The Greatest Valentine Ever

Transcription

1 January 2016 Vol. 65 No. 1 The Greatest Valentine Ever For God so loved the world, That He gave His only BegottEn SoN That whoever Believes In Him Should Not perish, But have Everlasting life. John 3:16 Church Office I Fax I lcchurch@lincolnchristianchurch.org

2 Ron Otto Preaching Minister Messy Church The story has been told for years of a church that split over an argument of whether or not Adam had a belly button. It would seem a local artist painted a mural in the church of Adam in the Garden of Eden. He didn t paint a belly button on him. The church people began to discuss, then debate, and then fight over the issue until there was actually a church split. The group that believed he had a belly button left mad and started the First Christian Naval Academy. (Okay, I made that last part up, but that s funny!) We admit it: Lincoln Christian Church isn t perfect. We re full of messy people. Our volunteers, staff members, and leaders don t have it all together. In fact, every one of us is a sinner. Each of us has a story about how Jesus met us in our mess and has been changing us from the inside out ever since. And the people who attend here are sinners, too. Jesus didn t seem to mind messy people. He spent time with many messy people and messy situations. He didn t isolate Himself from messy. The same way a doctor is moved to heal the sick, Jesus came to bring healing to us (Matthew 9:10-13). I guess the biggest difference between Jesus day and ours is that being a mess was still unacceptable then and now is widely acceptable. Just because the world tells you to be tolerant of people s mess doesn t give us permission to go against God s word. That kind of open acceptance is only adding to the world s messiness. However, it s messy people and messy ministry that Jesus came to work with. He had the hardest time trying to get the religious of his day to understand that. One way he tried was in parables. Take the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15). Like so many of Jesus parables, this one was told in the presence of two groups of people people who understood their lives were a mess and people who were convinced their lives weren t. And in this case, Jesus was speaking primarily to those good and religious people. The parable is simple: a sheep has wandered off and the shepherd will not rest until he has found it. What a mess the sheep had made of his life! How will the shepherd react when he finds it? You stupid sheep. How dare you wander off from me? No, he doesn t rebuke it. You dumb, disobedient sheep. I ll teach you to wander off! No, he doesn t punish it. You filthy sheep! Clean yourself up right now. No, he doesn t make it clean itself up. I can t have a sheep like you polluting my flock. You will have to go now! No, he doesn t get rid of it. Big shock. He hoists that heavy, dirty sheep onto his shoulders and carries it home, rejoicing all the way, and then He throws a party to celebrate?! The point? God isn t put off by messy people. He loves to save sinners. He doesn t save those who are righteous and whose lives are all put together, he saves those who are a mess. I came for the sick, He said. Since God is in the business of saving sinners, we are a church full of sinners those who are still wandering and those who have only just been found. If our church has the heart of God for messy people, then we will be a church full of people with problems, full of people showing the consequences of a life of wandering. Our church isn t perfect. It is a place where people don t have everything together. It is messy. And thank God it is. Current Sermon Series in I Corinthians Feb 7 Moral Disorders 5-6 Feb 14 Married or Single Loving Jesus 7 Feb 21 True Freedom 8-9 Feb 28 A Warning from Israel s History 10 Mar 6 The Cup We Choose 11 Mar 13 The Divine Design 12 & 14 Mar 20 Love is 13 Mar 27 Because We re Resurrected 15

3 Brandon Boyd Minister of Adult Discipleship Adult Sunday School These classes meet for study and friendships. You can visit any class, any Sunday. A Sunday School class is a great first step for those new to Lincoln Christian Church or new to the Bible. Visit several classes and join the one that is best for you. Beacons (9:30 a.m.) Senior Adults Meets in Room 15 Current Topic: Old Testament Holy Days Crusaders (9:30 a.m.) Empty-Nesters Meets in Room 16 Current Topic: Understanding the Crusades The Open Door (9:30 a.m.) School-Age Families Meets in Room 305 Current Topic: Life s Big Questions Friendship Corner (9:30 a.m.) Senior Adults Meets in Room 10 Current Topic: Standard Lesson Series Little Lambs (9:30 a.m.) Mixed Ages Meets in Room 300 Current Topic: Book of Acts Encouragers (9:30 a.m.) Empty-Nesters & Senior Adults Meets in Family Room #1 Current Topic: Ephesians SonSeekers (9:30 a.m.) Mixed Ages Meets in Room 303 Current Topic: Learning to Pray Navigators (11:00 a.m.) Young Adults Meets in Family Room #1 Current Topic: The Truth Project For the latest information on the adult discipleship ministry, check out the website lccdiscipleshipministry.wordpress.com. Man on Fire Study Join Tim Becke as he leads a men s study discussing the key issues, needs, and Biblical solutions for men. God is calling each man to authentic Christian manhood. New study begins on February 3, based on the bestselling book by Kyle Idleman God s at War. This hard-hitting study will change the way you look at life from this point forward. Man on Fire Strength Training Who: Men ages 20+ What: Stability Ball Training. Will be teaching fundamentals of having a solid rock foundation. When: Saturday, February 6, 7:00-7:30 a.m. Where: Reps Gym, 300 S. McLean St., Lincoln. Wednesday Study We will be looking at key events in the final week of Jesus ministry. Different teacher each week. Feb. 3 Dr. Barney Wells Jesus and the Last Supper Feb. 10 Dr. Marion Henderson s classic Gethsemane lecture via video. Feb. 17 Dr. Tom Ewald Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus Feb. 24 Dr. Brian Messner Jesus Trial Before Pilate.

4 Zach Ramsey Student Ministries Weekly Programs for 5 th -12 th Graders! Check out our parent website lccsmparents.wordpress.com! There you will find info about all of our programs and events as well as the lessons that your students are learning about Parent Texts Hey Parents, please sign up for our text messages for Jr. High and High School. For Jr. High, text Join Fuel to For High School, text Join Gathering to This is the easiest and fastest way to get updated news about the ministry. Grab a Spring Calendar! Jr. High and High School Calendars are available at the Youth Info Desk (Back of Welcome Center). These calendars have important info about all of our spring events. SuperBowl Party HIGH SCHOOL ONLY! Join us for the Big the church building on Sunday, February 7, 5:00-9:00 p.m. (until game is finished)! We will watch the game, eat pizza, play dodgeball, have a ping-pong tournament, have Nerf Wars, and a few surprises with LASERS! Don t miss out! Cost is $10. Jr. High BASH! Friday, February 12, 6:00-9:00 p.m., come hang out at the church building. We will eat food, play dodgeball (glow in the dark and regular), and have real life Mario Cart Races! Only $5! 2 nd Annual Presidents Day Dodgeball Tournament High School Monday, February 15 at Noon, we will have a 6-on-6 Dodgeball Tournament. Create a team. Cost is $6 per team. There will be awards for the winners! Believe 6 th -8 th Grade Hey 6 th -8 th Graders, mark your calendars. Believe is April in Anderson, IN. $110 plus 3 meals. Be sure to grab a packet for more info at the Youth Information Desk (Back of Welcome Center). A Non-Refundable deposit of $55 due Sunday, February 28. CIY Scholarship 8 th Graders who go to Believe, get $100 off the price of Move! Move 8 th Grade- Graduated Seniors Move is July 4 9 in Holland, MI. $350 plus 4 meals. We will have our Buy a Stake Fundraiser in April to help you raise funds for your trip. Be sure to grab a packet for more info at the Youth Information Desk (Back of Welcome Center). Non-Refundable deposit of $80 is due Sunday, March 6. IMPORTANT Kroger Reminder! If you are interested in or already have a Kroger Plus Card and would like to help fund raise for LCC's General Youth Fund by easily earning rebates on shopping you'll already be doing, please see the 1/2 pink sheet &/or Jenni at the Youth Info Desk (back of Welcome Center) on Sundays or in the Office during the week! If you enrolled your Kroger Plus Card with LCC in 2015, we thank you for your earnings! If you'd like to continue in 2016 (or start now!) you'll need to re-enroll every January and this is our annual friendly reminder with detailed instructions at the Youth Info Desk to start having 2016 earnings actually count towards us! We don t want your efforts to be wasted! :)

5 KIDS WORSHIP Treasure Island! February 2016 Kids, come explore with us as we search Treasure Island to DISCOVER some incredible Bible lessons! Each week we will dig deep into the Bible where we will find ways that we can give to our great God! Paul said in 1 Timothy 4:12, Don t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example There are lots of ways kids can be a great example and one is by learning to give unselfishly. We ll be finding out how we can give our talents, time, treasures, and lives to God every day! Our key verse for the month is, Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:8 Moms and Dads, here s where we ll journey on Treasure Island if you want to talk about it with your kids at home! The Israelites Build the Tabernacle Exodus 35:10-36:7. We use our talents for God. Nehemiah Gives His Time to Rebuild the Wall Nehemiah 2:1-6:16. We use our time for God. Marcia Wells Children s Minister Jesus Tells About the Widow s Offering Mark 12: We give our treasures to God. The Rich Young Ruler Matthew 19: We give our lives to God. Sign up during the month of February at the Children s Check-In Area for Becoming a Christian Class, offered to kids 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. We will explore what the Bible says about becoming a Christian and living life as a Christ follower. Class will meet February 29, March 7, 14, 21 at 3:30-5:00 p.m. each week. Valentine s Pretzels Available two Sunday s only, February 7 and 14. Valentine Pretzel Sticks can be purchased to help LCC Preschool. They are a great gift for those you love and appreciate! These delicious chocolate covered pretzels won t last long, so make sure to stop by the table in the Family Room. They can be purchased individually or in packages. Thank you for helping our preschoolers! Join M.O.M.s this semester there s always room for you! If you are wondering what M.O.M.s is all about, here s some information sent from our M.O.M.s Leadership Team. M.O.M.s this semester is all about strengthening ourselves as women, as mothers, and as followers of Christ so that we can serve our God with all that we have and to the best of our abilities! We will be doing a variety of minitopics, but our biggest study will be on Lysa Terkeurst's The Best Yes. We would love to have you join us as we gather each Wednesday night! Child care is available. Our class is always open to mothers of all ages and of all stages of motherhood. We love learning from each other and from The Word. Come be a part of this community of women facing the same trials and blessing as you! Kids Club Wednesdays, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Kids 3-years-old through 4th Grade Join us as on our weekly adventure as we discover the Truth about what God says about US! 2016 Family Bible Discovery Plan Monthly topical readings to help kids Discover more about the Bible, plans to help families Connect with one another and others, as well as ideas for ways your family can Impact our community and world. Pick one up for your family at the Children s Check-In Area today!

6 Laurin Hill Worship Minister Computer Volunteer Needed We need a computer volunteer to operate the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services once a month. Please let me know of your availability and interest ASAP, and I will explain the time commitment and training. Thank you for your prayerful consideration! TUA-Y-C-EBF coming March 19! Mark your calendar - The Ultimate All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Fundraiser is March 19! All proceeds benefit Good News as we raise funds for our annual ministry tour in June. The TUA-Y-C-EBF menu includes: pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, and fried potatoes. Carry-out is available (but not if you have eaten-in.) Get your tickets from any Good News student or in the church office from February 21 to March 13. Each student has tour fees to participate in Good News. All proceeds from tickets purchased from a Good News student will go directly to that student s tour fee. Any tickets sold in the church office or at the door will go to help support additional tour expenses. Tell a friend or two or ten or twenty! Good News appreciates your continued support of our ministry as we prepare to take the Good News of Jesus on tour to Orlando, Florida. MOVE THAT BUS! also begins March 19 during TUA-Y-C-EBF. Be watching for more details. Holy Week Opportunities to sing! For those who sing... Easter is March 27. There are two opportunities to lift your voice with us. 1. Sing with the Sanctuary Choir as we prepare for The Service of Shadows a very special service during Holy Week on Thursday night, March 24. The Service of Shadows is a journey as Jesus meets with His disciples in the upper room and on to the garden of Gethsemane to prepare to go to the cross. It is a very special heart-preparation service filled with moving music and gripping video images and this year will include a traditional Jewish Seder meal for the whole family. We will begin the music for The Shadow of the Cross on Wed, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Questions? See/ call/ /text/laurin. 2. Easter Worship Choir for our combined Easter Sunday morning worship services (two services this year; times TBA, but we ll still get you out in plenty of time to get to grandma s house!) at the LCU Chapel. There are a couple of rehearsals on Sunday afternoons in March to choose from you only need to come to one. Watch for more details. Important Dates for Your Calendar! Sat., Mar. 19 Good News The Ultimate All-You- Can-Eat-Breakfast Fundraiser; 6:30 a.m. - noon Thu., Mar. 24 Service of Shadows/Seder Meal; 7:00 p.m. Sun., Mar. 27 Our Easter Sunday Services will be at the LCU Chapel; times TBA Mon., Apr. 18 Kid s Choirs Musical; 6:30 p.m. Apr HeartSong Choir Mini-Tour HeartSong Home Concert, Sun., Apr. 24; 4:00 p.m. Mon, Jun. 6 Good News Home Concert; 7:00 p.m. Jun Good News Tour to Orlando, Florida

7 Global Impact Highlight: Barbara O Donohue COPE Mission Kenya, Africa Greetings to Lincoln Christian Church from the COPE Mission. We thank God for the goodness of His grace in 2015 and look forward to doing His will, for His honor and glory, in The beginning of the 2016 school year was the 4 th of January. The number of students has been reduced by 20 students, bringing our student body to 630 children. The reduction in students was planned so that our class sizes will become more manageable. Currently, there are some classes that have 60+ children which makes it almost impossible to assist each student. It was the plan for the two on-the-ground Administrators, Jacinta and Jane, to come to the USA to meet the people who support the Mission. They had appointments in November at the American Embassy in Nairobi but were refused a visa. They had a second appointment on the 13 th of January and were refused again. We are very disappointed, but wait on God s plan and His timing. The COPE employees are very thankful for their jobs. In our area there are very few jobs available. Considering that the majority of our non-teaching employees have not been to school is significant. The Jesus film continues to be taken out to the communities that need to hear the Gospel in their own language. Every other Sunday, we take our church service out of our compound to different locations in the community to share God s Word with families in need of knowing Jesus. Every Wednesday morning, we have a Prayer Assembly with all the students and employees participating. We pray that Satan be chased from Pokotland, the Pokot invite the Holy Spirit to come to Pokotland in all His power, and that each Pokot accepts Jesus Christ as a personal Savior. Our nearly 700 family members thank God for our brothers and sisters in America and ask God to bless you and keep you strong. That is also prayed every day in Barb O Donohue s house. May God bless you as you continue to bless the least of His children. Spring for Tea Tickets Go On Sale! The tickets will be available for purchase in the Church Office February 1 April 2. The Harvest of Talents Spring for Tea is Saturday, April 23, 11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. in our Fellowship Center. Tickets are $25 each. All proceeds go toward feeding hungry people worldwide. News for the Family New Members by Baptism: Steve Evans 1/5/16 Taylor Rich 1/17/16 Welcome to the Family! Sympathy and Prayers Our sympathy and prayers are with Karl Fig & Donna Newton, Phil & Sue Newton and family at the passing of Ashley Colebar; with Vince & Janet Long and family at the passing of Janet s brother, Robert (R. C.) Anderson; and with Craig & Marcia Bidwell at the passing of Craig s mother, Jeannette Young. Weekly Statistics Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015 Worship 877 Worship 781 Sunday School 303 Sunday School 261 Offering $29, Offering $23, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 Worship 837 Worship 692 Sunday School 327 Sunday School 325 Offering $20, Offering $19, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 Worship 773 Worship 876 Sunday School 321 Sunday School 382 Offering $23, Offering $20, IF: GATHERING Annual Women s Conference February 5 & 6, First United Methodist Church, Lincoln. Join women from across the globe for this 4- session/2-day interdenominational conference discerning God s calling for women today. Women of all ages welcome! Come to any or all 4 sessions; walk-ins welcome. For more info or to register, visit online at Save the Dates: June 26-30, 2016 Vacation Bible School!

8 The Call is published monthly by Lincoln Christian Church, 204 N. McLean St Lincoln, IL U.S.P.S periodical postage paid at Lincoln, IL Postmaster: Send change of address to Lincoln Christian Church 204 N. McLean St, Lincoln, IL