Newsletter 11/28/13 | FCC Macomb

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First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
120 N. McArthur Macomb, Illinois
(309) 837-6473

November 28, 2013

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

This week we start our Advent/Stewardship process. I know it’s a little unorthodox but I believe we are about to start on a wonderful spiritual journey. Our goal is to understand giving and receiving in new ways—our own giving and receiving and God’s giving and receiving. Ultimately, The Gift is for us and God.

As we begin this journey, let us consider a few questions. How do I feel when I give a gift to another? How do I feel when I receive a gift? Does God have any feelings when it comes to gifts? Does the way I feel when I give or receive make any difference to God?

This week we will focus on the gift of hope. We often are receivers of hope. In difficult times, we look for the light at the end of the tunnel. We seek for goodness to be restored. There are few of us who have actually reached the very last straw. After a bad experience, we can often look back and see where God graced us with a hope. As people of faith, we are to be providers of hope to others. As we have known hope from God, we help others to see this hope—to know this hope. This seems daunting, overwhelming even. It should not be. Staying true to faith is enough. Faithful actions will bring hope to this world. Serving a food shelter, sharing a smile, bringing peace and kindness, taking care of a loved one—all of these (and so many more) are positive and faithful ways to bring hope. Faithful giving of time, talent, tithe and prayer will lead us to be a people who receive and give hope.

Martin Luther wrote, Everything that is done in this world is done by hope. I believe this to be true for individuals, for churches and, especially, for God.

Peace, Kelly

Sermon Date	Sermon Title	Scripture
December 1 , 2013	The Gift of Hope	Matthew 24:36-44

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.

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.

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:

jeanvaughn468@yahoo.com

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.

Children and Youth Christmas Celebrations

The children (3rd-5th grade) and youth (6th-12th grade) will be Christmas caroling together this year on December 15, starting at 4:00 p.m. Immediately following, the youth will go to the Ingersolls for their annual Christmas party and the children will stay at the church for their Christmas party. The children’s party will conclude at 6:30 p.m.

From the Evangelism Department

We still have several name tags that haven’t been claimed! If you are a member or regular attender who has not received a name tag, see Rev. Ingersoll or a member of the Evangelism Committee to claim your name tag. If we need to order a name tag for you, note this in the Friendship Register or contact Annetta in the church office: 837 6473 or annetta@fccmacomb.org

Follow Us!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. With the age of technology growing rapidly, we will have more and more information shared on both these social networks. Follow us on Twitter at FCCMacomb and Facebook at www.facebook.com/FCCMacomb.

College Students

Don’t forget, if you are a college student or of college age (ages 18-23), you are invited to the Ingersolls on December 8 at 4:00 p.m. for a Christmas Party. Please RSVP to Kelly or Anne by December 6.

Christmas Decorating

Thanks to everyone who helped decorate the church for Christmas! There are many things to do on Sunday afternoon, but you chose to give up the afternoon to help the church and serve its ministry.

It looks beautiful!

Bev Drake,

Worship Chair

Sunday, December 1, 2013

First Sunday of Advent

Sermon Title:

The Gift of Hope

Scripture:

Matthew 24:36-44

Lectionary Readings:

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Romans 13:11-14

SERVING THIS WEEK OF December 1, 2013

Worship Leader:

Tim Adams

Elders:

Tim Adams (bread); Patti Jones (cup)

Diaconate:

Floor:

Bev Drake, Rachel Bliven, Gail Randall, Betty Sherwood, Bob Sherwood, Sherri Wagner

Balcony:

Chris Dace, Linda Dace, Maddie Dace

Preparatory:

Linda Ward, Pauline Dunn, Sam Shields

Greeters:

Front

Rod Burg

Central East

Nita Burg

Balcony South

Collin Reed

Elevator:

Gail Randall

Sanctuary Superintendent(s):

Rod and Nita Burg

Soundboard Tech:

Tim Adams

Children's Moment:

Margaret Taylor

Children's Church:

Chris Dace

Coffee Fellowship Time:

Carolee Sellers and Barbara Houck

Hospital Caller(s):

Bob Chatterton

Sunday Morning Office Staff:

Patti Jones

Finacial Escort

Rachel Bliven

Weekly Calendar

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, FH

1:30 PM Shut-in Communion

Elders: John Carden

Patti Jones

Deacons: Hanna Runner

Samantha Adams

5:00 PM Youth Group

Monday, December 2

5:30 PM Evangelism

Wednesday, December 4

5:30 PM Light Supper and Advent Study

7:00 PM Choir Rehearsal

Friday, December 6

6:00-8:00 PM Festival of the Creche

Saturday, December 7

7:00 AM DM @ Macomb Family Diner

10:00 AM DW Women's Luncheon, Fellowship Hall

Sunday, December 8

Rod Burg opens/closes church

Bob/Karen Chatterton drive(s) the van