HU Chant
Chanting HU, an ancient name for the Divine while in a contemplative state, is a simple technique to open your heart to greater happiness, love, inner peace and understanding.
Join in Saturday, December 2, 10:30 a.m., at the Center for Spiritual Living located at Nicholas Bravo 17, Ajijic, for a short (30-minute) group HU Chant followed by refreshments and fellowship time. For more information, contact Hallie Shepherd at 766-3656 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Sponsored by Eckankar, Mexico.
Christ Church Episcopal
Christ Church Episcopal, a mission of the Diocese of the West in the Anglican Church of Mexico, will observe the first Sunday of Advent, December 3, with Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. in the Little Chapel by the Lake. Vicar Danny Borkowski will preside, and give a message called “Keep Awake,” based on Mark 13:24-37.
The congregation is invited to turn out on Saturday, 1 p.m. to help decorate the church.
The Lunch Bunch will meet at La Nueva Posada at 11 a.m. The Bible Study will meet Tuesday, December 5, 2 p.m. at the Fellowship Hall of the Little Chapel, where they will continue their exploration of Paul’s letters in chronological order. All are welcome.
Unitarian Universalists
The service at the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Sunday, December 3 is entitled “Unitarian Universalists and Judeo Christian values: Exploring Our Roots.” Rev. Kathy Koches is the speaker and Bob Koches will lead the service.
Koches will talk about how UUs draw from their Judeo-Christian roots and the values we can learn from them.
The Unitarians meet 10:30 a.m. at Hidalgo 261 in Riberas del Pilar, opposite the bell tower, on the north side of the Carretera. Questions? Call Fred at 766-1458.
Jewish Congregation
The Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation invites everyone to a Chanukah Party, Tuesday, December 12, 3 p.m. at Sta. Margarita 113 in Riberas del Pilar. The cost for non-members is 200 pesos for holiday food and fun. RSVP: (376) 106-1199.
Shabbat Torah services are held the first and third Saturday of the month, 10 a.m., and Shabbat evening services and potluck every second and fourth Friday, 6 p.m. at the Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation.
The synagogue is located at Sta. Margarita 113, Riberas del Pilar (mountainside of the Carretera, diagonally across from Mom’s Restaurant). Call (376) 766-2668 or go to lakechapalajewishcongregation.com.
Lakeside Presbyterian
Sunday, December 3, the guest preacher will be Dwayne Bartley, an experienced Canadian minister and close personal friend of Wayne Cook, the pastor of Congregational Care at Lakeside Presbyterian Church.
Bartley’s blessings include a wife of 44 years and five children. Son Benje is with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and son Bevan is an elementary school teacher. His three daughters are in their pre-teen and teen years.
“Dealing with discouragement and four steps into encouragement” is his sermon topic, based on 2 Kings 13:14-19, in which a discouraged Elisha engages the king of Israel, Jehoash, to help defeat Aram shortly before Elisha dies.
The church is located at San Jorge 250 in Riberas del Pilar. Turn toward the lake at Mom’s Restaurant and it is two blocks down on the right. English-language services begin each Sunday, 10 a.m. and Spanish-language services are 9 a.m. and noon. Everyone is welcome.
Lake Chapala Baptist
Says Brother Bob Hendrick: “Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.’ As the year draws to an end, some folks realize those resolutions they made have not been carried out. For whatever reason, they have failed. Either they did not ‘do with might’ or they did not find what they intended for their hand to find. Let me ask a couple of personal questions. (1) What did your hand find to do? Sometimes we intend to do things that are not intended for us. (2) What did you do mightily? You probably have taken care of yourself. You might have helped some others. You might not have been as outgoing as you resolved to be, but you might have stuck by your old friend(s) like an old friend. Sometimes we need to resolve and change. Sometimes we just need to do what we have been doing with might — with our might and maybe next year with a little more dependence on might from the Lord.
Sunday, December 3, 11 a.m., Brother Hendrick will give the sermon at the worship service of the Lake Chapala Baptist Church, located at Santa Margarita 147, Riberas del Pilar.
Little Chapel by the Lake
“When the angel talked to Mary, he spoke of peace on Earth and goodwill to humankind,” says Pastor Ken Armstrong. “No mention was made of boycotting the companies that don’t put her son’s name on their coffee cups.”
“Joy to the World” is the topic of conversation at Little Chapel on Sunday, December 3. It is drawn from Luke 2, Romans 2, and John 3.
Non-denominational Christian, English-language Sunday worship service is at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to stay for a friendly comida (church meal) after the service.
For more information, see the display ad in this section.
Abundant Life Church
Says Pastor Gary Neighbor: “Labor pains are very real for a mother-to-be. As we approach this Christmas season, the scriptures call us to reflect on these pains that were first in Mary. Her pain was for a time but with the hope of the future since she had been given insight into the life of this little child, Jesus. Although she could not see all of the future, Mary knew what this child meant. Jesus had been born! Before hearing a single word or sermon, before seeing him perform a single miracle and even before understanding the need to die for mankind’s sins, Mary trusted God.” Sunday, December 3, Pastor Neighbor invites you “to see how all this still affects us today and the action it calls us to.”
Abundant Life Church is affiliated with the Assemblies of God of Mexico and has services for everyone. An English-language worship service is held each Sunday, 10 a.m. and Bible Study Wednesday, 3 p.m. Spanish-language services are Sunday at noon. Spanish-language Bible studies are Wednesday, 6:45 p.m. A children’s ministry is held Saturday, noon, and youth meet Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
Abundant Life Church is located at Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec 140, San Antonio Tlayacapan, a block from Super Lake. For more information, call 331-417-7038 (cel).
St. Andrew’s Anglican
Sunday, December 3, at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Mother Liza Spangler will preach the Gospel of St. Mark, 13:24-27. For many, she says, this passage refers to the end time when the sun and moon will cease to give light and the stars will fall from the sky. And many see it as a fearful time of endings.
But perhaps it refers to the present as well as the future, and in both instances, it’s not a fearful time when things come to an end, but a time of hope in the continuing presence of God in Christ, and a new beginning for each of us.
The service of Holy Eucharist begins 10 a.m., and the bilingual children’s Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. Coffee hour, a time of fellowship and welcome, follows the service.
This last Sunday of the month, we’ll collect donations to provide lunches for the Mezcala schoolchildren.
The congregation’s annual Carol Sing will be at St. Andrew’s Friday, December 8. Social hour begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by a potluck and then the Carol sing. Cost is 50 pesos. Sign-up Sunday, November 26 or December 3.
Every Sunday, the feeding programs supported by St. Andrew’s welcome donations of non-perishable food items. Boxed milk and empty cardboard egg cartons are especially welcome, in addition to rice, beans, pasta, oil and salt.
Whenever you want to recycle something, don’t forget our resale shop, Todo Bueno. Every donation or consignment made benefits St. Andrew’s outreach ministry, which supports a multitude of charities at Lakeside. Clothing, kitchenware, electronics, bric-a-brac, furniture, appliances, books, collectibles, sports equipment, etc., are all welcome. Todo Bueno, open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is located on the highway next to S&S Auto in Riberas del Pilar.
St. Andrew’s is located at Calle San Lucas 19, a block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
San Andres English
“Our life is a long vigil, waiting for the Lord to be revealed in all His glory. We wait with longing and with ‘joyful hope,’ for his Spirit is with us, and we know that God is faithful to God’s promises.”
So says Fr. Basil G. Royston, D. Min., who will offer the homily “Waiting for the Lord,” at San Andres Catholic Church’s English-language service on Sunday, December 3, 9 a.m.
The San Andres English congregation holds a “First Sunday of the Month Food Drive” to help support the children at Villa Infantil orphanage in Jocotepec and the sisters who care for them. Consider bringing a non-perishable food item, toilet tissue, cleaning products, and the like to Sunday’s Liturgy.
San Andres is located at the corner of Ramon Corona and Parroquia, one block from the Ajijic main plaza.
Home Church Int’l
A mindset for most expats, and probably most earth-beings, is that “end of the road” is too vague and uncertain, so why dwell on it. For those in this category, the simplest way is to ignore it. This is called denial. The other fallacy to this mindset is, “Oh, everything will turn out okay.” This not only is denial, but something called universalism. It is based on nothing. The devil would have you trust in anything but God’s Word.
The deviating culprit here is that most humanity identifies itself as body, soul (mind, will, and emotions), and possibly a spirit. However, humanity is made in the image of God, who is Spirit, and therefore we must correct this identity that we are a spirit (already eternal), we have a soul, and live in a body. Thus, we are confronted with the question, “What is our destiny?” Ignore it? Okay! But, obvious questions need an answer, the right one. Pastors Paul and Susana Allen thus assert that seeing life God’s way is the only answer, to spend eternal life in Him. For more, contact the pastors at (332) 242-8648, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Let’s Go A-Caroling
Lakeside Singers began their day of caroling several years ago when some newcomers to the area mentioned that they missed the activity they had become so used to back north. The group decided to carol at some of the Lakeside convalescent/independent living homes and has continued to do so each December, when participants don Santa hats and festive apparel to spread the word and join in the fun. The Singers will meet Wednesday, December 20, 9:45 a.m. at the Little Chapel by the Lake and carpool to four locations during the day. The 40-minute performances will include a break for lunch at 1 p.m. The following day, Thursday, December 21, the group will head to O’Hana’s in San Juan Cosala at 4 p.m. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information, or to request song sheets on the singing list. All welcome.