A Letter from Francis

Dear Friends,

For those who have not heard, this past Sunday I announced to Cornerstone Church that I will be transitioning out of my ministry in Simi Valley.  It was a rough Sunday as there were many different emotions floating around the room.  In short, Lisa and I believe God is calling us to take a step of faith.  We believe we are supposed to move into a major city such as LA, San Francisco, or New York.  Every time I fly into a large city, I am struck by the sheer numbers and feel pulled to try ministering in that environment.  I encourage you to listen to the podcast from this past weekend to hear more details.  If for no other reason, my wife spoke some very powerful words that every believer needs to hear.

It has been an amazing 16 years as pastor of Cornerstone Church.  When we started gathering, I doubt that any of us dared to dream that God would use this church to have such an impact on Simi Valley and the rest of the world.  I think most of us were just hoping it would survive.  God had bigger plans than we did.  The Lord has truly shown us His grace, that we could be used as His instruments to bring glory to the name of Jesus.

The plan is that I would teach at Cornerstone through the end of May.  During this time, I will be sharing the lessons most important to me.  I have taught thousands of times over these years, and now I hope to re-emphasize what I see as most important.  I will also be at our prayer meetings to beg our God to do even greater things in Simi after I leave.  For those who have questions or just want to talk, you can catch me at the prayer meetings.

I’ll continue to write and give you more information as the Lord continues to guide the elders and me.  Like I said at our services, I’m still not completely sure of everything, but it feels great to be living by faith.

Once again, here is my family’s rough plan for our future

April/May = speaking at Cornerstone

June/July = speaking around the U.S.

August/Sept = Praying and walking large cities to seek God’s leading.

Oct-Dec = Serving in a third world country

Jan 2011 = launch a new ministry as an extension of Cornerstone

Thanks to everyone who was a part of this amazing journey in Simi.  Thanks for all the love and encouragement my family and I have received over the years.

Francis

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.  Acts 20:24

March Bible Reading - Luke

The book of the Bible we will be reading as a church is The Gospel of Luke. Reading 4 chapters a day will allow you to read the book once a week with a day of flexibility. Join us as we take a new look at God’s Word.

India Persecution

Unfortunately, we had some people question the validity of those videos so we pulled them from our blog awaiting word from the pastor who we received them from.  While we know that persecution of Christians does occur around the world, we do not want to misrepresent something that may not be true.  We hope you understand.  There may be some new videos posted at a later date on our blog.  Please check back and definitely please keep praying for the people of India.

Francis Chan’s Crazy Love Audiobook

Recommended Resources for Parents & Children

BIBLES & BIBLE STUDY MATERIALS

The Big Picture Story Bible (Crossway, 2004)
by David Helm, Illustrations by Gail Schoonmaker.
This is the best Picture Story Bible in print today. The illustrations are excellent, and the text is simple and engaging. The author does a great job of telling the main points of the entire Story of God from Genesis to Revelation. Recommended for Parents & Toddlers –
Early Elementary Age Children.

ESV Children’s Bible (Crossway, 2005)
Complete text of the English Standard Version, 214 full color illustrations, Bible Study Helps at the back. This is an excellent Bible for young readers to use for personal reading and for following along during the Sunday Gathering. Recommended for Elementary
Age Children.

Big Truths for Young Hearts (Crossway, 2009)
by Bruce Ware, professor of Christian Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Based upon the bedside conversations he had with his daughters as they grew up, Bruce Ware has compiled a story-form book of basic Christian doctrine for parents and children to study together. This is a great tool to use to go deeper with your children into particular aspects of God’s Story. Recommended for parents to read and discuss with children of all ages.

PARENTING RESOURCES

Shepherding a Child’s Heart (Shepherd’s Press, 1995) By Tedd Tripp. Focuses on the need for godly discipline to shape a child’s heart, not just his actions.

Instructing a Child’s Heart (Shepherd’s Press, 2008) By Tedd & Margy Tripp. Emphasizes the need for parents to teach their children the Biblical principles upon which godly actions are based, and which are reinforced through discipline: God’s design for authority, sowing & reaping, wisdom v. foolishness, etc.

Everyday Talk (Shepherd’s Press, 2004) By John Younts
Challenges parents with the reality that we teach our children most effectively when we are not even trying to teach them! Our normal, “everyday” words and actions carry the most weight and will either undermine or verify the things we are trying to teach our children through instruction and discipline.

Treasuring God in Our Traditions (Crossway, 2003) By Noël Piper
A great resource of ideas for building intentional, gospel-focused traditions into your family’s (and your community’s!) daily activities and special occasions.