GENESIS: Filled

MAY 2015 • 1

Living inAbundance

Interview with Jeffri Halim

Testimony by Anh Luu

Things to Do After Graduation

IFGF Pinole Monthly Newsletter

May 2015

02 • GENESIS NEWSLETTER

When people think of the word ‘abundance’, the first thing they may think

about is ‘lots of money’ or lots of some tangible assets. That is for certain

one aspect of abundance. But this word can also be relevant with many

other intangible things as well such as joy, peace, good health or unity in

the family.

From

Pastor’s

Desk

Shown on Front Cover: Frederick Kennedy

We also relate the word abundance with satisfaction, as in living in

abundance is equal to living in satisfaction. At the same time, we

realize that abundance in only one area of life does not guarantee

the state of satisfaction of a person in general. We need to be in

the state of sufficiency in all areas of life, such as in family life,

work-life, relationship, community life, and financial sufficiency.

Is it even possible to be sufficient in all areas of life?

This is where God’s words hold the secret to fulfillment. The Bible encourages us

to be “Filled” with some things in order to live a satisfied life. When we are ‘Filled’,

there will be abundance. After all, that is what Jesus promises us – abundant

living (John 10:10). Abundant living means abundance in all areas of life.

Consequently, a person who is living in abundance is also a generous individual.

Hand in hand, abundance in life and generosity are sure signs of a fulfilled

individual.

So what is it that we need to be filled with? That is the subject of our study

this month of May 2015. As the word of God holds many life-giving principles, it

is our duty to diligently search and study God’s words. Let’s do that together so

that we become a prosperous and successful family of God.

Be filled!

Ps. Sugi Hendric

MAY 2015 • 03

How are you doing?I’m doing good, currently busy with my recent job switch.

I just started working at Lawrence Berkeley National

Laboratory and this week will be my fifth week there.

Other than that, I’ve been busy with my family; Kylie and

Olive, trying to help taking care of the house.

What kind of work do you do?I’m a facility electrical engineer, which means I take

care of all 100 buildings in Lawrence Berkeley National

Laboratory. I’m involved in doing construction support for

new buildings and I have also been doing a lot of safety &

electrical studies.

What made you decide to become a pastor?Well, first of all, I am a lay pastor, not an ordained pastor,

meaning outside of IFGF Pinole, I’m not a pastor. Pastor

Sugi, who is the full-time pastor, asked me about it and I

prayed about it.

What are the duties of a lay-pastor? The general job description is simple: to help the full-time

pastor pastoring the church, which covers a lot of things

but it is pretty flexible in terms of choosing which area I

want to work on.

What are your current challenges as a lay-pastor?Being a lay-pastor demands a lot of time and effort

which I am limited in. I have to pick which task is more

important and needs to be prioritized and this can be

quite a challenge.

Do you have any advice for the church members on how to find out what their calling is?Many of us focus too much on the final destination but

I believe HOW we get there is just as important. God

reveals our calling in a step-by-step process. It is not

an easy and straight path. Also, if you want to know

your calling, it’s important to know and focus on the

general calling first. One example of general calling is the

making of disciples of all nations. In other words, making

of disciples is not a calling exclusively for pastors, but

a calling for all believers. Another example of general

calling is to glorify His name. Focus on those callings first

and you will eventually find the specific one for you.

I heard you used to be a worship leader.Haha, let me share you the journey of my ministry in

Pinole. In 2002, I came to IFGF Pinole and stayed. After

several months being a visitor, I served as a ground crew

in sound system ministry. I also served in music ministry

Get Connected

Jeffri HalimAssociate Pastor / Leader and Father / Care Group: Family


mainly as a bassist. After that, I got involved as a worship

leader. As the church continued to grow and we started

having more musicians and worship leaders, I felt that

the church didn’t need my help in the music ministry

anymore so I moved on and served in other ministries.

At the same time, I think I was already part of Leaders

Committee (LC) back then. I have touched all ministries,

except children ministry and holy communion.

Do you have any suggestions on how to get involved in ministry?If you want to join or start a ministry, I’d suggest not to

wait and dwell on your own thoughts for too long because

that won’t get you anywhere. Just join something, try

something, or start something. We offer flexibility for you

to serve.

Let’s change topic for a second. Is it true that you met the love of your life (Olive) through music ministry?Well, we both served in the music ministry and because

of that, we spent a lot of time together. During that time,

we didn’t have enough musicians so every week, we had

to serve together.

How has Olive played a role in your life?Back then, I was the worship leader and she was the

keyboardist. She has helped me in many ways. She helped

me in pursuing whatever I wanted to do and supporting

me when I was a care group leader. When I invited people

to my house, she would be the one to do most of the

hospitality by cooking for the guests. She also helps me

in taking care of Kylie. Without her help, I wouldn’t be able

to minister as much as now. She sacrifices a lot as far as

taking care and spending a lot of time with Kylie.

So I heard Kylie just started going to school.Yes! She just started school this semester. The first

couple weeks of school, she kept crying every time

we left her at school without her mommy but she is

beginning to adapt now. Her teacher is quite happy with

her and told us that she is smart and all that.

Do you like being a dad?Do I like being a dad? Of course! I like spending time with

Kylie. My favorite thing to do is to take her outside and

walk with her once I get back from work.

Do you experience any challenges?There are plenty of challenges. It’s tiring and energy-

consuming. As a two-year-old, Kylie gets bored easily so

we have to come up with something new and it has to be

quick.

“Just join something,try something,or start something.”

“Jeffri and his wife, Oliveacting silly.”

MAY 2015 • 05

I’d also like to ask about care groups. What would you suggest to the current care groups in general to continue to grow?I’ll start with one of the biggest challenges I had when I

was a care group leader back then. I was the care group

leader of CG Faith before it multiplied into CG King and

CG Faith. I always felt alone. I felt no one was helping. But

in reality, there is actually a lot of people who can help.

It’s just a matter of reaching out and asking for their help.

For care group leaders, I just want to say that you are not

alone. A lot of people are able and willing to help. You just

need to speak up and share your burden. As far as how

to grow, it’s about sticking to the Bible. The Word of God

says that Jesus will draw man to Himself. As we lift His

name up, I do believe that Jesus will bring man to Himself.

As we focus on worshipping God and reading the Bible,

I do believe that care groups will grow.

Before we end, do you have any advice for striving peers or anyone from the congregation, who want to do well and excel in their lives?Get connected. Don’t be alone. Get connected to your

leaders, to your peers, to your caregroup members, to

other church members, and to your pastors. •

What’s your favorite thing about Kylie?She is very active, creative, and silly.

Does she behave badly sometimes?Yes, which adds up to the challenges of being a parent. I

mean, you have to know how to discipline your child. A lot

of times, she doesn’t know that what she did was wrong

and it just breaks my heart when I have to punish her but

it is something that has to be done.

Since you’ve been around the church for a while, do you see any changes at church compared to the first time you came here? Yes, a lot. The people are different. Back then, we only

have about 30-40 people, now we stand at about 100

people. The leadership is also different. How we conduct

things is also different: bible study, care groups, ministry.

And last week, we started the local Sunday Service which

is something completely new.

Can you tell us more about it?We’ve been trying to reach the local community for so

long and we concluded that the reason why we have not

succeeded at it is that we have too many Indonesians.

We sense that when we have the local people coming to

our church, they would feel overwhelmed with the number

of Indonesians so we decided to start a new service that

is specifically targeting towards locals in the hope that

they won’t feel like a minority.

Do you have any specific vision for IFGF Pinole?Well, one of the main reasons I want to become a lay-

pastor is because I’d like to see how a life is transformed

and that is one of the things IFGF Pinole can be a place

for. Hopefully, we could bring some impact to the local

community. We can have the voice of transformation in

our communities, schools, and families. We can become

the vehicle that brings real change to our community.

“We can become the vehiclethat brings real change to our community.”

“Get connected. Don’t be alone.”

Jeffri serves as the Lay Pastor at IFGF Pinole and is known for his wisdom in the Word and servanthood heart. His calm personality is balanced by the presence of his cheerful and bubbly wife, Olivia, and their beautiful daughter, Kylie.


LET’S PRAY FOR MAY

with Joan Wirolinggo

Our pastor and leaders that

they abide in Him.

Our church that it will be

filled with passion for His

name and evangelism heart.

Our care group gathering.

Let’s pray that Jesus will

be the center of each care

group and relationship as

brother and sister in Christ

will be built.

Our new friends who are

new to the states or just

transferred that they may

found a new family in Christ

through this church.

Our friends who are still

looking for a job.

Our moms that God will

continue to give them

strength, wisdom, and joy.

In Jesus’ Name.

I was known as a tomboy in my

elementary and junior high years.

I always had insecurities when it

came to expressing my “ungraceful”

personality because girls were

“supposed” to bite their tongue

and smile and be graceful, but

I was anything but that. When I

first became a Christian, these

insecurities grew even deeper.

I started to secretly harbor this

bitterness and became hyper-

skeptical of the people around me. I

constantly questioned their motives

and made negative judgments

about them secretly in my heart.

For a long time, I was truly hurt

from all the negative thoughts that

circulated my mind as a result of the

few bad experiences I had.

Still, in the midst of all the hurt I was

experiencing, I had forgotten how to

empathize with others. My bitterness

and insecurities made me become

indignant and prideful, and I caught

myself gradually turning into the

judgmental and unjust person that

I had hated so much. Most of my

interactions became filtered through

a “Is this person being sexist?” lens,

and this wrong outlook set me up

for a bitter load of disappointments

and pain.

God loves the gentle and quiet

spirit; yes, but that doesn’t translate

to “God only loves meek and quiet

people.” He loves us all, and he

created us with these personalities

for His own pleasure. He loves it

when we’re silly and when we get

excited- there’s nothing wrong

with that! It is only when we are

inconsiderate of others, or forget to

forgive those who speak against us

and hate them in our hearts that it

makes Him sad. When people speak

against you, you must take the

time to forgive them; otherwise, you

would be doing a disservice against

yourself and against your Father,

who forgave you.

Read the full article at

.girlandtheword.com

by Anh Luu | Care Group: Warriors

Testimony

You Are Known

MAY 2015 • 07

Find a Job Graduating is a big step. We finally get our diploma for completing 18 years

of education. Yes, we have reached the finish line! No more bloods and

sweats racing for As and Bs in class! But it also means that we have a new

responsibility. Many of us want to find a job after graduation and here are

some tips on how to do it.

Things to DoAfter Graduation

Start Your Own BusinessStartups are now a huge trend and it’s always a good idea to have more

source of income. The best advice for anyone would be to start with

something that you like. Take Chiara Ferragni as an example. She was just

another fashion blogger until she branched out to creating her own shoe line

and used her blog as a marketing tool. Psstt.. interning for a startup company

is also a really good experience for you!

Pursue Graduate SchoolGoing to grad school is an increasingly popular choice especially among

engineering and science students because it is a pathway for success

in research or academic pursuits. If you are thinking of doing Master’s

program, here are some key components to prepare for your graduate school

application.

NETWORK: Ask your mentors, leaders, friends, professors and see if you

can expand your connection or obtain referrals.

BUILD A GREAT RESUME: Your resume is a snapshot of your knowledge,

skills and qualifications. Include your most recent work experiences,

leadership activities, projects, and relevant courseworks.

PREPARE WELL FOR INTERVIEW: Nail your interviews by practicing with

a friend preparing answers for potential questions they might ask.

Most importantly, PRAY AND ASK GOD FOR DIRECTION!

EXPLORE: What is your area of interest? Which grad schools appeal to

you? Any interesting joint programs?

HIGHLIGHT YOUR RESEARCH OR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES: Having

been involved in undergrad researches is a valuable thing to add to your

cover letter for grad school application.

TAKE GRE, GMAT FOR MBA, OR MCAT (medical school): Prepare early for

these tests and it is a good idea to take them right after you graduate

since test like GMAT is valid for five years.

FACULTY RECOMMENDATIONS: Reach out to your professors whom you

have worked with or are working in your area of interest and ask for faculty

recommendations.


“Pursue your passion whatever it may be. You will thrive regardless of what you do if you enjoy it.”

Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the

Lord establishes his steps.”

Learn New SkillsThere are lots of interesting things you can do out of the scope of your

undergrad major. Maybe you have not got the chance to pick up certain skills

during college. Now that you have graduated, you can explore your interests

and develop passion during your spare time! These are some suggestions that

you can do before you get busy with other things:

Learn new languages

Develop practical skills, such as cooking, putting on make-up,

how to play musical instruments, etc

Join church ministries

Read new books

Take online classes

Learn how to code. This is a useful and practical skill especially if you intend

to stay in the Bay Area (check out: codeacademy.com)

TravelIt’s always nice to have a break after at least 16 years of studying. If you’re

planning to travel, be it in the United States, Indonesia, or even a new country,

we have the top 10 places for you to visit:

Gili Islands, Lombok, Indonesia

Yosemite

Puerto Rico

Hawaii

Napa Valley

Jerusalem

Prague

New York City

Bunaken, Indonesia

Alaska

MAY 2015 • 09

Photos from Spring Retreat 2015 - Worship Night


Photos from Spring Retreat 2015 - Beach Outing, Baptism

MAY 2015 • 11

Photos from Spring Retreat 2015 - Group Pictures

SPREAD THE WORD!NEW Sunday Service880 Tennent Ave10 AM


IFGF Pinole MORNING SERVICE EVERY 10 AM

ALEX CLARK ROOM

880 TENNENT AVENUE

PINOLE, CA

AFTERNOON SERVICE EVERY 2:15 PM

2885 PINOLE VALLEY ROAD

PINOLE, CA

CARE GROUPS

PRAYER GROUPS

PASTORAL TEAM MAY BIRTHDAYS

MINISTRIES UPCOMING EVENTS

CG FAITH

SAN FRANCISCO

Melanie 925.586.7770

Jason 925.305.1278

CG KING

SAN FRANCISCO

Jessica 415.758.8645

Benny 510.367.0664

CG WARRIORS

PINOLE

Maxwell 510.374.2686

Chris 510.837.7867

FAITH (Every Thursday)

Melanie 925.586.7770

KING (Every Monday)

Vincent 925.356.1375

HEROES (Every Thursday)

Alus 408.904.8001

Nicky 650.417.8228

LEGENDS (Every Thursday)

Shirley 415.990.8178

Evelin 925.289.6785

WARRIORS (Every Wednesday)

Jeffri 510.499.5966

FAVOR- HOPER (Every Thursday)

Melvin 510.708.0540

Documentation - Eric Timotius

Genesis Newsletter - Irene Chandra

Men’s Ministry - Christian Liong

Multimedia - Melanie Thio

Praise & Worship - Adi Julianloo

Prayer & Intercession - Joan Wirolinggo

Refreshments - Nathalia Prasetyo Jo

Revelation Videos - Jessica Tjahjady

Sound System - Glorio Yulianto

Sunday School - Jen Hendric

Sunday Service Coordinator -

Emmanuel Calica

Transportation - Leonardo Saerang

Ushers - Renaldi

Website - Yosia Urip

Women’s Ministry -

Karen Liong & Elissa Irma

SUGI HENDRIC Senior Pastor

JEFFRI HALIM Associate Pastor,

Biblical Teaching

CG LEGENDS

BERKELEY (SISTERS)

Shirley 415.990.8178 (Freshmen)

Evelin 925.289.6785 (Transfers)

CG HEROES

BERKELEY (BROTHERS)

Alus 408.904.8001 (Freshmen)

Nicky 650.417.8228 (Transfers)

CG FAMILY

PINOLE

Ps. Sugi 510.724.5400

CG FAVOR

PLEASANT HILL

Rebecca 925.482.5562

Jessica 925.334.2011

CG HOPER

PLEASANT HILL

Karen 925.577.6634

Melvin 510.708.0540

CG FRONTIER

SOUTH BAY

Antony 408.685.1540

Adi 415.463.9010

[email protected]

IFGFPINOLE.ORG

(925) 609 4343

May 1

May 9

May 10

May 15

Caregroup Meeting

Corporate Prayer Meeting

Mother’s Day

Caregroup Gathering

08

15

16

27

31

31

19

24

24

Jessica Yaputri

Catherine Cathy

Eric Timotius

Erika Liana

Ivan Phakdee

Vincent Fulia

Farrah Tiffany

Hillary Buntara

Nicholas Hasan

Documents

GENESIS: Filled