Youth Group

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Published: 16 February 2015

Mission:

Psalm 78:5-7 “For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”

The Amwell youth group believes in proclaiming the truths of God's words and His gospel message in order that it would spread and continue from generation to generation. As God's word says we do this that their hope and trust would be in God and not forget His mighty works, especially the cross.

What we do:

The Amwell Church of the Brethren youth group is open for those between the ages of 6-18 years old. We meet on Friday nights at the church, as well as having events every 3rd week of the month.

Our time on Friday nights consists of worship through song, prayer, and the word of God. Amwell proclaims the truth of man's inherent sin nature and God's righteous judgment of hell for all sinners. In accordance with this truth, we minister the Gospel, the good news that Christ Jesus has come to save sinners from God's just wrath. Children learn that man is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. What man cannot do, save themselves, God did send His own son who lived a perfectly righteous life, to die for man's sin on the cross, and rise from the dead the 3rd day. All those who repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save them experience the new birth and have the promise of salvation, for the Lord says all those who call upon Him shall be saved.

We hope that you will come on out and worship with us!

Fake News vs Good News

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Written by DiSalvio, Pastor Bob

Published: 06 March 2017

• Fake News
• Good News

“Fake News” has become the phrase De Jour. It’s defined as “accusation, rumors, and accounts for which there is no evidence but which nevertheless are reported as genuine news stories.”

When “Fake News” is presented as “Real News”, that presentation ruins the lives of the people it targets and distorts the events it reports on!

“Fake News” is undermining our ability to discover the truth concerning the many serious issues of the day.

Eventually “Fake News” reports are revealed for what they are…lies! Those lies are revealed because they can’t stand up to the test of time and scrutiny.

In stark contrast, may I submit the “Good News”: God came to earth in human form in the person of Jesus Christ—He came with a purpose: to save humanity from the consequences of our sin and death. That purpose brought Jesus to a cross where He was crucified. His death satisfied the steep price God places on unconfessed and unrepented sin. His blood was the agent by which sin is forgiven and for which salvation is bought and paid. His burial was the logical consequence of death by crucifixion. He lay in a borrowed tomb for three days. But, on a bright sunny Sunday morning, followers found the tomb was empty—Jesus had risen from the dead—just as He prophesied!

Good News! For the followers of Jesus Christ, death is no longer our final, fearful destination—Jesus promised and His resurrection proved there is life after death! Jesus said: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26 KJV)

Unlike Fake News, this Good News is supported by a lot of evidence— believers, skeptics, critics, and unbelievers have scrutinized the scriptures, historical documents and archaeology for 2000 years and have not been able to discredit or disprove the facts surrounding His resurrection—here are a few examples:

• Fact: Jesus died on a Cross-Roman authorities certified His death.

• Fact: After He rose from the dead, over 500 eyewitnesses attested to having seen Jesus alive!

• Fact: After His crucifixion, His disciples were completely demoralized and afraid for their lives—after the resurrection, having seen Jesus alive again, they became bold and brave communicators of the Good News—who willingly were martyrs in the end. You’ve heard it said, “People will die for their religious beliefs if they sincerely believe they’re true, but people won’t die for those beliefs if they know they are false”.

• Fact: Before the resurrection, Jesus’ own brother didn’t believe Jesus was God in the flesh. After the resurrection, he not only believed, but he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

• Fact: The first century’s greatest persecutor, Saul, became a believer, follower, evangelist and missionary spreading the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection after he met the resurrected Christ.

• Fact: The tomb of Jesus is Empty!

There is so much more evidence… But I am writing a blog, not a book!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just Good News…it’s TRUE news – something the secular world can’t seem to find these days!

A Country without Holidays

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Written by DiSalvio, Pastor Bob

Published: 11 October 2017

• Statue Vandalization
• Columbus Day
• Changing History

On October 9, we celebrated Columbus Day in America.  Well, most of us did.

The Los Angeles City Council voted recently to eliminate Columbus Day from the city calendar because Christopher Columbus mistreated Native Americans.  It saddened me to think that we may one day have a country with no holidays.  I asked myself, “What is the purpose of a holiday anyway?”  My answer—to remember a significant person or event so that we can never forget the extraordinary distinction and always maintain a heart of gratitude for it.

If we are only going to celebrate holidays that honor righteous men and women, then all holidays celebrating particular persons will eventually be voted out—goodbye to honoring the birthdays of Martin Luther King Jr and George Washington.  Easter and Christmas celebrate a perfect man, Jesus, but His name alone offends too many people.

Labor Day offends lazy people, Halloween celebrates pagan gods and Thanksgiving includes the same Native Americans mistreated by Columbus.  At first, the celebration of our nation’s independence looks to remain on the list, but if you consider that the freedom we celebrate required bloodshed and death, then no way.  Those who are offended by killing will vote to eliminate Veterans Day and Memorial Day too.  Perhaps only New Year’s Day will survive, but eventually, the anti-firearms people may also become anti-fireworks people.  There you have it...a country with no holidays.

Don't despair, my friends…just be patient.  The Kingdom of Jesus is coming…the same one mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer…“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) where every day will be worthy of celebration, especially the day Jesus defeats Satan (Rev 20:10).

Flawed Candidates

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Written by DiSalvio, Pastor Bob

Published: 19 September 2016

• 2016 Elections

The 2016 Presidential Campaign is judged, by all accounts, as the most unprecedented, unpredictable and strangest campaign in modern history. It’s been unusually ugly; it’s been nasty and it’s produced two candidates who possess “HUGE” flaws in character and style. As one writer put it: “out of 320 million people, is this the best we could do?” Truth be known every candidate for leadership here and around the world, past or present, is flawed due to the raw material that makes them who they are…their humanity! Our human flaws permeate every institution - family, school, work, government, community and church.

 In building His church, Jesus Christ drew from this inventory of flawed humanity:

• Judas – the betrayer

• Peter – the loud mouth denier

• Thomas – the doubter

• Paul – the persecutor of the church

In evaluating your choice for president or senator or representative on either the federal or state level this year or any other year, I suggest we consider a basic principle used in hiring – the principle of “best fit”. 

The Bible informs in Romans 3:10 “…there is none righteous, no not one.” No perfect person, no one without flaws, no one without sin, no one right on all the issues confronting humanity and our times, no one with all the answers. The only one who could ever be defined as flawless who walked this earth is Jesus Christ.

As a result, we are left to choose which of the candidates is a “best fit”, that is, which comes closest to our understanding of the issues confronting our country and which comes closest to our “Biblical values”. To make a proper assessment, pray as you consider each candidate that the Holy Spirit will give you wisdom, guidance and discernment so that when you enter the voting booth you will choose wisely and choose well between flawed candidates.