A Note From Your Pastor · Bible Study will resume January 8, 2020 Wednesday, December í ô, pm...
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THIS WEEK AT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH For the week of DECEMBER 18, 2019 Friends, This is our last newsletter of 2019. Realizations like this cause me to look back and look ahead. The end of the year is a good time to look back, to remember, to celebrate the joys and grieve the losses. The beginning of the year is a good time to look ahead, to anticipate, to make plans and commitments, to renew our sense of our best selves. And yet, even as we prepare to enter a new month and a new year, it is so important to be present in the now. And these days ahead might illustrate that better than most. There are four more worshipping opportunities here at FCC to help us do that. Saturday is the shortest day of the year, the first day of winter, and the day we are having a Longest Night Service (at 5pm)—it’s a good time to sit honestly with our struggles even as we reach for the light. We have two Sundays left this year—times when we gather together to sing and pray, to hear scripture and reflect upon it. And Christmas Eve is less than a week away—a time when we sit with the joyful reality that God never leaves us alone, but chooses to be with us, always. I hope you will make a commitment to be present in the now over these coming weeks. Create space for worship. Create space amidst cooking and hosting and traveling and preparing to really be present with your family and friends. Create space for what you need, for taking care of your body and spirit. Also, remember, if you don’t have other plans on Christmas Eve after worship, my family and I would love for you to come to our home. We will have some soup and goodies and simply offer a warm place for us to be together. We love to share this night with our church family. If you are able to join us, please let me know ([email protected] or 417-439-7391) Hope to see you Sunday! Jill A Note From Your Pastor A Few Notes for Year End This is the last newsleer of 2019. The next newsleer will be January 2, 2020. If you want to share your regular year end offering on Christmas Eve, please make sure to mark it clearly as your regular offering. The special offering that night is for DVIP and all unmarked donaons will go there. All giſts need to be received in the church office by Monday, December 30 in order to be assured they are reflected on your 2019 statement. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your church staff. We are grateful to share ministry with you!
Transcript of A Note From Your Pastor · Bible Study will resume January 8, 2020 Wednesday, December í ô, pm...
THIS WEEK AT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH For the week of DECEMBER 18, 2019
Friends,
This is our last newsletter of 2019. Realizations like this cause me to look back and look ahead. The end of the
year is a good time to look back, to remember, to celebrate the joys and grieve the losses. The beginning of the year
is a good time to look ahead, to anticipate, to make plans and commitments, to renew our sense of our best selves.
And yet, even as we prepare to enter a new month and a new year, it is so important to be present in the now. And
these days ahead might illustrate that better than most. There are four more worshipping opportunities here at FCC
to help us do that. Saturday is the shortest day of the year, the first day of winter, and the day we are having a
Longest Night Service (at 5pm)—it’s a good time to sit honestly with our struggles even as we reach for the light.
We have two Sundays left this year—times when we gather together to sing and pray, to hear scripture and reflect
upon it. And Christmas Eve is less than a week away—a time when we sit with the joyful reality that God never
leaves us alone, but chooses to be with us, always.
I hope you will make a commitment to be present in the now over these coming weeks. Create space for worship.
Create space amidst cooking and hosting and traveling and preparing to really be present with your family and
friends. Create space for what you need, for taking care of your body and spirit.
Also, remember, if you don’t have other plans on Christmas Eve after worship, my family and I would love for you
to come to our home. We will have some soup and goodies and simply offer a warm place for us to be together.
We love to share this night with our church family. If you are able to join us, please let me know
([email protected] or 417-439-7391)
Hope to see you Sunday! Jill
A Note From Your Pastor
A Few Notes for Year End
This is the last newsletter of 2019. The next newsletter will be January 2, 2020.
If you want to share your regular year end offering on Christmas Eve, please make sure to mark it clearly as
your regular offering. The special offering that night is for DVIP and all unmarked donations will go there.
All gifts need to be received in the church office by Monday, December 30 in order to be assured they are
reflected on your 2019 statement.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your church staff.
We are grateful to share ministry with you!
This Week at First Christian Church December 18, 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join Bible Study on Wednesdays at
12:30pm. Upcoming scriptures are:
December 18: Matthew 1:18-25
Bible Study will resume January 8, 2020
Wednesday, December 18, 6pm
JYF Christmas Party (3rd-5th grades)
Friday, December 20, 7pm
CYF/Chi Rho Community Groups Gathering
at Clark home
There will be no Sunday School on December 29.
It will be as usual Dec. 22 and in 2020.
Be watching for more information about what
is to come in 2020!
CREATING SPACE…
ADVENT AT FIRST CHRISTIAN
This year at First Christian we are exploring what it means to “create space” in our lives. We hope you’ll be part of this journey with us. Please note the many ways you can do that.
Saturday, December 21 - Join us for worship at 5pm as we share in a Longest Night Service. This service acknowledges that this joy-filled season isn’t easy for everyone. Whether grief weighs heavy at this time of year or the long nights dampen your spirit or bring on depression, this service is for you. A nursery will be available. Sunday, December 22 - Join us for worship at 10am as we “Create Space for Love” and celebrate Kara’s commissioning. Tuesday, December 24 - Join us for worship at 7pm as we share candlelight and communion on Christmas Eve. Our offering this evening will be for DVIP (Domestic Violence Intervention Program). Sunday, December 29 - Join us for Brunch and Worship in Fellowship Hall as we “Create Space for Christ.” Light brunch will begin at 9:30am and worship will begin at 10am. No Sunday school today.
Advent Giving
There are several ways you can give to our
community this Advent:
Bring canned fruit for the Coralville Food Pantry
throughout December.
Bring hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves for
adults or children and place them on the tree or
in the basket inside the front door. We will
collect through Christmas Eve and give to DVIP. We encourage all ladies to join
together for a meal along with great
conversation at Coralville’s Texas
Roadhouse on December 19 at
5:30pm. Hope to see you there.
The Church office will be closed on
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Celebrating Ministry
On Sunday morning, December 22,
we will celebrate the Commissioning
of Kara Seaton to Christian Ministry. The service of
commissioning will take place within morning
worship and Tiff Williams, Associate Regional
Minister, will be with us.
Sunday, December 22, 2019—Creating Space for Love
Sunday, December 29, 2019—Creating Space for Christ
This Week at First Christian Church December 18, 2019
PRAYERS & PRAISES - DECEMBER 18, 2019
We pray traveling mercies and safe passage for all those who are traveling over the holidays.
We pray with gratitude for our children who led us in a beautiful service of worship on Sunday and for the adult leaders who did good work with them.
We continue to pray for our members and friends who are in a nursing home, homebound, have medical and physical needs and problems.
Please always let Pastor Jill know about surgeries, hospitalizations, or other pastoral care needs.
Notes for the New Year
THE FCC BOOK CLUB is reading A Single Thread by Tracey Chevalier, about young women in England between WWI and WWII when young men were scarce. We'll discuss it at Beth Smith's at 7 p.m. on January 23.
FCC Needs You
It’s Advent and we have savored the anticipation of the birth of Christ by making room in our lives for the promise of HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE. However as the chair of the Disciples Coordinating Team, I am looking forward to our continued winter worship services after Christmas. I want to encourage folks who have expressed an interest to serve in one of the many roles for each of our worship services to take a few minutes to go to the SignUp Genius links below and commit to at least one Sunday in January or February. I realize as Christmas is almost upon us we all are preoccupied with our own preparations, but PLEASE signup soon. If you have questions or need assistance signing up, please contact the coordinator listed next to each link. Thanks, Nancy McKinstry
Click links below or contact scheduler with questions/assistance. Training is available for these roles:
Greeter (6th grade—adult) - Beth Smith Usher (3rd grade—adult) - Beth Smith
Acolyte (K– 6th grade) - Nancy McKinstry Server (6th grade—adult) - Beth Smith
Reader - Maggie Keyser Children’s Moment - Nancy McKinstry
Communion Preparation and Clean Up - Maggie Keyser Fellowship Time Host/Hospitality - Nancy McKinstry
If you want to learn more about these ministries, contact the person listed:
Sound and Projection (A/V) - Laurie Dahms
Music Ministry - Laura Kittrell
Remember, the church office will be closed on January 1 - look for a January 2 newsletter.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Strings & Singers 8:30 AM
Sun. Sch./Adult Fellowship 9 AM
Worship/Children’s Program 10 AM IA Rockets Pies
Making 12 PM
Scouts 7-8 PM
16 17
Staff Mtg 10 AM Dinner Church planning 6 PM
BOARD MTG 7 PM
18
CRC @ New Song
10 AM
Bible Study 12:30 PM
JYF Christmas Party 6 PM
Nominating Comm 6 PM
Strings & Singers 7 PM
19
Ladies’ Night Out @
Texas Roadhouse
5:30 PM
20
Chi Rho/CYF
Community Group
Gathering 7 PM
21
Longest Night
Service / Nursery
5 PM
22
Strings & Singers 8:30 AM
Sun. Sch./Adult Fellowship 9 AM Worship 10 AM Scouts 6-8 PM
23 24 Christmas Eve
Service 7 PM
FCC Office CLOSED
25
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
FCC Office CLOSED
26 27 28
29
No Sunday School-Brunch &Worship
9:30 AM Scouts 6-8 PM
30 31
8-Amy & Rick
Elliott
20-Marilyn & Del
Gilmore
21-Sherry & Roger
Child
30-Jill & Finn
Meadows
31-Erika & Sara
Riggs
4-Alana Seaton
6-Jan Jensen
11-Emily Klein
12-Tom Klein
14-Brooklyn Mohr
17-Emily Greathouse
17-Finn Meadows
19-Beth Pelton
21-Kristin
Greathouse
27-Ruth Potter
ANNIVERSARYS: BIRTHDAYS:
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
FCC Office Closed
2
1st Newsletter of
2020 goes out
3 4
5
Strings & Singers 8:30 AM
Sun. Sch./Adult Fellowship 9 AM Worship 10 AM
Undecorate 11:15 Elders 11:15 AM
Scouts 3, 6 & 7
6 7
Staff Mtg. 10 AM
8
Bible Study 12:30PM
MPT (Jan-Apr 2020)
6PM
Strings & Singers
7 PM
9
Cluster 12 @ 12 PM
Arrow Chapter
7 PM
10 11
Quinn Thomas’
Eagle Scout
Ceremony 4:30 PM
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
DECEMBER 2019
January 2020
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
900 LINCOLNSHIRE PLACE
CORALVILLE, IA 52241-3615
Sunday Services:
10 AM Church Service
11 AM Coffee/Fellowship
Church Office Hours:
Monday thru Friday 9AM to 1PM
Phone #: 319-337-4181
Staff:
Pastor: Rev. Jill Cameron Michel
(home) 319-665-2276 (cell) 417-439-7391
Office Administrator: Peggy Bothell
Music Director: Laura Kittrell
Director of Christian Formation: Kara Seaton
Janitorial: Michael Hull
OUR GREATEST NEED
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness and acceptance,
so God sent us a Savior.
—Author unknown
