Jesse Cottonham: GX Volunteer Mentor
by Grace Dulcé
With more than 25 years of working with youth from all walks of life under his belt, Jesse Cottonham is showing no signs of slowing down. He and his wife, Pally, of 34 years have been awarded a number of covetous titles including the Jefferson and Mielke Awards for outstanding community service. This San Francisco native’s love for God and passion for kids can be seen weekly as he volunteers his Sundays to help serve GX youth.
The Cottonham’s have been ALCF members for three years. They have two adult children who are both married and ALCF members. Jesse, having gone on the Mexico mission trips and both summer and winter camps, treasures many fond memories with the youth. By profession, he is a human performance senior specialist for a local energy company, where he trains electrical workers to reduce performance errors. Upstairs in GX, he is simply known as “Uncle Jesse.” Read more
John Gibbs: Making God Known In Japan Through Technology
by Grace Dulcé
John Gibbs is a career missionary in Japan, sent by ALCF and serving through WorldVenture. He helps churches use mobile phone technology to support their ministries and connect with Japanese society. John is heavily involved in the tech world, having most recently worked on the iPhone at Apple before going to Japan as a missionary. A Stanford graduate, God has enabled this self-proclaimed “techie” to use his technical talent and love for Japanese language and culture in strategic ways—above and beyond what he could have imagined or prayed for. This article is about John’s 2011 stateside visit.
The fellowship hall is nearly filled to capacity on a Sunday afternoon. As guests line up to grab some authentic Japanese cuisine before taking their seats, the guest of honor can be easily spotted. A man of many words, John Gibbs claims ‘he is a nerd who loves everything technological.’ His demeanor is warm and inviting as he is greeted by a room full of many eager supporters and guests. After serving three years in Japan as a mid-term missionary, he is back in the United States seeking support partners in order to return to that spiritually dry country as a newly appointed career missionary.
Read more
Tools For The Trade
David Thompson Teaches Construction Courses at ALCF
by Mary Tan
On a warm September afternoon at a Starbuck’s in San Jose, David Thompson sets up his Gideon Bible station.
“Would you like a Bible?” asks David.
“No. I’m an atheist,” Richard* retorts.
“Well, Happy Veteran’s Day! Are you a veteran?” responds David.
“Actually I am…was in the Air Force,” says Richard.
“Really! I was in the Navy,” says David.
From there the conversation led to the construction course David teaches on Saturdays through ALCF’s JOBS Ministry.
Richard opines, “I think teaching people a job skill is more important than giving out Bibles or teaching a Bible study in jail.” Richard then goes on to attend David’s Construction Technology course. Read more 
Answering The Call
by Grace Dulcé
What began for ALCF member Gina Covello as a two-year volunteer assignment with Kid’s Club, has become a lifelong commitment and friendship with two young girls whom she came to know deeply through this weekly after school program at Brentwood Academy in East Palo Alto. Gina, a former high school teacher, felt God’s calling through ALCF’s weekly service announcements.
“It’s funny because when God calls you, He really calls you.”
The goal of ALCF’s Kids Club is not to just teach kids biblical lessons and values, but to help them apply God’s Word to situations and circumstances in their own lives given the challenges they face at home, in their neighborhoods, and at school. Read more
“Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” by Jefferson Bethke
This video, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” has gone viral on YouTube. Share your thoughts about the sentiments Jefferson Bethke is expressing.
Leap Of Faith: Praising God Through Dance
by Mary Tan
Jen Hsu, a full-time college student, parks behind the Abundant Life Christian Fellowship administrative offices, walks two blocks to the Worship Center with a big bag slung over her shoulder, and arrives in the “green room” at ALCF, otherwise know as the fellowship hall. Now she steps into her other role—as liturgical dancer, participating in Abundant Life’s annual Easter outreach. Dressed in the dark sweat suit, pink ballet slippers, and leg warmers that she pulled out of the bag, she puts on earphones and begins her warm-up routine. Read more
Home of New Beginnings, Christmas 2011
An adaptation of the Christmas story by Bonita Thompson
The Gospel of Luke: Jesus Born Anew in Bangkok
Now it came about in those days that an invitation went out from Home of New Beginnings that a party be given for all who inhabited the bars.
And volunteers also went up from Virginia, Florida, California, Singapore, England, and Thailand to Bangkok to register along with Bonita, Leena, and Ann who were prayerfully planning the event.
And it came about that while all were gathered there, the days were complete that Jesus should come to Bangkok. And we wrapped Him in laughter and games, in gifts and goodies, in testimony and drama, in joy and honor. Read more
Shannon Pekary’s Christmas Tradition
by Shannon Pekary
[Original post, entitled, "Our First Christmas on Dumbarton," can be found on inepa.wordpress.com]
Christmas can be one of the few opportunities for people to get to know their neighbors, especially in the Silicon Valley. So many people live in condos and apartment buildings here, and I regularly hear about people who have lived in the same place for years and never even met their neighbors. Read more
The Gift That Never Loses Its’ Power!
by dr. jjj
Christmas is NOT about Black Fridays, Small Business Saturdays, or Cyber Mondays. Rather, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus—God’s Ultimate Gift to us! At Christmastime, we give gifts to symbolically honor His birth and His ultimate blood sacrifice that reconciles us to God. Read more
A Thanksgiving Reflection
Elizabeth Softky (photo: Teri Alugas)
by Elizabeth Softky
This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful that God took me up on my offer to be more available to Him.
It’s the day before, and I’m sitting in rush-hour traffic on El Camino Real. The sun is fading and I’m weary from a day that starts early, and from an afternoon of errands.
I think, “I can’t wait to get home.”
Turning my head, I stare absently at my neighborhood 7-Eleven store, with its advertisements for cheap coffee and this weeks beer bargains in the windows. Then, I see her—an older woman standing next to the store, illuminated by the cold-white florescent light where others like her often stand to seek the assistance from passersby. She wears a bright red jacket buttoned up to her chin. Beside her is a small pile of luggage. She stands so still…waiting…waiting. I’m immediately filled with indignation at the possibility of her spending the night on the street.
“God, please send her a financial angel,” I say out loud. Then, I’m surprised to I hear myself also saying, “I guess I’m that angel.”
I push aside the thoughts of a nice dinner waiting for me at home and pull into the parking lot. I clean all the dollar bills out of my wallet and then pray, asking God to help me help this woman. To get to her, I cut through a line of people waiting to rent DVDs at the bright red kiosk outside the 7-Eleven. For a moment, I pretend to scan the headlines of the papers in the news racks. Then I turn to her.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She says that she is, but that she needs a quarter. Astonished when I hand her the wad of bills, she says thank you, and then asks my name so she can pray for me. My heart flip-flopped with joy as it always does when people remember me in prayer. I ask for her name so I could pray for her, too.
“Patty. Patty Edwards*”
Then she starts chatting about her Thanksgiving plans, and while she shares her hopes of getting a spot at a shelter, I sense an aura of humility, hope and dignity. Patty wears several layers of clean clothes topped off with pearl earrings. A sweet little purse sits on top of the luggage. She compliments me on the mix of sage and mustard green colors I’m wearing—“Like Christmas!” Those are the first kind words I hear all day.
As I make moves to head back to my car, Patty waves the money towards me.
“Are you sure this is okay?” Pictures rush through my mind of all the ways God takes care of me. Oh yes, it’s more than okay!
I smile and say, “God’s been good to me.”
Then I turn and head back to my car, passing again through the people waiting to pick out movies to watch over the holiday weekend. The same people who also saw, but chose not to see, the woman waiting to see what God would do.
*Named changed to protect privacy
