International Graduate Student Ministry – Gracepoint Berkeley

I must admit that I was sad that we finished The Truth Project series as we wrapped up our summer home church format last Sunday. The Truth Project taught me how to gaze upon the face of God. It exposed the many lies that I and our culture have bought into and showed us the beauty and majesty in God’s own nature and His marvelous design of this world. As it surveyed the truths about God, philosophy, man, the state, law, sociology, and many other important topics, it provided many discussion opportunities for the international graduate students. And I am touched by Dr. Tackett’s passion for truths.

If you are interested in the materials, please let us know. We encourage you to check it out. Here is a promo trailer for The Truth Project.

After yesterday’s home church service, the two International Graduate Student Ministry (IGSM) home churches gathered to play volleyball at the Godfrey Park in Alameda. The weather was beautiful once again, and we all had a fun and intense game of volleyball. This is indeed a team sport with a lot of talking, taunting and cheering…very good for community building.

Next week, we are going to have BBQ and soccer to celebrate the end of the summer home church as well as to welcome the new Berkeley international graduate students that we met through airport pickups and home dinners. If you are a new graduate student, please feel free to come join us.

For this final installment of our “worldview tour” we will head southeast and gaze upon the face of God as it is revealed to us in the last of our six social spheres: the sphere of Community and Involvement. Here, perhaps more than in any other sphere or field of inquiry, we will have an opportunity to draw near to the Creator and learn what it is that has compelled Him to draw near to us. We will find that the God of the Scriptures is in fact the Lord of the lonely, the Savior of the outcast, the Defender of the defenseless, and the Sustainer of all who find themselves in need. Our call is to become like Him by discovering what it means to not only love Him, but to love our neighbor.

Alameda Home Church – Chul and Sharon’s house (10:30am)
Address: 1034 Trellis Ln, Alameda, CA – rides provided
For rides please contact Joseph Yu @ 510-846-2727 or joseph.yu [at] igsmonline.org

Berkeley Home Church – Dana House (10:30am)
Address: 2440 Dana Street, Alameda, CA 94501
For rides please contact Shufei Lei @ 510-410-8143 or shufei.lei [at] igsmonline.org

For this tour we will remain in the southwest sector of the compass long enough to examine a special sub-category of the discussion on the design of the state. In particular, we want to take a brief look at the question, “What should God’s minister on earth (Romans 13:4) look like? What is a proper form for this agency that is divinely appointed and commissioned to administer justice, punish evil, and encourage goodness among its citizens or subjects?” We will approach this task by considering the American Experiment.

Home Church – Chul and Sharon’s house (10:30am)
Address: 1034 Trellis Ln, Alameda, CA – rides provided
For rides please contact Joseph Yu @ 510-846-2727 or joseph.yu [at] igsmonline.org

Home Church – Thomas and Kate’s apartment (10:30am)
Address: 2037 Central Ave. Apt E, Alameda, CA 94501
For rides please contact Shufei Lei @ 510-410-8143 or shufei.lei [at] igsmonline.org

We will end our summer home church with BBQ and soccer in the Tilman Park in Alameda on August 16. Also, we would like to use this opportunity to welcome the new Berkeley graduate students that we have met thus far.

If you would like to join us for the BBQ and soccer, please come to Barrows Hall by 12:30pm. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Shufei (shufei.lei [at] igsmonline.org) for more information.

Rides: Barrows Hall Parking Lot (near Sproul Hall) at 12:30pm

See the pictures of our previous exciting a game:

This lesson takes us to the southeast sector of the Truth compass for a tour of the socialsphere that Dr. Tackett characterizes as the heart and soul of Christianity: the Mystical Union (Latin, Unio Mystica) between God and man. Here, in the most intimate and profoundly mysterious sphere of the “Intimate Three” (family, church, and the God-man relationship), we have the privilege of pondering exactly what it is that Christ has purchased for us at the price of His precious blood shed on the cross for our sins: not simply salvation from hell, but an invitation into the Godhead itself, where we may experience the incomprehensible wonder of oneness with the Creator of the universe.

Home Church – Alameda  (10:30am)
Chul and Sharon’s House
Address: 1034 Trellis Ln, Alameda, CA – rides provided
For rides please contact Joseph Yu @ 510-846-2727 or joseph.yu [at] igsmonline.org

Home Church – Berkeley (10:30am)
Dana House
Address: 2440 Dana St., Berkeley, CA 94704

After last Sunday’s home church services, the Alameda home church and the Berkeley home church in ISM had a friendly soccer match in the Godfrey Park of Alameda. Weather was perfect. The winning team would get free yogurt or boba drink from the losing team.

I don’t have detailed stats of all the players in these two teams. But suffice to say that both teams were pretty even skill-wise since the Berkeley home church was without two of their powerful players, Jon and fantheflame. Anyway, here is a quick run-down on what happened (Team Alameda = Alameda home church, Team Berkeley = Berkeley home church):

Team Alameda quickly scored a goal at 5 minutes from the start of game, 0-1.

In response, Team Berkeley quickly bounced back through a penal kick to tie the game at 1-1.

20 minutes into the game, Team Berkeley scored again to take the lead at 2-1.

End of first half.

Both churches looked significantly tired, but Team Alameda took advantage of Team Berkeley’s weak back field and scored the last goal in regulation with 5 minutes left to tie the game at 2-2.

Going straight into penalty kick to determine the winner, the two teams tied at 3-3 after 5 rounds of penalty kick. The goalies on both teams put on a great show in defending their goals, allowing for only one goal from each team.

It was the sisters’ turn to shoot for penalty kick at the Sudden Death round. Team Alameda scored the final goal to put the game away with the final score of 3-4.

It was a great game. And Team Berkeley treated Team Alameda to Quickly for yogurt and boba drink. I look forward to a rematch in the future.

The photo album below includes some really cute and funny baby pictures. Hope you will enjoy them.

During the course of Tour 5 we took a good look at a few of the miraculous ways in which the physical universe declares the glory of its Maker. Now we turn south to consider some of the amazingly detailed reflections of God’s nature inherent in the social order. According to Dr. Tackett, the evidences of the divine imprint that we see in this realm are even more awe-inspiring and more indicative of the heart of the Creator than the marvels of DNA replication or the complexities of the blood-clotting system. But for this very reason they also stand closer to the focal point of the Cosmic Battle.

Home Church – Alameda  (10:30am)
Chul and Sharon’s House
Address: 1034 Trellis Ln, Alameda, CA – rides provided
For rides please contact Joseph Yu @ 510-846-2727 or joseph.yu [at] ismberkeley.org

Home Church – Berkeley (10:30am)
Dana House
Address: 2440 Dana St., Berkeley, CA 94704

After two weeks of discussing about Science, we will move onto our next tour. On this tour we will set up the fourth and final pillar in the Temple of Truth – History – and take a close look at the importance of maintaining a firm grip on the past. In the process, we will see that a proper appreciation of historical context – in other words, our place in God’s “larger story” – is fundamental to an accurate understanding of almost every aspect of our lives. History provides us with indispensable insights into the meaning of existence, God’s plan and purpose for the ages, man’s responsibility toward the Creator, and his duty toward his fellow creatures. The word “remember” is central to the message of this episode.

Home Church 1
Chul and Sharon’s House
Address: 1034 Trellis Ln, Alameda, CA – rides provided
For rides please contact Joseph Yu @ 510-846-2727 or joseph.yu [at] ismberkeley.org

Home Church 2
Dana House
Address: 2440 Dana St., Berkeley, CA 94704

After the special Home Worship led by Chul (Home Church 1) and Thomas (Home Church 2) during the July 4th weekend, we will return to The Truth Project series this Sunday to continue the Dr. Tackett’s lecture on Science. It’s going to be 10:30am for both home churches. Again, their locations are:

Home Church 1
Chul and Sharon’s House
Address: 1034 Trellis Ln, Alameda, CA – rides provided
For rides please contact Joseph Yu @ 510-846-2727 or joseph.yu [at] ismberkeley.org

Home Church 2
Dana House
Address: 2440 Dana St., Berkeley, CA 94704