Hi ANF Family,

I hope you are all having a wonderful time at the retreat. Personally, I was deeply moved by our guest speakers’ testimonies—they were powerful, inspiring, and truly touching. They showed us a beautiful example of what it means to walk with “long obedience in the same direction.” I pray that your hearts were stirred as well, and that even a small spark that was lit in you will continue to grow as you take practical steps to keep the flame from quickly fading.

It was also such a joy to eat with you, pray with you, and spend time laughing and playing with you and your children. I hope this retreat helped you feel closer to your church family, and that you will greet one another warmly when you see each other this Sunday.

I would also like to share the Christmas card that our church made (beautifully designed by Jasmine Chung ^^) to share with you what ANF has been doing for God’s kingdom and for His people. Through this, I hope you will be encouraged as you see how God is working through our church and be reminded that, as God has blessed us, we are also living as a blessing to others. Our shepherds will also be sending this same card to their missionaries along with a gift.

Love you all

PD

Hi ANF family, do you know what today is? When I woke up this morning, I didn’t realize it. Last night I struggled with a fever—my body was trembling and aching. But when I received a text message, suddenly all the memories of the past seven years flooded my mind, and my heart was filled with tears of joy and gratitude. Yes. Today is the day our heavenly Father began to build this church—ANF—on December 2nd, 2018. Over these years, we have experienced times of joy and sadness, encouragement and disappointment, growth and retreat, laughter and tears, seasons of planting seeds and seasons of reaping fruit. And through it all, what can I say? Everything has been God’s grace and His love for us. I am so thankful and blessed to be on this journey of Jesus building His church with you. Thank you to everyone who has walked with me. My prayer is that when our journey comes to an end, you will all receive heavenly rewards even more than I do. I love you all. Happy seventh anniversary, ANF family.

Dear ANF Family,

During my Sunday message two weeks ago, I gave a message on how we can prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving in a biblical way that honors God. The Bible is very clear about what God wants us to do during Thanksgiving:

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, "You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land." (Deuteronomy 5:11). "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." (Proverbs 3:9-10). "And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 23:22).

One practical way I challenged you all to apply that message was to give one percent of your annual income as a Special Thanksgiving Offering to the poor, a challenge that I've made each year since 2022. I make this challenge to you all not because we are all in a good spot financially, or just because it's our annual tradition, but because I think it is important for us all to simply obey what God tells us to do.

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year for many of us, and it's easy to pass the day, the week, by without much reflection into what the Bible says about Thanksgiving or how we ought to spend our efforts as Christians during this time of year. I hope we can be different from the world in that respect, and that we can honor God by really reflecting on all that He has done for us this past year, sharing our firstfruits with those in need, and truly trusting that God will continue to provide for us and our families, just as He has so faithfully done for us every other year, through our small offering.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has already participated in this year's Special Thanksgiving Offering. Our Finance Team shared that 12 singles and 10 families have already come together to give a total of $23,961.00 as of this past Sunday, and we just have one Sunday left. Over the past three years, we have used the money collected to support a refugee school for children in Egypt, to support Refugee Services of Texas, to provide basic necessities for those indigenous people living in remote villages in Mexico, to support the relief and rehabilitation efforts after the devastating earthquake in Turkey, to provide financial support to various Ukrainian refugees, to sponsor an Afghan sister and her safe asylum, and to provide scholarships to many students through our ANF Scholarship program. Our hope is to continue supporting many others in need in this way. If you have any ideas or suggestions as to those who may benefit from our support, feel free to let me know, and I'd be happy to discuss anytime. Every dollar we collect will be set aside in a separate account to be used solely to support those in need, so we are open to your thoughts and prayers.

Even if you can't attend our Thanksgiving Sunday worship this Sunday, you can still participate in giving your Special Thanksgiving Offering through Venmo (@anfdallas) or Zelle (finance@anfdallas.org) from now until this Sunday, November 23rd. By giving one percent of our annual income to give back to those in need, I hope this can be one practical way we celebrate Thanksgiving in a more biblical, God-honoring way this year. I am confident that God will recognize and be pleased by our hearts and cannot wait to experience how God blesses us and our families further in the next year to come.

Happy early Thanksgiving, ANF.

Pastor Daniel

Hi ANF Family, Please find attached the schedule for the Life Bible Study classes this Fall. After returning from my sabbatical, I initially planned to start slowly by offering just one Bible study class. However, as I prayed for each of you and reflected on your yearly prayer requests, I felt deeply convicted by how many of you desire spiritual growth. This has inspired me to serve you more faithfully and diligently by offering two Bible study classes this season. If you haven’t taken any Bible study classes this year or if you’re seeking to deepen your relationship with God, I encourage you to take a moment to review the attached schedule. Ask God if He is leading you to join one of these classes. I hope this opportunity helps you grow stronger in your faith and build a closer walk with God.

Hi ANF Family, I returned last night from my three-month sabbatical. During this precious time, I was able to spend meaningful moments with my elderly mother—cherishing what may be some of our final days together—and reconnect with my siblings. I also had the joy of creating lasting memories with my wife and children, something I’ve often missed out on due to the demands of ministry.

Hi ANF Family, I want to sincerely thank each one of you. You worked so hard to prepare for the Lay Leaders Seminar—with a heart to glorify God and serve every participant with love and humility. Though not everyone may fully see and know the sacrifices you made, our God—the God of Shalem—sees and remembers them all. The goal of the seminar was to inspire God’s people to commit themselves to Jesus’ vision of the church: to seek and save the lost and to make disciples of Jesus Christ. From what the participants shared, it’s clear that they were deeply challenged and encouraged—both by learning the foundational principles of House Church Ministry and by witnessing your examples of serving and loving one another. They’ve gone back to their home churches filled with joy, vision, and a renewed passion to put into practice what they learned and experienced at ANF.

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