Author Archives: mborja

Valentine’s Day of Compassion Recap

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VDOC2012 Valentines Day of Compassion RecapThis past Tuesday we participated in our church’s annual Valentine’s Day of Compassion.

We split up into two teams, with about half of us visiting the RN3 nursing home in El Cerrito, where we sang songs for the elderly and shared a message on God’s love. The other half of us (myself included) went to the Safe Harbor Shelter in South San Francisco where we played “minute to win it” with the residents there, and then served root beer floats and chatted with them. Through these small gestures of love, it was wonderful to see these people at the convalescent home and the homeless shelter come alive with joy as we as the body of Christ shared God’s compassion with them.

Winter Retreat Recap

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6764313617 f57446a135 o Winter Retreat RecapPraise God for an amazing winter retreat! 

We went up to Sierra Lodge for a time of drawing closer to God through listening to message, fellowship over meals, and a night bonfire while singing praise songs. Our speaker, Pastor Jonathan, presented the core gospel message, and along with testimonies from many different people, we were challenged to seek God with greater passion and fervor. We also experienced the first major snowstorm of the year, and overnight Sierra Lodge was transformed into a winter wonderland with fresh, fluffy snow. Check out the photos!

Picnic and Sports in January!

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volleyball Picnic and Sports in January!Usually we wouldn’t think of having a picnic and sports day in January, but this past Saturday, the weather was just PERFECT at 70 degrees, and so we were able to enjoy BBQ and soccer, frisbee, volleyball and even football (American football, that is =) at Cordonices Park in Berkeley.

Now the weather has done a 180 and it’s freezing outside, but we’re looking forward to the snow at Sierra Lodge at the retreat this weekend. Check out the photos!

First Friday Forum of the New Year!

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cesar First Friday Forum of the New Year!Friday Forum is back! We kicked off the new year with a bang, with Chul bringing a bible study about how to enjoy God. Afterward, we had a time of groups games, which was nothing short of fun and crazy!

First, we tied balloons to our ankles, with different teams each having a different color. The objective was to eliminate the other teams by popping their balloons. Then different people submitted themselves to being blind-folded, spun around, and attempted to pick up tennis balls on pedestals with their team’s direction. Others tried to use a tape measure to deliver a ping-pong ball into a vase. These weren’t as easy as they look! Check out the photos.

Christmas Party & Gift Exchange Photos

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Xmas party Christmas Party & Gift Exchange PhotosFinals are finally over and people are starting to head home. We brought the year to a close with our annual Christmas party and gift exchange.

We began with a wonderful potluck dinner and many people brought festive and tasty dishes (Travis’ homemade cheesecake was a hit). Then we had a time of singing some traditional Christmas carols and came to appreciate them more deeply when Josiah explained their meaning based on the Bible’s account of the first Christmas. We ended with a rousing gift exchange with some ingenious games, including drawing cats blindfolded and competing for gifts by playing Jenga. It was pretty loud and exciting. Check out the photos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Come join us for TC practice!

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TCpractice2010 Come join us for TC practice!It’s the most wonderful time of the year! …no, not Christmas, I’m talking about Thanksgiving Celebration. This Sunday IGSM will be taking part in Gracepoint Church’s annual Thanksgiving Celebration, a time of fun songs and dances and, well, giving thanks! Come and join us for song and dance practice this week. We’ll be holding a practice in Berkeley on Wednesday at 9 PM at Durant Loft.

Check out these photos of past TC practices!

 

Recap – Special Talk by Prof. In-Kang Kim

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InKang small Recap Special Talk by Prof. In Kang KimThis past Friday we had the privilege of hearing the life story of Professor In-Kang Kim, a graduate of the Math department here, and now a professor at the Korean Institute for Advanced Studies (KAIS). Stricken with polio at age 2, Prof. Kim lost the use of his legs, was denied access to elementary school, and had to live at an orphanage for handicapped children.

 

Because of his physical handicap and the suffering he saw in the other children at this time, he grew bitter toward God and wondered how, if he is good, he could allow such suffering in the world. However, God sent people into his life over the years who started him on a journey toward knowing the love of God, and he became a Christian during his freshman year in college.

One of the great truths that Prof. Kim shared with us that evening was that, although God doesn’t explain why we suffer, the truth is that he descended and suffered with us. Moreover, Jesus sees all things with the perspective of the end of the age, so that though all may not be complete now, if we know Christ, the battle is already won, and we can live with that hope and comfort others with that hope. It was an amazing talk and it was very clear to see how God has transformed his life from one of bitterness to one of joy and gratitude. Thank you, Prof. Kim for your wonderful testimony!

 

Full Moon Festival Photos

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atlawrencehall Full Moon Festival PhotosThis past Friday Chul gave the first message in a series called, “Ever Wonder Why?” It was about awe. I think that’s what we all experienced when we went up to Lawrence Hall of Science afterward and saw the grand view of the whole Bay Area lit up before us.

Thank God there wasn’t any fog! We took in the incredible sight while eating warm sago and moon cakes, in celebration of the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival holiday. Check out the photos!

 

Friday Forum and Sports Night Recap

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running hard Friday Forum and Sports Night RecapThis past Friday we held our first official Friday Forum of the new semester, capping it off with a sports night at Underhill field. There were actually lights this time!

We also held our first LIFE group gatherings before dinner the Bible study where Chul talked about a very important question: What is man worth? Afterward, we headed over to Underhill field to play soccer, frisbee, and dodge ball. The games got pretty intense, but with the cold San Francisco fog rolling in, we all needed to run hard to keep our blood pumping!

Welcome Night #2 Recap

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iswn2outside Welcome Night #2 RecapWe held our second welcome night of the semester in 2040 VLSB, starting with a yummy Korean BBQ dinner on the grass in front of the building.

We “packed the the house” and watched a fun video, and then listened to a message on “People” and the importance of relationships by Chul Kim, followed by some very moving life stories by a couple of our members. Even though Underhill field was dark when we arrived for sports night, we made the best of it by playing frisbee and wild turkey in the dark, which made it extra exciting!