For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. I am Noe Garduno, I am honored and blessed to be the new CORE Facilitator for St. Ferdinand’s Catholic Church ACTS. I am excited to take on this new role and I am particularly fortunate to be surrounded by such a Talented, God Loving, and Motivated Core Group as we embark on setting the foundation and building blocks for the next generation of ACTS Ministry.

As we move forward in ACTS to start brainstorming and planning future retreats, it is important to recognize where we are coming from and to ask ourselves – what makes us unique as individuals and children of God? As we transition out the global pandemic, we cannot forget the impact in our lives and the hundreds of thousands of deaths it left behind. I ask that you keep the many Christians and non-Christians who lost their lives to the coronavirus in your prayer:

“Ever-present God, we hold up this precious life to you, giving thanks for the love that has been given and received. May they be granted peace, now and forever, Amen.”

To the many brothers and sisters who became ill and are still feeling the effects, I offer the following prayer:

“Jesus, during Your ministry on Earth You showed Your power and caring by healing people of all ages and stations of life from physical, mental, and spiritual ailments.  Be present now to people who need Your loving touch because of COVID-19.  May they feel Your power of healing through the care of doctors and nurses.  Take away the fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation from people receiving treatment, whether at home or in the hospital, or under quarantine. We pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen.”

“What is next?”; is the first question that came to mind when I was selected to become the new CORE Facilitator. We are in a unique point of time where we can reinvigorate our ACTS community and reach out to members who feel forgotten and members who have fallen out of the purview of our community; it is a great time to say to the many brothers and sisters who attended previous ACTs Retreats, we are here, and we are ready to serve you.

It is also a great time to reach out to our church community and recruit new members; We need to continue to guide family and friends who are searching for the path to our Lord Jesus Christ; We need to be the liaison between the fire of the Holy Spirit and church members who are seeking it. ACTS must be the catalyst for the development of past, present, and future disciples of Christ within our parish St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, by promoting service, retreats, and fellowship with a transparent voice.

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”  1 Corinthians 12:12. We are blessed to belong to a diverse group of parishioners. We are all individual people with unique mindsets and characteristics, diverse backgrounds, different experiences, with varying spiritual gifts, as described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6. Even though we are diverse in nature, we are All One in Christ. Every Brother and Sister in Christ brings certain spiritual gifts and graces that complement the gifts and graces of other brothers and sisters. I welcome all my brothers and sisters to call in during the Open Forum Session of Monthly CORE meeting that take5s place on the First Tuesday of every month at 6:30 PM. We are currently still meeting via ZOOM, Meeting ID: 771 131 474 Passcode: acts. Just as the human body is the vehicle by which a man or woman expresses their character and personality; the Church is the channel through which Jesus is enabled to reveal to us Who he is.

Lastly, I ask that you keep the CORE Team in your prayers; and I pray that we can count on our wonderful community to achieve our goals for the next years, For Nothing will be Impossible with God.

Y.B.I.C.,

Noe Garduño