The Olive Tree Community APRIL’S UPDATE: March has been a month of blessing and sorrow. Things could not have been better at the OTC. God has really energized our community and the momentum has been building. Things really started changing when we realized who God has blessed us with and how to use their gifts. Our community is filled with people who work in the entertainment industry: Actors, directors, editors, producers, make up artists, etc.
A Great Father, The Jesus Monologues, Easter, and Much More…
(Chris Akerman from Electra attends the OTC) The leadership discussed how to best steward our people’s gifts, and through Scott Luebbert’s leading (Our Arts and Media Pastor), we determined that we needed a camera and editing equipment to help our congregation use their gifts to serve the Lord. We will make short films and webisodes that will communicate Jesus to the world and that churches can use to teach God’s word to their congregation. Our people are so pumped to honor God with their gifts and are excited to begin production.
Our first step in the process was writing monologues for our series “The Jesus Monologues”.
The series was a look at some of Jesus’ parables and each sermon opened with a monologue or drama that was a modern day retelling of the parable. We really got to see the gifts and the creativity that God has given so many of our people. It went over huge!!! Praise God! We are excited to see what God does next! PRAY God is glorified through everything we make, and He uses our films and webisodes to affect our people, LA, and the World for Jesus.
EASTER We are excited about Easter! We are having a one time only 11am gathering! Woo Hoo! We are also having Scott Nassau, the lead pastor from Tikkun Olam (the messianic congregation that we are partnering with), come in to preach.
My Father That was the blessing of March, but there was also sorrow. I lost my father, Vincent Basile, this past March. He was 70 years old. He died of a massive heart attack and was found in his apartment after my siblings could not contact him. I preached the sermon at his funeral, and I think it best sums up my experiences with my dad. Vincent Basile
Scott is preaching a sermon titled, “Easter…The Lost Jewish Holiday.”
We are very excited to be partnering with Scott and are excited to see God use him on Easter morning. PRAY God brings lots of new people out to the OTC this Easter morning to hear about the resurrected Jesus and how He desires to be in a relationship with them.
I am up here today, not because I am the only one in the family that likes to talk, but because I am the only one who likes to talk when others are listening. Most Basile’s prefer to shout at each other when everybody is talking all at once. I have been thinking a lot about how to best describe Vince Basile, our father. Me, my nine brothers and sisters, friends and family might all come up with their own list of things to describe Vince. I came up with a list that shares my personal experiences with Vince, but also reflects what all of us experienced with Vince. Vince can best be described in three ways: Husband, Father, and Humble. Vince might not have known it, but he lived out these three things in a way that God, our Heavenly Father, would want us to live them out. When you think of Vince, you have to think…Husband.
Ephesians 5:25 25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Vince loved many people in his life, but none like the way he loved Karen his wife. The bible tells husbands to love their wives with sacrificial love…to sacrifice for your wife, like Jesus sacrificed for the world…to lay down your life! That is a tall order for a husband, but Vince did it! Vince was a truck driver supporting a wife and 10 kids. We weren’t wealthy, but Karen had everything she wanted. I remember our 1st microwave, and VCR, and lots of other things that my dad got for my mom. She didn’t ask for them, but he couldn’t imagine her not having them. He loved her so much, and he worked so hard to give her everything she wanted. The funny thing about her is that she mostly wanted stuff to give to her kids. Vince also gave her the priceless gifts, he gave her his time, his kindness and kind words, he gave her his romance, he gave her a gentle hand, he gave her support, and he gave her dignity and spoke of her as someone better than himself, he gave her his heart. I remember being about 10 years old and seeing the way my parents looked at each other and talked to each other, and I thought to myself, “I want to have a marriage like that someday.” Today, I do have a marriage like that. I am a part of Vince and Karen’s legacy of love. Thanks Dad! Vince loved his wife Karen and sacrificed for her…he was a true husband.
When you think of Vince, you have to think…Father.
Genesis 17:4 4
"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. Vince took this passage out of context and applied literally to his life, and tried to be the father of many nations. Vince had 10 kids, 25 grandkids, and 7 great grandkids. Some people say that the reason Vince had so many children was because he was a good catholic, and some say it was because he really loved kids…I think that he just really liked sex. However the children came about, he loved them and nurtured them. He treated every kid personally…sometimes it was a personal foot to your butt, or a personal slap to the head…but also, he gave personal acts of love. When I was in eighth grade, my mom was dying of cancer, and he took me out to buy hockey equipment. Just him and me. When there are 10 of you, that means a lot. He came to all my hockey games that year, even though his true love was at home dying. I wasn’t a hockey phenom like Vincie, where the games were enjoyable. It was just an 8th grade house league hockey. He came to show me love. Not all the kids, just me. That was the kind of father he was
to all of us. Everyone of the kids has personal attention story like mine. And as if ten kids weren’t enough, if our friends hung around our family long enough, they started calling him dad, and became a part of Vince’s family, and he loved them too. Vince was also a father who provided for his kids. People often commented to me on how old my dad looked for his age…that’s because he gave his life, his physical body, for his kids. He worked Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter…you name it, he worked it, so we could have something. Vince never gave me his libido, that went to Patti, but he taught me to love my kids individually, to be a good provider, and to be a good father. Thanks Dad! Vince was a great father…and almost the father of many nations! When you think of Vince, you have to think…Humble.
James 4:10 10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Vince was humble, and God did lift him up! Vince was content telling everyone else’s stories. I heard about Herbie, and Uncle Pete, and Uncle John, and Big Vince, Chicky Manna, and Vincie, and Vito, and Karen, and crazy Anthony, and Fedora, and list goes on and on, all my life. He was the keeper of stories. He loved to celebrate his friends and family, and kids! It didn’t matter that he wasn’t the center of the story. He loved the
people in the story so much, and he was content telling their story and giving them all the glory. Vince was humble. His most humble moment came when he was going into a bypass surgery that he didn’t think he would come out of. I asked my brothers and sisters if I could be alone with him for a moment. I was at his bedside and we had an honest talk about God. He had a choice, to hold on to all his good deeds as his offering to God to enter into heaven, or he could accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for him to enter into heaven. And in his humble way, He accepted Jesus payment for his mistakes. This crowning act of humility is the very reason I know that he is in heaven right now. I have also humbled myself and have accepted Jesus sacrifice for my mistakes, and even though I did this before Vince, his humility was the model that helped lead me to God. Thanks Dad! If you want to honor Vince, than go home today and love your spouse with sacrificial love, love your parents or kids individually, and humble yourself…it will lead you to God, and He can lift you up.
PRAY for my family as they grieve the loss of our father, and thank you to so many of you who supported us through all of this!! God’s Blessings be on You!!
YESHUA THE MOSHIACH!
SUPPORT UPDATE PRAY - BELIEVE 2009 In March 09 our support was $3600. Wow! PRAISE GOD!!! Than k You! Thank You! Thank You! I realize some of that was people tithing their tax return to us, and I am thankful!
PRAY God blesses our efforts with Tikkun Olam and with The Portico, a ministry of the Jews for Jesus. THE OTC BABY! Vision: To Love People, See them Transformed, and Help them Change the World. We are rolling! Your prayers are being answered and we see God’s mission being accomplished in Brentwood…soon LA, and next the World.
PRAYER TEAM If you are interested in being a part of my personal prayer team please reply to this email with Prayer Team in the memo and I will add you to my team.
And starting in March, the Lead Team of pastors from the SWBC that I meet with every couple of months will be supporting us $800 a month! Praise God! Woo Hoo! We are still a little short of what we need each month, but I am stoked!
and faith no matter what you do! Thank you for all of your support! GIVE ONLINE? YES! SWBC reference number for paying your support to The Olive Tree Community through online banking: Reference #2057-2-80
Thank you for all of your support both financially and in prayer. PRAY God crushes us financially if that is what He needs to do to cause us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. PRAY God allows us to get into a place that will increase our effectiveness for the kingdom, and lower our rent. We want to steward all of your support and God's resources wisely. PRAY God gets the OTC self sufficient by the end of 2009! PRAY for my Family too. That God would use the kids in the lives of their friends and at their school. That Lisa will be a light to the parents and in this community! In 2009 PRAY that God lowers our monthly bills and ups our support. Money has kept ministers and churches out of this area for years, but we refuse to let it stand in the way of the gospel. PRAY God provides for us. Please consider forwarding this newsletter to all the people in your contacts list at least one time, explaining our mission and need, and maybe God will move in someone's heart to support God's mission to LA! Please have courage
Pray that God moves others to join the mission of reaching a community that has the ability to impact the world. Pray God provides the remainder $61,400 that my family will need to minister here in Brentwood.
GOODSEARCH Hey, I heard of an easy way to support OTC. Go to goodsearch.com and put The Olive Tree Community as your charity and then set it as your homepage. Every time you search using good search or purchase online using goodshop we receive money. It is easy and it helps us accomplish our mission.
Cards for California
This Newsletter is also a reminder to send in your Support for APRIL 2009 You can give your support through online banking using the SWBC reference number that goes to The Olive Tree Community: #2057-2-80 Or The Commitment Card is attached to this Newsletter. You can simply print it off, fill it out, and send it in with your monthly support, and/or special gift. Payment and mailing instructions are on the commitment card.
Go to our Myspace profile or www.cardsforcalifornia.com to see anther way you can support OTC . Check out Cards For California…It is an unbelievable effort coming out of Chicago to support us and see God influence LA!
Thank you for your support.
Find out more about The Olive Tree Community at: myspace.com/ olivetreeCommunity Or become friends with Joe on Facebook and Join The Olive Tree Community Group
Check out The Olive Tree Community’s Videos: The Daily D, Heath Ledger Tribute Video, and more at… Youtube.com and Godtube.com Myspace Facebook Simply Search Olive Tree Community Email them to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers as conversation pieces that can lead to discussions about Jesus.
This Week’s Celebrity Prayer Focus: Mel Brooks
Upcoming Events:
April 12 th ,1 9 th ,26 t h OTC Gatherings April 8 th OTC Launch Team Meeting Friday Morni ngs in April Surfing with Jes us Wed Nights O TC Community Groups
MEMORY VERSE: James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. 10
When you hear his name mentioned on TV, or Radio this month…please pray a short prayer that God would reveal Himself to him and he would experience Christ’s love. The Big Commitments
† Read your Bible for a ½ hour every day. Pray for a ½ half hour every day. † Bring your Bible with you to work or school. † Invite 5 people to OTC parties a week. † Fast once a month for 24 hrs for God to bring our friends, coworkers, and neighbors to Christ.
OTC The Olive Tree Community is a Church/Synagogue plant in Brentwood/LA. Our purpose is to reach out to Celebrities/Jews/The Wealthy/The Common Person with the love of Jesus. If you have any Questions send us a message and we'll reply promptly.
Blessings! Joe and Lisa Basile You can contact The Olive Tree Community at: 310-339-4137
Prayers for the Mission to LA/Brentwood Pray God Provides for the Basile’s Pray God Blesses the Airing of LA Ink Pray OTC sees 1000 people come to Jesus! Pray God Protects Joe and Gives Him Vision Pray God Blesses our efforts in the Jewish Community Pray the Brentwood Community and Surrounding Area will experience revival o General Population o Jewish Community o Celebrity Community
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