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Staying StrongFor students in school this is the

stretch between Christmas

vacation and Spring break. It is

no time to let your guard or your

studies down. ISTEP, SAT, ACT,

and all the other tests make

spring an important step to our

future.

As a church we are in the midst

of the Lenten season, that period

from Ash Wednesday leading up

to Resurrection Sunday. This is a

time of diligence, faithfulness,

staying plugged in.

One of the greatest functions of

the local church is to stabilize

our lives in Christ. Our church

families are there for us whenthings are going well and when

hard times hit. But the key is

staying involved over the long

haul. It doesn’t work to

simply show up in crisis

mode - we have to be there

for the doldrums as well.

Hey friends, don’t get tired of

each other. Hang in there!

COMING UPJust so you know, we will be

providing concrete teaching related to the family in the

coming months andprograms for all. Beyond my

own regular

Biological Church Growth: Thanks to James & Julie and Eli Douglas

WE REALLY ENJOY seeing the Cavalcantegrandkids whenever they are able to make itover to FCC.

SISTERS? Cousins having a great timehanging out. Are you getting your kids to FCCfor all of the quality children’s programming?

SAFETY FIRST The family is God’s rst lineof instruction in our children’s lives. Churches,clubs, and schools are there to supplement, notreplace.

FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH MARCH 2010 DR. RANDY SMITH, LEAD PASTOR

WWW.FAITH-COMMUNITY.BLOGSPOT.COM

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preaching, I am lining up our

stellar Christian Education

teachers for the 2010-2011

season. Together we aim to

keep our FCC family strong.

1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore

encourage oneanother and buildeach other up, justas in fact you are

doing. (NIV)

Lenten ThoughtsKenCollins.com

• • •We avoid Lent and Holy Week because it isn’t ahappy and uplifting time—but to be honest,neither is most of life. Sometimes we come tochurch all scrubbed up, dressed nicely, withsmiles on our faces, and when people ask howwe are, we reply that everything is fine and weeven boast how wonderful things are—but it isall a lie. Life is not always uplifting, or wonderful,or pleasant, or joyous—but we have been taughtthe lie that for spiritual people like us, it must beso.

Yet when Jesus came in the flesh and dwelt amongus, and suffered hunger and thirst and heat andcold and betrayal and loneliness, and finally also

pain and agony and death upon the cross, He gavedignity to His little ones who suffer. He gavedignity to us! Everyone avoids a sad person,except Jesus Himself who is much acquainted withsorrow. Jesus was the only person who gave thedemoniac of the Gadarenes his dignity, the only

one who could exorcise him. Jesus faced the manwho lived in a cemetery, naked and screaming allday and night and calmed his spirit and healed hissoul. How can you think that this same Jesuswould be repelled by your pessimism or your cynicism or your sadness or your grief? How coulda man who seeks the company of demoniacs berepelled by you?

The people of this world believe in the power of positive thinking and in happiness, and in believing these things, they are very shrewd. For people of this world have only the presentmoment, and if they are unhappy in it, they have

lost something. But we who are Christians canendure unhappiness and sadness and lonelinessand backstabbing and betrayal and friendlessnessand poverty and hunger and thirst; we can facemourning and grief and even death, because Jesusfaced all those things. As Christians, we know thatJesus’ suffering was His way to glory, and hisCrucifixion was the door to His Resurrection. Weknow that He ascended on high and sits, alive and

well, at the right hand of His Father, where Herules over all things. We can face our owncrucifixions in life, because we know that we willshare in His Resurrection on the Last Day!

WELCOME HOME: WILL WE SEE YOU THERE?

Sunday School for all ages 9:30am

Sunday Worship 10:45am

Wednesday Nights 6:30pm

54662 Ash Road, Osceola, IN 46561

574-674-8494

faith-community@sbcglobal.net

www.faithcommunityonline.us

AROUND CAMPUS

There’s a baby on the way for the Conrads this Fall

There’s a wedding coming up inLindsay’s life this Spring

Lenten Season