New Bible Study: Pray, Christian, PRAY

New Bible Study!

Pray, Christian, PRAY!

Sunday mornings April 7 – May 5

“Prayer is a wonderful Christian work. Still, because of the Old Adam and the pressures of Satan and a godless world, it is as Martin Luther once observed, ‘the most difficult of works.’” – Arthur Clement

New York City keeps the members of this congregation busy with life.  Some of the members of Sure Foundation have mentioned that this is one of the reasons they don’t pray as often as they would like.  Following the theme of the year “Go on to Maturity”, this Bible study will revitalize the prayer life of the members of this congregation to reflect their spiritual maturity.  As we study the biblical principles of prayer we will take time to consider practical prayer advice for the individual, couple, and family.  Please join us Sunday mornings from April 7^th – May 5^th as we gain a higher appreciation for prayer so that not even the busyness of life will keep us from vital conversation with our God.

¡Nuevo Estudio Bíblico!

¡Oren, Cristianos, Oren!

Los Domingos – 7 de Abril hasta 5 de Mayo

"La oración es una obra cristiana maravillosa. Sin embargo, debido al viejo Adán y las presiones de Satanás y de un mundo sin Dios, la oración es como Martin Lutero dijo una vez, "la más difícil de las obras. '" - Arthur Clemente

Nueva York mantiene a los miembros de esta congregación ocupados con la vida. Algunos de los miembros de Sure Foundation han mencionado que este es uno de los motivos por los que no rezan con la frecuencia que les gustaría. Siguiendo el tema del año "avancemos hacia la madurez", este estudio de la Biblia va a revitalizar la vida de oración de los miembros de esta congregación para reflejar su madurez espiritual. Al estudiar los principios bíblicos de oración vamos a tomarnos un tiempo para considerar consejos prácticos para la oración individual, de pareja y familia. Por favor, únase a nosotros los domingos por la mañana a partir del 7 de abril al 5 de mayo para lograr una mayor apreciación de la oración a fin de que ni siquiera el ajetreo de la vida nos impida de tener una conversación vital con nuestro Dios.

The Easter Effect: Easter 2012

"He is risen, just like he said!" God's people came in droves to rejoice in this message that changes lives for eternity. On Easter Sunday, Sure Foundation set attendance records for both English and Spanish services.

Visitors far outnumbered our members for the day. We had good response from our community canvass, our English class students, our prospect mailing, our telephone calling and members invited their friends. We praise God for the response to our efforts to bring Jesus' victory to all. Now our prayer is that we may continue to serve these visitors with the gospel.

We thank Martin Luther College for partnering with us in our evangelism efforts. Through a special program at Martin Luther College called Daylight, Sure Foundation each year hosts students who partner with us in ministry. This year, Megan, Rachel, Jennifer, and Edili joined us. (Pictured below are Jennifer, Rachel, and Edili.)

Easter Highlights:

• As part of the celebration, the members made a video answering the question, WHAT DOES EASTER MEAN TO ME. (Below).

• For the first time, our children's hand bell choir performed. (Pictured below)

Click here for more pictures.

Brief Explanation of Holy Week

Join us for all the Holy Week services at Sure Foundation:

• Maundy Thursday - 7pm
• Good Friday - 5pm and 7pm
• Easter Sunday - 9:30am

Holy Week came into existence as an intense period of preparation (prayer and fasting) for Easter. It begins with Palm Sunday, where in the fourth century Jerusalem the distinctive feature was the palm procession from the Mount of Olives back into the city. The 1969 Roman calendar changed the title of the first day of Holy Week from Palm to Passion Sunday, a changes that has been accepted by the calendars of a number of hymnals. Christian Worship (our hymnal at Sure Foundation) retains the emphasis on the events of Palm Sunday.

Maundy Thursday (from the Latin mandatum, “command,” John 13:34) recalls Christ’s institution of Holy Communion at the Last Supper on the night in which he was betrayed. During the Passover meal, Jesus gave the disciples his body and blood together with the bread and the wine. Each time we celebrate this sacrament we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

The Last Supper Altarpiece in Wittenberg Church,
by Lucas Cranch the Younger

Good Friday is the solemn celebration of the Lord’s suffering and death on the cross. Some congregations will remember the three hours of darkness from noon till three o’clock with a tenebrae (darkness) service. Augustine called the three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter “the most holy triduum (three days) of the crucified, buried and risen Lord.”

From the Cross,
by James Tissot

Easter Sunday
Among the Sunday of the year, Easter Sunday has the place of prominence. On this day, the church celebrates the resurrection of Christ from death and the restoration of life to those dead in trespasses and sins. All who have been buried with Christ through baptism are united with him in his resurrection and walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4-5). . . . By the second century the feast of Easter had developed as an annual commemoration. The festival day was soon preceded by a time of fasting in preparation for the celebration followed by a fifty-day season rejoicing concluded by Pentecost. The date for Easter differs from year to year because it is established by the phases of the moon (as was the Jewish festival of Passover). The Festival of the Resurrection is celebrated annually on the first Sunday after the first full moon (14th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar) after the vernal equinox. Preparations for the celebration of the festival itself began already on Saturday night with the Easter vigil. One early Christian writing says: “Watch all night in prayers, supplications, the reading of the prophets, of the Gospel and of psalms in fear and trembling and continual supplication until three in the morning.” The church father Augustine (d. 430) called this “the mother of all vigils” and no fewer than twenty-three of his sermons for the occasion have survived. From Hippolytus (d. ca 235) we learn how during the Easter vigil those persons who had completed a period of study for membership in the church were baptized.
(Christian Worship: Manual p. 370, 372)

Isenheim Altarpiece,
by Matthias Grunewald

Una Explicacion de la Semana Santa

El Horario de Misas para la Semana Santa en Sure Foundation:

• Jueves Santo - 7pm
• Viernes Santo - 7pm
• La Pascua - 11:30am

La Semana Santa
Es la última semana de la Cuaresma, inmediatamente anterior al domingo de Pascua. Se observa en muchas iglesias cristianas como ocasión para conmemorar, agradecer y proclamar el sufrimiento (pasión) y muerte de Jesús, el Salvador prometido, para la salvación del mundo. La congregación repasa la última semana de la vida terrenal de Jesús: su entrada a Jerusalén el Domingo de Ramos; la última cena, su angustia y su oración el Jueves Santo; y su muerte en la cruz el Viernes Santo. La observación de la semana Santa tiene un sólido fundamento bíblico, invita a la iglesia a poner la esperanza en la obra redentora de Cristo, en su resurrección.

Domingo de Ramos, o Domingo de Pasión, o Palmarum

Este domingo recuerda la entrada triunfal de Jesús en Jerusalén; las multitudes que estaban en la ciudad para celebrar la Pascua lo recibieron con ramas de palma y lo aclamaron como el rey mesiánico. Los evangelios dicen que Jesús entró a la ciudad en un asno, cumpliendo la profecía de Zacarías 9:9. Los entusiastas que aclamaron al Salvador ese domingo, el viernes siguiente pidieron su crucifixión con un clamor equivalente. Lo habían aclamado como el nuevo rey que venía a sentarse en el trono de David, según narra Marcos 11:10, pero lo repudiaron cuando vieron que no era el rey terrenal y político que en su falsa sabiduría esperaban. En este sentido, el Domingo de Ramos es una buena ocasión para considerar la tendencia humana a hacer a Dios a su imagen y semejanza.

Jueves Santo

Conmemora la última cena, la cena de Pascua que celebró Jesús con sus discípulos la noche antes de ser traicionado. Hay varios eventos agrupados en este último día antes de que Jesús fuera arrestado, que se conmemoran de varias maneras en los cultos: la institución de la Santa Cena, la traición de Judas, la oración de Jesús en Getsemaní mientras los discípulos dormían, el lavamiento de los pies por Jesús. La última cena fue una cena de Pascua, como había sido ordenado por Dios, para recordar el éxodo de los israelitas de Egipto, cuando la muerte “pasó” sobre las casas de los judíos en la décima plaga que envió Dios sobre los egipcios. Juan cuenta del lavamiento de los pies de los discípulos por Jesús como señal de servicio. Durante esta cena, el Señor Jesucristo instituyó la Pascua cristiana. Muchas liturgias se centran en la cena y en la comunión para conmemorar este día; es una ocasión para renovar la enseñanza y el aprecio por la Cena del Señor, en la que Jesús llama a la iglesia a celebrar el nuevo acto de liberación que él vino a realizar. La noche del Jueves Santo, después de celebrada la cena, Jesús y sus discípulos fueron al jardín de Getsemaní, donde Jesús oró, con gran angustia, sin ser acompañado por los discípulos en su oración. Después, Jesús fue arrestado y llevado a la casa de Caifás, el sumo sacerdote, sometido a un juicio y condenado.

The Last Supper Altarpiece in Wittenberg Church,
by Lucas Cranch the Younger

Viernes Santo

Es el día en que la iglesia conmemora el arresto de Jesús, la traición, crucifixión y sufrimiento, muerte y sepultura. Los servicios de ese día se centran en la muerte de Jesús. Hay variedad de cultos para el Viernes Santo, todos con el propósito de comunicar a los fieles la magnitud del sacrificio del Salvador a favor del mundo. Es una oportunidad para reflexionar sobre el pecado y sus consecuencias y sobre la salvación que Cristo ganó para todos cuando asumió la naturaleza humana para vivir , como sustituto de cada persona, la vida perfecta que la ley exige y sufrir el castigo que cada persona mereció por el pecado.

From the Cross,
by James Tissot

El Domingo de Pascua de Resurrección

La fiesta de la Pascua fue la primera gran fiesta de la iglesia cristiana, es la proclamación de la victoria de Cristo sobre la muerte, celebra la misericordiosa obra salvadora de Dios. Es el día y la estación para que la iglesia y cada uno de los creyentes alabe a Dios, le dé gracias y manifieste su regocijo por la obra mediante la cual Cristo liberó al mundo de la esclavitud del pecado y de la muerte. San Pablo expresa claramente el significado de la Pascua en 1 Corintios 15:14-19: si Cristo no hubiera resucitado, la fe y la predicación serían inútiles, no habría perdón de los pecados, y toda doctrina cristiana sería una falsedad. La iglesia siempre ha considerado esta festividad como la mayor.

Isenheim Altarpiece,
by Matthias Grunewald

April 8, 2012 - The Easter Effect

Finances. War. Cancer. Crime. Being alone. Failure. Death. What is it for you? What keeps you up at night? All of these have a negative effect on our lives.

That is why we need Easter AND its Effect.

Jesus came into our world and faced our biggest fears and in his resurrection he conquered them all.

Join us for the Festival of the Resurrection
APRIL 8, 2012

• Festival Worship – 9:30am
• Easter Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt – 10:30am

8 de Abril de 2012 - El Efecto de la Pascua

Finanzas. Guerra. Cáncer. Crimen. La Soledad. Fracaso. Muerte.

¿Qué es para usted?
¿Qué es lo que lo desvela en las noches?

Todos estos tienen un efecto negativo en nuestras vidas.

Es por eso que necesitamos La Pascua y su efecto. Jesús vino a nuestro mundo, se enfrento a nuestros miedos más grandes y en su resurrección conquistó todos.

El Festival de la Resurrección
8 de Abril de 2012

* Festival Worship – 9:30am
* Misa Cristiana en Español – 11:30am
* Comida de Pascua y Busca de Huevos de Pascua – 10:30am

What Our White Board Says at Easter

There was no plan to write anything on the white board in our Bible study room that we like to call the Fellowship room.

As we were cleaning on Saturday in preparation for our Easter celebration, someone wrote Happy Easter on it with an exclamation point. A snowball started rolling down the hill. One of our Chinese members decided to write Happy Easter in Mandarin for all our of the Chinese speakers coming for Easter. Not to be out done, one of members grabbed a marker and wrote in French for all the French speakers who who would attend the next day. Then, one of our Honduran members grabbed a marker and wrote in Spanish (with his very best handwriting).

On Easter morning, people continued to share their joy. One member wrote Happy Easter in Japanese. Then, a new family shared their Easter joy in Tagalog, a language from the Philippines right after their baby boy was baptized.

When I saw what had happened on our white board, I had to smile. People had expressed their joy in Jesus' victory over sin, death, and the devil in a spontaneous, diverse, and personal way. They wanted people of their own language to read and hear the message.

Did you ever think that a white board could say all that at Easter?

Click here to see more photos of our Easter celebration!

Easter, 2011

Click here to view these pictures larger

It's Spring... and Easter brings new life!

Celebrate Easter With us!

• Good Friday Worship: April 22, 7pm
• Easter Sunday Worship: April 24, 9:30am
• Easter Brunch and Children’s Activities: April 24, 10:30am

Sundays in English at 9:30am
Easter Sermon Series: Capture the Meaning of Easter


You’re invited to our upcoming events, too! 

• SFLC AMAZING RACE: May 7, 2011, 11am
• Christian Education: Leadership Seminar on Sundays in May and June 10:30am. Call 718.476.3100 for more info.

¡Celebren la Pascua con nosotros!

¡Celebren la Pascua con nosotros!

• Culto del Viernes Santo: April 22, 7pm
• Culto del domingo la Pascua: April 24, 11:30am
• Comida y actividades para los niños: April 24, 10:30am

Los Domingos en español a las 11:30am

Ciclo de Sermones para la Pascua:
Capturen el Significado de la Pascua

¡Usted esta invitado a nuestros eventos, también!

• SFLC AMAZING RACE: May 7, 2011, 11am
• Christian Education: Leadership Seminar on Sundays in May and June 10:30am. Call 718.476.3100 for more info.

Basking in the Easter Glow

Sure Foundation celebrated Easter on April 4, 2010.

Easter was everything we expected it to be and more. We said that we were going to Experience the Power of Easter and we certainly did. The Easter gospel was proclaimed from Luke chapter 24 under the theme Death, You Are No More! Biorlin was baptized in the name of the Triune God. Amanda, Irene, Norma, Silvana, Nickisha, and Ivan all boldly and clearly confessed their Christian faith publicly and we received them into communicant membership at Sure Foundation. Not only did God work in this way, but over 110 people came to Sure Foundation to hear and rejoice at the Easter gospel. We filled up not just our chapel, but also our fellowship room as we streamed our service next door. We at Sure Foundation thank our Resurrected Savior for his blessing on us this past Easter.

We would like to share our experience with you. Please check out the video below!

Sure Foundation Set to Experience the Power of Easter

It was God's omnipotent power that brought his Son Jesus back to life on the very first Easter Sunday. It was the power of God who shook the earth early that morning. It was the power of the angel who rolled the stone away so that all could see that his body was not in the tomb. It was the power of the Holy Spirit that gave to the women at the tomb the faith to believe that Jesus was alive; no longer dead. Certainly, all involved in the very first Easter from the soldiers, to the women, to the disciples, and even Jesus himself can attest that they all experienced the awesome power of God that very first Easter.


On April 4, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Sure Foundation is set once again to experience the power of Easter. We will hear God's powerful Word proclaimed in Word and song. We will watch as God works powerfully through water and the Word as a baby is baptized. We will hear Christians confess their common faith with us as both adults and youth are confirmed in their victorious faith. Yes, God will work among us powerfully as we hear his Word, baptize his children, and confirm his people in their faith. Come and experience the power of Easter with us!


Following the worship service at 11:00 a.m. Sure Foundation will host a brunch for our community. Immediately after the brunch, we will also host our annual Easter egg hunt, although this year there will be a slight twist as the children will unwind a "spider web" to find their Easter treasure.

Easter Sunday will set the tone for the rest of the Sundays in April. In fact, Easter Sunday will begin our new sermon series entitled: Experience the Power of Easter. Each Sunday we will explore another aspect of the power of Jesus' resurrection for our lives.


Getting the Word Out:
Sure Foundation has been working on plans to get the word out about our Easter celebration for months now. Martin Luther College has begun a three year relationship with Sure Foundation for its Daylight Program. The Daylight Program encourages students from Martin Luther College to gain real world ministry experience by working with local congregations. Through this program two Martin Luther College students will join the members of Sure Foundation to invite the Woodside community to experience Easter with us.


Also, Sure Foundation plans to decorate the windows of its storefront with our Easter theme. Adults and kids alike will help with the painting effort. With thousands of people walking by our building everyday, our windows will bring the power of Easter to our community as well. 

See pictured a baptism from our Easter service last year.