Laguna Chapalac - January 07, 2023

Christ Church Lakeside

Christ Church Lakeside will celebrate  the First Sunday after the Epiphany: the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ by celebrating the Holy Eucharist together, and via Zoom, on Sunday, January 8, 10:30 a.m., at our location with the red door and windows next to The Smokehouse Restaurant.

Rev. Danny Borkowski will be the celebrant and give the message. Those wishing to have brunch after the service will meet at noon in the Casa Linda Restaurant, Rio Bravo 7, Ajijic. 376-108-0887.

The Loaves and Fishes Food Distribution will not be held Tuesday, January 10. If you wish to give a much-needed monetary donation, or need more information, contact Al Ramos, 332-384-2343, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Bible Study, hosted by Rev. Danny Borkowski will be held via Zoom Wednesday, January11, 1 p.m. All are invited to learn about the inspired contents of the Bible and share their insights with each other.

To receive the Zoom sign-in information for joining the Holy Eucharist service and/or the Bible Study, contact Rev. Danny Borkowski at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 376-766-2495, or Rev. Jim Powers at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 322-356-0382.

Christ Church Lakeside wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Lakeside Presbyterian

This week Pastor Carolyn will tell us how “Jesus Makes Outsiders Insiders.”

To modern ears, the word “sinner” is distasteful. It reeks of judgmentalism. But religious folk in Jesus’ day weren’t as diplomatic. They had no trouble with name-calling. In fact, they thought it was important to make sharp distinctions between those who were holy and those who were not. In the Gospel of Luke, we learn from Jesus that God is ready to include all of us—sinner and righteous, rich and poor, blessed and oppressed, male and female.

“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

English-language service begins at 9:30 a.m. Spanish service begins 11 a.m.. Everyone is welcome to the drop-in Bible study Wednesday, 10 a.m.

The English service also streams each Sunday at facebook.com/LPCChapala.

If you need a ride, or more information, call 376-106-0853 Thursday, before 4 p.m.

There is coffee and refreshments after the service in the Narthex.

LPC is at Calle San Jorge 250 in Riberas del Pilar, (turn lakeside at Mom’s Restaurant).

St. Andrew’s Anglican

Reverend James Twyman will preach and celebrate, Sunday, January 8. Services begin at 10 a.m.

The St. Andrew’s Lunch Bunch goes to different venues for lunch at Noon every Sunday. The location is listed every Sunday in our bulletin.

Classes on Anglican Music by Bro. Jonathan Wheat has been moved and will be offered during the Easter season.

Our 2023 Education program will begin with a 6-session series about the great varieties of worship in North America: the things that touch our hearts and inspire our souls. The program will be led by Fr. Michael Schirmacher. To enroll, email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Operation Feed: Our feeding program buys non-perishable food to donate to “Operation Feed,” which feeds about 150 families— about 700 people— in and around San Juan Cosalá. We prefer cash donations. Cash enables us to buy at bulk for the lowest prices to help feed even more families. If you opt for a cash donation, envelopes marked “Operation Feed” are available every Sunday. If you sign your name to the envelope, your offering will be recorded as a church donation.

Coffee and Cookies Ministry: A wonderful time for meeting friends and greeting newcomers. Please join us. We’re always grateful for volunteers to provide cookies. Those interested can sign up via the sign-up sheet near the garden pathway.

If you’d like to donate to St. Andrew’s, checks can be made out to Andrew’s Fund U.S., or Andrew’s Fund Canada, each of which are tax-deductible.

To become part of our parish family, please contact Rev. Michelle: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sunday services are streamed live and sermon highlights are available on Facebook/St Andrews Anglican Lake Chapala.

Lake Chapala Baptists

Interim Elder Eddie Garnett gave us a good list of commitments we could make this year, rather than New Year’s resolutions:

Commitment #1: I will forgive my past failures. “We do not have to live our lives imprisoned by our past,” he told us. “God regenerated each one of us, and we now have a new spirit and a new life. Let us not be mired down by our past mistakes, which distract us from moving forward into the future. Let us—like God—choose not to remember them.”

Commitment #2: I will give up my grudges. Quoting from Colossians 3, he continued, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts full of kindness, meekness, humility and patience, and bear each other graciously, willingly forgiving.”

Commitment #3: I will restore my broken relationships. “The aim here is to do whatever is in our power to live peaceably with everyone who crosses our paths. Remember that the thought, ‘I can’t forgive’ really means ‘I won’t.’ And consider asking the other party to forgive you, instead of waiting for an apology that might never come.”

Commitment #4: I will turn my back on sin. “Christians have been set free, and we can choose to live that way, free from the control evil once had over us. Sin has no dominion over us today! Jesus Christ defeated sin utterly at the cross, and we, as believers, are free!”

Share memorable weekly sermons, uplifting music, and an ongoing thirst for true wisdom Sundays, 10:45 a.m. at the Lake Chapala Baptist Church. Sta. Margarita 147, Riberas del Pilar. LCBC’s bilingual services will continue Sunday afternoons at 4:30 p.m.

Heart of Awareness

Sunday, the Center is open for practice from 9-10 am

Wednesday, the meditation period is from 4 to 5 p.m.

An open group for practice and book study meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The current book being read and discussed is “The Places that Scare You” by Pema Chodron. Sometime during February (date TBA), the group will begin a new book, “In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying” by Tibetan master teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. It received an enthusiastic review from Pema Chodron, who stated it is “one of the most inspiring books I have ever read.” The practice/book study group is open to all.

Also on Thursdays, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Heart of Awareness library is open to the public for browsing and checking out books. The collection contains over 300 books related to Buddhism—history, teachings, practices, and more.

The Heart of Awareness Buddhist Community and Practice Center is located at Guadalupe Victoria 101 in Ajijic. For more information, including a link for attending the Wednesday sessions via Zoom, visit the website heartofawareness.org.

Little Chapel by the Lake

Sunday, Thomas Walker will be in the pulpit with another insightful sermon on the Church of Christ, with Him as our head, and we, the body.

We are located on the Ajijic Chapala highway 10 in Chula Vista. Sunday service begins at 11 a.m

Donations for our food mission in San Juan Tecomatlan are always gladly accepted via our big purple box in front of the Chapel. Thank you for continuing to contribute to this worthy cause.

Mondays, 4 to 5:30 p.m., “What does the Bible say about healing for today?”

Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., a small group meets for fellowship and prayer at the Chapel.

Little Chapel telephone: 376-766-2538.

Jewish Congregation

The Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation holds Friday services at 6 p.m. via Zoom. See lakechapalajewishcongregation.com for the URL.

Unitarian Universalists

“Finding our Center is the topic for the January 8, 2023 service. Various spiritual and religious traditions speak of finding our center, though the language differs. It may be a sankalpa, connecting with the highest truth, listening to the still, small voice within. It may lead to following your calling, to living a purpose-driven life, finding refuge in the dharma. According to most traditions, finding our center is not obvious or easy! We’ll explore how we might find our center, how we might follow the wisdom we find there, even as things in the everyday world attempt to pull us away. The speaker will be Rev. Matt Alspaugh.

Next week Richard Clarke will discuss “An Easy Way to Know Yourself.” The service leader will be Carol Johnson.

Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship services are Sundays, 10:30 a.m. In-person services are now available at Hidalgo 261, Riberas del Pilar.

St. Mark’s Anglican

Episcopal, Guadalajara

English service is at 10:30 a.m. and Spanish service at noon.

Deacon in Charge is Rev. Pamela Hosey Long. Chichimecas 836, corner of Aztecas diagonally across the street from the UAG ICB Campus, Colonia Monraz, 44670 Guadalajara.

Abundant Life Church

What are you proud of in your life? We all have things that we feel proud of as well as things that we are embarrassed about. We tend to talk about the things we are proud of and avoid the later. As believers we also talk about the things that we are proud of. In 2023 we need to raise the banner of the Lord with pride. Come this Sunday, January 8, as we look at the great things that can be accomplished when we are proud of our behavior and life.

English Sunday service is at the church at 10:30 a.m., also at abundantlifechapala.com. Spanish language services are Sunday, 9 a.m. and noon.

Abundant Life Church is affiliated with the Assemblies of God of Mexico. Bible study in English is held at 11 a.m. each Wednesday with Spanish language Bible studies on Friday at 6:45 p.m.

Carretera 140 in San Antonio Tlayacapan, just a block from SuperLake.

Grace Church Chapala

Join us for worship at the Bravo Theater, 441 Hidalgo, in Riberas, every Sunday, 10 a.m.  

Grace Church is a group of believers with a more contemporary style of worship with a mix of praise songs and hymns.

Heart of Awareness

pg18For Heart of Awareness (HoA), 2022 has been a time of renewal with many blessings. Not the least of these is the growing number of volunteers who help sustain HoA with their service.

We recognize our great good fortune in having, as a member of our community and volunteer, Marty Janowitz.

Marty is a senior teacher in his tradition with more than 50 years’ experience as a student of the dharma, practitioner, and dharma teacher.  Marty was an invited teacher at HoA on several occasions during the pre-pandemic years and has served as a member of the advisory and program committees since January of 2022.  This year he has also offered dharma talks on a regular basis.

Heart of Awareness is pleased to announce that, at the invitation of those committees, Marty has agreed to serve as an ongoing dharma teacher and guide for Heart of Awareness, both the community and individual members, as well as continuing to serve as an ad hoc member of both committees.  In this capacity and to the extent that his schedule allows, Marty will help to guide Heart of Awareness as we define and execute our mission and vision.  Additionally, Marty will provide support and guidance to individuals in their development on the Buddhist path and will hold an attitude of openness and responsibility, as a senior dharma teacher, for the well-being of each and all participants and members of HoA.

It is with gratitude that we welcome Marty to this expanded leadership role.  May our good fortune continue and increase.