Monthly Newsletter of First Christian Church Faithnews September 2016 Church Events Sept 1 st Choir resumes Sept 5 th Labor Day (Church Office Closed) Sept 8 th Elders meeting Sept 11 th Fall Kickoff Sept 13 th Property & Board meetings Sept 14 th Family Unity Night activities resume Sept 20 th October Newsletter article deadline Sept 21 st Opal & Faith Circles meet Sept 24 th Disciples Men Sept 29 th Newsletter Team Mark s Moment It has been a great summer at First Christian Church. Our attendance has held steady. God s Spirit has been touching lives. We have grown closer together as God s family. I love summer but by the end of July I begin to long for our fall programs to begin. Our fall theme this year is: Friends, Fellowship, Food, and Fun. We are gearing up for a great year with our official kick-off set for September 11 th at the Christian Conference Center. The theme for the day is Faith and Football Tailgate. Attend church wearing your favorite team colors and then join us from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at the Conference Center later in the afternoon for our Tailgate party. The best dressed person will win a prize! We will have a hot-dog roast, tailgating games, football crafts, and more. Also resuming on the 11 th : Faith Village begins at 9:00 a.m. and Children s Worship for pre-school through 4 th grade is held during the morning worship service. Continued on page 2...
Mark s Moment Continued Family Night begins on Wednesday September 14 th. We are looking forward to a great start as we anticipate new faces following a very successful Vacation Bible School last month. Once again our Adult class will meet in Holy Grounds Coffee Shop. We will begin with a survey of the book of Genesis. If you would like to help with our Wednesday Night Youth program please contact Clarissa Wing. Supper will be served at 5:45 p.m. and classes will be from 6:15 to 7:15p.m. In a recent sermon I talked about how our identity is found in Christ not in what we do. 1 John 3:1 says, How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. The great NBA player Bill Russell was once stopped in an airport and asked if he was a basketball player. He said, No, basketball is what I do, not who I am. Who you are is much bigger than any role you play in your life. It is easy to confuse your role with your identity and doing so results in negative results. You will be tempted to link your value as a person to how you perform. If you don t perform well or succeed you will think you have lost your value. It happens in our Christian walk if we define our Christianity by how well we perform. Then when we fall short and stumble we live with tremendous guilt and shame. God has lavished His love on you so that you should be called a child of God. Don t ever forget your true identity is found in being God s child. I Love You! Mark Faith and Football Tailgate: Come enjoy friends, fellowship, food and fun as we start monthly Faith & Fun gatherings! They will be held at the Christian Conference Center on Sundays from 3:00-7:00 p.m. September 11th: Come in your favorite team colors (best dressed wins!), enjoy a hotdog roast, tailgating games, football crafts and more! Page 2
WELCOME COLE BRANDHORST! BORN AUGUST 10th Christian Women s Fellowship September Coffee Fellowship Schedule: September 4th & 11th: Worship Ministry, Bev Curtis September 18th & 25th: Choir, Cathi Wickett Opal Circle will meet at the church on Wednesday, September 21st at 10:00 a.m. Faith Circle will meet September 21st at 7:30 p.m. at the church with Rowena Vansice as hostess. Mission Coalition The Jasper County CROP Hunger Walk will be held on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00 p.m. and will start from the Courthouse lawn. The three mile walk will end at the Salvation Army for refreshments. Anyone wishing to walk the route should contact Carol Macksey. Donations will be collected following the worship service on September 25th and October 2nd. 25% of the money collected will remain in Jasper County. 15% will be given to the Newton Salvation Army Food Pantry and the remaining 10% will be evenly distributed to the food pantries in Baxter, Colfax, Kellogg, and Prairie City. Disciples Men will gather at the Hy-Vee Market Grill on Saturday, September 24th at 8:00 a.m. All men are invited to attend. Page 3
SEPTEMBER 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 Labor Sunday 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service 11:15 a.m. - Coffee Fellowship 5 Labor Day (Office Closed) 6 9:00 a.m. - Retiree Breakfast 7 8 7:00 p.m. - Elders 9 10 11 9:00 a.m. - Faith Village & Adult Sunday School 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service 3:00 p.m. - Faith & Football Tailgate (Conference Center) 12 13 6:00 p.m. - Property 7:00 p.m. - Board 14 Family Unity Night 5:45 p.m. - Supper 6:15 p.m. - Classes 15 16 17 18 9:00 a.m. - Faith Village & Adult Sunday School 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service 11:15 a.m. - Coffee Fellowship 19 20 October Newsletter Article Deadline 21 10:00 a.m. - Opal Circle Family Unity Night 5:45 p.m. - Supper 6:15 p.m. - Classes 7:30 p.m. - Faith Circle 22 First Day of Autumn 23 24 8:00 a.m. - Disciples Men 25 9:00 a.m. - Faith Village & Adult Sunday School 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service 11:15 a.m. - Coffee Fellowship 26 27 28 Family Unity Night 5:45 p.m. - Supper 6:15 p.m. - Classes 29 9:00 a.m. - Newsletter Team 30
September Serving Schedule September 4th Elder Acolyte Home-Bound Elders Serving Deacons Video Projector Greeters (North Door) Greeters (West Door) September 11th Elder Acolyte Serving Deacons Video Projector Greeters (North Door) Greeters (West Door) September 18th Elder Acolyte Serving Deacons Video Projector Greeters (North Door) Greeters (West Door) Bob Friedman Madison Eddins Chris Wing, Gelene Evans Brent & Kate Smith, Dick & Connie Palmer Julie Dodds Dorothy Coffey Jeanne Faust Gelene Evans Peyton Durr Randy Gunsaulus, Kyle Abel, Mike Gunsaulus, John Dougan Julie Schaeffer Carol Davidson Bob & Janice Price Janice Price Liam Dougan Mike & Nancy Carney, Carl & Janet Smith Clarissa Wing James Macksey Jennifer & Elizabeth Good September Birthdays and Anniversaries Birthdays 2 Vicki Gunsaulus, Lisa Montgomery, Colby Black, Christy Friedman, Trey Warnick 3 Julie Crook, Eric Dodd 4 Justine Elliott, Elise Hiatt 6 Devin Abel 9 Shirley Brown, Jeanann Heath, Elijah Sander 13 Les Van Brogen, Michael Curtis 14 Devin Marshall, Mason Abel 16 Bud Pickett 17 Bev Curtis 18 Charlotte Auten, Miles Gunsaulus 19 Julie Brown 21 Nancy Wobschall 23 Morgan Arrowood 24 Desiree Eide, Gretchen Roth 25 Opal Snyder, Brady Cunningham 26 Gena Neasham September 25th Elder Acolyte Serving Deacons Video Projector Greeters (North Door) Greeters (West Door) Chris Wing Adrian Marshall Rowena Vansice, Joyce Guthrie, Deanna Schafer, Susan Daniels Matt Brown Susan Daniels Mary Ann Versteegh Anniversaries 2 Chris & Clarissa Wing 3 Dick & Shirley Lewis 4 Todd & Sue Anderson 8 Steve & LaVon Roth 23 Dan & Julie Crook 28 James & Caitlyn Reeder Preparing Deacons: Roger & Marilyn Fisher Page 5
Sunday School & Children s Worship Attention Church Family: Sunday School and Children s Worship begins on Sunday, September 11th. Sunday School starts at 9:00 a.m. until approximately 9:45 a.m. We welcome children from pre-school (must be potty trained) to 6th grade for Sunday School. Come and learn about Bible stories. We have a different story every month. Children s Worship is limited to children preschool (must be potty trained) through 4th grade. Come and learn about everyday objects and how they are a part of God s world and ours. Children s Worship is during Church. P.S.: I still need teachers Sunday School. Please contact me at 641-831-3553. Nancy Phillips, Sunday Morning Children s Education Coordinator Family Unity Night Family Unity Night activities begin Wednesday, September 14th! A light supper will be served from 5:45-6:15 p.m. Classes for children and adults begin at 6:15. Hope you will plan to attend! Family Unity Night Menus September 14th: Sloppy Joes Chips Corn Carrots Fruit & Cookies September 21st: Macaroni & Cheese Green Beans Carrots Fruit & Cookies September 28th: Pulled Pork on a Bun Hash Brown Casserole Lettuce Salad Applesauce & Cookies (menus subject to change) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Page 6
Church Office Hours The Church Office will go back to regular hours (8:00 a.m. - Noon) Monday - Friday beginning September 6th. Thank You! Thank You! Thank you! Thank You! To everyone who had a part in Bible School. I can not thank you all enough because without you it could not happen. Also a Big Thank you to all the children who came! It was a very fun and successful week! Janice Price Thank you to our church family for all the cards, gifts and well wishes for our 70 th Anniversary. You truly made our day. Blessing to all, Junior and Velma Ekins First Christian Church members, Thanks again for letting St. Luke UMC borrow the backdrop and Artwork CD for Vacation Bible School this summer! We are so thankful to have another successful year! In Jesus Name, Peg Ehler Music News: What are you doing September 1st, Thursday at 6:00 p.m.? Nothing? Well, do I have an opportunity for you! First Christian Church Choir begins Thursday, September 1st at 6:00 p.m. Did I mention that there is lots of fun? I also heard that the choir director is awesome. Come join us on Thursdays 6:00 p.m. starting September 1st. We have openings. See you September 1st at 6:00 p.m. When? What Time? Thanks, Cathi Wickett Page 7
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Pastor Mark Young 314 E. 2nd St. N. Newton, IA 50208 Phone: 641-792-5850 E-mail: fccnewton@gmail.com Web: http://fccnewton.org Fall Kickoff Sunday, September 11th