Newsletter 12/5/13 | FCC Macomb

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

December 5, 2013

Festival of the Creche

Come to the “Festival of the Creche” this Friday and Saturday! Come see beautiful scenes of the birth of Christ on that first Christmas night. Each scene has its own uniqueness displayed in our beautifully decorated sanctuary. We will have over 200 different striking and thought-provoking interpretations.

You won’t want to miss this time of joy, reflection and peace. Please bring your friends and family. Enjoy the fellowship and the refreshments, too. Times are Friday (6:00-8:00 pm) and Saturday (4:00-8:00 pm).

Free admission and the blessings are numerous.

KELLY'S KORNER

This week, as we consider the gift of peace, we will finalize our Stewardship Campaign. As an act of worship we will bring pledge cards to offer to God which will symbolize our promise to use all our gifts in faith—gifts of talent, time, tithe and prayer. From a financial perspective, we will base our 2014 budget on these promises. Please remember that during the Capital Campaign we stressed how important it was to fund our annual budget. We want to continue to provide great ministry to this com-munity as well as support ministries worldwide through the work of our denomination. There are also basic things such as heat, air conditioning and electricity. Your financial gift provides for all of these. Let us re-read the stewardship letter and be in prayer with God as we prepare to make such promises.

When you think of peace, what comes to mind? Is it only that warring countries put down their weapons and overcome their differences in more civilized ways? Does your idea of peace include drug lords and gangs ending violent ways? Such peace seems so far away, so distant from our day to day lives in Macomb. How can it be that we can find ways to bring peace to our own little community? Would less gossip do it? Or less drama in our personal relationships? How about providing more help for those in need—ringing a bell or stocking shelves in a food pantry? It will take personal investment and involvement to bring a little more peace to the world right around you.

When we seek to bring peace to the world, when we seek to be faithful servants of our ever-faithful God, we find peace. Have you ever seen the phrase No God, No Peace—Know God, Know Peace. Whether on a t-shirt or bumper sticker, truth abounds. This Advent, let us come to know God more fully that we might more fully know peace.

December 8 The Gift of Peace

December 15 The Gift of Joy

December 22 The Gift of Love

December 24 Open the Gift

Peace, Kelly

Sermon Date	Sermon Title	Scripture
December 8 , 2013	The Gift of Peace	Isaiah 11:1-10

2013 Christmas Offering for Regional Ministries

Matthew’s story of the Wise Men who come seeking the newborn King is a familiar one, re-enacted in countless Christmas pageants every year. Amidst the costumes, animals, shepherds and mangers crowded into most depictions of the Nativity, the gifts they bring often are seen as just props for the Magi to carry. Yet they are far more than that. When they found the Child, they were prepared. Bowing down, they worshiped him. “Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense [frankincense] and of myrrh” (Matt 2:11), gifts that they had carried with them all the way from Persia, extravagant gifts fit for a King.

We may think ourselves incapable of giving such gifts until we remember that the good news of Jesus’ birth also came to common folk like the shepherds, and that extravagance comes in many forms. For the shepherds, it came in the form of praising God. For you, maybe it will be in doing mission together in response to a disaster or on an immersion trip to learn about another culture. Your extravagant gift to the Christmas offering, whether large or

small, supports the many ways Disciples across our region discover and share their gifts of ministry. Whatever gift you bring, give it joyfully; that’s the kind of giving that makes God smile, and therein lies the secret of its extravagance.

As we celebrate anew the Good News of God-with-us, the coming of our Lord, what gifts shall we bring? Whatever it is, may we present them in humble thanksgiving and with joyful extravagance!

The Christmas Offering will be accepted at FCC on December 15 and 22 and will be used to support the Il-Wis Regional support of local congregations and ministries arising out of the gifts thousands of Disciples bring.

Thank you for giving as generously as you are able to the ministries we share.

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.

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.

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.

Host Fellowship Time!

It’s time to think about hosting the Coffee Fellowship Time each Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the Parlor.

This is an opportunity to “catch up”, make new friends, meet new members, etc.

You will need to make coffee and set out punch which is furnished by the church. Bring a treat that you made or bought.

And then clean up the mess!

Please think about serving in this important ministry of our church and sign up on the sheet posted on the Bulletin Board in the Parlor.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Second Sunday of Advent

Sermon Title:

The Gift of Peace

Scripture:

Isaiah 11:1-10

Lectionary Readings:

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

SERVING THIS WEEK OF December 8, 2013

Worship Leader:

Patti Jones

Elders:

Jean Moore (bread); Grant Reed (cup)

Diaconate:

Floor:

Nita Burg, Rod Burg, Larry Ellis, Anne Ingersoll, Dean Hansen, Joan Hansen

Balcony:

Chris Dace, Linda Dace, Maddie Dace

Preparatory:

Joyce Randall, Holly Runner, Jonelle Schauble

Greeters:

Front

Dave and Norma Kentner

Central East

Jean Moore

Balcony South

Dan Reed

Elevator:

John Carden

Sanctuary Superintendent(s):

Gail and Joyce Randall

Soundboard Tech:

Chris Dace

Children's Moment:

Jan Rockwell

Children's Church:

Marcia Higgins

Coffee Fellowship Time:

John Harmon

Hospital Caller(s):

Mike Drake

Sunday Morning Office Staff:

Jonelle Schauble

Finacial Escort

Rachel Bliven

Weekly Calendar

Sunday, December 8

Rod Burg opens/closes church

Bob/Karen Chatterton drive(s) the van

8:30 AM Prayer Group

9:00 AM Sunday School

10:00 AM Coffee Fellowship

10:30 AM Worship

Noon-2:00 PM Youth Group

4:00 PM College students @ Ingersolls

Monday, December 9

6:00 PM Stephen Ministers

6:00 PM Trustees

6:00 PM Christian Education

7:00 PM Church Board

Tuesday, December 10

5:30 PM Pastoral Support Comm

Wednesday, December 11

5:30 PM Light Supper & Advent Study

7:00 PM Choir Rehearsal

Friday, December 13

5:30-7:30 PM Secret Santa Party, FH

Sunday, December 15

Bill Butcher opens/closes church

John Carden drive(s) the van