The Olive Tree Community Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Much More… DECEMBER’S UPDATE: Merry Christmas! If you haven’t noticed, this newsletter is arriving about 14 days late. Like you, the Holidays have been crazy for me already. We have had awesome gatherings! Things are going great, and we are really getting a feeling for what God wants us to do. I have been feeling led to shift into shepherding mode. Our gatherings are great, but we will never be able to compete with Hollywood and all its coolness in terms of technology and glitter. What we need to do is really be intentional about meeting with people and letting them know they are loved. We are being available for one on one meetings and counseling and God has blessed me with building some amazing relationships. God is sooo good to us! Because we are reaching people who have never been to church before, our first offering was $40 and our second was $8. The rest have been similar. None of our people panicked. They have seen God do incredible things and believed He would provide for us to pay for our rent…and He did. An anonymous donation was made to the OTC for a little over $17,000 to pay for rent for the next year. Wow! God is so awesome! God has given us a little over a year to minister to those who don’t know Him. That is a great amount of time to see people come to know Him and grow in their understanding of what He wants of them, and become followers who can support what God is doing in Brentwood. Thank you God! You are sooo good to us! Thank you for praying for us! I know that money has been tight for a lot of you, but God has heard your prayers and has provided for the OTC. Thank you! THE GRINCH SERIES We are in a series where we are looking at the Holiday Season from the perspective of The Grinch. Materialism, Loneliness, and a Heart Two Sizes to Small.
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The Olive Tree Community
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Much More… DECEMBER’S UPDATE: Merry Christmas! If you
haven’t noticed, this newsletter is arriving about 14 days late. Like you, the Holidays have been crazy for me already. We have had awesome gatherings! Things are going great, and we are really getting a feeling for what God wants us to do. I have been feeling led to shift into shepherding mode. Our gatherings are great, but we will never be able to compete with Hollywood and all its coolness in terms of technology and glitter. What we need to do is really be intentional about meeting with people and letting them know they are loved. We are being available for one on one meetings and counseling and God has blessed me with building some amazing relationships. God is sooo good to us! Because we are reaching people who have never been to church before, our first offering was $40 and our second was $8. The rest have been similar. None of our people panicked. They have seen God do incredible things and believed He would provide for us to pay for our rent…and He did. An anonymous donation was made to the OTC for a little over $17,000 to pay for rent for the next year. Wow! God is so awesome! God has given us a little over a year to minister to those who don’t know Him. That is a great amount of time to see people come to know Him and grow in their understanding of what He wants of
them, and become followers who can support what God is doing in Brentwood. Thank you God! You are sooo good to us! Thank you for praying for us! I know that money has been tight for a lot of you, but God has heard your prayers and has provided for the OTC. Thank you!
THE GRINCH SERIES We are in a series where we are looking at the Holiday Season from the perspective of The Grinch. Materialism, Loneliness, and a Heart Two Sizes to Small.
PRAY God uses this series as we build up to our Christmas Hanukkah Celebration. CHRISTMAS HANUKKAH CELEBRATION
For some of you, it is hard to imagine how to have a Christmas Hanukkah event. Hanukkah happened during the intertestamental period of the Bible (The Time between New and Old Testament). God was showing Israel that He was still at work on their behalf. We don’t hear from God again until He sends His Son Jesus. In John 10:22 we see Jesus attending the Festival of Dedication, which is Hanukkah. This celebration will unite these holidays through Christ. We are really excited to celebrate what God did during Hanukkah and what He did by sending His Son Jesus!
We have been building relationships with some of the people from Jews for Jesus, and they are going to participate in our gatherings coming up in the New Year. Praise God!
Vision: To Love People, See them Transformed, and Help them Change the World. We are rolling! Your prayers are being answered and we see God’s mission being accomplished in Brentwood…soon LA, and next the World. SUPPORT UPDATE THANK God for providing financially for the OTC. THANK God for providing finances to keep the gatherings going so we can share Christ with this community.
PRAY for my Family. Our bills our about $5000 a month to live in this very expensive community. Over the last 4-5 months our support has only been about $2800, and last month it was $2400. $2400 isn’t enough, but it is an improvement from the $1500 from 2 months ago. Thank you sooo much! Your support means a lot to me and my family. We can’t do this without you. Money has kept ministers and churches out of this area for years, but we refuse to let it stand in the way of the gospel. OTHER WAYS TO
SUPPORT The economy has taken its toll on all people. Your sacrifice is in supporting us is pretty remarkable given the circumstances. Thank You! Please consider forwarding this newsletter to all the people in your contacts list at least one time, explaining our mission and need, and maybe God will move in someone's heart to support God's mission to LA! Please have courage and faith no matter what you do! Thank you for all of your support!
GIVE ONLINE? YES! SWBC reference number for paying your support to The Olive Tree Community through online banking: Reference #2057-2-80
Pray that God moves others to join the mission of reaching a community that has the ability to impact the world. Pray God provides the remaining $36,000.
Cards for California
Go to our Myspace profile or www.cardsforcalifornia.com to see anther way you can support OTC . Check out Cards For California…It is an unbelievable effort coming out of Chicago to support us and see God influence LA!
PRAYER TEAM If you are interested in being a part of my personal prayer team please reply to this email with Prayer Team in the memo and I will add you to my team. GOODSEARCH Hey, I heard of an easy way to support OTC. Go to goodsearch.com and put The Olive Tree Community as your charity and then set it as your homepage. Every time you search using good search or purchase online using goodshop we receive money. It is easy and it helps us accomplish our mission.
Upcoming Events: De c 1 4t h O TC S un day Ni ght Gat h eri n g De c 2 1 s t C hri s t mas Han ukk ah Cel eb rat i on De c 2 8t h O T C S u nda y Ni ght Gat h eri n g We d Ni ght s O TC Co m mu ni t y Gr oups
MEMORY VERSE: Matt 2:20b-21
"Joseph son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins."
This Newsletter is also a reminder to
send in your Support for
DECEMBER 2008 You can give your support through online banking using the SWBC reference number that goes to The Olive Tree Community: #2057-2-80 Or The Commitment Card is attached to this Newsletter. You can simply print it off, fill it out, and send it in with your monthly support, and/or special gift. Payment and mailing instructions are on the commitment card.
Thank you for your support.
Find out more about Th e Olive Tre e Co mmunity at: myspace.com/ olivetreeCommunity Or become friends with Joe on Facebook and Join The Olive Tree Community Group
Check out The Olive Tree Community’s
Videos: The Daily D, Heath Ledger Tribute
Video, and more at… Youtube.com and
Godtube.com Myspace
Facebook Simply Search
Olive Tree Community Email them to your
friends, neighbors, and co-workers as
conversation pieces that can lead to
discussions about
Jesus.
This Week’s Celebrity Prayer Focus:
Will Smith
When you hear his name mentioned on TV, or Radio this month…please pray a short prayer that God would reveal Himself to Will and he would
experience Christ’s love.
The Big Commitments † Read your Bible for a ½ hour
every day. Pray for a ½ half hour every day.
† Bring your Bible with you to work or school.
† Invite 5 people to OTC parties a week.
† Fast once a month for 24 hrs for God to bring our friends, co-workers, and neighbors to Christ.
Prayers for the Mission to LA/Brentwood
Pray God Provides for the Basile’s
Pray God Blesses the Airing of LA Ink
Pray The Christmas Hanukkah Event Goes Awesome!
Pray God Protects Joe and Gives Him Vision
Pray God will provide a messianic leader
Pray the Brentwood Community and Surrounding Area will experience revival
OTC The Olive Tree Community is a Church/Synagogue plant in Brentwood/LA. Our purpose is to reach out to Celebrities/Jews/The Wealthy/The Common Person with the love of Jesus. If you have any Questions send us a message and we'll reply promptly. Blessings! Joe and Lisa Basile You can contact The Olive Tree Community at: 310-339-4137 [email protected] UN-SUBSCRIBE If you do not wish to receive the weekly email from me please respond to [email protected] with "no email please" in the heading.
