Family Spotlight: The Lees
Hi APCC Family! We are Andre, Cheryl, and Henry (woof!) Lee and we have been attending APCC since April 2020. Andre grew up in Belize, Central America while Cheryl is a Southern California native. We met while we were both living in San Francisco, moved to Los Angeles together where we also got married, and then relocated to DC in 2016 before settling down in Northern Virginia in 2018. Andre is a former attorney who now works as an advisor at a large interest group while Cheryl works for the local library system doing fundraising, marketing, and events. Cheryl serves on the media team, but together we serve in Children's Ministry and absolutely love being able to be a small part of our APCC kids' lives of faith.
This past Sunday, we talked about Acts 20 which documents Paul’s travels through Asia, and this serves as a parallel to us as we have our own journey through life. When people first come to faith, they tend to think all their problems will just go away, but sometimes this new reality of faith is the harder road to take. Paul shows that such a life is always richer and fuller, and he serves as an example to us of a trustworthy follower of Christ. He reminds us that the Word of God’s grace is important because earthly leaders are always in danger due to the corruptive nature of money and power. Knowing he would not see his fellow elders again, Paul gave them instructions to take care of the followers of Christ that they will be responsible for — to use Paul as an example to work hard and help the weak, just as he followed Jesus who once told him, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Family Spotlight: The DeSilvas
Hi, APCC family! We are Kelvin, Sarah, and Elaine De Silva and we have been back attending APCC for the past year. We are in the Tysons Connect group and have been blessed to be able to connect with our friends even in the midst of the pandemic. We (Kelvin and Sarah) have been married for almost four years and welcomed Elaine to our family last February 2020! In our free time, we love going out to look for ducks, exploring different parks and playgrounds, and finding new things to eat together.
This past Sunday, Daniel Dixon preached on Acts 18:9-10. He focused on the way God builds His church as He ministers to the people in it. We have experienced this first hand, as members of two church planting teams. It is impossible to partner with God in the immense task of multiplying the Kingdom if He is not first ministering to our hearts and encouraging us to "...not be afraid. (v.9)" In our experiences with church plants, God has humbled us and also graciously met our needs, whether it is through providing deep friendships at the right moment or by reminding us of the Gospel when we are tempted to rely on ourselves. God truly sustains His people through the church and we are excited to be part of a church body that is committed to building each other up by relying on the ultimate Builder.
Member Spotlight: Carrie Johns
My name is Carrie Johns, and I have been attending APCC since Spring 2017. I was born and raised in Richmond, VA, where my parents still live. I work as a police officer in the area, specifically for the Community Services Division of my Department. This past Sunday was an open mic for sharing prayers and praises, and it was a very encouraging experience. I'm so thankful to be part of a church body that creates a safe space for vulnerability and encouragement. In preparation for the service, Pastor Kenji reminded us of the message in Romans 12:9-13, highlighting to "..love one another with brotherly affection.." and "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer". As members shared the trials and praises of the last few months, myself included, I was reminded of one of the Greek words for love: agape, which refers to unconditional love, or love originating from God. Oftentimes, it is easier for me to be jaded and untrusting, holding my deepest insecurities and negative emotions to myself for fear of betrayal or disapproval from people around me, even my church family. However, this Sunday was a wonderful reminder of how God calls us to practice unconditional love, as the people of APCC graciously listened and prayed with everyone who shared and me. Being part of a church community that loves with agape inspires and encourages me to do so also!
Resources for overcoming anxiety
Anxiety was a common theme during our sharing time this past Sunday. We recognize the need to address this, so please click here for a brief message form Pastor Kenji, reminding you that you are not alone.
We also want to provide you with helpful resources to overcome anxiety, so please view the links below.
Member Spotlight: Alina
Hi APCC family! I'm Alina, and I have been attending APCC since August 2019 after moving to Northern Virginia to work as a software engineer at Capital One. I grew up outside of Philadelphia and attended Carnegie Mellon University studying Information Systems. I currently joyfully serve in Children's Ministry and am a member of the wacky and loveable Tysons Corner Connect Group, but the pandemic has made it difficult for me to lean into the rest of church fellowship as much as I would like. In my free time as I learn how to be an introvert, I attend Reformed Theological Seminary as a part-time student, create music (check out my side gigs on Spotify and YouTube!), dance to K-Pop, and try to bring my drawing skills from 0 to passable (this may take several years). I love to have meaningful conversations with people, so I am always available for new friendships.
This past Sunday’s sermon from Acts 15 on the perseverance of the gospel deeply reminded me of God's sovereignty and power. There is a special peace knowing that God can use imperfect people like me to advance His gospel in how He chooses, even when I might not see it. I am especially convicted by Dixon's reminder to pray for God's guidance in how to use me and who to speak to, as there is always a temptation to go by my own plan based on my own strength. I especially perked up at Paul and Barnabas's conflict, because as much as I want to idolize biblical figures, seeing how God so purposely used and worked through their disunity points back to how it is always Jesus who is worthy to be worshipped and glorified. I am praying that even in this uncertain time of my life, I can find guidance and stability in His plan for me, His people, and His soon-to-be people.
Family Spotlight: The Yoos
Hey APCC! We are the Yoo family - Dan, Melanie, and Sophie (8 months old!). We have been APCC members since 2015 and have since gotten engaged, married, and dedicated our beautiful baby daughter. Dan and Melanie actually grew up in the same Maryland church as kids, and we finally met and fell in love after 15 years of not knowing each other. Dan is a senior wealth advisor and Melanie is a stay-at-home mom while managing her mom’s floral business, and we both love serving the church community and being a part of this family.
The sermon taught us that as disciples of Christ, we should not mix up our calling as parents and our identity in Christ. Following our identity first will allow us to grow, adapt, and dive deeper into the Gospel. We believe that Jesus has already made the ultimate sacrifice to love sinners like us as long as we accept His grace in faith. This enables us to exemplify that same grace to each other and our daughter so that one day she may also have faith in Jesus as her Savior. We are tremendously grateful for our APCC family!
Family Spotlight: The Comendadors
Hello Church! We are the Comendadors. We have been attending APCC since September 2020 and Emily has been attending since September 2018. Gio and Emily predominantly grew up in Northern Virginia. We met on the FTH app during the pandemic and unexpectedly in God’s plan we got married last summer. Gio is pursuing his bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Emily is a 1st Grade teacher. Before attending APCC, Emily was involved in Children’s Ministry, hospitality, service, and worship. Gio is serving in APCC’s Children Ministry and is currently training to join the Media Team.
From this past Sunday’s sermon, we were reminded that parents are given a crucial role by the Lord to reproduce and develop Christ followers. How we raise our future children could imprint God’s kingdom on this earth to others.
The mark of a true Christian is not one who knows his or her Bible front to back or prays fervently, but one who has intimacy with Jesus and who have experienced Jesus through one’s life. It’s important for everyone, not just parents, to keep that in mind. We should examine why we pray and read the Word of God, and remember that our goal is to love Him more everyday. When our focus is on God, He helps us to love people and ourselves unconditionally because God loves us. We want our love for Jesus to spread to others and our little ones by how we treat and love people well. This brings to fruition the Great Commission and by the ushering of the Holy Spirit, bringing people to Christ. John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” God is love and 1 Corinthians 13:1 says that we gain nothing if our motives for good deeds and faith are not from God’s heart of love.
Family Spotlight: M and Peter
Hi church! We are Peter, M, and Muffin Ayers, and we have been attending APCC since 2017. We met at George Mason where we were both involved in the campus ministry Cru, and got married right before the pandemic in March 2020. Peter works in IT in Rosslyn while M works with Cru at GMU. She'd love to share more with you about how you can partner with her in this ministry! Peter is a huge New York Yankees fan and M enjoys reality TV and buying houseplants. Muffin joined the family a month ago and enjoys chasing string and meowing at 4am.
Last Sunday we were both excited to be in 1st Samuel! We loved how chapter 1 shows the Lord being faithful to Hannah during her trials and doubts. Hannah desperately wanted a son and felt ignored by God since He had not yet given her one. Yet even through this confusion and doubt she chose to seek the Lord in prayer and He blessed her with Samuel. We love seeing her example of being faithful in prayer and how the Lord lavishly blessed her even in her doubts.
Member Spotlight: Michael David
Hey everyone! I am Michael David; I grew up in Torrance, California (south of Los Angeles) and just moved here a couple months back for work as a structural engineer. Space is a huge interest of mine - at work I get to design civil and science based satellites (including the new James Webb Space Telescope launching later this year, hopefully). This is actually my first time on the East Coast ever, and I am loving every bit of it so far. Typically I like to hangout with friends, play games, read, and serve at church wherever I can.
This last sermon on enduring to the end reminded me a lot of how I am to live as a follower of Christ. Enduring isn't sitting and waiting for something to happen; it is going on the offense, bringing others to the fight, and helping those who have fallen. I know that in the end Jesus wins - but that doesn't mean I can just go and do whatever I want. God wants me to always be a witness to others inside and outside of the church - in both how I act and in what I say. I don't always live this way, but praise God that we are saved by His righteousness and not our own!
Family Spotlight: The Laus
Hi everyone! We are the Lau's and we've been collectively attending APCC since we got married in September of 2020 (but Jeff has been attending since late 2016). Jeff grew up in the Greater Boston area while Jung grew up in Queens, New York. We initially met in college in Pittsburgh. Jeff is a computer engineer and Jung is a data scientist who recently transitioned to be a 7th grade math teacher. Both of us were involved with youth ministries prior to being married and are looking forward to serving the ABLAZE youth group at APCC.
This past Sunday, we were both deeply convicted by Jack's reminder to be realistic about our need for God the trials of life. We both tend to put a lot of weight upon ourselves and it's refreshing (and terrifying) to know that we can NOT control every detail in our lives. At the end of the day, Jesus will have the victory over every battle and the hope that we have in this life can only be found in Him. May Jesus give us the strength to face the challenges of today and hope for His coming kingdom tomorrow.
Member Spotlight: Brian Dang
Hi! My name is Brian and I have been coming to APCC since 2016. I love being a part of the APCC family because it is a family that permeates God’s love to each other and to our community. I love that some of my church family share in my personal hobbies like running, playing Pokémon/Pokémon Go and trading Pokémon. I have loved getting to know our APCC Kids in the Children’s Ministry and seeing their understanding of God grow. While serving as a teacher or volunteer, I always learn more about the Bible along with the kids! I am a George Mason University alum and God had helped me came to faith in Jesus Christ through Cru my freshman year. Prior I did not know God and came from a culturally Buddhist family. Through Cru I learned that being a Christian simply involves living our best life in Christ together by honoring God with our words/deeds and understanding of who God called us to be.
Lately in the sermon on Daniel 10 I have been reminded that there resides a spiritual battle within my heart between being led by fear or surrendering my fear/worries to God. In times of distress I gravitate to other things besides God for comfort or temporary relief from my fears or worries which always lead to sin. I am struck that while Daniel was being troubled by the final vision about God’s people not returning home to the land of Palestine, he calls upon a 2-week prayer meeting to lament over this and ask for God's reassurance. Indeed Daniel was reassured in Daniel 10:10-12 “a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees…. Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength.” We can see in Daniel's story that God does not judge us based upon our inadequacy to overcome our overwhelming predicament. Our God is a gracious God that welcomes our prayers and helps us live within His strength. Remember that God is a strong and mighty God that gives us strength and who fights along with us in our spiritual battles!
Family Spotlight: The Lee Family
Hello APCC! We are the Lee Family, and we have been attending APCC since the second service at Eagle View! John and I are both native to Northern Virginia, met at a college Christian fellowship, and are celebrating 10 years of marriage soon! Our children, Nathan(7) and Maddie(5), attend Trinity Christian School where I teach as a fifth grade teacher, and John works in Fairfax as a government contractor. Our family is blessed to be a part of the APCC community!
Sunday's message on Daniel 10:12 when applied to parenting comes into play in the hardest moments. The first thing the messenger says to Daniel is, “Fear not.” The first sinful instinct we have as parents is to fear. We fear the unknowable future, but God first commands us to fear not. Then he instructs us to humble our hearts so we can listen and understand Him. We cannot hear or feel God when we act in fear while performing as parents to our children. Lastly, he asks us to pray to Him and His promise is to hear and He will come near. Those times we failed as parents were the moments where we dwelled in our fear and could not hear God. But God draws near when we choose to trust, set our hearts to understand, and humble ourselves before God. Then He will hear our prayers and will come close in our time of need.
Member Spotlight: Bridget Borton
Hi! My name is Bridget and I have been coming to APCC since 2016, minus a year-long stint in East Asia! I love being a part of the APCC family and mission. I am a George Mason University alum and God has led me back to GMU to work as a missionary for the campus ministry, Cru. I am passionate about God's work on the college campus, it's such a unique and influential time in students lives'. My recent hobbies are adult coloring books, house plants, and reading, finally! I have loved getting to know our APCC kids in the Children's Ministry and seeing their understanding of God grow. While serving as a teacher or volunteer, I always learn more about the Bible along with the kids!
In the Daniel 9 sermon, I appreciated the reminder to pray honestly. I was struck by how Daniel confessed that he and God's people had ignored Him, an honest and true prayer. When I am not praying honestly then I am not recognizing the weight of my sin, nor God's grace to forgive me. We can not hide our sins from God but in Christ we don't have to be afraid to approach God in prayer. Our gracious God welcomes us and helps us to live rightly! My application is to remember these truths and to pray honestly about difficult circumstances and my sin.
Family Spotlight: The Fisher Family
Hello! My name is Greg, I am husband to Sara, and we are super blessed to have little Georgie as our charge. We are new to the area, but in just a few months we have been so encouraged and generously supported by the people of APCC. If there is one thing we have learned through starting careers in a new place in the middle of a global pandemic, it is that everything we have is a free and unmerited gift from God. It seems to us that we have come here almost incidentally, but the truth is that God is always working His plan of salvation for us and all peoples in ways we cannot yet see. Our prayer is that we would increasingly have eyes of faith to see and be part of the life-giving work of Jesus in our hearts and neighborhood.
This past Sunday we were reminded by Pastor Kenji of the great hope of Jesus’ resurrection. Recently I have been bent with the heaviness of life. My daily effort to do or make good things leaves me tired and frustrated; the world at large is filled with abuse, deceit, and heart-breaking tragedy. But God does not punish or shame our doubts, instead He lovingly leads us by His spirit to behold the guarantee of our hope: Jesus, who became our sinful selves on the cross, overcame the death resulting from sin, and is alive, ruling and reigning over heaven and earth!
Family Spotlight: Peter, Kristin, Isaiah
Hi APCC!! We are Peter, Kristin, Isaiah, and a soon-to-be little one due in May. We live in Manassas and are both Behavior Analysts working with children with disabilities in the northern VA area. Soon we will be heading to East Asia to work with an established development center. We will create a therapy program for local children with special needs. We will also be doing consulting for local special needs orphanages and schools with the hope to empower, uplift, and educate adults who work with these children daily. Our hope is to serve in this capacity long-term! We are currently developing partners for our ministry so if you feel led to hear more or be a part of this work internationally, please reach out!
As we prepare to work in a country that is hostile and closed to the gospel, this past weeks' sermon was specifically prevalent. It reminds us daily that Jesus’ kingdom will win and forever reign. His will and plan for the nations will come to pass despite any earthly leaders, crises, or movements antithetical to the good news. We feel privileged to be able to share this undeniable truth to our children throughout their lives and to those we come in contact with while we are still in northern VA and in our future home overseas.
Family Spotlight: The Yirenki Family
Hi APCC! We are Samuel, Sarah, and Kwame Yirenkyi. We live in Falls Church, VA and have recently re-joined APCC after being part of the core team in a local church plant a few years ago. Sam is a Site Reliability Engineer at Microsoft and Sarah is a program coordinator for an international exchange program at Northern Virginia Community College. Kwame is 6 months old and loves to smile at everyone and go outside for walks! We both enjoy trying all types of international foods and a good HIIT or powerlifting workout.
This Sunday’s sermon on Daniel 7 was a good reminder to keep our eyes on God, the true King of the world and the Ancient of Days, and to live in this world not as citizens of this world, but as citizens of the coming kingdom. It is comforting to know that Jesus is victorious now and forevermore and that his kingdom alone will last for eternity.
Through our almost four years of marriage so far, and six months of parenthood, we are learning to be present and enjoy each moment we are given, and treat each other as God’s perfect gift to each other.
Family Spotlight: The Nicholas Family
We are the Nicholas family: Ryan, Cynthia, and Brooks! We both grew up in Northern Virginia. Ryan is a Realtor and likes basketball, fire pits, and sharing meals with friends. Cynthia is a part time Personal Trainer and enjoys going to wineries, hockey games, and practicing yoga. We met in 2016, the way most couples seem to meet these days: on a dating app. Since meeting we've been involved with several church plants and we really look forward to seeing what God is doing through APCC.
This Sunday's lesson on Daniel in the Lion's Den drove home the fact that it is by God's grace alone that we are saved. The Bible does not reference anything Daniel did in the lion's den to save himself. Rather, it was an angel sent by God's grace that closed the lions' mouths. While Satan never stops trying to ensnare us in his traps, God delivers us from the wages of sin and gives us grace when we do sin. In 3 1/2 years of marriage, we have learned that neither of us is perfect, and we need to show each other the same grace that God has shown us.
Family Spotlight: The Chen Family
Hello APCC Family! We are Anna, Josh, and Yusha Chen. We originally met at the University of Maryland and moved out to the Northern Virginia area after graduating to start our jobs out here. We started coming to APCC after we got married in August of 2018, and Yusha joined the family via adoption in February 2019! Josh works as an engineer and likes to play sports and games and be goofy in his spare time, while Anna works as a teacher and likes to bake, do puzzles, and train the doggo. Yusha mostly just likes to eat and sleep :)
Something that really stood out to us in this week's sermon was the pride of Belshazzar, who did not learn from the example of Nebuchadnezzar. For both of us, pride is definitely a struggle, since we both are pretty performance-driven in different ways; that's why Josh's favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9, which says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." God desires to use us not despite our weakness, but in our weakness. It's super important not to just wear the label of Christ over us without humbly understanding what God is directing us to do, lest we fall into self-absorption and pride, which lead to disaster. God's been teaching us a lot in these past couple of years as a family, but how much do we miss out on because we don't have the humility to stop ourselves and just listen to him? God's given us the watch; let's pay attention to what time it is. We are looking forward to getting to know more of you this coming year as God works greatly through APCC!
Family Spotlight: The Dixon Family
From left to right: Daniel, Shelly and Evelyn (15 months)... Baby on the way (15 weeks in the oven).
Hello! We are the Dixon Family: Daniel, Shelly and Evelyn… Oh and another little baby on the way, coming in August! Daniel and I grew up in Northern Virginia, but spent the first few years of our marriage in Kansas City, MO where our sweet Evelyn Grace was born. We returned to the Northern Virginia area in June 2020, answering the call we felt God placed on our lives to plant a church in the area. Introduced through the New City Network, we joined APCC in August of 2020 where Daniel has been serving as the Pastor of Discipleship and as a Church Planting Resident. It’s been a privilege and a joy to serve and to be a part of this church family during this season.
What a powerful passage and sermon preached this Sunday! Just like Pastor Kenji explained, in many ways, as followers of Jesus we too “live in Babylon” just like Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We have to learn how to live, work, play, eat, compete, learn, build relationships, and serve others in a world that is SO different from the ethics, laws, norms, joys, and experiences of the Kingdom of God. The Book of Daniel has challenged us as a family to ask: Can we be faithful to God in such a world as this? Can we be fruitful for God in such a world as this? As Pastor Kenji emphatically explained, yes! We can! This passage reminds us that living faithfully to God in this world is not always easy and sometimes it will be downright uncomfortable and inconvenient, but it is what we are called to be as followers of Jesus. Pastor Kenji mentioned two tips for living faithfully to God in this world: 1) be in God’s presence, and 2) be in community.
Member Spotlight: Alex Lopez
Hi Church Family!
My name is Alex Lopez and I have been a member at APCC since Spring 2019. My time at APCC has been great so far and I’ve had the opportunity to serve in the children’s ministry and welcome team. Outside of church, I am a full-time student at George Mason studying to become an Elementary Teacher! I am currently also working full-time as a supervisor at Uniqlo (Japanese clothing store). When I’m not at school or working, I like to play video games, walk my dog max, or spend time at home with my family.
This past Sunday’s message, given by Jack Elwood “Captured and Cut Off”, in Daniel 2 was very encouraging to me. As I listened to the message, I was reminded that amidst my time in school, work, or wherever it may be, I live for God and that He calls me to live a holy life, one that is glorifying to Him always. God wants to see all of us continuously living a holy life in an unholy world. God leads us in life and even when life seems the most difficult or uneasy, His promises are always fulfilled. This is shown to us through Jesus, who is our rock, being the foundation for us all and the hope we have for days ahead!