Little Chapel by the Lake
“Did you know,” asks Pastor Ken, “that the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a country with no land? Maybe it’s better described as a government in exile, but it’s recognized as a nation by the U.N., has a currency, and has open diplomatic relations with other countries.
“In a similar but also profoundly different way, the Kingdom of God is a reality, not a location,” continues Pastor Ken. “It’s not something we’re waiting for, so much as something we’re looking for expectantly. And at the same time, it’s already within us.
“It’s a kingdom with citizens, ambassadors, industry, and economy.”
Little Chapel’s conversation on January 14 is: “The Kingdom Is Within You.”
“Our January series, ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ will help you to find joy that isn’t dictated by your circumstances, and that can’t be stolen from you,” says Pastor Ken.
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.
Little Chapel is also open Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m. for silent prayer and worship in the sanctuary and memorial prayer garden. Communion, prayer, and anointing are available. Everyone is welcome.
For more information, see the display ad in this section.
Abundant Life Church
We are all involved in spiritual warfare. There is an increased amount of pressure from society to ignore the instruction given in the Bible and do what feels and appears best to you. Less and less, people see the good that can be done by helping others and simply focus on themselves, while Jesus all along teaches that we must be willing to follow his example and give ourselves away. To live in this society, we must then use all our spiritual resources to bring down this wall of selfishness and dedicate ourselves to fulfill our God-given purpose in life. Sunday, January 14, Pastor Gary offers Biblical council for living the Christian life in the real world.
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.
The 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
This Sunday’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures is the call of Samuel, the story of a young boy hearing a voice calling to him in the night. Samuel assumed it was the voice of Eli, the high priest who was sleeping nearby. Two times Samuel went to Eli in response to the call but Eli assured him he had not called him. The third time the boy heard the voice and went to Eli, Eli realized it was God who was calling Samuel. He instructs Samuel to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” The question for us in our daily lives is, “Are we listening?”
St. Andrew’s service of Holy Eucharist begins Sunday, 10 a.m. and the bilingual Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. Coffee hour, a time of fellowship and welcome, follows the service.
St. Andrew’s will hold its annual Italian dinner Friday, January 26, with the social hour starting at 3 p.m. Sign-up is Sunday, January 14. Tickets are 250 pesos and another sell-out is expected.
Every Sunday, the feeding program 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.
Decluttering? Clearing out your closet? If you are, please don’t forget resale shop, Todo Bueno. Every donation or consignment you make benefits the Outreach Ministry of St. Andrew’s. Be it clothing, kitchenware, electronics, bric-a-brac, furniture, appliances, books, collectables, sports equipment, etc., bringing it to Todo Bueno enables our parish to financially support many Lakeside charities. Todo Bueno is located on the highway, next to S&S Auto in Riberas de Pilar, and is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, except Sunday.
St. Andrew’s is located at Calle San Lucas 19, a block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
Lake Chapala Baptist
Says Brother Bob Hendrick: “Some days feel like God is nowhere. The Israelites ran out of water on their way to the Promised Land and complained to Moses (which was a pretty common occurrence). Part of their whine was, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ They were thirsty. They were in a hurry. They were in a bind. They were in a foul mood. And there was no space in their schedule for putting up with leaders who lead them to dry places. Moses’ response … he prayed. God gave him instructions to strike a big boulder with his walking stick, and water came gushing out of the rock. Moses demonstrated that a little space for prayer can change ‘God is nowhere’ to ‘God is now here.’ Moses named that place ‘Temptation and Strife’ (Exodus 17:7), which sounds much more spiritual than ‘Whiney Hiney.’ I guess I’m no Moses.”
Sunday, January 14, 11 a.m., Brother Bob will give the sermon at the worship service of the Lake Chapala Baptist Church, located at Santa Margarita 147, Riberas del Pilar.
Unitarian Universalists
Sunday January 14, the presentation “Martin Luther King, Jr.: Part of a Proud Tradition” will be given by Lewis Crippen, with Susan Reynolds as the service leader, at the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Influenced by both Gandhi and Unitarians, MLK was, for many, the focal point of the civil rights movement in the United States. Sunday’s sermon will consider leaders who used similar tactics in other movements. The LCUUF choir will perform.
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 (376) 766-1458.
Christ Church Episcopal
Christ Church Episcopal, a mission of the Diocese of the West in the Anglican Church of Mexico, will observe the second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 14, with the Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. in the Little Chapel by the Lake. Reverend Robbin Del Nagro will preside and give the message “Listen. Listen!”
The Lunch Bunch will meet at 11 a.m. at La Vie en Rose, located just West of the corner of Septiembre and Colon in Ajijic.
The Bible Study will not meet during the month of January. It will resume on February 6.
The Little Chapel by the Lake is located at Carretera 10, in Chula Vista.
Lakeside Presbyterian
The sermon this week at Lakeside Presbyterian will be based on the fourth chapter of the gospel of Matthew. Immediately after being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was called into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by Satan. Pastor Ross Arnold will discuss why such a temptation was necessary and what it teaches us and how we can understand more about Jesus and about ourselves from what we learn from this important episode in the life of Jesus?
Adult Sunday school begins at 8:30 a.m. The traditional second Sunday potluck, open to all, will be held immediately after the 10 a.m. English-language service. There will be no creative forum this week.
Lakeside Presbyterian Church is located at San Jorge 250 in Riberas del Pilar. English-language services begin each Sunday, 10 a.m. and Spanish-language services are 9 a.m. and noon. Everyone is welcome.
San Andres English
“Christ calls each of us by name. In this celebration, we listen to what God has to say to us, prepare to use in God’s service the body that God has given us for the glory of God. We say with Christ, ‘This is my body which is given up for you.’”
So says Fr. Basil G. Royston, D. Min., who will offer the homily “Answering God’s Call,” at San Andres Catholic Church’s English-language service Sunday, January 14, 9 a.m.
San Andres is located at the corner of Ramon Corona and Parroquia, one block from the Ajijic main plaza.
Jewish Congregation
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.
Home Church Int’l
Many people want to follow the lead of the calendar. When the calendar flips to a new year, some people want to make a new start about some personal concern. This is what they refer to as a New Year’s resolution. Many have fairly good intentions to accomplish a certain thing to pursue in this fresh year. Occasionally one might hear of some success at the end of the year, but don’t hold your breath.
A large percentage of these resolutions seem to be about personal improvement. A noble idea, yet what wisdom is employed in seeking this change? Care is needed in seeking advice from friends or referrals. Our Creator and Sustainer, God, has, and is, the answer. If we’ve made a string of bad choices, this prompts a need for change. Our Lord knows all about us and is our source of blessing. His Holy Spirit is here to guide and empower. Pastors Paul and Susana Allen remind us that in the 17th chapter of Acts we find “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” No basis for wishes, for He is our answer. 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..