Ventura Reformed

The newsletter of the Ventura, California URCNA church-planting project. January 2023.

MEETING AT: 78 CHRISMAN AVE. IN VENTURA, 93004, SUNDAYS- 10:30AM, EVENINGS BEGINNING IN MARCH. CALL/TEXT 805-535-5502.


SUPPORT: MAIL TO PASADENA URC, PO BOX 1737, MONROVIA, CA, USA 91017-1737 (‘VENTURA’ ON MEMO LINE)

OR GIVE THROUGH THE ‘TITHE.LY’ APP OR ONLINE- HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/4ETWCJ6U


(ON TITHELY, FIND PASADENA UNITED REFORMED CHURCH- SELECT VENTURA MISSION IN THE DROP-DOWN BOX)




Who we are now, where the Lord has us. Other ways you can give thanks with us.
In November, we hosted a ‘Reformed Youth Night’, inviting regional
Ventura Reformed, the URCNA church plant in Ventura, California,
NAPARC church kids together for spiritual conversation and
is approaching our project’s second birthday in April. It is not
socialization. That night surpassed our best hopes. We were joined
hyperbole to say that we very much feel and learn every day, no
by kids and leaders from a couple PCAs and our sister URCNA
less today than two years ago, complete dependance on the Lord
project in Santa Clarita. The wife of one of the PCA pastors brought
for any good thing here, for any usefulness he may graciously grant
the house down leading the high school girls in goofball games, as
us to share his truth and love. You may remember, we started as
did one of the PCA elders leading the junior-high boys in not-
three local households when the Kaloostians were sent here, then
overly-safe Nerf wars. What topped it all was the beautiful gospel
two more local households joined us early on.
and life lesson brought by one of the PCA pastors, a recent WSCAL

grad (pictured). Give thanks but please pray we can build on this.
Since then, three more local households are finding their way to

come alongside and worship with us regularly: a young, engaged
couple; a man in his 50s out of a long prison stretch a few months
ago; another guy who has been here for few months and now we
are seeing his family with him. Then another family moved up to
the area here and joined us. And there is still the godly couple and
the wife’s elderly mother driving up weekly from our mother
church, Pasadena URC, to support us (and keep an eye on us). All
very humbling, and joyful.

Adapting Romans 15:17-18, “It is obviously only in Christ Jesus that
we venture to speak of this work for God in Ventura, the good that
Christ alone has accomplished.” On the horizon always in churches
is people moving away or leaving, seasons of few visitors, ‘issues,’
these have come and will come. But we trust the Lord. And right
now, we are enthusiastic and energized by his Spirit. We hope you
are too, in your big or small church or plant, in seasons of deep trial
or bountiful harvest. He is reliable and worthy of all praise and Year-end also, our men’s Bible reading and discussion group
service. May he encourage you richly, beloved- give us a phone rallied. We casually meet weekly for an hour or so in six- or eight-
call/text, send us an email, let us encourage you and pray for you! week stretches, and at the last meeting of 2022, we had nine guys,
five from outside the church. We just started a new session last
night- and the list of those interested who by our guess may
realistically attend is up to 12, five from outside. Give thanks but
pray that the Word will do its amazing work in this group. We
should mention too that the women’s reading and fellowship group
is wrapping up a nice session, in it we have seen the ‘first-
generation’ women of our group coalesce nicely.

How you can pray for us, please.
Please pray for us: 1- For the revision of our website and afterward,
the planned electronic advertising and local outreach card blitz;
2- A big one, we are in limbo with our lease- the church from whom
we are leasing closed their ministry, and ultimately decided not to
work something out with us directly (sigh); so, we await some kind
of word from the denominational district; 3- For all the church
admin as the new year begins, including with the facility, for now
we are responsible for its grounds and bills and utilities in a way as
if it were our own; 4- the beginning of the evening service, planned

I wish this was: “awesome becoming-Reformed couple is married and
for March, but along with some other things, contingent on what
joins the church!” but rather it’s: “Gio & Lauren were with us for a few kind of clarity we may receive on our meeting place; 5- Again and
months before we said goodbye in their good move to Atlanta- we are again for our life relationships with the many people we meet who
helping them find a good church home. Beachy wedding pic looks boujee, do not attend any church, so many given over to extreme idolatry
but not pictured is the gruff street man we gave $20 to kind of ‘play and brokenness in ‘beautiful Southern California’. Would God
guitar’ during the ceremony, nor the dog who ran right behind us and did surprise us with his powerful, sovereign rescue of many? “For we
his special business during the vows. Welcome to marriage, kids. have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brothers,
because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through your
prayers” (adapted from Philemon 1:7).