Jesus Christ and after that we will live a life of victory with the help of Holy Spirit. However, most of us don’t know this deeply that our faith become weak and we are living a miserable life. We lose the function of salt and light of this world. We want to go back to Romans 1-8, study it with you and live it out with you.

We will study the Bible with the help of a textbook and a Q & A book. Welcome!

When You Know Salvation Deeper

What’s the first thing that a church should teach? What’s the first thing that everyone should know about Christianity? It’s salvation.

Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Most people became Christians because of the love of Jesus Christ. I am one of them. Before I became a Christian, I didn’t know much about the righteous law of God. I lived a sinful life in God’s eyes, I we didn’t feel wrong about that. However, after I became a Christian, I study the Bible and live my life, I began to realize that “I am a so terrible sinner. Am I a Christian?” We try to follow God’s word, but we can’t do it. I believe there are people who leave Christianity because of this. Actually when we realize this, we can understand our salvation deeper. We can really know that I am so bad a sinner according to God’s law. Only through the forgiveness of God we can be saved. Jesus asked God to forgive the people even when he was crucified by them. He is like the Passover lambs that died for the sinners in the Old Testament. He bears our iniquities and punishment as sin sacrifice, so that we can be “as white as snow” though “our sins are like scarlet”. You will find you are in peace and love, and nothing can separate you from the love of God.

For non-Christians or Christians who haven’t experienced this, I suggest they read the Bible seriously and live their life seriously. They will surely realize “I am a sinner. I can’t follow the righteous word of God”. They may become extremely frustrated. However, you will experience the abundant grace of God through Jesus Christ and realize he is the only way.

Having known so wonderful savior, can you stop yourself from sharing the good news?

Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God and Me

What’s the theme of the Bible? Why is it important to everyone? What’s the key point in the Bible? You may have these questions though you have been a Christian for a long time. Why are we so eagerly doing evangelism and discipleship?

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mat 28:19)

“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 28:31)

The main theme is the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God starts from the creation to the end. Everyone of us, everything we have and all history are in it.

What about Jesus? Why he is our savior? Even before this question, why do we need a savior? We long for a meaningful life or a joyful life. After accepting Jesus when I began my Christ belief, sometimes I think about why Jesus is my savior. Why do I need a savor? From studying the word of God, I realize deeply that I am a sinner and I can’t go to God. The only way is that God comes to me, so that he can be with us, so we need the savior. Jesus shows us that he is the Son of God, so we know he is our savior. The relationship with Jesus is personal. It doesn’t matter who you are or which organization you belong to. How your heart accepting Jesus matters. When you really accept him as your savior by heart, yourself will be renewed.

What happens after salvation? After we are born again, we live our new life of loving people and making disciples of all nations, until the kingdom of God comes to the earth fully. Isn’t this the wonderful life we want to live?

 

Reflection: To Be a Good Shepherd

Why do you follow Jesus? Why is it worthy to trust yourself to Jesus? “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

I began to understand how good a shepherd Jesus is just recently. I became a Christian seven years ago, I knew the redemption through Jesus from the Bible especially Romans and shared with others and I committed my life to follow way of God, but I didn’t realize he loves me like a good shepherd recently until I began to serve God as a shepherd of his sheep.

In the Lent 2013, I am mediating John 13:1-19:30 every day with the help of a 40 day Lenten Bible Study “The Cross of Christ”.  The Jesus I know is not just Son of God who came to us and died for us, but he is a man living with his disciples and concerning about his disciples even before he was arrested and crucified. He concerns about his disciples like a friend. His image of love appeared vividly in my heart, and I was warmed inside by this love, this good shepherd.

Jesus said to Peter, “take care of my sheep”. A church minister is not a person who leads the church or teaches the Bible, but a person who love sheep of Jesus as he was loved by Jesus.

 

Reflection “If You Love Me, You Will Obey What I Command”

 

Are you wandering in the goals you set? Are you thinking it’s hard to overcome obstacles? Do you feel that you are far from loving Jesus? “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” This is the source of the power of loving Jesus and obeying his commandments.

First, it tells us that loving Jesus is much more important than outside achievement. When we don’t lose this, we can be a true Christ follower. If we are successful in many things, but we fail in loving Jesus, we fail to be good Christian.

Second, it tells the way of obeying God’s words. When we think of loving God Father, we may feel far from him; but when we think of loving Jesus, the one who came to us, who is among us and who loved us first, we can love him. If we love him, we can obey his commandments. Loving Jesus Christ drives us to obey God’s commandments with sincere heart.

 

Reaching Out Lost souls.2013!

Agape Community Church will focus on reaching out lost souls 2013! The Bible says “love one another”. Agape Community church   wants to carry   this word of our Lord Jesus Christ this year 2013. The God’s love was shown to us through Jesus Christ. This love was reaching out lost souls and serving them like a servant so that those who are lost can come to our Father God and have peace with God. From the month of January, members of Agape Community Church started evangelize in the street, in the University -mall and in the university of Vermont. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may intervene when they approach people and give those words and have abundant fruit.

Agape Community Church