a church in pursuit of God, with a passion for

people

PO Box 491150 Leesburg, FL 34749 www.vcfleesburg.com Email: vcfleesburg@embarqmail.com Office: (352) 365-2594 Fax: (352) 365-2594

Randy Gideons . Lead Pastor . Warehouse Church

Greetings Church Family! I want to take a moment and tell you how much I appreciate my church family! We have had a big year and have gone through a time of transition individually and collectively. I believe the year ahead will find us doing all the Gospel things our Heavenly Father wants us to be involved in. I want to ask you to remember those in need as you prepare for your celebrations. I know money is tight and many are under a lot of pressure to get by and at the same time I know of situations where individuals have no means of income, are living in cars and kids are hungry from too little food. The balance that we are faced with is "what is enough to fulfill our needs" and what can I as an individual do to help those in greater need. It doesn't take much to feed a person. $2.50 will supply a meal of a hearty soup and white rice. Knowing this we were able to collect 1000 pounds of beef stew just a couple of months ago. Having a food ministry allows us to feed those in the church and out of the church. We have partnered with a church in Oxford to distribute food and are currently working to establish other distribution partners. As an individual you can request groceries for friends, neighbors, and others who are needing food by contacting Sonia Shearer and her team (information available at the Information Counter in the church foyer/cafe).

Would you do something unto Jesus in celebration of His birthday? Would you bring into the storehouse an offering of Chunky Soup or money equivalent in order that we may supply our partners with food sources to feed those who will be hungry during this Christmas month? Our goal: 500 large cans of a hearty soup. Make a note on your shopping list and be sure and drop it in the collections containers when you come to church. The Scripture says that "when we minister to the least of these...we minister unto Jesus." What a way to say Merry CHRISTmas this year! May the Lord bless you and keep you! Randy

This is an account of the Bahrain HOP (House of Prayer) 12 hour prayer vigil which took place in our home recently. Eid is a muslim holiday so all involved had the day off. This is what they chose to do with it and an account of what took place. I didn't edit it a bit. Even the broken English is a testimony of the work the Lord is doing there among the Nations of people in Bahrain.

All prayers are owned by YHWH was announced so that no one holds back in doubt who owns the words of our mouth. Casting lots of who will intercede first and/or to lead (25 minutes each) and then who follows were arranged by the Lord. We struggled in organizing until the Holy Spirit moved each one to be quiet. Then we had a Soaking time for about 35 minutes and everyone dismounted their chariots to drink from the living waters (Word of God) from the Lord. Each one, having received a word from the Lord was led to share in combinations of the following: 1. Scripture Quotes with testimonies on how God transformed their lives 2. Thematic Scriptural Readings with exhortative prayers 3. Intercessory prayer for anyone in the house and issues whispered by the Holy Spirit Starting with intercessor John, we each strode with some or all the full armor of God as we felt the angels of the Lord kept watch near and far the vicinities. Everyone was inspired by the Word as if the cup overflowed with the fear of and wisdom from the Lord-to Him be all praises. Of course, the singing of praises went sometime in between the intercessory sessions-what a pleasing aroma to YHWH. Refiners fire kept purifying each ones heart the whole marching session.
Sandy Lindsay P.O. Box 702015 Saint Cloud, FL 34770-2015 Phone: (813) 714-8999 Website: www.spiritualmeat.com email: spiritmeat@yahoo.com

eeks before the House of Prayer Marching Prayer we had agreed that it shall be during the EidAl Adha Holiday of the Arab World. We held the event at Mike Lindsays house at Buashirah and by 8:10am everyone was at the place. Prior message was sent via internet : HoP-Eid 12-hour Prayer 06 Nov 2011 8am-8pm I. Worship (Remember David's Tabernacle) II. Confession & Repentance (Refiner's Fire) III. Soaking (Tuning one's soul with the HS and hearing the still voice of God) IV. Casting Lots for the 30 minutes turns of leading the Intercession Remember A.C.T.S. in all forms of prayer (even the Lord's Prayer as pattern but always pray in Spirit) A=Adoration C=Confession & Repentance (Confession alone is meaningless w/o Repentance) T=Thanksgiving S=Supplication>Intercession actually Attendees : Hana (Tevel), Richard & Ellen, Susan & John, Richa & her Mom, Violet, Mike, Ida, Nobel & Samia, Samuel, Ruthie, Anu, Edgar We began singing praises by 8:30am and took Worship and Confession (Repentance) each at about an hour.

POSSIBLE, NOT EASY!

was driving down the road the other day and as is my usual thing to do, I was reading church signs. As is usual, most are so religious that I dont even finish reading them. Then I read one that really slapped me in the face and gave me a gut check on life. The sign read: God makes all things POSSIBLE, not EASY!. As the miles went by and He and I were talking about this sign, I just felt like a whiner and felt like He would tell me suck it up butter cup. Many of us watch football this time of year. If not, pick your own sport or event where two opposing sides try to impose their will on each other. Obviously, there will be resistance. There will be a mental chess match of how to set each other up and catch them when they arent looking. There will be plans to wear them down physically. Plans will be made to make the opponent second guess the mental decisions that they are making in a split second. Some ideas will be held until the end of the event to spring on a tired and weary opponent in hopes that they will have nothing left to defend with. All in all, there will be a winner and there will be a loser. However, there will be neither a winner nor a loser without a battle. As we come to the end of the year, realize that you are on a field of battle. There are two very distinct sides that are battling for you to join them in eternity. Because you are in a battle, know that there will be fatigue. There will be set backs. You will have to back up and punt.

You will have to change game plans and attack in a different way or from another direction. One thing is for sure, if you dont know your play book and you dont listen to your coach, you will be eaten alive on the battle field. Your coach is placing you in positions to be successful. Sometimes it is a hard 4th down and 1 pound it out kinda day. Sometimes it is an easy 30 yard, wide open touchdown pass. Never the less, stay on the field and keep fighting. When you quit fighting, the opponent WILL IMPOSE HIS WILL ON YOU! Remember, God didnt promise you a life full of rainbows, unicorns and blue skies. He did promise that in the end, you will win as long as you are one of His children. He is there. It is possible. Learn the play book and listen to your coach. It might not be easy, but it is POSSIBLE!

y the time you read this, we will have given out 38 unprepared turkey/ham dinners for Thanksgiving. I realize that doesnt sound like many but when you calculate how many people that involves it is quite a lot. You will have made a difference in more than 100 lives!!! Thank you for your giving! What an awesome family we have here at The Warehouse! We will be doing the same thing again at Christmas. Some amazing things happen when we do our food give-a-way. Relationships are developed. On one occasion when one of our people went to get paperwork filled out, (which is required) she ran into a single mom that she just seemed to click with. She will most likely take this mom under her wing for a little while to help her get back to where she needs to be! They have adopted each other for at least a short time and maybe permanently! When we do the food distribution we dont have to preach about Gods love to these people. We show his love to them. It doesnt mean we dont say anything about Jesus. It is much easier to build a bridge between them and God when we have invested into their life. We dont always have to help monetarily. Many of us have lots of friends and acquaintances that we do not help with money but with love and moral support. This takes time and we all get busy with our own lives and forget what we are called to do. The great commission is not to catch them and fry them. It is to catch them, love them and help them. When Jesus went into a town, he fed people and he didnt do it alone. The disciples were the food distributors along with many others.

Jesus shared truth in a loving way by telling stories to them about God while they were sitting on a hill eating. The storehouse team is praying that each of us would have a burden for the lost and that we can all find a way to help bridge that gap between people and God by showing his love in a practical way. We can change lives, one meal at a time. Merry Christmas!! The Storehouse Team Contact: Sonia Shearer @ 352-408-7192 or the church office @ 352-365-2594

by Brenda Petersen

o, I was sitting in my room this morning, fiddling around on my computer, and watching T.V. My thoughts drifted off to upcoming holidays. I thought about this past Sunday and how when planning the event, I worried about whether or not there would be enough food. For those of you who were there, you could see there was plenty of food and lots to choose from. Our only decision was what kind of soup or how many cupcakes we could eat! My spirit just sorta sank back to the holidays again. I use the word SANK, as I realized this wouldn't be a good holiday time for lots of stressed and worried people. They wont be worried if there is enough food, they would be worried whether or not there was any food at all! Can they give their children food at all, worried about a turkey, what kind of pie? Not these folks, just a can of soup could bring tears of gratefulness. A vision that wont let me rest...a mom/ dad sitting at the kitchen table, a pile of bills, head in hand, wondering which ones to let go of and which ones to pay? Late notice for electricity, being cut off in three days, water already turned off. What are we worried about? Worried about the best buy on a cell phone for our kids? Your neighbor kids have no shoes. Worried about the size of a Christmas tree? Your neighbor kids need winter coats. I don't want to drag everyone down, but this stuff exists, its painful for the parents who cant feed their babies, who cant buy gifts, cant even get to work, school, church or anywhere else, they dont have gas for the car.

I know we have those in our own church family who are hurting too. My challenge is this...when you are shopping, buy an extra can of food. See shoes on sale, grab em. Meat on sale, pick up an extra package. Have you saved lots of money with coupons? How about taking a % of that to help out a needy family? Talk to your kids, tell them how blessed they are, let them choose a new toy at WalMart to donate to a child who wont have anything under the tree, probably not even a tree. Who are we at the Warehouse? What is the Warehouse, a building full of people with blinders when it comes to the neediness of other? I know better, we are a loving family, people with big and giving hearts. We can make someones life so much better, just by understanding what they are going through, just by helping in ways that could change their lives. I know some in the family don't have the financial means to help; maybe you could help with set up in the food pantry. Maybe you can bake, or cook. Got a kind smile and a warm hug? There are lots of ways to make this holiday season brighter for other people. What can you do? You are only one person? One person cant do it all, but together, under prayer, with God's guidance, we can make a difference. Make this an annual family project, what can you do?

Every Sunday ~

averagejoes Caf
Free continental breakfast served from 9:30am to 9:50am Contact: Renee Stoffel @ 253-2465
THEWAREHOUSE

Sunday, 12/18 ~ Our Annual Christmas Program Presented at the morning Service Come out for some Christmas Fun! Performances by the Creative Arts Ministry, Childrens group, Puppets, and more! Every Sunday @ 3:00 ~
ZUMBA FITNESS Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party thats enjoyable and healthy. Warehouse Annex Instructors: Tonia and Amber Wilnau Contact: Tonia Hayes 636-5361

BAND

Contacts: Aaron Symonds @ 330-1928 Mela Striker @ 365-1006

WAREHOUSE NURSERY - PRESCHOOL We believe in ministering to the needs of even our littlest members. Our qualified teachers create a positive experience that introduces nursery and preschool children to the love of Jesus early on. Contact: Jill Porvaznik @ 793-1326

Every Sunday @ 4:30 ~

Warehouse Annex Cost: $5 class or $15 month * Scholarships Available Contact: Myra Harbaugh (941) 720-3444

WAREHOUSE KIDS Warehouse Kids is for all boys and girls in Kindergarten through 6th grade. We provide a combination of games, interactive characters, and fun filled songs capture kids attention while showing them that living for God is the best way to live! Contact: Ron Sellers @ 787-0385

2nd & 4th Sundays ~

S T A T U R E Youth Group @ 12:30pm

Warehouse Annex Contact: Neal Hayes 365-1496 Next Meeting: Dec 11

2nd & 4th Sundays @ 3:30pm ~

CREATIVE ARTS Ministry Class Drama! Dance! Pantomime! Sign language! Flags! Ages: Middle school to adult Warehouse Living Room Contact: Barbara Smith 315-1400 Next Meeting: Dec 11

4th Friday ~

Older Gents @ 11:30am

Older Gents is an opportunity for men over 50 to meet for lunch and enjoy great conversation over a variety of topics that affect all of us. Golden Corral, North Leesburg Contact: Leo Lenschow 429-2563 Next Meeting: Dec 16

Every Monday @ 3:30pm ~

Kids Creative Movement Class K thru 6th Grade Warehouse Annex Cost: $5:00 (Scholarships Available) Contact: Barbara Smith 315-1400

Saturday, 1/21 @ 6:30pm~

Love & Marriage

Every Tuesday @ 5:30pm ~

Revelation Fitness Warehouse Annex Cost: $5 class or $15 month * Scholarships Available Contact: Myra Harbaugh (941) 720-3444

Every Wednesday @ 7:00pm ~

Puppet Ministry Practice Warehouse Annex Adults and youth welcome to join. Contact: Steven Bennett 408-0017

Jeff & Sue Myers home at 6:30pm 41737 Kendra Lane, Weirsdale This is a monthly gathering for young couples married 15 years and less (or soon to be married). We hope you will join us as we pursue discovering God's principles to "becoming one" in our marriages; in our relationships with one another, and with Him. Contact: Brian Sellers 504-6221

elev

ation

Young Adults of 18 to 29 years old gather for fellowship and different activities. Contact: Vance Harbaugh (941) 720-3912 DONT FORGET!! This will be the last month for collecting. 1st Sunday of the month we will collect the "Change Cups". Your spare "change" helps those in need in our church and our community.

WEDNESDAY, 12/7 @ 6:30pm ~

Ladies Ornament Exchange Bring a wrapped ornament under $5.00 to exchange. Bring a finger food to share. Warehouse Annex Contact: Rhonda Gideons @ 793-9270

2nd & 4th Friday ~

Harp & Bowl - Worship & Intercession

Warehouse Living Room Fellowship at 6:30; Harp & Bowl at 7:00 Contact: Cliff Cochran 483-3140 Next Meeting: Dec 9

*Revelation Fitness and Holy Yoga Classes can be combined monthly for $25 Check out our web page at www.vcfleesburg.com for everything on the calendar this month.

3rd Friday ~

S T A T U R E Youth Group @ 7:00pm

Fun & Games Warehouse Annex Contact: Neal Hayes 365-1496 Next Meeting: Dec 16

Whats the strangest gift you have received for Christmas?"

John Smith ~ My first Bible. Seemed strange, being a heathen at the time.

Stacia Doggett ~ 5 gallons of dill pickles, compliments of Lynn Windham. Brenda Petersen ~ An electric hot dog and bun warmer!!

Come, Die, and Live The Normal Christian Life

pastor at the Metrowest Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Framingham Massachusetts during the early 90's, Douglas Bowman, preached a sermon that he titled "Come, Die, and Live - The Normal Christian Life". It was not a popular sermon but certainly captured the truth that anyone who has been a Christian after the honeymoon phase has ended will recognize and if being truthful, will agree with. He said we tend to omit the "Die" part when we are evangelizing. We like the come and the live part. Come to Christ and then live eternally! But the period, the intervening time of the average Christian life yes the dash between birth death matters most. From the beginning to the end. This time spent is all about death and dying. And a slow, agonizing death and dying it is! Spanning decades! And not that it's ONLY death certainly there is joy in being saved and moments of pure wonderfulness in being alive and the peace and amazement of walking with your savior daily, but most certainly there is death amidst it all. I dont want to lose sight of that side of Live/Life here for that is certainly real. But what I want to do today is talk about a death that gives life, life in abundance. Dont write me off just yet. Just for starters we have death to my way, my will, my plans, my wants and what I perceive as needs, my timewasting activities, my "habits" - whatever they may be, my life as I know it, my life as I planned it, my life as I wanted it to be, my impulses and urges and cravings so common to all yet never talked about to anyone. And yet we are hardly ever truthful about this death and rarely admit

it to anyone and especially not anyone Christian! What would they think of me!!! Actually, probably not any less than they do now because they are just as concerned with appearing more spiritual than I am! It is the unmentionable, secret, underground Christian race! Who can be the most spiritual person all the while manifesting our best imitation of humility and spiritual giftedness which implies favor with God and therefore justifies how spiritual people should think I am. Oh, yes, we are liars here in the Christian church. We say we are being positive etc. And we don't want to talk about the death struggle going on in our life. We change the language to make it more palatable to ourselves and more spiritually impressive to others our sinful habits are now called our "struggles" as we attempt to make ourselves more holy and more in Christ's image. Those who are in love with their self-righteousness more than God. How futile. How foolish. Did we miss the part about how we can't do it by ourselves and so we had to turn to Christ as our savior and trust him to do it in us, for us by the Holy Spirit? Having responded to the "Come and been saved, have we turned around and thanked him, only to re-enter a new rat race - the I am Holier than Thou game, played daily but in REALLY amped up for the Sunday gathering! Have we conveniently skipped over the die part and entered into our own version of live? Have we traded the eternal "Live/ Life" we were promised and settled for normal Christian "Live/Life" in the here and now because thats easier to deal with and to sell to others no matter how many masks and shows we have to put on to sell it?

Yes, we are liars, fakes, snake oil salesmen and have cheapened the gift that we were originally offered and settled for a life of our own making. This is sad. Sadder still is the fact that having settled for this lesser life, it is no more fulfilling or free of suffering than the "Die" God has planned for us. We just struggle more against it - die harder if you will - and reap none of the benefits that going with the flow of God's planned death for us would work into us so that we could truly "live" when the time came. We have switched the phrase to suit our liking - now it is Come, Live, and Die and unfortunately the turn of the phrase makes all the difference because living life in that order will ultimately net you the eternal death. Shocking?? Un-true?? Too harsh?? Then how could Jesus say to those who were so sure they were going to enter heaven, Be gone - I knew you not! Can't you see how this would be true if you don't do the Die part here on earth during your Christian life? Can you really expect to be welcome with open arms when your entire life was a pseudo Christianity, a show for others, a fabrication to impress and deceive the other members of the Body? How could you expect your deception would be met with a welcome from God? There is relying on Jesus to save as he planned out and presuming him to save even if we never really did the program! And yet we do. Because if we didn't assume that, then we would be serious about being real, transparent, having no airs, basking in the glory and goodness of God to such a sinner as me - think Paul, calling himself the chief sinner - if anyone could have pulled off the "be impressed with my holiness and gifting", he could have! Except Paul knew and lived the right order - Come, Die, and Live. And we see the results. We all want the results. We want to sell those results to everyone because they are so important and so good. But unless we sell the whole truth, the whole Come, Die, and Live, then we do not get any results at all and instead end up as we were before we ever heard of Christ, dead in our sin.

What will it take for us to be real? To be honest? To put down our pseudo Christianity and live the entire message openly before all including those who do not believe yet. I don't know. When I was real, open, honest I was met with critical responses and actions and labels and prevented from doing any further ministry with the gifts I had. Ultimately in order to live as called, I had to leave the fellowship of that body. Here in the world I can be real and open with everyone and it is disarming and shocking to those who know I am a believer because they expect me to be a pseudo Christian just like the media has portrayed us to be and because I am not, they are un-comfortable with me. I am not holier than thou and so they can just let it all hang out without fear of being rejected or judged. Hopefully this is the first step toward being saved for them or even an invitation to lay down their own pseudo Christianity. I can only hope. What will it take for us to be real? To be honest? To put down our pseudo Christianity and live the entire message openly before all including those who do not believe yet. Can you imagine an entire church of real, open, honest dying Christians? It would be unstoppable. Maybe that's what we should pray for - death to Christianity as we know it! I think it's the only way anyone is ever going to really live.

This article was written by Darlene Torres, D. Min. Darlene has been a dear friend for many years. She has challenged me more than once into rethinking my Christianity.

Check out Leos blog on the Warehouse website at www.vcfleesburg.com

01 Jeanine Peacock 02 Monique Clark 03 Mike Lindsay 03 Tonia Hayes 06... Rebecca Greene 07 Cleanne Schofield 11 Thomas Clark 12... Christopher & Brenda Rapp 14 Benachoice Caruthers 14 Emily Cook 15... Stephen Doggett

16 Elizabeth Maggio 16... Mary Angela Clement 18... Ron & Sheryl Sellers 19 Renee Stoffel 22 John & Jessica Anderson 25... Brendon Peters 26 Tom & Benachoice Caruthers 28 Stephanie Porvaznik 29 Jeremy Hayes 31 Conner Schofill 31... Jason & Rebecca Greene

he number one way to keep Jesus Christ in your Christmas celebrations is to have him present in your daily life. If you're not sure what it means to become a believer in Christ, find someone who is and they can help you. If you've already accepted Jesus as your Savior and made him the center of your life, keeping Christ in Christmas is more about the way you live your life than the things you saysuch as "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays." Keeping Christ in Christmas means daily revealing the character, love and spirit of Christ that dwells in you, by allowing these traits to shine through your actions. Here are simple ways to keep Christ the central focus of your life this Christmas season. 1) Give God one very special gift just from you to him: Let this gift be something personal that no one else needs to know about, and let it be a sacrifice. David said in 2 Samuel 24 that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing. Maybe your gift to God will be to forgive someone you've needed to forgive for a long time. You may discover that you've given a gift back to yourself. Perhaps your gift will be to commit to spending time with God daily. Or maybe there is something God has asked you to give up. Make this your most important gift of the season. 2) Set aside a special time to read the Christmas story in Luke 1:5-56 through 2:1-20: Consider reading this account with your family and discussing it together. 3) Set up a Nativity scene in your home. 4) Plan a project of good will this Christmas: Do you have an elderly neighbor in need of home repairs or yard work? Find someone with a genuine need, involve your whole family and see how happy you can make someone this Christmas.

5) Give a surprise gift of service to each member of your family: Jesus taught us to serve by washing the disciples feet. He also taught us that it is "more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35 (NIV) The idea of giving an unexpected gift of service to members of your family is to demonstrate Christ-like love and service. Make it personal and meaningful and watch the blessings multiply. 6) Attend a Christmas church service together with your family: If you are alone this Christmas or don't have family living near you, invite a friend or a neighbor to join you. 7) Write a Christmas letter to a missionary: Many missionaries are unable to travel home for the holidays, so it can be a very lonely time for them. Write a special Christmas letter to a missionary of your choice, thanking them for giving their life in service to the Lord. Trust meit will mean more than you can imagine!