Dear Restored South Bay

Dear Restored South Bay Family,

As we enter this new decade, I find myself so grateful to the Lord and to all of you for all that has occurred in such a short time. Let’s take a look at what Jesus did throughout 2019:

• We partnered with Frederica Manor, a local elderly home in Chula Vista, to love, serve and engage senior citizens in hopes of reflecting God’s love to them.
• As a Church we helped fund a college missionary, Melissa, to be on campus at SDSU and UCSD, who has now moved forward to be on campus in Chicago.
• We joined forces with PathwaysAfrica through Gary Bowman, who helps equip and shepherd multiple pastors throughout Africa.
• Our partnership and love for YoungLife has grown and deepened for one another; we even hosted the first ever YOUNGLIFE Sunday, where South Bay’s YL Director, Luma Haddad, preached a beautiful message of Hope and helped educate our body of how to pray/serve for today’s young people.
• We hosted the first Restored Church Youth Talent show fundraiser for the mission of funding the first Restored Youth Camp, where middle school kids from various communities in the Restored Family of Churches came together for a weekend of building Gospel-centered friendships while going deeper in their understanding and experience of God’s love.
• Alongside various members throughout the Restored Family of Churches, we were able to participate in Harbour City’s first Church-wide camp in South Africa!
• We started the very first Restored Dia De Los Muertos-inspired event called REMEMBER, where several families set up ofrendas to honor and celebrate loved ones who have passed;  God used this event to help many experience healing and power through grief, while inviting new people into a church experience that was both freeing and impactful.
• In partnership with Restored Uptown and Los Angeles, our church families committed to reading the entire Bible through the span of 100 days!
• FOREVER YOUNG ministry started last year, a community of people who have entered a season of life where their kids are grown and/or have moved out of the house, and they find themselves wanting to grow in love for one another and Jesus in this specific season and are wanting to be used for His Kingdom with intention.
• And we have seen a number of people come to know Jesus for the first time... and an even larger number of people come back to God and His Church after having walked away for a season... and have witnessed multiple families and individuals experience the life-changing power and beauty of the Gospel for the first time or for the first time in a long time, stepping into roles and spaces in life/ministry that bring Jesus glory!

This past year was also filled with a lot of discomfort, challenges, hardships, losses, and pain. And yet, through many of you, Jesus was made much of, as you leaned deeper into His embrace, trusting in His plan and promise that He will and is redeeming it all for His perfect purposes.  Thank you for reflecting God’s faithfulness and goodness despite how difficult it was...

...to forgive

...to foster/adopt

...to trust

...to confess

...to confront

...to let go

...to repent

...to cry

...to ask

...to sing

...to show up.

I gotta admit, I often don’t understand why God would entrust such an amazing group of people under my/our care.  You may not realize this, Church, but your leaders happen to be pretty flawed, sometimes insecure, very much imperfect, and oftentimes sinful (insert shock and gasps here!)... But the Spirit has been gracious enough to teach me/us that 2 Corinthians 12:9-12 (CSB) is not only true for all of you, but can also be true for us, where Jesus tells Paul:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

May we lean into the good and bad, the weak and the strong parts, in order to showcase His strength to the world...

Restored Church South Bay, as we enter 2020, may this promise and truth continue to grow deeper into our hearts and may that catalyze us towards even greater adventure and risks whether its in regards to personal vulnerability/transparency, Jesus’ mission to make disciples, pursuing God’s calling for your life, or making great and small sacrifices for His glorious purposes.

Thank you for loving me/us as your pastors, staff and leaders and for bringing me/us closer to Jesus as we attempt to do the same for you all.  I absolutely love you, Restored South Bay, and I’m so excited for where the LORD will bring this family in the future, especially as we celebrate our 5th Year anniversary this April!

Thank you Jesus for all that you’ve done through the cross and empty grave, and for all that you are going to do, in and through us. Holy Spirit, empower us to bring the love and power of Jesus to those who need Him. And Father God, thank you for adopting us into Your Kingdom family through the sacrifice of Your Son.  Amen

Found in His Grace,

Danny Quimlat

Lead Elder

Restored Church South Bay