First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
120 N. McArthur Macomb, Illinois
(309) 837-6473
November 21, 2013
Newsletter
Annual Congregational Meeting
Betty Sherwood, Chair of the Church Board, has scheduled the Annual Congregational Meeting for December 15, 2013, immediately after worship. The agenda will be to vote on the Slate of Officers for 2014 submitted by the Nominating Committee and the 2014 Budget submitted by the Board of Trustees. We also hope to discuss renovation ideas for our building. Please mark your calendar and plan to stay for this important meeting.
KELLY'S KORNER
Usually, my article is to inspire or prepare us as we ready ourselves for Sunday’s worship. This week, there is some of that, but also some information to inspire and prepare us for Advent.
For this Sunday, two things: 1. Thanks to Sue Adams who will preach while I am away serving as the worship leader for the regional youth event. 2. At our Board Meeting earlier this week, we decided to offer the opportunity for those who wish to provide a monetary gift for tornado relief to Week of Compassion. Remember, almost 95% of the funds raised will go toward victims of the tornadoes that ripped our state last weekend. Please clearly mark your intended gift and put it in the offering plate on Sunday.
As Advent quickly approaches, we will be celebrating with the theme of The Gift. The first two weeks of Advent will also serve as our Stewardship Campaign. Pledge cards will be turned in during worship on December 8. Remember, we are having the Stewardship Campaign later due to our Capital Campaign in September. Additionally, we will have mid-week studies for all ages on Wednesdays during Advent. A light supper will precede the studies. Please mark the Friendship Register on Sunday to reserve your meal. Please note the scriptures and sermon titles as well as the Advent study below. Hopefully, you are inspired and prepared for the weeks to come!
Sermons and Scripture Titles
December 1—Matthew 24:36-44 The Gift of Hope
December 8—Isaiah 11:1-10 The Gift of Peace
December 15—Matthew 11:2-11 The Gift of Joy
December 22—Matthew 1:18-25 The Gift of Love
Advent Studies
December 4—Luke 1:8-23 The Angel’s Gift
December 11—Luke 1:24-56 The Gift of Family
December 18—Luke 1:57-80—The Gift of Holy Ritual
Peace, Kelly
Sermon Date |
Sermon Title |
Scripture |
|---|---|---|
November 24 , 2013 |
Serving Without Fear |
Luke 1:68-79 |
Bell Ringing
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
HY-VEE
There is a sign-up sheet on the parlor bulletin board for “ringing” the Salvation Army bell at Hy-Vee on November 29. You will be able to stand inside to be insulated against the cold weather. First Christian will also be serving the usual days - December 21, 23 and 24 - also at Hy-Vee.
There is a sign-up sheet for the December days also; sign up now, get the hours you want, and put the obligation on your calendar so you will make time during the holidays to help others!
Thank you for caring and sharing!
Youth For Christ
The 22nd Annual Youth for Christ/Western Illinois Banquet was held Friday, November 15, at the Spoon River College facility. This year’s banquet was a sold-out event, with 17 from First Christian Church in attendance.
A popular feature of the banquet is a silent auction of themed baskets to benefit Youth for Christ, and our church provided three baskets this year. A “Fun with Grandma” basket, donated by the Itoko Maeda group, brought $100; a “First Christmas” lantern with nativity brought $185, and a “Santa” basket brought $62.
Thank you to Bob & Karen Chatterton and the ladies of Itoko Maeda for all the work they did in creating the baskets. They were a huge success.
Special Olympics Secret Santa Christmas Party
The Christian Action and Outreach Committee will hold a Special Olympics Secret Santa Christmas party on Friday, December 13, 5:30-7:30 pm in Fellowship Hall.
The Committee is still working on details, but we plan to have food, singing, games, and a visit from Santa Claus. He will be here to greet the participants as they arrive.
Invitations have been sent to all Special Olympians in the community, and names of those persons who have responded will be included on the angel tree in the parlor. Members of the congregation who would like to choose a name from the tree are asked to buy a gift for that person and bring it to the party. The age and gift suggestions are included on the tag.
We hope to make this a fun event for the Special Olympians and we invite everyone in the congregation to attend.
Reservation information will be forthcoming.
Thanks
Thanks to everyone for their homemade candy. We have enough to continue selling this week. We’ll be in the parlor 9:30-10:30 am. If you bought some last week and it was so good, you have eaten it already, buy more this week! If you missed the opportunity last week, then you have another one this week!
Thanks from Disciples Women
The Disciples Women thanks all the ladies and gentlemen who made the annual Thanksgiving Dinner a success. 147 people were in attendance! What a great way to start the holidays.
The Silent Basket Auction did well. The baskets went to highest bidders: Sue Adams, Nancy and Dan Reed, Shannon Reed and Jim Schauble. The total donated was $280.00. 20% of this will go to Youth for Christ, the remainder will be used toward purchasing the cabinet for the kitchen south wall.
Salad Luncheon
All the ladies in the church are in-vited to a Christmas salad luncheon on December 7, 2013, starting at 10:am with a tour of our display “Festival of the Creche”. The Disciples Women are sponsoring this gathering and have invited women from First Christian Church, Rushville, First Presbyterian and First Baptist of Macomb. This should be a delightful time of fellowship. Please make a reservation by calling the church office (837 6473) or writing on the Friendship Register beside your name. Be sure and indicate the number is a reservation for the luncheon.
Christmas Cookie Exchange
The Membership Department will hold its annual Christmas Cookie exchange in the Parlor on Sunday, December 15, 2013, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Please have your cookies there by 9:00 am.
Make cookies - take as many as you bring! That way, for the holidays, you only have to bake one kind!
Everyone is welcome to participate.
Samaritan Well
Our church has supported Samaritan Well, Inc. for many years as one of our local outreach mission projects. We offer the rent-free use of our property next to the church for the men's shelter. The first two Sundays in November, we will again be doing the "Thankful for a Home" drive. On November 3, the Director of Samaritan Well, Cynthia Stiffler, will speak briefly at the Sunday morning service, to give an update on the men and women/children's shelter. A brochure insert that morning in the church bulletin will also explain the program.
Collection baskets will be in the Parlor on November 3 and 10, as well as at the Disciples Women's Thanksgiving Dinner on the evening of November 10. The Disciples Women will be donating the proceeds from the free-will offering taken that night to help support the Samaritan Well mission. The following items are especially needed at this time:
Paper Towel
Dishwasher detergent
Aluminum Foil
Toilet Paper 13-Gallon Trash Bags
Laundry Detergent
Dryer Sheets
All-purpose Cleaner
Snack, Quart & Gallon Ziploc Bags
Cotton Balls
Q-tips
Monetary Donations
Our continued support has helped many women and men in this region regain their footing and lead successful lives. Thank you for your contributions!
Nita Burg & Jan Rockwell
Samaritan Well Board Members
Come Home 2013 Thanksgiving Offering
Special Days in the life of the church often allow us to focus our worship, celebrations and fellowship around moments that are central to our Faith.
Disciples Mission Fund Special Day Offerings also provide an opportunity to highlight specific ministries as part of our faith celebrations. There are four Disciples Mission Fund Special Day Offerings received each year during the Easter, Pentecost, Thanksgiving, and Christmas seasons. Each offering supports a specific ministry providing critical resources.
The Thanksgiving Offering provides direct support to Disciples colleges, universities and theological institutions. Disciples have a long history of post-secondary and theological education. This offering provides a direct connection to 14 colleges or universities, 3 seminaries and 4 seminary foundations/divinity houses. Gifts from the Disciples Mission Fund Thanksgiving offering continue a Disciples tradition of developing leaders for our communities and the church.
For generations thousands of students have attended the colleges and universities of the DOC, receiving both a quality educaiton and the opportunity to remain within our Disciple's heritage. The Thanksgiving Offering helps continue this tradition.
The Thanksgiving Offering benefits the colleges, universities, seminaries and divinity houses affiliated with the DOC. Your support provides young people the opportunity to COME HOME to a Disciples institution. The Thanksgiving Offering will be accepted at FCC on November 17 and 24.
Festival of the Creche - December 6 & 7
The “Festival of the Creche” will be held in our sanctuary again this year. The event will take place Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7 with free refreshments and admission. Members of the congregation are asked to bring one or all of their nativity scenes to be displayed in our beautifully decorated sanctuary. Again this year we want to make a brochure listing names of those who bring in their nativity scene(s) along with other information about our church. Everyone who attends this event will receive a brochure to keep.
The planning committee would like to coordinate names in the brochure with our nativities by numbers, but to do this we need your help. You may bring your nativity scene(s) to the church beginning Sunday, November 17 through Wednesday, December 4. Please place them in the Conference room (across from minister’s office). There will be a tablet on the table for you to sign your name and a col-umn to place the number of nativities you brought. Please sign them in. Place your name on the box/container AND on at least one of the figurines per set.
Questions: contact Jean Vaughn:
(837 4406) or email:
Advent Bible Study
On Wednesday evenings during Advent, we will be having a light meal, beginning at 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. The meal will be followed by an Advent Study. The schedule is: December 4, 11, and 18. Choir rehearsal will begin at 7:00 pm on those nights. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend these meals/studies. In order to prepare food, we would like to have reservations; please make a note beside your name in the Friendship Register each week, indicating your intention to attend on Wednesday evening.
Candlelight Service December 24, 2013 6:00 PM
We will be holding our annual Candle-light Christmas Eve service this year on December 24 at 6:00 pm.
Please mark this date and time on your calendar and plan to bring your friends, neighbors and family to this celebration service.
College of Elders
All Elders, current and past, are invited to a College of Elders lunch following wor-ship on December 1 in Fellowship Hall. Please look and listen for more details concerning this lunch and program in future newsletters and bulletins. Meanwhile, please save the date and plan to attend.
Ellen Tingley - New Member
Mrs. Ellen Tingley has indicated her desire to join our church family and made that known on November 10 during worship.
Ellen was born in Peoria and spent many years growing up in Canton and Vermont. She says they have “come home”.
She and her husband lived in several areas during his working years and have done much traveling. They have four children.
Ellen loves to knit, sew, read and walk.
Please welcome Ellen to our First Christian Church family when you see her around!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Title:
Serving Without Fear
Scripture:
Luke 1:68-79
Lectionary Readings:
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 46
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43
SERVING THIS WEEK OF November 24, 2013
Worship Leader:
Mike Drake
Elders:
Grant Reed (bread); Char Carden (cup)
Diaconate:
Floor:
Josh Butcher, Karen Chatterton, Judy Graves, Roselyn Chown, Jack McKinnon, Ron Vaughn
Balcony:
Collin Reed, Jeanna Montgomery, Shannon Reed
Preparatory:
Monill McClure, Barbara Markley, Cindy Moon
Greeters:
Front
LouAnn Herriman
Central East
Karen Chatterton
Balcony South
Jeanna Montgomery
Elevator:
Les Herriman
Sanctuary Superintendent(s):
Jeff & Teresa Bennett
Soundboard Tech:
Eric Reed
Children's Moment:
Jack McKinnon
Children's Church:
Chris Zimmerman
Coffee Fellowship Time:
Jonelle Schauble
Hospital Caller(s):
Tim Adams
Sunday Morning Office Staff:
Monill McClure
Finacial Escort
Dean Rockwell
Weekly Calendar
Sunday, November 24
Regional Youth Event
Bob Sherwood opens/closes church
Larry Ellis drives the van
8:30 AM Prayer Group
9:00 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Coffee Fellowship
10:30 AM Worship
Monday, November 25
5:30 PM Evangelism
6:00 PM Stephen Ministers
6:00 PM Worship
7:00 PM Elders
Tuesday, November 26
7:00 PM Bertha Gilchrist Circle
Sunday, December 1
Eric Reed opens/closes church
Mike Drake drive(s) the van
8:30 AM Prayer Group
9:00 AM Sunday School
10:00 AM Coffee Fellowship
10:30 AM Worship
12:00 PM College of Elders Lunch, Fellowship Hall
1:30 PM Shut-in Communion
Elders: John Carden Patti Jones
Deacons: Hanna Runner Samantha Adams
Birthdays and Anniversaries
24 Brianna Meunier,
Bobbie Norton
25 Jasmine Norton,
Chris & Linda Dace (a)
27 Aurelius Zimmerman
29 Roger Rouse