Abundant Life Church
Norma Johnson will be with the congregation Sunday, April 15. After 23 years of ministry in various churches, Johnson stepped out with God into a new endeavor, founding Beyond Restoration Ministries in 2004.
The ministry is devoted to healing the whole person, body, soul and spirit. She is the vice president of Apostolic Intercessors Network, a Mary Kay sales director and mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
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
“The empty tomb not only brought joy to the disciples, but also fear and uncertainty,” says Rev. Glenn Chalmers, Rector of St. Andrew’s. “Can we dare to believe that life has really conquered death; that the powers of darkness have truly been overcome? Often our world seems to betray our hopes and our faith. Our prayer is that God will open the eyes of our faith.”
St. Andrew’s service of Holy Eucharist begins Sunday, 10 a.m. and bilingual Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. Coffee hour, a time of fellowship and welcome, follows the service.
Every Sunday, Operation Feed, the feeding program supported by St. Andrew’s welcomes donations of non-perishable food items. Boxed milk and empty cardboard egg cartons are especially welcome, in addition to rice, beans, pasta, lentils, garbanzos, oats, oil and salt. The parish distributes these foodstuffs to the Lakeside’s neediest families.
Decluttering? Clearing out your closet? If you are, please don’t forget St. Andrew’s resale shop, Todo Bueno. Every donation or consignment you make benefits the church’s Outreach Ministry. Donations of clothing, kitchenware, electronics, bric-a-brac, furniture, appliances, books, collectables, sports equipment, etc., enables the parish to financially support a number of charities around Lakeside. 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. Monday to Saturday.
St. Andrew’s is located at Calle San Lucas 19, a block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
Unitarian Universalists
Rev. Matt Alspaugh will present “The Starfish and the Spider” at the next meeting of the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Sunday, April 15, 10:30 a.m.
He says: “Not long ago, I encountered the book ‘The Starfish and the Spider,’ which explored the concept of leaderless organizations. I wonder if there is a larger principle in play; that of organizations, systems, even universes without centers as we know them. Could our concept of ‘the interdependent web’ mentioned in our seventh principle, be alluding to such networks? How might such a concept guide our everyday lives?”
Ellen McFarland is the Service Leader. The UU Choir will sing.
The Unitarians meets Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Hidalgo 261, on the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar, opposite the Catholic Church.
Little Chapel by the Lake
“Sun Tzu taught in The Art of War that the enemy of my friend is my enemy, and the friend of my friend is my friend,” says Pastor Ken. “What does this have to do with the full armor?” he asks. “Find out the answer to this and other pressing questions in a life-changing, six-week series that will have you looking at ‘the full armor of God’ like you never have before.”
The conversation at Little Chapel Sunday, April 15 is titled “Full Armor – Part 2.” It is drawn from Ephesians 6 and other passages. Pastor Ken takes you to the historical and biblical context of the Roman armor the apostle Paul was describing in his letter to the church at Ephesus.
Non-denominational Christian, English-language Sunday worship service is at 11 a.m. An informal hour of worship music, prayer, and open communion begins at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to stay for a friendly comida (church meal) after the service.
Little Chapel is a dog-friendly congregation, to allow for those who need to keep their fur friends close. For a copy of the chapel’s canine etiquette, email Little Chapel 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..
Lakeside Presbyterian
Sunday, April 15, Pastor Dwayne Bartley’s sermon will be “A Fellowship of Astonishment,” with text drawn from Acts 3:11-16.
Pastor Bartley will offer an in-depth look at the amazement and astonishment which followed Jesus, His life and His miracles. People of the day were shocked, dumbfounded, becoming a fellowship of astonishment, living with expectation. Pastor Bartley will detail the events and drama of this time, and the resulting transformation of ordinary people.
Pastor Bartley poses this question to our present-day churches: “Are we willing to give up our comfortable, expected routines and rituals, to be similarly astonished and transformed?”
Lakeside Presbyterian Church is located at San Jorge 250 in Riberas del Pilar. English-language services begin each Sunday at 10 a.m., Spanish-language services at 9 a.m. Everyone is welcome.
Normal church activities resume with adult Sunday school at 8:30 a.m. and adult Bible study on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. An exception this month will be no second Sunday potluck.
Christ Church Episcopal
Christ Church Episcopal, a mission of the Diocese of the West in the Anglican Church of Mexico, will observe the Third Sunday of Easter, April 15 with the Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. in the La Huerta Eventos Center (where the Tuesday Organic Market is held), Carretera West 522, West Ajijic. Vicar Danny Borkowski will preside and give a message “The Suffering Messiah” based on Luke 24: 36b-48.
The Lunch Bunch will meet at noon at Lake Taco Restaurant, on the Libramiento in San Antonio, following the refreshments and coffee after the service.
The Bible Study will not meet this month at the home of Elizabeth Carroll, but will resume sometime in May. At that time all are welcome to learn about the wonderful books and gospels of the Bible.
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.
San Andres English
“We celebrate with the living Christ, our advocate with the Father, in whose name repentance for the forgiveness of sins is preached to all the world.” Fr. Basil G. Royston, D. Min., will offer the homily “Our Advocate with the Father” at San Andres Catholic Church’s English-language service Sunday, April 15, 9 a.m.
San Andres is located at the corner of Ramon Corona and Parroquia, one block from the Ajijic main plaza.
Home Church Int’l
Most people get discomfort when challenged, “But I want to know your real motive.” This is usually in response to something they’ve done, said, or written, something possibly hidden. Television can be a tool revealing what may really be on the inside of us. It is full of radical news, views, or obsessions. Most people try to brush it off as “mere entertainment.” Deeper-than-surface preoccupations usually guide our entertainment needs. Entertainment occupies a lot of our lives. Some may be wholesome, and some is not. The “why” of our choices tells a lot about us.
Spiritual life and involvements is no different. We may avoid things like true faith in God by substituting a plethora of entertainment. Either that, or our true motives for involving ourselves in faith matters or meetings may be less than holy. We might inwardly be looking for entertainment. Worse than this, it is dishonest before God, who is due and worthy of genuine praise. This is a call for true honesty. Wanting merely colorful preachers or sermons are impure motives. Pastors Paul and Susana Allen urge sincerity in your spiritual pursuits. Contact them 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..