The Focus Blog

This Week!

2009-12-02T09:24:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

Hope all of you are having a good week.

First, if you haven't done so already, please fill out this Focus evaluation http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dG5UYVItX0VMZ1VwT1ZiTTc5eFYyU3c6MA
We will use this information to make some decisions for next semester.

Second, we will be back together this Friday at the T-Center at 7:00pm. We will be wrapping up our bible study series for the semester with a discussion on vision. Be there.

Finally, a few important dates to keep in mind:

12/11 @ 7:00pm - All Church Worship

12/12 @ 3:30pm (Ann Arbor Assemblies of God) - BAPTISM (Guess who is getting baptized?)

12/18 @ 7:00pm - Focus Christmas Party

God bless and see you all soon!

This Week

2009-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hi All:

Hope your week is going well. It's been a week of ups and downs for me. But volatility is good, because it forces me to turn to and depend on Christ...and to seek edification from biblical community. This passage has particularly encouraged me, as I hope it will for you:

Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

This Friday, we'll be meeting all together at the T-Center at 7:00pm for same-gender bible study. This week, our topic of discussion is on the voice. Specifically, we'll be looking at how our words can be used by God to speak truth and encouragement into each other's lives.

This Sunday we'll be going apple picking at 2:00pm. More details forthcoming from Gina.

Finally, please don't forget the Halloween party. I've attached a flyer for this event to this email, courtesy of our very own, Aaron Park. Yay! Please be thinking of inviting your friends to this gathering.

God bless!

This Week!

2009-10-12T17:53:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

First, tomorrow we have a one-hour Focus prayer gathering at the T-Center at 7:00pm. Please come out, as we'll spend some time praying for the Focus ministry at large as well as each other.

This week, we'll be all together for bible study and worship at the T-Center at 7:00pm. We'll be switching things up by having co-ed bible study groups. :)

Finally, reminders to save the dates for the following events:

Sunday, Oct 25th, 2:00pm - Apple Picking
Saturday, Oct 31st, 7:00pm - Focus/Impact Halloween Party

Julie will be emailing out more information on the Halloween party.

God bless and have a great week!

This Week!

2009-10-05T19:15:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

Hope your week is getting off to good start. First, from what I hear, a lot of you had fun at H-Games. Even though we didn't come in first, we built our unity!

For this Friday, we'll be meeting at the T-Center at 7:00pm for dinner and bible study. The topic of discussion will be on listening to God. Please try to arrive on time!

For Saturday, there is an opportunity to support HMCC's medical outreach and reach out to the community by volunteering to help out at a flu clinic at 4:00pm. If you would like to help out, please contact Susan Ahn (ahn.susan@gmail.com).

God bless!

This Week!

2009-09-30T19:14:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

Hope you week is going well. This week's a big one for our ministry.

First, this Friday we're back together at the T-Center at 7:00pm. We'll be meeting in the basement and splitting off between men and women. This week's topic: transformation of the mind. Hopefully all of you can make it out.

Then it's the BIG DAY on Saturday. That's right. H-Games. May this be the year we take back the trophy. We'll be meeting at noon in the Palmer Commons lounge (located on the 3rd floor) for lunch and a pep rally. For lunch, please bring your own food. The festivities start at 1:00pm on Palmer Field. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend H-Games because of work, but I'm confident that you guys will represent.

God bless and see you all Friday!

This Week

2009-09-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

Hi Focus,

Hope all is well. I'm pretty sore right now. Flag football has been great, but it has exposed the fact that I'm out of shape. :(

This Friday, we won't be meeting all together as Focus. Rather, we'll be meeting up in our same gender huddle groups for fellowship and bonding! You should be receiving an email from your huddle group facilitator(s) soon regarding more details. If you don't, please email me back.

Also, don't forget that there is a church-wide prayer gathering this Thursday at the T-Center at 7:00pm. Hopefully many of you will be able to come out to pray with the rest of the church.

God bless and please let me know if you have any questions!

This Week!

2009-09-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

It was great seeing many of you this past Tuesday at prayer gathering. It's always a blessing to be able to pray with and for the community.

This Friday we'll be back at the T-Center basement at 7:00pm for LIFE group. We'll be meeting all together and then splitting up into same gender LIFE groups. I'm really looking forward to this!

Also, this Saturday we kick-off Flag Football! Yay! If you still have not signed up, it's not too late. You can do so by emailing Gabe Pak (gabriel.pak@gmail.com).

God bless and see you all Friday!

This Week!

2009-09-10T20:02:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

It was great seeing so many of you at the Focus kick-off picnic this past Monday. I had a lot of fun, but I'm definitely sore from the pick-up football game. Speaking of football, it's still not too late to sign-up for this season's flag football league. This will be a great way to reach out to your friends and co-workers. Please invite them! I've attached the registration form to this email. You can bring this form and your $15 this Friday night to register. Hope to see many of you on the field.

Now onto Friday. We'll be starting the new season this Friday night at the T-Center Basement at 7:00pm. We'll be talking about the structure of Focus during the fall and how same gender life groups are going to work. We'll also be having dinner starting at 7:00pm, so please come on time! (Note: Since we haven't been meeting for awhile, I hope that we'll have a very rich and lively YAY God time together!)

Finally, HMCC is having an experiencing ministry class on 9/13. If you are a member of the church and want to join a ministry team, you'll have to take this class. Details here: http://annarbor.hmcc.net/announcements/announcement.php?id=50

God bless everyone. See you Friday!

This WEEK!

2009-09-02T07:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Focus!

Hope all is well.

September is here which means we'll be kicking off a whole new season of ministry! To kick things off, this Labor Day, September 7th, we'll be getting together for a Focus potluck picnic at Allmendinger Park at noon. Gina Yi will be sending out another email about food sign-up. PLEASE SIGN UP or we won't have any food! And as always, please remember to bring your friends and co-workers. One of my co-workers will be joining us!

Our first meeting of the year will be on Friday, September 11th at 7:00pm in the T-Center basement. This will be a large group gathering and we'll talking about the structure of life groups and LCGs this fall.

This Week!

2009-08-18T20:38:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to give a run down of things for the remainder of the month.

This Friday we're going to be having a pot-luck/hang-out at Gina Yi's place at 7:00pm. Come hang out with us. Invite your friends as well. Gina will send out an email regarding food and a RSVP.

We won't be meeting formally for the remainder of the month. For September, we're planning to meet on Labor Day for lunch to kick-off the new season of ministry. Our first official gathering will be Friday, September 11th at the T-Center.

God bless and hope to see many of you this Friday.

This Week!

2009-08-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

This is the big week for our community!

Tomorrow we have Focus Prayer Gathering at 7:00pm at the T-Center. Please come and join us as we pray for our community and upcoming events.

This Friday we will be having large group at the T-Center at 7:00pm. Dinner to be provided. This is going to be a very important large group because we're going to discussing Fall09 plans. You don't want to miss. Be there.

Also, this week we have FOCUS IDOL! That's right. The time has come. Julie and I are putting the finishing touches on our act, which will debut on Saturday at 7:00pm at the T-Center! I also hear that many of you are hard at work. In the midst of all the fun, let's not forget the reason why we're having Focus Idol: to invite our friends and co-workers into our community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me.

God bless and please keep this week in prayer!

-Moses

FOCUS IDOL

2009-07-22T05:51:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

First, if you haven't done so already and you want to perform an act for FOCUS IDOL of Aug 8th, please email Deb Choi (debchoi@gmail.com). Let's remember to keep this in prayer and to utilize this as an envangelistic tool. I am confident that God wants to use this crazy event to reach out to our friends and community.

This Friday we'll be meeting back in LIFE groups at 7:00pm, continuing in our study of the book of James. If you need a ride, please go to the cube at 6:45pm.

Finally, please continue to keep the Jakarta team in prayer!

God bless!!

THIS WEEK!

2009-07-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings Focus Community!

I hope all is well. There's a lot to be excited about this week. First, it's the start of the Ann Arbor Art Fair. So YAY GOD!

Second, this Friday we're going to be discussing an often overlooked topic in the church: singleness. Yes, that's right. We're going to be examining the issue of singleness from a biblical lens. This topic is often swept under the rug; however, this week, we'll taking direct aim at it. I think this will be a very powerful bible study. You don't want to miss out on it. 7:00pm this Friday at the T-Center. Be there!

Finally, Focus Idol has been shifted to Saturday, Aug 8th at 7:00pm. We're going to be needing people to participate in the activities. Deb Choi will be emailing out more information on signing up for this shortly. Be on the lookout.

Alright folks. That's it!

See you all soon!

-Moses

This Week!

2009-07-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

This week we're back in LIFE group. YAY! Remember, Friday, 7:00pm at respective apartments. If you need a ride, please meet at the cube at 6:45pm for a ride. We'll be back studying the book of James together.

Finally, we're tentatively planning to have FOCUS IDOL on August 1st at the T-Center. That's right. FoCus IDOL! More details coming.

Take care and God bless!

-Moses

This Week!

2009-06-24T06:50:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

This week, we will NOT be meeting all together. However, we will be meeting in the Spirit! This Friday we have the night off so that we can reach out to our co-workers and friends who would normally not come out to church. I want to encourage all of you to use this time to be purposeful. It is our prayer that there will be many YAY GOD moments that come out of this. Julie and I are going to be hosting a dinner for our co-workers; we're really pumped! Please pray that this time will be fruitful!

The following week we'll be meeting back in LIFE groups.

Finally, remember that there is a Community Picnic on July 12th at 1:00pm for those of us in Focus, Covenant, and Latitude (Youth Ministry of HMCC). This picnic will be at Almendinger Park. Each of our LIFE groups will be responsible for certain aspects of this picnic. More details forthcoming.

God bless!

This Week!

2009-06-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

This week we'll be taking a break from LIFE group and the book of James for our Focus Large Group Gathering. Instead of meeting at various apartments, we'll be meeting at the T-Center at 7:00pm. Also, we'll be having dinner! :) This Friday we'll be having a very pragmatic study on how to share your testimony. I think this will be a fun and helpful time for all of us.

For the following Friday (6/26), we will NOT be meeting because we want to leave a Friday open for people to spend time with their co-workers and friends outside of church. Julie and I have invited some co-workers and friends over to our place to dinner; we're really excited to be able to use this time to reach out. So please be thinking of ways that you can use this Friday night to be "winsome."

Also, this Tuesday we'll be having our bi-weekly Focus Prayer Gathering at 7:00pm at the T-Center. Please join us.

God bless!

2009-06-11T10:48:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

I hope all is well.

We're in LIFE groups again this week, digging into the book of James to discuss the topic of hardships and trials. Just a FYI, we'll be doing our bible studies in conjunction with our Sunday sermon series throughout the spring/summer. If you need a ride to LIFE group this Friday, please go to the cube at 6:45pm - SHARP.

Some other FOCUS announcements:

The following week (6/19), we'll be at the T-Center for a Large Group.
For Friday, 6/26, we'll be having our version of FOCUS OUT. This means that we won't be having LIFE group that night because we want to provide a "free" Friday for you to go out with your co-workers and other friends outside of church.
We're going to be doing more as a community to connect with the married couples of our church. Each LIFE group will be paired up with a Covenant LIFE group to do some activities each month. More details to come from your LIFE group leader.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me!

God bless!

Happenings

2009-06-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I hope you are all enjoying your week.

For this Friday, we'll be in LIFE groups. Your respective LIFE group leader will be in contact with you shortly regarding specific details. For either LIFE group, however, if you need a ride, please go to the cube at 6:45pm. If you are going to be late for any reason, please email me back.

In LIFE group this week, we'll be studying the topic of prayer. Also, each LIFE group will be having a "special" presentation. It's a surprise and you don't want to miss out!

Some other announcements:

This coming Tuesday we'll be starting bi-weekly Focus prayer gatherings at the T-Center at 7:00pm. Please try to come out. It'll be for one hour and we'll be praying for the Focus community and the overall HMCC body.
If you haven't done so already, please click on this link to input your personal information into the Focus directory. Do it today!
Each LIFE group will be collecting $10 for the LIFE group fund, so please remember to bring the money to LIFE group this week. The money will go towards community supplies such as birthday cakes, plates, utensils, cups, etc. Please remember to bring this money; the FOCUS leaders are getting poor. :(

Finally, HMCC is having a Yard Sale on June 14th to help raise funds for the Destiny Campaign. For more information on the HMCC Yard Sale and other HMCC announcements, click here.

God bless and have a great week!

-Moses

The Summer Happenings

2009-05-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

hello focus folks. hope your weekends were straight. just wanted to shout out from my hometown of philly [suburbs... for you haters]. good times with the family are always refreshing, you know?

at any rate, the leaders are back from their summit and ready to head up this upcoming year. i heard the summit was good times and i'm pumped to see the good times coming for the summer. speaking of the upcoming events, read on for your weekly dose of focus.

focus/impact prayer gatherings [5.13-14] transformation center @ 7pm :: the retreat is approaching and it's as good a time as any to prepare for the retreat through some corporate prayer. come out to the transformation center this coming wednesday and thursday evenings for some concentrated times of crying out to the Lord for the retreat. let's also pray for the retreat individually and with one another.
experiencing ministry [5.14] transformation center @ 7pm :: oy! if you're a walking, talking, breathing member of hmcc and would like get involved in other avenues to serve the church, there're plenty of opportunities through ministry teams. take the experiencing ministry class and you can sign up to serve the church through awesome food, exquisite photography, shaking hands with a smile, and all sorts of good stuff. sign up here!
focus/impact retreat [5.15-17] miracle camp @ 7:30pm :: the retreat is this weekend! woot! gear up and ship out on friday to miracle camp. don't know where miracle camp is? me neither, but it's all good. those details will be sorted out this week as you also get your driving assignments. look out for emails regarding details for the retreat [drivers, times, directions, etc.]!
sunday celebration [5.17] transformation center @ 10am :: for those of us who are unable to make it to the retreat, fear not. luckily, we're part of a larger church and sunday celebration continues with the 2nd part of the "fresh take" sermon series called, "intimacy." it's always a celebration, so if we miss you at the retreat, enjoy the celebration.

that's about it for this week. as always, if you have any quesitons about any of the things mentioned here, please let me know!

love God, love people, and have a great week.

cheers,

john

The Summer Happenings

2009-05-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

hey all. hope your weekends were all right. huge shoutout to moses and julie lee, our fearless leaders, tying the knot this past saturday. they're chilling in jamaica right now, so give 'em some love when you see them next. since we're on the topic of upcoming events, keep your head on a swivel by hitting up the following dose of focus.

focus/impact retreat [5.15-5.17] miracle camp :: sign up now! early registration has officially ended, but you can still hit up the regular registration date. hit this link and sign up. as stated before, financial jams are definitely possible and that's why there's a solution for that. please indicate that you're in a jam, but you'd still like to go, and things may be worked out in everyone's favor.
sunday celebration [5.10] transformation center @ 10am :: it's always a celebration! this sunday we'll be starting a new sermon series called, "fresh take" with the first part, "on intimacy." remember that during the summer we only have one celebration on sundays at 10am.
focus spring bbq [5.10] southeast area park @ 6:30pm :: just as a reminder, please read susan and moses's emails about the upcoming bbq we'll be having at southeast area park. this bbq is for all focus, members now and new members. be sure to rsvp and sign up for the potluck portions. there're a couple of new heads coming up from undergrad and from out of town, as well, so it should be good times.
experiencing ministry [5.14] transformation center @ 7pm :: if you're a member of hmcc and you'd like to get involved in some of the ministries that help the church run, please sign up for experiencing ministry. this class is offered to help discover our various giftings and perhaps apply them to some of the sweet teams available to serve the church.

that about wraps it up for this week. if you have any questions at all regarding anything mentioned above or anything regarding focus, let me know.

here's to praying for God-centered work weeks.

cheers,
john

The Summer Happenings

2009-04-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

hey all. we have officially hit up summa summa time in michigan... well, almost. it's a bit muggy, it's sunny, it's blue skies, then it's thunderstorms, lightning, and lots of mosquitoes. i think it's fair to say it's here, no?

at any rate, we're on a bit of a break now as the leaders get together and strategize/plan/pray for the upcoming year. while they're doing that, let's support them in prayer while maintaining our community in various ways. the great part is that, as part of the larger church, we have plenty of opportunities to get involved, so here's to staying connected. keep on reading for your weekly dose of focus.

moslie wedding [5.02] korean presbyterian church of metro detroit @ 4pm :: that's right! after years of prayer, awkward moments, and nervous giggling, our leaders are tying the knot and we're going to party it up at the wedding this saturday. if you've RSVP'd, we'll see you there! let's keep them in prayer for this last week of preparation as our leaders and friends. show them some love when you see them!
encounter: the focus/impact retreat [5.15-17] miracle camp :: for this year's focus retreat, we'll be combining with the impact [grad students] crew and some single adults from chicago as the post-undergrad/pre-marriage life stage of hmcc. it's going to be awesome hosting pastor pete to preach the word of God to us as well as chilling together as Christ-followers. it'll be an awesome time to get away for a bit, rehash those commitments, and recharge and prepare for the summer months. early registration ends this coming sunday! so sign up!

not kidding, that's it. haha, summer is so sweet. we do have some bbq's and various events planned for the month of may, so keep your head on a swivel and lookout for further updates.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-04-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

hello all. hope you had an awesome easter weekend. it was pretty packed with all the great things going on. i hope it was a sweet time of remembering Christ's purpose on earth and God's plan for us. as we begin a new week of work, i'm praying we can collectively represent Christ in our passion, devotion, and faithfulness at work. holla. on that note, we have an interesting transition into the summer months coming up on our hands and the best way to keep your head on swivel is to stay abreast of all the information we'll be spitting. read on for your weekly dose of focus. note: all the following events take place at the transformation center unless otherwise noted.

focus community group [4.17] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: since our ministry follows the university academic calendar, the end of april and beginning of may is a period of transition for us as we head into the summer. as details come, please note that the community group this friday is the last one of the 2008-2009 season. we'll be celebrating all that God has done this past year with praise and worship. come out and we'll testify together. glory to God.
city serve [4.19] 11am :: how crazy is this? there will be no sunday celebration this coming sunday. we'll meet together at the transformation center for a brief exhortation, then we'll split off into our various groups, each some lunch, then flip ann arbor upside down with some genuine, Christ-centered service. it's going to be crazy as we do this with the whole church! details will be coming very shortly regarding the groups that will be going to various areas. please keep it in prayer as we act as lights for Christ in ann arbor. you can check out more details at www.gocityserve.com.
focus/impact retreat [5.15-5.17] miracle camp :: we'll be getting together with impact and some focus folks from chicago to retreat for a bit and worship God together at miracle camp. haha i don't know about the name, but i'm excited for this time we'll have together to build our ministry while growing and deepening our relationships with God. it's going to be pretty awesome, so believe the hype... if there is any. also, we know there've been some questions about the price. please regard moses's email about that and ask if you have any questions at all. keep a lookout for an email with registration details.

there aren't that many, but each event or activity mentioned is pretty crucial to our ministry. as we grow in ownership of it, please regard them with care. as always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-03-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

hey folks. cheers to another week. i think i'll keep it fairly short this week, but have a good one. just wanted to encourage you to live for that daily faithfulness because tomorrow's in good hands. read on for your weekly dose of focus. note: all the following events take place at the transformation center unless otherwise noted.

church-wide prayer gathering [4.2] 7pm :: we're having our 1st church-wide prayer gathering for april and we hope to see you there. as p.pete was sharing this past sunday, there's been a sense that God is doing something through our times of prayer, so let's join in on what God is doing!
focus LIFE group [4.3] various locations @ 7pm :: we're having LIFE groups again this friday at our respective apartments. bring your friend/co-workers out for a great demonstration of biblical community. i can't think of a better way to show Christ's love through any other group of people. if you have any questions, let me know!
bryant community party in the park [4.4] bryant community @ 5:30pm :: if you have volunteered to help the transformasphere actionable idea group, be there this saturday with the appropriate gear [i.e. food] and anything else you think would be good. contact me and i'll get you in touch with junia if you have any questions asap! it's at bryant community park!
sunday celebration [4.5] 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebration, every sunday. come out to the transformation center this coming sunday as we wrap up the "irresistable" sermon series with the 2nd part called, "witness." also, please don't forget that there is pre-celebration prayer every sunday at 9am up on the balcony.
missions luncheon [4.5] 11:30am/1:30pm :: the jakarta missions team will have prepared a lunch for purchase after each celebration this coming sunday. this is great way to support them while learning about the church plant. you can interact with them and learn of the various prayer requests they have. go after one of the celebrations and encourage them!

alrighty. that's about it. as always, if you have any questions, let me know!

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-03-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

hey all. sorry for the late post, but i hope you're enjoying your monday lunch hour. just a quick shout out to all those who participated in the focus:unplugged session - thanks! your help was everything and there were a lot of responses going around regarding the overall good vibe of the night. thanks to the talents, the coordinators, and to everyone who came out to support. it was a blast. we have a lot of stuff coming up in the next couple months, so read on for your weekly dose of focus. note: all the following events will take place in the transformation center unless otherwise noted.

focus prayer gathering [3.24] 7pm :: as we're plowing through a lot of events and things to do, it's important to not get burned out or lose focus of the purpose behind these awesome opportunities. let's get together and pray for the things that God places as specific burdens on our hearts.
focus LIFE groups [3.27] @ 7pm :: we will be resuming with our regular LIFE groups this coming friday at your respective locations. invite your co-workers and friends out and give them a bit of exposure to our biblical community. i was talking with a brother about this earlier, but one thing i had forgotten is how we can't expect biblical community to just exist - it's actually a work in progress and it requires effort by God's grace from its members. so as an encouragement, let's work together to make this biblical community someplace where God can dwell.
baptism class [3.28] 1pm :: if you're interested in sharing your testimony while publicly declaring your faith to hmcc, then sign up here to take the baptism class. it's a two-week class, so please be aware of the time commitment!
sunday celebration [3.29] 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebraaatttioonnnn... every sunday. come out and join in with the new sermon series called, "irresistable" with the first part, "invitation." remember that there is pre-celebration prayer at 9am in the transformation center balcony.

that's about it for this week. if you have any questions, be sure to ask and i'll get back to you asap.

have a great week.

peace,

john

The Happenings

2009-03-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

hey all. hope you're enjoying this weekend weather and relaxing. we've got quite a few things coming up for focus regarding outreach and other avenues where we can get connected with people and serve. as the weather warms up, we can get out there and serve, so read on for your weekly dose of focus. all the following events take place at the transformation center unless otherwise noted.

church-wide prayer gathering [3.19] 7pm :: they all start with prayer. "they," in this case, means events, service, heart for people, everything, etc. come out this thursday and pray with the whole body of Christ across multiple life stages for the things that God is doing through our church.
focus men/women groups [3.20] various locations @ 7pm :: in light of this past week's discussion on biblical relationships, we're going to meet together separately this week among men and women. we're going to go through the principles with some dialogue. look out for emails with further details.
focus unplugged [3.21] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: the time is upon us. haha we're getting together as the single adults to chill and relax with some talented people showing us their amazing musical skills. we'll have food, music, conversation, etc. please, please consider bringing someone to share in this time. it's a great opportunity to connect with people in a chill atmosphere.
sunday celebration [3.22] 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebrationnnn. we'll be going over the last part of the "image" sermon series with the last part on success. see you there!

alrighty, that's it for this coming week. keep on the lookout for more details regarding:

easter egghunt serve at bryant community
city serve details for the sunday after easter

have a great week!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-03-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

happy sunday, folks. hope your weekends were legit and relaxing. good times from the all-nighter on friday through saturday morning! it was quite a time of prayer and i know there were a lot of burdens to pray through and i'm confident that God will continue his faithfulness through them according to his will. there're a lot of things coming up in the very near future, so please read through the following as we stay focused on the God things. your weekly dose of focus follows. important: all the following events take place at the transformation center unless otherwise noted.

focus prayer gathering [3.10] 7pm :: come out and pray together as focus. there're so many things we will continue to do to proactively grow as a community of Christ-following single adults and it begins with a complete dependence and trust in the Lord. prayer is probably the best first step. see you there!
focus community group [3.13] weatherstone clubhouse @ 6:30pm :: we'll be getting together as all of focus at the weatherstone clubhouse this friday. this week's gathering will be different for a number of reasons:
- we're meeting at 6:30pm!
- we'll be having a potluck-style dinner prior to meeting [details to come via email].
- we are hosting pastor seth and christina as they share with us biblical principles and guidelines for God-honoring relationships as single adults.
it should be legit, so please come prepared and with open hearts! see you there!
school of worship [3.14] 1pm :: if you signed up to take the school of worship class, please note that this second class will be at the transformation center this saturday.
sunday celebration [3.15] 9:30/11:30am :: it's always a celebration! this sermon series on "image" and how God intended for us to view ourselves as his creation has been eye-opening and powerful. hopefully, you will be able to make it to the second part of the series on "popularity."
financial fitness [3.15] 2pm :: learn about God's purpose for us as workers for him in today's world. learning to steward all that God gives us is pretty invaluable at a time when society tells us to spend all and everything for ourselves. for such a private topic, it's great to see it against a biblical background, particularly in today's economy. sign up here!
focus unplugged [3.21] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: the storm is coming. this is an awesome opportunity for us to praise God through our various giftings while building and maintaining our relationships with our co-workers and friends. it's a chill event where you can invite some people on your mind. importantly, if you would like to participate in giving some kind of performance, let gabe know!

well, that's about it! it's a pretty busy month, but it's all good. please let me know if you have any questions.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-02-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

hello all! happy saturday to you. it's the last weekend without the students [off for spring break] so enjoy the fast-seating restaurants, open parking meter spots, peace on campus, and all that good stuff while it's here. hope you had a sweet time at LIFE group. God's moving in some awesome ways in/through our ministry, so keep your eyes peeled for all the goodness around the corner. it's already time for the madness of march, so stay tuned. your weekly dose of focus follows.

church-wide prayer gathering [3.5] transformation center @ 7pm :: get together with the church and pray for the things that God places on our hearts as a witness to ann arbor. these times are great to gain the heart for the corporate body of Christ. it really puts into perspective all that we're doing as a church and as the single adult community.
church-wide all-nighter gathering [3.6] transformation center @ 7pm :: oh mang! we haven't had one of these in a while, we're having an all-night prayer and worship session as a whole church this coming friday. in place of LIFE group or community group, we'll get together as a whole church at the transformation center. these times really challenge my heart for prayer and illuminate so many aspects of my relationship with God. i definitely recommend everyone to make it if you can because it's an awesome time to pray on our own, reflect, pray with others, etc. i also encourage you to prepare for this time with prayer and worship. i can definitely say that my undergraduate first year all-nighter is one that i will always remember as a pivotal moment in my spiritual walk with God. come out!
school of worship: unit I [3.7] transformation center @ 1pm :: the school of worship class is a great avenue to understanding biblical worship. i'll let the blurb do the talking:
Biblical Worship is essential for any Christ-follower to shed a “me”-centered faith and gain a God-centered faith. Under the umbrella of the School of Transformation, the School of Worship is intended to train HMCC members in the area of worship. Through a comprehensive curriculum, participants will be equipped with biblical principles and practical ways to apply these principles into their lives. From the fundamentals to hands-on training, our goal is to teach believers to use their time, treasures and talents for the purpose of glorifying God. Whether your passion lies in music, sound technology, singing, or lights, or you are simply interested in an area and just starting out--the School of Worship is designed to cover various aspects of worship on multiple levels.

The first unit, “Foundations of Worship,” will be offered on Saturday, 3/7 & 3/14 at 1:00PM and Sunday, 3/22 at 2:00PM. You can sign up below.

For more information click here.

Questions may be directed to nancy.choi@hmcc.net.

*Due to limitations in scheduling, only one unit will be offered this semester—consecutive units will be offered in subsequent semesters.
sunday celebration [3.8] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: we're starting a new sermon series called "image" with the first part, "beauty" this coming sunday. come on out and enjoy the celebratiooonnn. we're back to two celebrations, but we'll be one hour ahead because of DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.
congregational meeting [3.8] transformation center @ 2pm :: we'll be going over some housekeeping issues that we, as a church, need to be aware of. it's a good time to keep abreast of all the situations that are affecting us as a church.
focus unplugged [3.21] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: ooohhh snap. focus unplugged is a way for us as a biblical community of multi-talented, super good-looking, and overall awesome people to lend our skills to bless our community here in ann arbor. it's an awesome event to which you can invite people and chill over some legitimate artistic expression. if you want to get involved with an act in there somehow, you have to speak with gabe. he'll talk to you and let you know what we can do. hurry up and let him know and think/pray about inviting some people you know.

yup, that about does it for this week. as always, feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

have a great week!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-02-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

hey focus. it's saturday, and we just got snowed in! yup, good ol' michigan weather pulled through again and we have about 5 inches on the ground. but, other than that, we're good. the students are away on spring break and it's a bit quieter in ann arbor. i highly suggest taking some time to enjoy the city, if you can. it's nice without some 30,000 people. at any rate, i hope you're enjoying your week. read on for your weekly dose of focus.

focus prayer gathering [2.24] transformation center @ 7pm :: we're going to get together to pray and seek the Lord together. especially through february and march, when people are feeling a little squeeze, there's nothing quite like getting together to pray for one another and build each other up. see you there.
focus LIFE group [2.27] various locations @ 7pm :: we're continuing in our study of philippians in our LIFE groups. enjoy the food, the Word, and the fellowship as we worship God in our community of believers. invite your friends, come on out, and it should be a great time. if you have any questions about it or anything you'd like to mention, let me know and i'll get back to you.
sunday celebration [3.1] transformation center @ 9:30am :: we'll be wrapping up the "examined life" sermon series with the final part next sunday. it's always a celebration on sunday, so we hope to see you there! note that there is still only one celebration on this day, so don't walk in at 11:30am expecting sermon action. 9:30am - them's the facts.
transformasphere actionable idea [3.1] tba @ 7pm :: as we get more involved with the bryant community, we're seeing incredible ways to demonstrate Christ's love in many forms. we're called to serve the community God gave us, and a lot of doors are opening up for us to really bless and serve the bryant community. this is an informational meeting for those interested in getting connected. stay tuned for location details.
lent [2.25-4.12] :: yes, the lenten season is upon us all. as you know, the purpose of lent is for us to take the time to focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. during the 40 days prior to easter sunday, we often choose something in our lives to sacrifice to provide ourselves ample opportunity to remember God daily. some things people fast from: coffee, media, chatting, facebook, certain foods, tv, playing basketball, playing video games, soft drinks [some weird people might call it pop], blogging, red shirts, burritos, elevators [i know a guy who did this in college... he lived on the 7th floor of his dorm], magazines, wall street journal, iphone applications... just to name a few. if you want an article explaining the history and some more details, let me know!

that's it for this week! as always, if you have any questions, let me know.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-02-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

hello all. another valentine's day has come and gone. from what i hear, both LIFE groups had legit times of goodness and blessings. as the brothers, it's always a privilege to be able to serve our sisters, so we hope it was all good. and if you weren't able to join us, we hope that you had a great valentine's weekend. all i know is that the sisters in our group owe us something from the dollar menu because brothers = better at charades. holla. please read on for your weekly focus digest.

church-wide prayer gathering [2.19] transformation center @ 7pm :: as we trek forward in the closing half of the winter season, let's get together as the whole church to seek the Lord in corporate prayer. we've got a lot of things coming up and we usually have a lot going on in the march and april, so we need to be in prayer! see you there.
focus LIFE group [2.20] various locations @ 7pm :: we're going back, back to LIFE groups this friday. we're having some awesome times of worship and bible study and the going is just getting good, so come out to join in on the goodness. if you are not part of a LIFE group and you want to know more about the single adult community at hmcc, shoot me an email and i'll get you all the information you need.
sunday celebration [2.22] transformation center @ 9:30am :: we'll be continuing the "examined life" sermon series with the 2nd part this coming sunday at 9:30am. note: we will be only have one celebration this coming sunday at 9:30am! please don't go at 11:30am. please.

that's it for this week! there isn't much now, but let's remain vigilant in our walks with Christ homies.

as always, if you have any questions, let me know!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-02-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

hello all. hope you're enjoying the weather. it's sad that we get excited over low-40's weather and some rain, but c'est la vie, right? it's usually around february when a lot of folks get into a bit of a slump... maybe it's because we don't have vacation until may? hmm... here's to owning the slump. read on for your weekly focus digest.

focused prayer [2.10] transformation center @ 7pm :: we're getting together this tuesday for a focus prayer gathering. let's get together and cry out for our ministry as we ask God for us to be a part of something great for him. i'm convinced that prayer is an effective anti-slump since it's a great gift that allows us to get close to the Lord. see you there homies!
call + response film screening [2.11] 2140 kraus natural science building @ 7pm :: our church is hosting a screening of this documentary on human slavery in the world. check out more info on the film, call + response, here. this is indeed open for the whole church to attend and we're excited as we're being given such a huge opportunity to connect those concerned with issues of slavery and justice, topics very relevant to the nature of God. please use this opportunity to speak with and engage an incredible number of people of our community. holla!
focus community group [2.13] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we're baaaaack to the clubhouse! both LIFE groups, 1 and 2, will come together for some joint focus worship. we haven't had a large group gathering for a while, so i'm pumped to see everyone. see you there.
sunday celebration [2.15] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: to be honest, these last three sermons of the "rewired" series have been awesome for me as i'm in the middle of making some big decisions for my life. i'm looking forward to the upcoming sermon series called, "the examined life." the first part will be this coming sunday. goodtimes! see you at the celebraaaatttiooonnn.
experiencing missions [2.15] transformation center @ 2pm :: if you're interested in joining in on a missions trip or want to know more about the vision of missions through hmcc, go to the experiencing missions class by signing up here. please note that you must be a covenant-signing member to participate in this class.

that's it for this week. as always, if you have any questions about whatever on here, let me know!

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-02-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

happy superbowl sunday, focus! it was a sweet game with some great highlights, but all things aside, i hope everyone had some legit times of fellowship at whatever superbowl party you were able to go to. it's time to gear up for the coming week and with that, your focus digest:

churchwide prayer gathering [2.5] transformation center @ 7pm :: we're getting together to pray as a church. old, young, student, working, all of hmcc is gathering to tell God that we need him and to pray and petition for the things he lays on our hearts. it's a great time of corporate prayer so i hope you can make it.
focus LIFE group [2.6] various locations @ 7pm :: LIFE group madness continues this friday with another opportunity to flesh-out the Word of God and worship him together. we've been having awesome times of fellowship and praise/prayer, too so we give God all the praises for that. if you have any questions regarding location or if you're bringing a friend or anything, let me know!
sunday celebration [2.8] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: i don't know about you, but this "rewired" sermon series is really challenging my perspective and world-view in general and it's been awesome trying to understand God's heart. we'll be finishing up the series with the final part this coming sunday. come to the celebratioooonnn!
renew ministry [deadline 2.4] :: the renew ministry is a ministry God uses to go a bit deeper in our spirituality and allow the work of the Holy Spirit to essentially "clean out the closet." it's nothing like a one-stop fix to everything, but it's a process through weekly gatherings of prayer and training. the deadline to sign up for the ministry is this wednesday, so if you're interested, please sign up!

well, that's about it for now. have a great week all and if you have any questions, holler!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-01-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

hey focus. did you konw taht it deosn't mtater waht odrer the letetrs are in enisglh wrods bcuaese our birnas aumtoaicltaly mkae sesne of tehm as lnog as the frist and lsat letetrs are corecrt. crazy, huh? well, i hope everyone's doing well and ready for another glorious work week. seriously though, praise God for our jobs and the opportunity to represent his glory every day. much easier said than done, but no less worth it for real. ok then. focus onward!

focus prayer gathering [1.27] transformation center @ 7pm :: you just can't get around it, you know? prayer is crucial to getting focused and depending on God. we can till the ground all we want, but if it doesn't rain... nothing. let's pray for "rain."
focus LIFE group [1.30] various locations @ 7pm :: as we're getting deeper in the Word, i think it's natural for us to develop an awesome fellowship culture, too. i'm excited for the coming months of LIFE groups as we grow in our knowledge of God and of each other. come on out and enjoy all the goodness.
sunday celebration [2.1] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: this past sunday's message on a disciplined mind really resonated with me and i'm looking forward to the next part of the "rewired" sermon series, "the discerning mind." it's always a celebration, so come out and worship with us.
experiencing membership 1 [2.1] transformation center @ 2pm :: if you're digging hmcc and you would like to call it your spiritual home, then please consider becoming a member. as God transforms the world through the Church, committing to a local one really helps us to better understand his heart for the Church. there's a deep sense of ownership and a desire to see the church used for God's glory. if this is all good with you, then please sign up here to enroll in the class and learn more about God's vision and mission for hmcc and more ways for you to get invovled.

well that's about it for this week. please continue to pray through the awakening fast and the all the goodness that God honors for those who honor him. as always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-01-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

hello all. the retreat was an awesome experience. thanks for joining in with prayer and participation. from here, we're excited for the coming weeks as we go through the awakening fast and we anticipate God working powerfully through our ministry. it's going to be an awesome time and we wouldn't want anyone to miss out. hence, focus blog! read on for your weekly update.

church-wide prayer gathering [1.22] transformation center @ 7pm :: something that convicts me more and more is the simple need for bolder, stronger, faith-filled, God-centered prayer. the church-wide prayer gatherings are an awesome opportunity to come together and pray corporately for the things on God's heart for our church. come out and pray with us.
focus LIFE group [1.23] various locations @ 7pm :: we're going back to small this friday. we're splitting up into our LIFE groups and getting back to some small, intimate chill-out sessions of God-centered study and fellowship. we know it's been a while, so if you have any questions regarding location or even which group you're in, let me know!
sunday celebration [1.25] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebrationnnn. going back to two celebrations again. this coming sunday will be a three-part sermon addressing the way we think. it's called, "rewired." see you there!
congregational meeting [1.25] transformation center @ 1:45pm :: importantly, we're having our congregational meeting this coming sunday after lunch. if you're wondering what's going on with our church, what's going on with the destiny campaign, and etc., then we definitely encourage you to come out. these sessions are a great opportunity to hear what's going on with our church directly from the pastors and the board. it's also a great opportunity to offer up some questions you may have and get informed on how you can get more involved. please keep in mind that the topics discussed during this meeting pertain to those who have committed to the vision and heart of hmcc, so all covenant-signing members are welcome.

that's about it for this week, folks. thanks for reading.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-01-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

hey focus. we've officially started the 2009 year with our first large group meeting this past friday. it was a sweet time to study the word, chill, worship, and pray with you all. praise God. now that we're into the swing of things, we've got some stuff coming up that you may want to know. read on for your weekly focus digest.

winter retreat prayer gathering [1.12-1.15] transformation center @ 9:30pm :: as we prep up for the upcoming winter retreat, we're going to be exercising a God-honored, time-tested, biblical principle: God honors his praying people. as a church, we'll come corporately to the transformation center to pray and prepare for the retreat. it's a bit on the late side, but i hope to see you there! also, if you can't join us at the retreat, please still consider coming out to pray for us. we would greatly appreciate it.
winter retreat [1.16-1.18] gull lake conference center :: that's right, it's not too late. if you want to join in on the retreat goodness and you haven't signed up yet, please go here and do it! seriously, it's an awesome opportunity to get away for a bit and seek God as a church.
sunday celebration [1.18] transformation center @ 9:30am :: for those of us who are unable to go to the retreat, there will still be sunday celebration at the transformation center at 9:30. yes, only one celebration! the sermon will close out the "invested" series with the final part, "relationships." celebrattteeeee!

you hungry yet? haha for those of us participating in the "awakening" fast, i just wanted to encourage all of us to keep it up and remain faithful. it's only been one day, but i was definitely struggling today. it's tough to keep a pure heart when all you want is a fatty, juicy steak, you know? but for real, i realized that through this fast, with all the lifestyle changes i have to make, it really helps me to remember God, you know?

keep it real, folks. have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2009-01-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

sup all. hope your weekends were great. welcome to the first full work week of 2009 [start with the good news first...]. the leaders got together yesterday for a solid mini-retreat to pan out some things for our ministry and it was an awesome time of prayer and planning. thanks for praying with us. read on, read on for your weekly focus digest.

church-wide prayer gathering [1.08] transformation center @ 7pm :: we're starting up the semi-monthly prayer gatherings again. seriously, these are great times to get together with the church and pray for the things that God has placed on our hearts. especially, if you call this your church home, it's a great way to catch up with the vision God has laid out for us and to pray corporately.
friday morning prayer [1.09] transformation center @ 6:30am :: grab your java and head on over to the transformation center at 6:30 to join in on some joint morning prayer. if you committed to go, for whatever reason, maybe a wake up call from your lcg could help you out? at any rate, at least the days are getting brighter earlier.
focus large group [1.09] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we're going to start this year in a joint focus large group. come on out! we're going to get a jump-start on the new year together and it's always a good time.
awakening: 21 days of prayer and fasting [1.11-1.31] :: yes, 21 days of glorious fasting and prayer. not only is this an awesome chance for us to seek God corporately, but also it could be an awesome witness as people may inquire as to what we're doing. hit this website up and sign up to fast. i think the main purpose of the fast is at least to fast, regardless of what is being fasted, feel me? click the link and find out more!
experiencing ministry [1.11] transformation center @ 2pm :: as always, if you're interested in building the church with something a bit more tangible and structured, get plugged into a ministry team! maybe you have a gift that could really benefit the church? you can go here to find out and sign up if you are so inclined.
winter retreat prayer gathering [1.12-1.15] transformation center @ 9:30-10:30pm :: in preparation for the winter retreat, the church will be hosting a number of prayer gatherings. please make the time to come out and prepare as the whole body. it's really something when all the people come together to pray for something in unity. of course, even you cannot go to the retreat, we always appreciate partnerships in prayer so i'll see you there!
winter retreat [1.16-1.18] gull lake conference center :: yup, the regular registration period has begun. it is not too late to sign up! if you cannot sign up due to financial reasons, please know that this does happen and we are prepared to go through some options and work something out. please notify moses if you have any questions or would be interested in working something out for registration. it's going to be an awesome time of worship and prayer. please seriously consider this opportunity. sign up!

well, that's about it for now. thanks for reading. as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and let me know!

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-12-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

happy holidays all. christmas is over and the new year is but a few days away. hope you're all stoked for what's coming up ahead. just wanted to give you a heads up that the leaders will be getting together this weekend for a mini-retreat. please keep us in prayer as we strategize and, most importantly, seek God for wisdom and counsel regarding focus in 2009. sweet times coming! read on for your weekly focus digest!

new year's eve celebration [12.31] weatherstone clubhouse @ 9pm :: bring on 2009 with some folks from the hmcc fam. if you haven't yet made plans, come out to the weatherstone clubhouse [where we meet for community group] and chill out! sign up here so people know how much food to bring. holla.
sunday celebration [1.04] transformation center @ 9:30am :: it's always a good time on sundays. we'll be starting off the year with the first part ["resources"] of a new sermon series called, "invested." see you there! note that there is still only one celebration this coming sunday.
awakening: 21 days of fasting and prayer [1.11-1.31] :: just to remind everyone that the church is heading into 3 weeks of fasting and prayer. again, according to everyone's individual lives, personalized goals may be accommodated, but please sign up so that we can all join in on this awesome period of searching for God's heart in hmcc. it's going to be crazy, this i know. push!
joint winter retreat [1.16-1.18] gull lake conference center :: join in on the madness as we go over the theme for this year's retreat, "poured out." people from the chicago and ann arbor sites will be coming together for a Holy Ghost fiesta fiesta. sign up here before 1.04, which is when the early registration period is OVER.
NOTE: this retreat is important, and to emphasize focus's involvement and participation with the rest of the church, we, as the single adults of hmcc, will be fasting and praying for the retreat on january 4th. put it in your calendars! january 4th, for real.

well that's about it. have a great week and happy new year everyone.

bring on 2009.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-12-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

hello all. it's been a wild ride these past few weeks. what with all the snow, the work, and the various ministries we're part of, we've all had our hands pretty full. this past weekend was awesome with the caroling at clarebridge and bryant, as well as being able to bless the church on sunday, too. jesus's birthday is coming up soon so i hope you're ready to get your party on. read on for your weekly focus knowledge.

hmcc christmas dinner [12.25] TBA @ 5:30pm :: if you're in town this christmas, don't celebrate alone! come on out to the hmcc christmas dinner and enjoy great food and fellowship with your hmcc fam. sign up here to make sure they save a seat for you.
sunday celebration [12.28] transformation center @ 9:30am :: it's always a celebration! even during the holiday break, it's still a celebration at the transformation center. next sunday, come and hear a special one-part sermon entitled, "embody faith".
winter retreat [1.16-1.18] gull lake conference center :: the joint winter retreat is coming up soon after the new year and we want to make sure everyone gets a piece of the action. this year's theme is "poured out" and i can't wait for what God will do. it's going to be a sweet celebration and an awesome way to solidy some commitments for the new year. early registration is ending soon, so get in on the action while you can. sign up here!
experiencing ministry [1.11] transformation center @ 2pm :: it's a life of service! seriously, one of the joys of finding a church home is the ability to use our talents to see it built up for God's kingdom. we have photo people, lights people, singing people, dancing people, business people, publication people, etc. it's always good to join in on the service. hit this link to see how you can sign up! please note that experiencing membership is a pre-requisite for this class.
awakening: 21 days of prayer and fasting [1.11-1.31] :: i'm really pumped for this. it's a calling for our church to enter into a time of prayer and fasting for 21 days. fasting options are available at the sign up link. the reason i'm pumped is because God always works in the midst of a praying people. it's straight up biblical. ever heard of p.u.s.h.? p.u.s.h. = pray until something happens. it's going to be an awesome time to enter into God's presence as a whole church while we fast and pray together. i don't know what God's going to do, but it's going to be good. please sign up! the reason we ask people to sign up is for a number of reasons. for one thing, we can keep a count of participation = it's just a responsible act to keep track of numbers as an organization. more importantly, however, is that we can really push one another and encourage each other through accountability to succeed in this period of prayer and fasting. it's no easy task, but the more people we have to push us, pray for us, and keep us accountable makes the task a bit easier to handle. sign up!
the focus devotions [12.22-1.18] :: awesome! we're starting up a devotions email chain. you sign up for the focus devotions and you simply share what God's teaching you through your personal time with him for that day. real simple, real honest. it's a legit way to catch each other up on what God's doing in our lives. it's a chain of one testimony after another until the winter retreat ends. seriously, it's so tight. i don't think it's too late to sign up. we can always double up on days, so if you want to sign up, email gina!

that about it wraps it up. i thought it'd be a lot shorter than this, but it's awesome how we can still maintain our connection with one another through the break. a lot is coming up for this coming year so keep your head on a swivel.

have a great week and merry christmas!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-12-14T19:43:00.000-08:00

hey folks. hope your weekends were all good. it's the week before christmas and we're winding down for 2008. there is virtually nothing this week, but please be on the lookout for emails and such regarding:

LIFE group chill :: chances are, your LIFE group will be doing something to chill and fellowship together. be on the lookout for emails concerning such things.
sunday celebration [12.21] transformation center @ 9:30am :: we're going to finish out with some celebratiooonnnn on the last part of the "christmas letters" sermon series with the final part, "to the world". please keep in mind that there is only one celebration! see you there!
focus devotionals :: so we're heading this devotional series up as we maintain our hunger for God through the holiday break. we sign up, we do our devotionals, and we share some Godly lessons/learnings with the rest of focus. it's an awesome way to keep us accountable and i'm really looking forward to some answered prayers and chill testimonies of how God is working through/in us throughout christmas and new years.
caroling [12.20] clarebridge and bryant community :: this saturday, the caroling crew is going to clarebridge and bryant to share some christmas spirit and Christ's love through some tunes. even if you're not into singing, please come out and join us in blessing our community. moses will be sending out details. keep an eye out for upcoming emails!
christmas party [12.25] @ TBA :: this christmas, if you're in ann arbor, don't celebrate alone. please come out and join the church community for a christmas party. sign up here so that they know the number of people who are coming out!
winter retreat [1.16-1.18] gull lake :: oh it'll be good. real good. please come out to the winter retreat by registering here. it's going to be an awesome time as we anticipate God pouring out his Spirit on us and as we learn to be poured out to those around us. it's always a celebration.

whew. i love this time of year. as always, if you have any questions, let me know.

have a great week, everyone.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-12-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

woot woot! hey focus. shout out to dr. matt for getting baptized this past saturday. if you see him, make sure to holler at him. it's hard to believe that christmas is rolling around the corner, but there're only 3 weeks left and lots left to get done so read on and let me hit you with focus knowledge.

focus morning prayer [12.12] transformation center @ 6:30am :: come out to the transformation center on friday at the crack of dawn to cry out together in our humble search for God. it's also a great opportunity to get focused on the day with your devotional time with God. holla!
focus community gathering [12.12] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: come out to moses's clubhouse for some good ol' large group goodness. this is one of the last times we'll meet for 2008, so i hope to see you there!
cov/focus/impact potluck [12.13] peter and clara's place @ 12pm :: it's a potluck chilling session for the focus, impact, and covenant ministries. that is automatically a recipe for awesome goodtimes [that's a word from now on]. peter and clara have graciously opened up their place for us so if you're interested, please let peter and clara know [rsvp to the email] that you're coming so they can get a solid headcount for appropriate preparation.
sunday celebration [12.14] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: as it is every sunday - it's a celebrattttiiiooonnnn. this sunday we'll be continuing with the "christmas letters" series with the 2nd part. i'll see you there for solid celebration!
experiencing ministry [1.11] transformation center @ 2pm :: yeah, it's more than a month away, but just to get this on people's radars, there's an experiencing ministry class in january that opens doors to all of the thing that happen in the background. it's an awesome avenue to serve the church and gain a greater understanding of God's servant heart. just to show you that there aren't a bunch of random people or robots walking around doing stuff, here are some of things for which ministry teams are responsible:

ever notice that there are different colored lights and that they turn on and off throughout sunday celebration? ministry team
the bulletins don't design themselves. ministry team
website refresh? pics and members? online signup and announcements? ministry team

feel me? there's a full list of the ministry teams here. to take this class, you must be a covenant-signing member of hmcc. sign up!
2009 winter retreat [1.16-1.18] gull lake conference center :: poured out - that's the theme for this upcoming multi-life stage, multi-church retreat. everyone from ann arbor and chicago will be coming together for a weekend of worship and God-seeking. this is a crucial retreat at a crucial time as our church is going through many transitions. also, these times are great for personal retreat and really connecting with the other single adults in our ministry. please sign up!

well, that's about it for now. as always, let me know if you have any questions and/or if you want me to toss some knowledge up here for you.

have a great week!

peace,

john

The Happenings

2008-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

happy thanksgiving all!

hope your breaks were the bomb, however short they may have been. rest in the Lord is always good, feel me? at any rate, for the three weeks between now and christmas, we've got some great things going on. read on to catch up on all the focus talk.

focus prayer gathering [12.2] transformation center @ 8pm :: we'll be gathering as the single adults to pray for the ministry as well as for one another. please come and it'll be a good time to pray together.
church-wide prayer gathering [12.4] transformation center @ 7pm :: we'll also be having a church-wide prayer gathering this thursday with the rest of the church. it's really times like these that open my heart to corporate prayer and understanding of what God is doing in the church as a whole - all the limbs of Christ's body, you know what i mean?
morning prayer [12.5] transformation center @ 6:30am :: it's the crack of dawn and you love it. you love the morning java. you feel closer to God. you enjoy the brisk, morning air. you feel like you need to be closer to God. you want to be challenged. you feel like your prayer life could grow in different ways. perhaps morning prayer is calling to you? if that's the case, come out to morning prayer on friday and pray with some fellow single adults.
church-wide worship gathering [12.5] transformation center @ 7pm :: we're going to close out the calendar year with one of the final church-wide friday gatherings. we will not be having LIFE groups or community group - instead, we'll see you at the transformation center for a church-wide worship gathering. see you there!
baptism service [12.6] ann arbor chinese christian church @ 3pm :: come celebrate together as members of the church and even one of our own in focus express their love for and dedication to Christ in front of the community. shout out to dr. matt!
sunday celebration [12.7] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebrationnnnnn. come out on this upcoming sabbath as we hear God's Word in a new sermon series called "christmas letters" with part 1: "from God." see you there!
winter retreat :: the winter retreat is coming up! as soon as the new year begins, we start fresh with some great church-wide celebration and worship. sign up! early registration ends january 4, 2009.

that's about it from me. if you have any quesitons, let me know!

have a great week.

peace,

john

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

From Focus Thanksgiving Friday

The Happenings

2008-11-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

yo! thanks to all those who participated in the bryant community thanksgiving potluck. it was awesome getting to rub shoulders with derrick [the directory] and the kind folks of the community. it was equally sweet serving with people from the junior high age all the way to married with children. it was definitely a legit time of service and glory to God for such an awesome privilege. it's turkey week, people. read on for your weekly focus digest.

thanksgiving day dinner [11.27] transformation center @ 6pm :: if you're in town for thanksgiving and you don't have plans - come on out and enjoy it with the church family. a dinner will be provided so sign up and let them know that you're coming so they can prepare a seat for you! if you have any questions, let me know!
sunday celebration [11.30] transformation center @ 9:30am :: it's always a celebration! come on out this coming sunday for a special one-part sermon series called, "feasting by faith." notice that there will only be one celebration at 9:30 in the a.m.

as you can see, there isn't much going on this week in terms of events or meetings, but i hope you all have a restful, spiritual holiday. enjoy the peace and count your blessings!

as always, if you have any questions, please let me know!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-11-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

hey all. hope your weekends were legit. the winter season is definitely here. it's bringing the fierceness with all the snow and wind, but as long as it doesn't fall like last year, i'll be happy, you know? at any rate, read on for your focus digest!

prayer gathering [11.18] transformation center @ 8pm :: we'll be getting together to pray and seek the Lord as focus at the transformation center. there's been a big push for prayer in the church and this is a great way to hop on it. as the holiday season comes, it's a solid way to continue building our foundation of prayer.
morning prayer [11.21] transformation center @ 6:30am :: can't have too much, you know? if you're into brisk mornings, dig morning coffee, and enjoy the quiet before the day begins - consider coming out to the transformation center to pray together as focus. we usually spend fridays praying as a church, then as focus to pray for the weekend and for each other. good times.
focus community group [11.21] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we haven't gathered together in a long time so come out this friday to worship as focus. we'll be talking about resting in the Lord as the holiday season comes. also, there're some things we'll be covering for the thanksgiving potluck that's coming up, so i hope to see you there. holla!
sunday celebration [11.23] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's always a celebration! seriously, it's always good times. come out this coming sunday as we finish up the re:turn sermon series on repentance with part 3: "the corporate focus of repentance." see you there!
thanksgiving potluck [11.23] bryant community @ 5pm :: we're coming together with covenant [the married ones] and latitude/velocity [high school/junior high] to serve the bryant community with a potluck that we'll all be doing together. if you haven't heard about it yet, let me know and i'll get you plugged in. it's a great opportunity to demonstrate the serving, loving heart of Christ while rubbing shoulders with some people, building relationships, and building the church, feel me? hope to see you there. again, if you aren't in a cooking group or don't know what you're doing to get involved, let me know!
thanksgiving dinner [11.27] transformation center @ 6pm :: if you're sticking around for the holidays, hmcc is throwing a thanksgiving dinner at the transformation center. let me know if you have any questions.

well, that's about it from me. for those involved with caroling, please contact me and i'll get anne to get you any material you need!

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-11-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

hey focus. hope your weekends are sweet, relaxing, and chill. it's been a busy week for a lot of us so i hope we're all getting set for the coming week. speaking of, read on for your weekly digest!

churchwide prayer gathering [11.13] transformation center @ 7pm :: come on out and pray together as a community of believers. these times are great for personal reflection and a great time to pray for the things of the church and what God is doing in the church. see you there!
morning prayer [11.14] transformation center @ 6:30am :: on your way to get your morning coffee? stopping by espresso royale on state street? do you pass out before you get a chance to utter your nightly prayer? come on out and pray with focus on friday morning. it's a great chance to answer the call to prayer in the morning and pray for the things about focus and the church.
LIFE group [11.14] various locations @ 7pm :: if you're looking for a Godly community of believers with whom you can chill, eat, and seek God - then you're in luck. biblical fellowship, God-centered studies, and heartfelt prayers is really what LIFE groups are all about. it'll be awesome as we learn about being the hands and feet for God's message here. if you'd like some more info, just let me know and i'll be sure to set you up. this day is also an awesome day because 007: quantum of solace comes out. WHO'S COMING WITH ME?!
exploring poverty [11.15] transformation center @ 11am-4pm :: a class exploring poverty and how we, as christians, play a role. i've copied the excerpt:
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2007, 37.3 million people were living in poverty in the United States. We don't need to go very far to see how poverty affects society. As Christians, how are we to respond to this issue which affects so many people in our country? This class will give resources of how we can look at poverty with a Biblical perspective. Space is limited, so sign up today!
pre-celebration prayer [11.16] transformation center @ 9:00am :: each celebration is an awesome opportunity for God to work miracles in people's hearts and continue the process of transformation. with all that is going on, the church felt it would be helpful to build a ministry of pre-celebration prayer. if you go to 1st service, come 30 minutes earlier and hit the balcony. it's a great time to prepare the church [building and people] as a place/people of worship.
sunday celebration [11.16] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's always a celebration. come again to hear the second part of the "Re: turn" sermon series. 1st celebration, 2nd celebration, doesn't matter - it's all deadly. see you there.
post-celebration food [11.16] eatery @ 11:30am/1:30pm :: after the celebration, come out and meet up with other focus-ers as we go eat and chill with some of the undergraduate seniors. as we're establishing solid relationships with them we can lend some of our advice and build them up as younger brothers and sisters. it's always a legit time, so come out.
thanksgiving potluck [11.23] bryant community @ afternoon-evening :: we'll be joining the covenant ministry to bless the community at bryant with a thanksgiving potluck. you will notice that it is on the sunday prior to thanksgiving. please, please consider serving that sunday, rubbing elbows with covenant members and those at bryant, building relationships and demonstrating the serving, loving heart of Christ. it's turkey, baby!

yes, that's correct. it's a LOT of stuff going on. these are some awesome opportunities to serve, so i'll see you at some of them! it's going to be goooood. as always, if you have any questions, please let me know!

have a great week.

peace,

john

The Happenings

2008-11-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

hey all. hope it's been a good missions week for you all. it's been a pretty informative and challenging week for me. listening to pastor paul's testimony and teachings from his experiences in the mission field was nuts. it made me really reflect on my own life with Christ and it was great for me to take the time out to pray for the things that God's doing. at any rate - if you weren't able to hear him, ask people to share with you and ask for resources for his sermons. read on for your weekly digest!

focus prayer meeting [11.4] transformation center @ 7pm :: we'll be getting together on election day to pray for focus and the nation! there's no better time to get together and pray for the things that God is doing in our grand nation. these times of prayer have been powerful and, because many people are coming out, we've decided to move the venue to the transformation center. see you there!
night of the arts [11.6] transformation center @ 7pm :: the creative worship ministry has worked up a little something something for the church to enjoy. they always come up with some legit stuff, so i recommed you try to hit it up. it's $6 at the resource table, $8 at the door. all proceeds go to the destiny campaign. holla!
morning prayer [11.7] transformation center @ 6:30am :: up at the crack of dawn? love morning breath? like to get to work with no traffic? come meet God in the morning and answer the call to prayer together.
LIFE groups [11.7] various apartments @ 7pm :: we're going at it again this friday. back to glorious LIFE groups! come with open hearts, ready to dig into the Word and enjoy the fellowship of God's people. seriously, sometimes, there's nothing better than challenging each other, praising God together, and praying for one another in the context of God-centered community. see you there!
sunday celebration [11.9] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebrationnnnn. and we're continuing next week with a new sermon series on repentance called "re: turn" with part 1 focused on the core foundations of repentance. i'm looking forward to some radical, biblical perspectives on repentance. see you there!
experiencing missions [11.9] transformation center @ 2pm :: if you feel inclined to join in on a missions project through hmcc, please consider signing up for the first of two mandatory classes required to participate in missions projects with hmcc. you'll learn about missions and hmcc's vision and purpose achieved through missions projects.
baptism class [11.15] transformation center @ 1pm :: if you feel called to outwardly express your dedication to Christ through this celebration of spiritual rebirth, please consider signing up for the mandatory classes. holla!

alrighty! that's a lot, but it's all deadly. i'm looking forward to the goodness. as always, if you have any questions regarding any of the announcements or if you want to post something up here that you want focus to read, let me know and i'll get right on it.

have a great week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-10-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

hello my fellow workers. shout out to the ash team for bringing in the focus flag football championship! red for the win! thanks to all who participated in the flag football league - it was certainly good times. and speaking of good times, thanks to all those who came out to the halloween party. sure, there were no decorations [aside from a pumpkin... thanks gina] and it wasn't the most organized party, but i had a blast and i think we can all agree that spice girls were spicy, the jabba wokimmortals were light on their feet, quiddich is a sport for all ages, chocolate comes in all shapes and sizes, and mummies can dance with the best of them.

thanks to all for making this weekend legit. but enough of that now - read on for your weekly focus digest.

missions week [10.27-11.2] :: every year, our church dedicates one week entirely focused on missions. we can all agree that it's a major component of our church's vision and mission, as well as part of God's plan for this world. in that light, we have a bunch of events that you should look out for, but events will be focused more on missions this week, including morning prayer. please keep the nations in prayer!
church-wide prayer gathering [10.30] transformation center @ 7pm :: come out and pray together with the entire church as we lift up concerns regarding our church and God's vision for the world in unison. it will be a powerful time of prayer, so you should definitely get out there.
morning prayer [10.31] transformation center @ 6:30am :: come on out at the crack of dawn on halloween to join together and pray for focus as well as the various events occurring over the weekend in our church. it's a great, busy weekend with lots going on, and we as a ministry will definitely be there for it.
church-wide worship service [10.31] transformation center @ 7pm :: there are no LIFE groups this week! instead, we will be joining in with the rest of the church for a special gathering at the transformation center. pastor paul liu is visiting us for the weekend from indonesia and he will be speaking on friday. please mark this down! we don't get much of a chance to hear guest speakers and we can really honor pastor paul by hearing him share God's word. also, as members of hmcc, it is an excellent opportunity to hear more from one of the missionaries whom we support through our hmi [harvest missions international] budget so we can learn how we can continue in support.
daylight savings time [11.2] your house @ 2am :: roll those clocks back and enjoy that extra hour of sleep. enough said.
sunday celebration [11.2] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebrationnnn. no really, it is a celebration and this week we're enjoying God's sovereign love for the nations in this special, internationally-themed sunday celebration. come out and enjoy the worship time and experience God's glory in the nations! pastor paul will also be speaking, so let's get there on time and honor him in our attendance. see you there.
jakarta church plant info meeting [11.2] transformation center @ 5pm :: after the morning celebration, there will be an informational meeting provided to those who are interested in learning more about the jakarta church plant.
night of the arts [11.6] transformation center @ 7-8:30pm :: the creative worship ministry will be showcasing their 2nd annual night of the arts event. check it out. $6 at the resources table, $8 at the door, all proceeds go to the destiny campaign.

wow, that's a lot, but it's all deadly. it's going to be a packed week, but i hope you enjoy it and i'll see you around at some of the events. if you have any questions, let me know and i'll be sure you get directed to the proper resources.

peace all,
john

The Happenings

2008-10-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

ay ay! hope your weekends were solid. we've got a few things coming up that you probably don't want to miss. by the way, shout out to the three of you who actually read this on sunday/monday. HOLLA! haha read on for your weekly focus digest.

prayer gathering [10.21] moses's place @ 8pm :: we'll be getting together to pray for the good things. these have been awesome these past few weeks and it's been great to pray for focus as a community. come out and enjoy the goodness.

morning prayer [10.24] transformation center @ 6:30am :: join us at the crack-o-dawn to meet with God and pray together with some morning breath. haha just kidding, but it's good to pray for the things of focus and for ministry events for the weekend, so come on out!

focus men's/women's groups [10.24] various locations @ 7pm :: we'll be mixing it up a little bit this week and going with some same gender ministry. coed groups are the bomb, but sometimes there're just some things that can't be done in the presence of the opposite gender, know what i mean? look out for emails - they'll be coming with more information. and if you think you're probably not on any one of the email lists, but you're interested in checking it out, let me know and i'll get you in touch with someone who can help you out.

halloween party! [10.25] moses's clubhouse @ 7pm :: yes, yes all. bring on more of the good stuff. we'll be throwing a halloween party for all participants in the flag football league and for focus! details forthcoming in an email and nifty flyer, but you'll see some rules/regulations. yes, yes you do need to come in a costume.

sunday celebration [10.26] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: we're going back to two celebrations this coming sunday. we'll be continuing the "to-be list" series with the second part, "a child". it's always a celebration, so come on out.

experiencing membership [10.26] transformation center @ 2pm :: if you've been coming out pretty regularly and you're interested in joining hmcc as a participating member, we definitely encourage you to consider signing up for the "experiencing membership" classes. these classes are quick rundowns of our church's mission and vision. you'll get to chill with the pastors and really get to know the heart of our ministry here in ann arbor. if you're thinking about it, think about it while going to this website with additional information.

alrighty then. that's about it folks. again, if you have any questions, let me know and as always, if you have anything that you'd like to share with the rest of focus via this blog, then let me know and i'll be happy to post it up for ya.

have a good week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

oy. greetings, all. it's an early, sunday-night update today. hope all your weekends were legit and you're geared up for the week. there's some activity happening, so keep your head on a swivel and catch up on your weekly focus digest.

undergraduate retreat prayer [10.13-10.15] transformation center @ 9:30pm :: the undergrads are going to faholo this weekend during their fall break to gather together to fellowship and worship God as the younger students in our church. to precede this retreat, we're praying together as a church to invite the Spirit and encourage a spirit of expectation. come out and support the undergrads monday through wednesday!
prayer gathering [10.16] transformation center @ 7:00pm :: we'll be gathering as a church to pray for the things that God lays on our hearts for our church. these times are great to grow a heart for hmcc individually and as a corporate body of Christ. see you there!
morning prayer [10.17] transformation center @ 6:30am :: at the crack of dawn, God is already up. come out and meet him in prayer at the transformation center. we'll pray together for our ministry and for our church. holla.
life groups [10.17] various locations @ 7pm :: oh, they're back. we got a little taste of the students' ACCESS. now we go back to our bread and butta. the glorious life groups! some groups went to the apple orchard today and other rocked the corn maze with some doughnuts and apple cider yesterday. either trip, i'm sure we got our share of some of the life group community goodness. be there this week and bring some of your regular crew. co-workers, friends, family - it's all deadly. see you there!
sunday celebration [10.19] transformation center @ 9:30am :: come out for the first part of a 2-part series called "to-be list". this week's sermon is entitled, "a lover". please note that there is only one service this sunday!

yup, that's it. now, that you're all caught up - let the rest know, too. as always, if you have any questions regarding any of this, shoot me an email and let me know!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-10-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

hey all. sorry this is late. hope your mondays were swell. we've got some things coming up that may be worth your attention, so read on for your weekly focus digest!

prayer gathering [10.7] moses's place @ 8pm :: come on out to moses's place to pray together! the prayer times we've had together recently have been powerful and they're great times to get close to the Lord and pray for our ministry. see you there.
morning prayer [10.10] transformation center @ 6:30am :: we'll be gathering together at the crack of dawn to pray and seek the Lord to intercede for our ministry and for our church. come on out and dress warmly.
joint celebration [10.10] transformation center @ 7pm :: we will be gathering together as a whole church to hear about the transformasphere movement and how we, as focus, can get involved. there is no life group this day. no large group. we'll see you at the transformation center at 7pm for some joint celebration! please be on the lookout for future emails regarding how we can get involved.
school of transformation classes [10.11/10.25] transformation center @ 1pm :: the school of transformation is hosting some classes on spiritual discipline and inductive bible study. they are two, two-part classes offered concurrently, so you will have to sign up for one. for more information on each and, to sign up, click on the links associated with each.
sunday celebration [10.12] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: join us again this coming sunday for another celebration. this coming week, we'll be going over a potentially volatile subject that a lot of us may get involved in for the coming weeks. it'll be a one-part message called "Jesus and politics" and will provide biblical insight regarding the role of christians in politics. should be a good one. see you there.
chapel prayer [monday-friday] transformation center @ 12pm and 10pm :: this is something that i personally wanted to announce. hmcc is offering to open up the transformation center for personal prayer times every day [mon-fri] from 12-1pm and 10-11pm [note that there is no evening chapel prayer on fridays]. i usually can't make it out to the afternoon ones, but since this has been offered, i found that i can set an established routine of prayer times when i go in the evenings. i usually hit these up and then go home to pass out. it's a great opportunity to inject some prayer into my life and i think it's a sweet use of the building. it's also a sweet place to go pray with lcg's. hope to see you there sometime.

alrighty. that's about it for this week. have a good one and see you.

peace,

john

The Happenings

2008-09-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

hola, guys. it was fun chilling with all of you at h-games. we couldn't bring in our hattrick, but it's all good. hope your mondays are well. read on for your weekly dose of focus digest.

churchwide prayer gathering [10.2] transformation center @ 7pm :: we'll be gathering at the transformation center to pray for the church, as a church. it's a great time to get together and cry out for one joint cause. hope to see you there.
morning prayer [10.3] transformation center @ 6:30am :: every friday, every week. it's a time to come together as the single adults in our church to pray for, not only our ministry, but also for the church as a whole. it's a great opportunity to pray for our church as well as take our individual time to meet with the Lord in the morning.
focus LIFE groups [10.3] various locations @ 7pm :: we'll be meeting together in our LIFE groups again this friday. if you are interested in getting connected with the single adults in the church community, please let me know and we'll be sure to get you plugged into one. these LIFE groups are smaller, close-knit communities with a common purpose of reflecting the early church in its vision for Christ-followers to live out the calling God gave us together.
sunday celebration [10.5] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's always a celebration! come out to one of the celebration times for a joint worship with the whole church. it's always a great time. pastor seth will be preaching on a specially-themed sermon entitled, "radical love, radical lives." see you there.
ministry team meeting [10.5] transformation center @ 2:30pm :: if you serve in a ministry team or are considering joining one after having taken the "experiencing ministry" class, please come out to this meeting for all members to hear about the vision and the future direction of ministry teams in our church.

that's about it homies. as usual, if you have any questions about any of this or if you have something you'd like to share with the whole focus community up here, then let me know!

have a great week.

peace,
john

H-Games Flag Preparation

2008-09-24T06:13:00.001-07:00

See our flag come together!

The Happenings

2008-09-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

bonjour people. i hope this past week's life groups were good. i know i had an awesome time chilling over some tacos and grinding away at the Word with some of my fellows. i think we've got some good stride going into this coming week's life groups and other events, so stay tuned for the goodness.

focus prayer gathering [9.23] moses's place @ 8pm :: we're coming together to pray as a focus ministry this tuesday at moses's place. it's a great time to get together and cry out for the ministry and for one another. come on out! afterwards, we'll work on our focus banner for h-games. if this is all over your head and you'd also like to know where it is, let me know!
morning prayer [9.26] transformation center @ 6:30am :: come out and pray with us this friday morning at the transformation center. we choose to pray on fridays to pray for the weekend for the ministry as well as for the church. also, if you haven't been able to come out to the tuesday prayer gatherings, this is a great time to seek God together.
life groups [9.26] various locations @ 7pm :: i hope this past life group was sweet. if you haven't gotten an email about life groups and/or are interested in joining one, let me know. seriously, we want everyone to get plugged into one - cos they're awesome. these times are smaller groups of perhaps 15 or so people sharing food, chill-time, and discussions about various topics with the purpose of representing a community of Christ-followers. it's pretty fruitless to try to describe all that a life group can be, so come out and experience the goodness.
h-games [9.27] palmer field @ 1pm :: that's right. field day for grown-ups. mini-olympics. whatever you want to call it, h-games is a collection of the entire church [represented in life groups] coming together for some on-field, ridiculous gaming action. come out and rep your t-shirt, cos that's mandatory h-games attire. focus has won it the past two years. may the glory continue! if you want to know more about it or you're interested in getting invovled in all the ridicularity [i'm just making up words now...], let me know and i'll get you educated. see you there!
sunday celebration [9.28] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebration homies. we're going to continue with the "our journey" series with the third and final part, "challenging the unknown" so come out and celebrate with us. see you there.
after celebration lunch [9.28] a good place to eat/chill @ 1:45pm :: it's not really an after party, but it's a sweet opportunity for us to get connected with the undergraduate seniors in our church. for those of you going to 2nd celebration, come out and eat with the seniors together. we can get to know them, they can get to know us, we can share horror stories, they can get scared... and of course better prepared and better connected for the year ahead of them. if you're down to go eat, then let anne know and she'll count you in.
renew ministry [begins 10.4] transformation center @ tba :: renew is a ministry that was started to offer believers freedom and restoration through the power of the Cross. its an awesome ministry and you can read more about it and sign up for it here. due to limited space/resources, not everyone who signs up can participate, though the ministry is offered once a semester. if you have any questions, please let me know.

alrighty. that's about it from me. as always, if you have any questions about whatever, let me know and i'll do my best to fix you up. and if you any news or events coming up that'd you like focus to know about, feel free to holler.

have a good week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-09-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

hey all. hope your mondays are off to a good start. as you can tell if you've been with us these last couple weeks - a lot has been going on. we're seeing lots of new faces, we're having celebrations in the new transformation center, and we're transitioning on to life groups this friday. with all that's going on, we want to keep you posted with the most up-to-date info. read on for your weekly focus digest.

churchwide prayer gathering [9.18] transformation center @ 7pm :: come out and pray with the church, for the church and all that God's doing. i think this will be the first church prayer gathering at the new building. these times are great to stay connected and to grow a heart for the church.
focus life groups [9.19] tbd @ tbd :: we're going to be splitting into life groups this friday. woo! please be on the lookout for emails and such regarding the life group to which you belong and where/when it'll be held. everyone should be getting a notification no later than wednesday. if you have any questions, please let me know.
hmcc flag football [9.20] mitchell field @ 12:30pm :: opening game is this saturday! the games will begin promptly at 12:30pm, so it'd be a good idea to get there at least 15 minutes early to prep up. also, very importantly, please bring the $15 registration fee if you have no already paid. we are asking everyone to pay by the first game. see you on the field!
experiencing ministry [9.20] transformation center @ 1pm :: if you are a covenant-signing member of our church, then we encourage you to consider joining a ministry team. with so much going on with our new building and new transitions, the ministry teams are really growing with new responsibilities and awesome opportunities to serve the church. if you're interested in serving the church with a small community of fellow servants, then please sign up online and go! please note that the experiencing membership class is a pre-requisite for this class.
sunday celebration [9.21] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: it's a celebratiooonnnn! it was good worshipping with some of you this past sunday. come out again next week as the "our journey" sermon series continues with part 2: "confronting the obstacles". see you there.
town hall meeting [9.21] transformation center @ 1:45pm :: immediately following 2nd celebration, the church board will be hosting a town hall meeting for everyone to attend. it's a great opportunity to get updated about what's going on in our church and how to get involved in the various ministries going on. personally, i think it's also a great opportunity to ask some questions about whatever's going on, gain some knowledge about various concerns i may have, and gain perspective from the board about the decisions they make. if you have any questions, let me know.

whew. that about wraps it up. other than all of these, hopefully you can make some space saturday afternoon on the 27th. it's h-games and, if you're new to focus, we've been champs two-years running now. it'd be awesome if we can all come together and dominate again. saturday afternoon. 1pm. september 27th.

as always, if you have any questions, please contact me. also, if you want to post anything up here, let me know and i can toss it up.

have a good week.

peace,

john

The Happenings

2008-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

hey all. i hope your mondays went well. things are popping right now in focus. a lot of things are going on at once in our church and we want to make sure you guys are well-informed and well-prepared. hence - the blog. booya. read on for your weekly focus digest.

prayer gathering [9.09] moses's place @ 8pm :: we're hitting the ground running. with all the transitions that are happening, there's nothing more solid than a foundation of some prayer. come out and pray with us for our ministry and for all with which God burdens us. if you need some info on how to get to moses's place, let me know.
morning prayer [9.12] transformation center @ 6:30am :: come out and pray together at the transformation center. if you're an early riser, come on down and we'll depend on God with our first breaths.
focus large group [9.12] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: and so it begins. these coming months are going to be crazy with some awesome opportunities for ministry, blessings, and growing altogether with all the things that are going on. come out and we'll worship and study the Word together while we gear up and get fed for the coming weeks. if you need to know how to get to the clubhouse, let me know.
flag football kick-off bbq [9.13] tbd @ 3:30pm :: oh yes. the season is upon us all. if you haven't signed up for flag football yet... you need to. get in touch with me, roy, or tim and we'll hook you up. $15. the last day to sign-up [you need your $$ on you] is the 14th. the kick-off bbq is this saturday, so be there.
sunday celebration [9.14] transformation center @ 9:30/11:30am :: if you haven't seen the transformation center - you need to see it. it'll blow your mind away. come out and celebrate God and all he's about. we're starting a new sermon series called "our journey" with part 1: "connecting the past". see you there.
experiencing ministry [9.20] transformation center @ 1:00pm :: if you're a member of our church and you're looking for more ways to get involved in serving, look no further than the experiencing ministry class. take the class and learn about the church, its vision for servanthood, and how you can get involved! this is how you get connected to ministry teams. behind all the hustle and flow of hmcc, ministry teams are in the works. please note that the experiencing membership class is a pre-requisite for this class.

that's about it! it's getting nutty, but it's gonna be sweet. as always, let me know if you have any questions or if you want to throw anything up there for focus to read about.

peace,
john

The Happenings!

2008-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

For this Week!

[9/5 @ 7:00pm @ Weatherstone Clubouse] This Friday we will be having a FOCUS Kick-Off Gathering at my clubhouse at 7:00pm. We will be starting a new season of ministry. If you are new to the community, this will be an opportune time to get to know us in fellowship and fun! We will be having DINNER (so please come hungry!) and discussing LIFE groups (formally known as small groups).
[9/7 @ 9:30am/11:30am @ Transformation Center] This Sunday we will be celebrating the grand opening of the T-Center! For more info: Click Here!

H-Games is right around the corner. For those of you who don't know that this is, it's HMCC's version of the olympics. This year, we will most likely be doing H-Games as all of Focus! So, we'll be making a Focus T-Shirt this year for the event! Yay! If you are interested in designing the Focus T-Shirt, please email Moses Lee by this Wed.

On the topic of sports, our Community Football Leage will be starting September 13th with a BBQ. IF you are interested in playing, please contact Tim Lee. See ad below.

[9/9 @ 8:00pm @ Moses' Condo] Next Tuesday we will be having a FOCUS prayer gathering at my place at 7:00pm. Please come join us to interceed for our ministry!

The Happenings

2008-08-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

hey all. i hope you're all getting ready for the upcoming goodness. the fall transition time is certainly a time of transition for many people. we've got some good stuff coming up so stay tuned for updates and continue reading for your weekly focus digest.

morning prayer [8.29] transformation center @ 6:30am :: focus will be meeting before the sun rises at the transformation center to pray for the weekend events and for focus in general. please come out and join in on the early morning prayer!
focus large group [8.29] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we'll be continuing with our large group this coming friday. we're excited to begin transitioning into the fall season with some awesome ideas and improvements [we think] to the ministry as a whole. we're pumped to tell you about it. see you on friday! if you need to know how to get there, let me know!
sunday celebration [8.31] angell hall, auditorium a @ 9:30am11:30am :: it's a celebration! as we transition into the fall and more people come, we're splitting up into two services as usual. we'll be doing a one-part series called "through the looking glass". come on out and join in on the goodness. see you there. note the location change.
newcomers bbq [8.31] burns park @ 6pm :: there are a lot of new people coming to our church, and not only students either! residents, job transfers, etc - the new cycle for the fall offers a lot of new job opportunities that bring a lot of working adults here to ann arbor. come out to burns park, enjoy the bbq [and help cook], and meet some new faces. deb choi will be heading up a lot of the details of the picnic. please keep an eye out for emails from her.
labor day bbq [9.01] moses's place @ 6pm :: can't get enough of that good ol' bbq huh? well we continue on to celebrate labor day together with a sweet bbq at moses's place. it'll be a chill time to eat, chat, and interact with perhaps some of the new faces you meet over the weekend. it'll be a great opportunity to invite some people out to a harmless grubbery session.
flag football [saturdays, starting mid-september] mitchell field [variable] @ tbd :: that's right - the football goodness is around the corner. we're nailing down specifics about the locations and times, but we're just about ready to start kicking butt and taking names. if you want to show off your skills on the field, SIGN UP!! and if you think your skills aren't up to snuff, but still want to come out, we need people to help out with timers, scorekeeping, etc, so if you can help out, email roy and let him know! more details about signing up are coming, so keep an eye out.

well that's about it from me. remember, if you have any questions at all about any of this, let me know. also, if you want to post anything up here for the focus population to know, then let me know, too.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-08-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

aayyy people! hope your mondays were as good as they could be. anyone see michael phelps be the crazy phenom that he is? nutty, i tell you. at any rate, please read on for your weekly focus digest!

prayer gathering [8.19] moses's place @ 8pm :: we're getting together as focus to pray for focus. these gatherings are pretty small and are a great way to pray for one another and develop our corporate heart for the single adults.
morning prayer [8.22] transformation center @ 6:30am :: come meet God at the crack of dawn and give some of your first thoughts/prayers. we'll pray with the church, then meet together as focus to pray.
THERE IS NO FOCUS LARGE GROUP GATHERING THIS FRIDAY.
sunday celebration [8.24] modern languages building, auditorium 3 @ 10am :: we're finishing off the summer celebrations with a one part sermon series called "the suitcase lifestyle". come on out and celebrate. did you hear refreshments team is back, too?! bring your friends, yo. it's a celebration...

ok. that's about it. remember to keep flag football in mind!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-08-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

hey all. i hope your mondays have been going well. as we near the end of the summer, things are about to get heated up for our transition into the transformation center. let the good times roll. please read on for your weekly focus digest.

morning prayer [8.15] transformation center @ 6:30am :: friday morning. we go to the transformation center [which is looking mighty fine these days], we hit the floor, and we pray together!
focus large group [8.15] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we're meeting together again. it'll be one of the last meetings of the summa summa summatime. come on out and we'll hit up some worship, food, and fellowship together. if you have any questions regarding this week's meeting, please ask!
destiny work days [8.16-8.17] transformation center @ 10am-3pm [8.16] & 2pm-6pm [8.17] :: the good work continues! seriously though, this transformation center is looking amazing. i was there yesterday with some other heads from focus and we were hauling boxes and cleaning stuff up and getting the place prepped for some major roof renovation. it's an exciting time and it's sweet to be apart of it. if you'd like to join in, please let me know if you're available this saturday/sunday. holla!
sunday celebration [8.17] modern languages building, auditorium 3 @ 10am :: we'll be closing off the "wise living" sermon series with part 6: words. hearing pastor pete preach on wealth this past week was really convicting and we can looking forward to more teachings on practical christian living this coming sunday. it's a celebration...
focus prayer gathering [8.19] moses's place @ 8pm :: we'll be at moses's place next tuesday for our every-other-weekly prayer gathering. these have been awesome times of focused, personal prayer for focus and for individuals. come on out! if you have any questions on the location/content/etc, feel free to let me know.
FLAG FOOTBALL GOODNESS [september] some fields @ saturdays :: ok folks. due to popular demand, we have moved flag football season to september. i have one question for you: do you want to be a (co)captain?! if the answer is YES, then click HERE and type, "YES", then click "SEND" (a name would be nice, too). if you'd like to know the responsibilities of the (co)captain, click that same link and ask! and for some people who have expressed interest, please expect emails =)

alrighty. that's enough from me. have a good week peeps. if you have any questions regarding any of the above, let me know!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-08-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

yooo. hope you all started the week off alright. i don't know about you, but today was one of the most tiring mondays in a long time. forgive the delay, but read on for your weekly focus digest. enjoy.

prayer gathering [8.05] moses's place @ 8pm :: we'll be meeting again at moses's place tuesday for our bi-weekly prayer gathering. come one come all to pray together for focus and for each other!
morning prayer [8.08] transformation center @ 6:30pm :: continuing onward in the mission to pray every friday morning for focus and the church through the weekend gatherings and events. standing in the gap... the sunrise gap. see you there.
friday dinner before [8.08] MUG @ 5:30pm :: prior to all-church worship [READ BELOW], we will chill together with some food at the michigan underground. come out and grub!
all-church worship [8.08] anderson room, michigan union @ 7pm :: we're doing something a little different this friday. IMPORTANT!! we will not be having large group this friday. we will be joining in with the rest of the church at an all-church worship service on friday night. see you there!
sunday celebration [8.10] modern languages building, auditorium 3 @ 10am :: we'll be continuing the "wise living" series with part 5, "wealth." i don't know about you, but these series have been pretty revealing and have been speaking some good stuff into my life. hope you enjoy it, as well. holla!
men's bbq [8.10] transformation center @ 1pm :: after sunday celebration, the men of our church are heading up a casual bbq to help in developing some relationships with other brothers. the importance of a solid community of brothers can definitely be understood, so let's go and get to know a few brothers in our church and build that solid community from the ground up.
destiny work days [8.9-8.10 :: 8.16-8.17] transformation center :: i don't know if you've been around to see it, but the new transformation center is really coming around and it's looking awesome. if you are interested in coming out and helping with some painting, building, knocking down, cleaning, tearing apart, and rebuilding, then please respond to the upcoming email so we can get a solid headcount for focus. they will take place on the upcoming two weekends!

woo! that's pretty intense. we're entering into some pretty exciting transitions, not only as focus, but as hmcc. it's definitely a lot to digest, but please consider them all as avenues to see God working and being glorified.

as always, if you have questions, holla. and if you want to post anything up here for all of focus, then let me know that as well!

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-07-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

hi. hope your mondays are going well. please read on for your weekly focus digest. if you have any questions, please let us know!

hmcc prayer gathering [7.31] palmer commons, great lakes room @ 7pm :: come out and pray for our church. personally, there have been times when aspects of my life were re-defined at these prayer gatherings. hope you can make it.

morning prayer [8.01] transformation center @ 6:30am :: bring your bible and some coffee. meeting God in the a.m. is definitely awesome, but the cost of early morning discipleship can rock us. bring your lcg's!

focus large group [8.01] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we're meeting this friday as a large group again at moses's clubhouse. moses and julie are coming back on tuesday, so let's keep them and the indonesia team in our prayers. you can see updates on their trip here. see you on friday. holla!

sunday celebration [8.03] modern languages building, auditorium 3 @ 10am :: it's a celebrationnnnn. come out and witness the larger community of God worshipping together. it's a sweet time to participate and see how focus comes together in the context of hmcc.

excel enrich dinner [8.03] bryant community @ tbd :: most of the details are in! we'll be helping to make dinner for the students of excel enrich. focus is responsible for the sides and the refreshments for a hamburger dinner. if you're interested in helping out, please PLEASE contact me.

well, that's about it from me. if you have any questions, come hollering. also, if you have anything that you'd like for me to announce via blog, let me know.

alrighty then. have a good week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-07-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

hey everyone. i apologize for the delay. read on for your weekly focus digest. questions? let us know!

focus prayer gathering [7.22] moses's place @ 7pm :: see you guys tonight at the prayer gathering. it's a little earlier this week, so i hope everyone can make it! it'll be some sweet time of prayer, especially at a time when our church could really use some prayer.
morning prayer [7.25] transformation center (formally known as urc) @ 6:30am :: come on out in the mornings to meet God and prayer together for the focus ministry as well as the church for the weekend.
focus huddle groups [7.25] various locations @ 7pm :: we'll be meeting in huddle groups this coming friday. those in moses's huddle group, please join susan's. those in julie's huddle group, please join mine. look out for emails regarding location and details. HOLLA.
sunday celebration [7.27] modern languages building, auditorium 3 @ 10am :: we're going to be continuing the "wise living" sermon series with part 3: "walk". these messages have been pretty sweet in terms of just being applicable and practical ways to live my Christian life. come on out and chill with us.
excel enrich blessing [8.03] bryant community center @ tbd :: we will be chilling and hanging out with the students at bryant community with the excel enrich crew and community missions team. details are sketchy as of now, but in the meantime, if you'd like to participiate, please let me know. it'll be from late afternoon to evening time. hollaaaa.

that's all for now. as always, if you have anything you'd like for people to know, let me know and i can throw it up here for focus to see.

have a good week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-07-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

hey all. hope your weekends were good and all that. please read on for weekly focus happenings.

mlc bowling madness [7.15] cube @ 8:30pm :: we're hitting up the lanes with the chill folks at mlc. come to the cube with your cars, bowling shoes, and a fistful of dollar bills for some bowling madness. bring the love.
churchwide prayer gathering [7.17] palmer commons, great lakes room @ 7:00pm :: we're coming together to pray for the church things. the india missions team is away, the indonesia team will have gone, the community missions team is doing their thing, we got work days coming up, we need prayer for the transformation center, our ministries need prayer - there's a lot of prayer-work to do, you know? see you there.
morning prayer [7.18] transformation center (formally known as urc) @ 6:30am :: yeeeaah we're at it again. let's give it another go... Lord, help us. haha let's pray together as a community. go time at 6:30 in the am.
focus large group [7.18] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7:00pm :: come out and chill with us as we go over the Word and experience some first-hand fellowship in the real. invite whomever, bring your friends. i hope to see you there!
hmcc work day [7.19] transformation center (formally known as urc) @ 10am :: yo for real - work day was awesome last week. everyone coming together and just sweating it out while doing some good work. the house is really coming together and it's pretty amazing to see it getting cleaned up and worked over. if you plan on coming, please let us know so we can let the people who are organizing this make the appropriate groups with the right number of people. let me know!
sunday celebration [7.20] modern languages building @ 10am :: we're going to continue the sermon series "wise living" with part 2: work. i don't know about you, but it's been pretty good for me - see you there. eats afterwards?
focus prayer gathering [7.22] moses's place @ 7:00pm :: we'll get focused and pray for the things that God places in our hearts for our ministry. it's been good times of prayer lately. come out and join us! we'll keep you posted for the actual location. holla.

that's about it for this week. again, if you have anything you'd like for focus to read - let me know and i'll throw it up here. hit me up with questions, too.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-07-08T04:47:00.000-07:00

hi. hope you all enjoyed your extended weekend. please read on for focus happening goodness.

focus prayer gathering [7.08] moses's place @ 8:00pm :: come out and pray with us. it'll be a one-hour period of concentrated prayer time for the focus things. God's been moving in our church and we want to make sure we're on the same page as a single adult ministry. if you need directions to his place, please ask him!
morning prayer [7.11] hmcc building @ 6:30am :: seek God together early in the morning with dedicated time to pray. there can't be much of a better place to begin one's day than at the foot of the cross.

focus large group [7.11] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7:00pm :: we'll be meeting for large group this friday at the weatherstone clubhouse. the recent bible studies have been powerful and we'll continue to gain a better understanding of God's Word and a clearer purpose for our daily lives. see you there!

destiny work day #1 [7.12] hmcc building @ 10am :: the building is ours now. it is now our slab of marble that we have to chisel into greatness. let's get together this saturday to help out in cleaning up the place and really making some headway into transforming that place into hmcc's transformation center and this was a long sentence. roll up your sleeves and get dirty! see you there.
sunday celebration [7.13] modern languages building @ 10am :: it's a celebratioooonnnnn! this week, we'll start the new "wise living" sermon series off with part 1: wisdom. these recent sermons have been really practical for me and have been crucial in helping me to make some good changes in my life. come out and celebrate! holla!
women's ministry [7.13] outside modern languages building facing the parking structure @ right after sunday celebration :: the women's ministry will be gathering to help connect the sisters in our church across various life stages. i hear it's good stuff, but - what do i know? check it out yourself [if you're a woman...] by emailing nicole jun. or, you can contact susan ahn or julie kim if you have questions.
mlc bowling [7.15] the cube @ 8:30pm :: boowwwlllliiinnggg. we've been able to serve the people at mlc in the past and it's been awesome. with our network there, God has opened up a whole new place for us to demonstrate his love. and what better way is there than bowling?! it's a dollar a game. we'll meet at the cube at 8:30pm and head on over to belmark lanes together. we need a headcount of people going, so if you'd like to get your bowl on, then contact irene chung and she'll take care of you. if you can drive, please please please offer!
flag football [august] tbd @ tbd :: and the madness begins... details are sketchy as of now, but this coming august, we're going to bring back the flag football goodness. mark your calendars - we're definitely planning on having the games on saturday [likely] or sunday [less likely]. if you're interested in helping organize it or if you feel you'd like to contribute to the planning - let me know!

wow. that's "it" for now. if you have any questions, let me know. and as always, if you have an announcement that you'd like to share with the rest of focus - let me know and i can definitely throw it up here.

have a good week.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-06-30T05:58:00.001-07:00

ay yo. i hope you're doing well during this whacked-out weather. hot, cold, sunny, rainy, dry, humid - bi-polar michigan weather is enough to drive someone pretty nutty.

at any rate. read on for your weekly focus digest! if you have any questions, let me know.

the night life [7.01] 7:30pm @ sweetwater's cafe :: we're going to hit up sweetwater's again this tuesday! come on out and invite whomever to enjoy some community, some ginger dragon (you ever have one of those?), some music, and maybe some games, too. see you there.
morning prayer [7.04] 6:30am @ hmcc headquarters :: yeeaaa we still pray on national holidays. come on out - maybe eat some breakfast afterwards? who knows? see you there!
july 4 chillout [7.04] 5:00pm @ lansing :: so the word is that fireworks in lansing are pretty sweet. we're going to head on out there to eat, to chill, and to enjoy the fireworks show. we're going to meet at Weatherstone Clubhouse at 5pm and go together from there. please RSVP to John Shin as soon as you can.
sunday celebration [7.06] 10am @ modern languages building :: we're moving on to a new series called, "lifestyle changes". mm good stuff. sometimes hard to hear, but i'm thinking it'll be good for me. see you there. holla.
prayer gathering 8pm [7.08] @ moses's place :: ay we're going to pray together for focus! come on out so we can holler at God together. there's something really good about getting together and praying in one voice. if you have any questions about it, let me know.

that's about it for the coming days. if you have any questions about any of the above, let me know and we'll chew it out. also, if you have anything you'd like for the rest of us to know, let me know and i can throw it up here for all to see.

ok folks. peace.
john

Habitat/Softball Photos

2008-06-24T06:25:00.001-07:00

Softball Game with Impact

Focus Goes to Detroit for Habitat

the happenings

2008-06-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

hi. read on for your weekly focus digest. questions? let me know.

churchwide prayer gathering [6.26] hmcc building @ 7pm :: come out and pray with all of hmcc. this week we'll be supporting the undergrads going to the AMI conference in philadelphia. this thursday will be a bit different since most of the undergrads will already be at AMI. let's go to represent our church and pray for our undergrads as a whole focus community. see you there!

focus morning prayer [6.27] hmcc building @ 6:30am :: we'll be praying for the focus things this friday morning at the hmcc building. let's pray for a greater heart for the ministry and that God would use it for his glory.

focus large group [6.27] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we're having large group this friday evening at moses's clubhouse. if you need directions or have questions regarding what it may be, let me know! holla.
canoeing! [6.28] argo livery @ 2pm :: i don't even know if that's how you spell canoeing, but we're going to chill out on a river with some paddles and if that doesn't sound sweet, then that's rough. let's all meet together at island drive at 2pm. if you need a ride, they will be provided at 1:45pm at the cube! come out and chill! afterwards we'll probably chow down somewhere of our liking. to best accommodate for foodstuffs, please respond to an upcoming email asking for a head count.

sunday celebration [6.29] modern languages building, auditorium 3 @ 10am :: we'll be rounding out the series with the final part, "will". see your mug there.

summer picnic [6.29] allmendinger park @ 1pm :: come and chill at the church summer picnic. fooooooooood. rides at the cube at 12:45pm if you need them!

the night life [7.01] sweetwater's cafe @ 7:30pm :: chill with some food, some friends, and good conversation - all to the background of sweet music and other live performances. if you'd like to get in on the performances, let anne kim know asap. see you there - it'll be a good one.

that's about it for now. if there's anything you'd like to be posted up here, let me know and i can arrange that for sure. take it easy, folks.

peace,
john

The Happenings

2008-06-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

what's good, focus crew? read on for your weekly focus event digest. [i hope you don't mind the unprofessional lowercase action. if it's distracting, holla. it's just my style =) ].

focus prayer gathering [6.17] moses's place @ 8pm :: it was pretty sweet praying together and gaining a greater heart for the ministry together. come on out to moses's place tomorrow and we'll do it up again, bigger. there's nothing quite like praying together with the people who know what's going on the best.
morning prayer [6.20] hmcc hq (old urc) @ 6:30pm :: truth be told, i've missed a few. sometimes it's pretty tough getting up in the morning. seriously though, there's something crazy about getting up and being honest before God at the crack of dawn. the times i'm able to go, it's awesome lifting up some truthful, straightforward prayers to Him and thanking Him for listening.
focus large group [6.20] weatherstone clubhouse @ 7pm :: we'll be having large group again this friday at the weatherstone clubhouse. it's the clubhouse in moses's subdivision. there's nothing like closing out a week of work with some solid worship and fellowship. come out if you can! if you need direction, a ride, or whatever - let me know.
sunday celebration [6.22] mlb auditorium 3 @ 10am :: we're going to the second part of the renovation series entitled: heart. come out to the modern languages building! it's a celebration. holla.
softball madness [6.22] mitchell field @ 2pm :: because of a ridiculous tornado warning and the appearance of impending monsoon action, our game was postponed to this coming sunday. we'll be playing a friendly game against impact, so come out if you can. yup.

this is announcement madness. following are some things to keep in mind for the long run. schedule them in if you're interested!

focus canoe trip and chill [6.28] tbd @ 2pm :: so next saturday we're going to go canoeing. woot! we're thinking of hitting up some boats, enjoying the weather, chilling out, and then capping it off with some casual dinner. it'd be hot if you could make it, so please try to schedule it in. hopefully this is early enough to let you all know. details are coming up as they get smoothed out - so heads up!
hmcc summer picnic [6.29] allmendinger park @ 1pm :: bust out the brats and fire up the grill. our church is having our usual summer picnic on the 29th. bring people out!
the night life [7.1] sweetwater's cafe @ 7:30pm :: we're having our once-a-month chill session at sweetwater's and we're hatching plans now. if you want to be a part of it in any way at all, please contact moses lee or anne kim and they'll fill you in on the details. it's a pretty chill time to invite some co-workers and friends to enjoy music, games, and thought-provoking [hopefully] conversations.
july 4th chillin [7.4] tbd @ 6pm :: enjoy some casual chilling as we eat dinner and check out fireworks. if you're around and you want to go for it, keep it in mind!

that's about it guys. it's a lot, but it's pretty sweet that we have some things coming up, you know? if you have any questions at all or if you have something you'd like for me to throw up here, let me know!

have a good week.

peace,

john

The Happenings

2008-06-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

YO!

Read on for your Happenings digest.

1. Prayer Gathering [6.12] Palmer Commons @ 7:00pm :: Sometimes it's tough to see the forest through the trees, so come out to the prayer gathering this Thursday to gain a greater heart and vision for what God is doing throughout our entire church. Praying for all the happenings helps to gain a better understanding of what we're doing and in what directions we're heading together.

2. Morning Prayer [6.13] HMCC @ 6:30am :: What can we say? It's difficult, it's unnatural, and it can be inconvenient. But how else can we grow in our spiritual disciplines unless we are tested and pass via perserverance, determination, and a whole lottta grace? Let's pray for our Focus ministy and for God's glory to be known as we pray and engage in spiritual workout.

3. Huddle Group Chillin [6.13] Various Locations @ Various Times :: We won't be meeting as a large group this Friday. We will instead be meeting in our huddle groups to fellowship and hopefully engage in some interesting interaction to which we can also invite those outside our Focus group. Hope you have fun. It should be hotness. If you do not have a huddle group, or do not know to which group you belong, please let me know!

4. Sunday Celebration [6.15] MLB Auditorium 3 @ 10am :: This coming Sunday's message on Renovation (Part 1: Mind) will be held at the Modern Languages Building. It's that building on campus by the fountain, near Rackham. It is located directly north of the Hill Auditorium.

5. Focus Prayer Gathering [6.17] Moses' Condo @ 8:00pm :: Join us as we gather together as the Focus community to pray for one another, our church, and the community.

6. Focus vs. Impact Softball [6.22] Mitchell Field @ 2pm :: We almost got tornadoed out this past Sunday, so we're going to set up a sweet rematch for the 22nd. Get the word out and let people know!

That's about it for now. If there is anything that you would personally like to announce, let me know and I can throw it up here.

Other than that - peace.
John

Testimony: Tony Lee

2008-06-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

I’m in NYC, I’m on the train. I love people watching, I’ve been doing this since I was young. How people interact with one another. Especially in New York, because there so many different types of people. Then a weird emotion comes over me. I ask myself, how many of these people know Christ. I don’t know, maybe all or maybe none. This angst overcomes me with the fear that most if not all do not have a relationship with Christ.

I wasn’t always this way. I never use to think like this. I came to Michigan to do one thing, to do really well my first year and transfer. Like most ‘out of staters’, coming to Michigan was not my first, second, or third choice. I wanted to be a passerby to some extent. Passy by and go make a lot of money. Who knew a casual question to a friend from High School would change my life forever. “Will you take me to church?” I wasn’t going to church for any spiritual reason, I thought church would make me a better person, I thought church would make me a nicer guy.

My first service at a protestant church/ HMCC, was memorable. For the music part, people were clapping, my arms were folded. People were raising their hands in the air(MOSES), I was thinking they are insane and this was a cult. I don’t remember the message that Pastor Sung, now Pastor Seth, preached, but I just thought he was really really funny. I do remember someone talking to me, after service, she started pulling out a sheet of paper. She started drawing the bridge diagram of how Jesus was a bridge between us and God. Never heard anything like this.

This whole experience was new to me, I’ve never heard or remember any like this when I went to Catholic Church with my grandfather. This new kind of Jesus and how he saved me from death and how much he loves me, I couldn’t comprehend it. What was even more crazy was going to ACCESS and asking someone to pray for me. Pray for me? Is that something we can even do? What should be my first prayer request ever? Latter parts of high school was really tough, I haven’t really been happy for a while, so I asked for JOY.

Two months later, who knew that God was going to answer my prayer. I remember meeting up with Pastor Sung, pastor Seth. After a little bit of talking he came out and asked me, “Do you want to accept Christ right now?, followed by “no pressure”. I was taken back, for a split second I didn’t know what to say, but then it was followed by ‘YES’. Then he prayed for me.

I can say this life after that YES has been so surreal. Look at me now, 8+ years and I am still here. I believe there’s a reason that I am here, there’s a reason that I got saved in this Church. Yes God can work anywhere, but I believe in the mission and vision of this Church. “ transforming lost people (which I was) into Christ disciples (now and continuing) who will then transform the world (hopefully by God’s grace)”. The scales have fallen from my eyes. I see the truth. It’s definitely not been the easiest. But every day I learn. I’m not perfect, I’m sure most of you knew that. But everyday I’m trying to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, then I will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Transformation and knowing his will is never easy, but I wait patiently in prayer, because I know that he answers them faithfully whether it’s for me or those people on the train.

The Happenings

2008-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hello, homies. Read on for upcoming happenings in the Focus world.

1. Focus Prayer Gathering [6.03] Moses's Place @ 8:00pm :: As we're growing together and gaining a greater heart for our ministry, it becomes evident that we just need God more. Let's pray together, pray for one another, and pray for Focus. See you there! If you need to know how to get there, feel free to contact me.

2. Morning Prayer [6.06] HMCC @ 6:30am :: Guess it's not URC anymore, huh? Let's open up Friday morning with a bang as we come together and cry out for the church and for focus. It's nasty hard getting up in the mornings. In fact, it's straight up unheard of to get up early in the morning to go somewhere to pray. But it's crazy awesome when a bunch of working adults can do something unheard of and come together to pray for something they all have in common under God. Call your LCG! HOLLA.

3. Community Group [6.06] Weatherstone Clubhouse @ 7:00pm :: We have large group this Friday! The format is a bit different, but let's come together seeking God together, you know? Worship, praise, some testimonies, scripture study - mix in a little food and some old-fashioned chilling and I don't think you can go wrong. Come on out. And... bring some games if you have any. Settler's anyone? HOLLA. If you need to know how to get there, let me know!

4. Sunday Celebration [6.08] Angell Hall Auditorium A @ 10:00am :: Part 3: "Do What?" of The Call to Leadership series will be shared this coming Sunday to close out the series. Come out and bring your friends, co-workers, etc.

That's about it for now. Have a solid week everyone!

Peace,

John

Focus Retreat and ZOO Jam Pictures!

2008-05-28T08:15:00.001-07:00

Focus Retreat and BBQ Pictures

Focus Zoo Jam Pictures

The Happenings

2008-05-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

Yo.

Your Focus happenings:

1. The Night Life [5.27] Sweetwater's Cafe @ 7:30pm :: We're chilling at Sweetwater's, listening to some good music, playing some games, and overall just relaxing and getting to know people over some coffee and caramels.

2. Prayer Gathering [5.29] Michigan Union, Anderson Room @ 7pm :: Let's pray for the church together. With so much focus on... Focus... it's sometimes tough to get the big picture of what's going on with our church. Let's come together and gain a greater heart for our church and what God is doing through it.

3. Morning Prayer [5.30] URC @ 6:30am :: Alright let's do this. Let's end the week in some sweet surrender through prayer. Come at 6:30am to pray with the church, then we'll split and pray together as Focus. HOLLA.

4. Community Group [5.30] Weatherstone Clubhouse @ 7pm :: We're going to have community group again this week at Moses's clubhouse. If you need directions, let me know! Based on this past week, I think we're going to have a pretty solid time... minus the long announcements...

5. Sunday Celebration [6.01] Angell Hall Auditorium A @ 10am :: It's a celebration. Holla. We're moving on to the next part of the "The Call to Leadership" series with Part 2, "But How?".

6. Women's Ministry [6.01] Various Time and Locations :: Women in our church are opening up avenues to minister to one another across various stages in life. Locations and times will be sent via email. If you are interested, please contact Nicole Jun.

7. Experiencing Membership [6.01] Michigan Union, Anderson Room D @ 1pm :: If you've been coming out to HMCC and would like to become an active, participatory member, take the first class of two this coming Sunday. You get a chance to hear the vision from some of the pastors while getting to know them and you get to hear, in full, the breadth and depth of the mission and vision of HMCC. If you're interested, please contact Pastor Pete and let him know!

Whew. That's about it for now. If you have any questions or want to know more about anything at all, let me know!

Otherwise, I hope you had a sweet extended weekend. Enjoy the week!

Peace.
John

The Happenings

2008-05-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

YO.

To keep everyone posted on the Focus happenings, this blog will be updated every Monday night with what's hot for the coming week. Read on for the knowledge.

Focus Community Group [5.23] 7:00pm @ Weatherstone Clubhouse :: Large group will be up this Friday night at Moses's clubhouse. Come if you can make it! If you need directions, feel free to contact me.
Sunday Celebration [5.25] 10:00am @ Angell Auditorium A :: This week's sermon is called "The Call to Leadership" with Part 1: "Who, me?" Holla on the Sabbath.
Zoo Jam [5.26] 11am @ Toledo Zoo :: That's right. Zoo. Lions, penguins, snakes, birds, and elephants. People are going to the Toledo Zoo on Memorial Day, so let me know if you want to know more about it!
The Night Life [5.27] 7:30pm @ Sweetwater's Cafe :: Engage with others in our stage of life and pick some brains while sipping coffee. Chill with music, some food, and even some games with people making paper like us. It should be a solid time.
Morning Prayer [5.30] 6:30am @ URC :: Come and pray as we gain a greater heart and burden for our ministry and our church. It's definitely a challenge, but let's rise together and begin with some dependence on God.

If there's anything else that you'd like posted up here for the rest to know, holla at me and I can throw it up. It can be anything including events, chillings, games, or whatever announcement you'd like for us to know.

Peace.

John

The Night Life

2008-05-19T06:22:00.001-07:00

Next Tuesday evening we will be hosting another "The Night Life" event in downtown Ann Arbor. This will be a great time to invite your friends to a night of coffee, live music, discussion, and games. We will be gathering at Sweetwaters Cafe on Washington Street in downtown Ann Arbor! We will also have a number of people from our community performing music!

So mark your calendars and get ready for a fun night!

Focus Retreat Prayer Chain

2008-05-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

As we head into the week leading up to the Focus retreat, we want prepare the way by seeking God's face and in doing so, ready our hearts to receive God's word. The theme of the retreat is Getting to the Next Level. The reason this theme was chosen is because we believe that God wants our community to soar to higher heights in our faith so that we may be suitable instruments -- both individually and corporately -- to shine forth His love to a broken and hurting world.

To prepare for this retreat, we will be having a daily prayer chain. People can sign-up for a day this week to pray for the retreat by commenting on this blog entry (see my example). When you make a post, just let everyone know which day you will be interceeding for the community. I would like to encourage fasting this week as well. Finally, on your day of prayer, you can post a written prayer on this blog entry!

Additionally, we will have formal times this week to pray and fast as a community for the retreat: click here.

The leaders and I are confident that this retreat will be a launching pad to this upcoming spring and summer, when we will work on strengthening our love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is my sincere prayer that we will gain the apostle Paul's heart for Christ:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:10-14).

And as we fall in love with Him, may our hearts for those without Christ grow ever stronger.

In Love,

-Moses

Focus Retreat Logistics

2008-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

It is not too late to sign-up for the Focus Retreat! You can do so today by clicking here.

Some FAQs for the retreat:

What if I can only come on Friday/Saturday? You can still come! There are a number of people in our community who will be driving in on Friday and coming back to Ann Arbor Friday night. Also, a number will also be driving in Saturday morning. If you can only make one of the days, still sign-up online (don't pay online) and email me (mosesklee@gmail.com) to let me know of your plans. Also, if you need a ride for just one of the days, please contact John Shin (johnjshin@gmail.com).
How much do I pay if I'm only coming one day? If you can only make Friday evening, I would like to encourage you to give a love offering to the church. If you will be spending Saturday with us, the fee will be $30, which will cover all the meals and facility rentals.
What should I bring? sleeping bag, toiletries, towel, bible, pen, journal, active clothing (we will have activities like ultimate, basketball, etc.)
I need a ride, what do I do? Please contact John Shin by this Tuesday, noon (johnjshin@gmail.com). Also, if you can provide rides to others, or are driving in only for Friday or Saturday, please email him as well.
What time does the retreat start? Check-in starts at 6:30pm. Service starts at 8:00pm on Friday at the Grand Hall.
How do I get to the retreat center? Driving directions to Michindoh: click here
I have other questions, what should I do? Please post a question or email me.

The Grand Hall is located in the Weatherwood Center in the following map:

Focus Retreat Preparation

2008-05-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

The Focus retreat is just under two weeks away! To prepare for the retreat, our community will be doing the following:

Wednesday, May 14th:
Retreat Prayer Meeting - 7:30pm @ Moses' Condo (1563 Long Meadow Trail)

Thursday, May 15th:
Fasting Day and Church Wide Prayer Gathering.
Note: We will break fast together in the MUG after the prayer gather

It is still not too late to sign-up for the retreat. If you'd like to do so, please click here.

Prayer requests for the Focus Retreat:

Open hearts to receive the Word of God through P.Seth and P.Jimmy
Real community and relationship building
Fresh convictions heading into the new season of Focus

Evening with Dr. Steve Lee

2008-05-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

We want invite those in the Focus community who are in the healthcare field (or have an interest in the healthcare field) to come out to a special gathering we'll be having with Dr. Steve Lee, who has spent the last several years as a missionary doctor in Kenya doing work with the HIV AIDS patient population. We have the great privilege to host him and to spend some time with him as he shares about his experiences with ministry in Africa. Please make it out to this special event!

Time: 8pm Saturday 5/10/08
Place: FCC (First Congregational Church on the corner of State and E. William)

Please RSVP to Susan Ahn (ahn.susan@gmail.com) and let her know if you would be interested in attending this gathering. We want to make sure we have enough refreshments provided.

A Housewife, an Orphan, a Mission

2008-04-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

By Kaiser Shen

On Saturday, March 29th, several members from the Medical Outreach, IMPACT and FOCUS ministries had the opportunity to partner with M-HEAL (Health Engineered for All Lives, a University of Michigan-based service organization focused on improving the health of communities around the world). We had the opportunity to go to the World Medical Relief (WMR) headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. (http://www.worldmedicalrelief.com)

(To Read More: Click Here)

Night of Arts

2008-04-23T05:32:00.001-07:00

Date&Time: Tuesday, April 29th; 7:00pm
Location: First Congregational Church, Ann Arbor
Cost: $6 (Resource Table); $8 (At Door)

In light of the Destiny Campaign, HMCC's Creative Worship Team and Drama Team are putting on a show/benefit where all proceeds would go towards the campaign!

CWM will be playing songs ranging from Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" to an intricate latin guitar piece a la Rodrigo y Gabriela. The drama team will also have a comedy sketch going on in-between song sets, so you don't want to miss out!

Refreshments will be provided, and they're FREE! :) You just need to purchase a ticket to come in.

For more information, please contact Sarah Lim (shlim@umich.edu).

Spring Kick-Off BBQ

2008-04-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Focus will be having a Spring BBQ on May 9th starting at 6:30pm at SouthEast Area Park. It will be a great time to play outdoors, eat some great BBQ, and meet new members of the Focus community. So mark your calendars and get ready for a fun evening!

Note: An evite will be sent out shortly.

PowderPuff Football

2008-04-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

Focus will be hosting a Powderpuff flag football game on April 27th at 3pm. We will be playing at Mitchell Field. (For those of you who do not know what Powderpuff football is, it is a football game just for girls. Guys are not allowed to play, even the real pretty ones.)

If you are interested in playing, fill out the bottom and please email Roy Yoo (rkyoo81@gmail.com).

Name:

Skill (1 to 10, 10 being very good):

Can you play quarterback: Y/N

If you are a boy and you want to participate, we will need people to help ref, keep score, cheerlead and etc. If you're interested in this, please let me know as well.

Invite anyone else that maybe interested in playing.

Please reply by the April 21st so we can make teams.

the neXt retreat

2008-04-17T06:17:00.001-07:00

The Focus retreat will take place on May 16th to 17th at the Michindoh retreat center. You can register for the retreat online or at the Resource Table during Sunday Celebration.

The theme of the retreat is getting to the neXt level. As a community this spring/summer, we want to soar to new heights in our relationship with Christ, with one another, and with our community. Pastor Seth will be speaking to Focus on Friday night, and for Saturday, we will be having a guest speaker from the HMCC Chicago church.

Registration is $60 before 5/4 and $70 afterwards. If you have any questions, please contact Moses Lee: mosesklee@gmail.com.

Sign up here!

Pictures from Our Community!

2008-04-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

MLC Night

2008-04-17T06:05:00.001-07:00

Tonight we will be interacting and building relationships with international students studying English at the Michigan Language Center. We will be playing games, eating food, and conversing with students from all over the world. For more information, please email: abigail.shin@gmail.com.

Welcome to the Focus Blog!

2008-03-15T11:50:00.001-07:00

Are you ready to experience life, community, church, God? Check back here often to read what God is doing in the Ann Arbor community through the single-adults at Harvest Mission Community Church!