The Federated Messenger

Transcription

1 The Federated Messenger January 2018 I Quit! and Never Quit! by Pastor Ed Huntley As I make resolutions for the year of our Lord 2018, there are two messages running through my mind. The first message is, I quit! and the second message is, Never quit! Lest anyone thinks that I m losing my mind with these seeming contradictory messages, let me explain. Every follower of Jesus has sin in his or her life. We re forgiven, but we still struggle with sinful attitudes and actions that we need to get rid of. The apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Colosse, Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature, and he gives several examples of our earthly nature: sexual immorality, evil desires, greed, anger, slander, filthy language, lying and many more (see Colossians 3:5-9). We need to put these sinful attitudes and actions to death; in other words, we need to say about these sins, I quit. Now the power to quit sinning doesn t come from us; it comes from the Holy Spirit who lives within us. But we have to make the decision to quit. We have to admit the sin and ask for His help. We have to pray, Holy Spirit, help me to quit. What sin would you put in the blank? Lusting, lying, worrying, complaining, making excuses? Whatever the sin, know this for sure: the Holy Spirit has the power to help you quit! But the Christian life is not just about quitting; it s also about not quitting! We need to quit sinning, but we also need to keep on doing what is right and good. Paul tells the Colossians, Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive and over all these virtues put on love. (Colossians 3:12-14) Christians are called to live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (Ephesians 5:2) While we must quit sinning, we must never quit loving! Loving God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind; loving our neighbor as ourselves; loving one another in the Body of Christ; and loving the lost and the least in Jesus name this is what Jesus commands us to do, and we must never quit obeying Him! So in this new year, with the help of the Holy Spirit, let us quit sinning and never quit loving!

2 Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch By Joseph Preston A Place of Peace, A Place of Faith Whether you come to WLD Ranch frequently or infrequently, only during the summer or during other seasons, you know that this place has many wonderful things to see and enjoy for those who take the time to look. But WLD Ranch is more than just a beautiful landscape. The beauty of this place is deeply connected with the experiences and memories that we form while here. As a new year begins, take some time to consider your experiences here and the memories that you have, and rediscover WLD Ranch as a place of peace and a place of faith for peace and faith are at the heart of WLD Ranch's beauty. When camp is in full swing with swarms of campers around the property, peace and quiet may not be the first words people use to describe this place. But one of the most common feelings expressed about the WLD Ranch property throughout the year is how peaceful it is here. We have a theory. The peace that is felt here is not just a lack of noise, action, or distractions. Instead, the peaceful atmosphere indicates the presence of something that can only come from God. When people who have peace with God (Romans 5:1) gather in a place and let God's peace flow through their lives, peace transcends the setting. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). Faith is often thought of as a feeling of confidence, as if telling oneself that something will happen will make it so. But if you sit down on a chair and it collapses, did you just not have enough faith? When you trust that a chair will do its job of holding you up off the ground, it doesn t matter how much faith you have or how strongly you feel confident about it. What matters is if the chair is solid enough. Is it worthy of your trust? Faith is really about trusting someone worthy of trust. The mission of WLD Ranch is to guide campers and guests to Jesus as the Truth in life because we don t want faith to be misplaced. It is good to have faith if your faith is in someone worthy of your trust. Trust placed in Jesus is a faith that holds up because Jesus died for our sins and rose back to life so that we can live forever in a relationship with God. There is no point in putting faith in yourself or something else when Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6). From its start in 1963, WLD Ranch has been a place with a dream of reaching a neighborhood for Christ. God is using WLD Ranch to transform lives in a neighborhood that reaches far beyond the nearby roads. The neighborhood of WLD Ranch is every life touched by someone connected to WLD Ranch. People are finding the peace that only comes from knowing God through faith in Jesus, the one who is worthy of our January 2018 trust. Have you considered your experiences here and the memories that you have? Have you rediscovered your connection to this place? What will God do in you and through you because of your part in WLD Ranch? "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him..." (Romans 15:13). Springfield Senior Center Tuesday, January 9 ~ Devotions will be presented by Pastor Allan Thorpe, Albion Assembly of God. Since Senior Center was cancelled in December, we are delighted that Anna and Sarah Ring can join us this month for a beautiful musical program. Sisters from Conneaut, Anna plays the violin and Sarah plays the piano. Tuesday, January 23 ~ Devotions will be presented by Pastor Marty Critchfield, Bethel Assembly of God. The program will be announced. The meetings begin at 9:45 AM but come at 9:30 AM to join in with the senior ringers and singers! A home-cooked meal will be served at Noon. Good fellowship, blood pressure readings, exercises, lunch all for $3. Snow Closing: If Northwestern Schools cancel, Senior Center will not meet. TRAVEL WITH THE SENIORS June 1, 2018 to Shipshewana,IN We will enjoy the talents of Mark Lowry. Singer, songwriter, author and humorist. Mark Lowry is best known for penning the lyrics to Mary Did You Know? Dinner, show and lodging will take place at the Blue Gate Restaurant, Theatre and Inn plus buffet lunch at Potawatomi Inn. Also shopping, Hostetler s Hudson Auto Museum and other things are being planned. Only 40 seats available! Cost per person in a double room: $246. Triple $229 and Quad $220, due no later than March 27 th. See flyers in the Welcome Center for additional information. Questions/Reservations call Nancy Crabtree, or the Federated Church Office,

3 January 2018 OUTDOOR EXPO 2018 Friday and Saturday January 26 & 27 Tickets ~ $12.00 Our speaker for the Expo is Steve Sorensen. PEOPLE FOR LIFE COMING EVENTS Pro-Life Breakfast, January 13, 9 AM Bayfront Convention Center. Guest speaker, Ann McElhinney. Tickets on sale now for $ Ages 3-12 $8.00, Under age 3, free. Annual Bus Trip to Washington, D.C. January 19, leaving Erie Thursday evening January 18 at 11 PM. Limited to four buses, make your reservations early Steve is an award-winning outdoor writer and 3-time winner of Best Newspaper Column in Pennsylvania. He is the author of the book Growing Up With Guns, and has written for Outdoor Life, Deer & Deer Hunting, North American Whitetail, Sports Afield, Pennsylvania Game News, and more. He s on the pro staff for Havalon Knives, Alpen Optics, and Deer & Deer Hunting Online. Besides moose hunting, he enjoys hunting turkeys, deer, woodchucks and the eastern coyote. Visit his website at You won t want to miss this moose-size size event! Thank you to everyone who helped with the Funeral Dinners last year; either working or fixing delicious cakes and salads. If you would like to be a part of this helpful, loving ministry, please call Janice Payne, or Linda Vadzemnieks, or the Church Office, You will bless these families and receive a blessing too. We served 12 families last year. Thank you! - Linda Vadzemnieks March at Perry Square - January 27 Assemble at Perry Square by 10:45 AM March will get underway by 11 AM & conclude with a closing program,12:30 PM Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1126, Erie, PA Phone: and office@peopleforlife.org The Student Summer Missions Program is accepting applications for students interested in serving overseas for a short term missions trip. This program is for students in 8 th through 12 th grade who have a desire to serve overseas this summer. Please pick up an application and a requirements packet at the Welcome Center desk. If you have any questions please contact Pastor Steve.

4 January 2018 EQUIPPING DISCIPLESS IN SUNDAY SCHOOL Sanctuary Class A verse-by-verse study of the book of Proverbs, led by Jerry Hills in the Family Center. Good News Class Family Center, Room 1, is currently studying the book of Ecclesiastes with Seth Huntley and Sam Ring leading. Kingdom Bound Class Led by Andy Ward, studying His Story, Christ s Last Week in Room 12, Family Center. Celebration Class All are invited to this class in the church dining room currently studying the life and teachings of Jesus. Newcomers Class This class led by Paul Burgess in Room 31 in the church, is studying The Miracles of Jesus. Faith Chapel Ladies Class This class is studying the book of Revelation with Nancy Wuenschel leading. Ladies Class studying Thriving in Babylon in Room 10 on the ground floor of the church, team taught by Chris Naylor and Libby Anderson. Men s Class Studying various topics, led by Pastor Rick, Bob Pettis, and John Sargent, Family Center Rooms 10 & 11. College/Young Adult Class years Rooms 8 & 9 of the Family Center, exploring what the Bible says about topics relative to life, led by Mike and Cheryl Anderson and Brennan and Dorothy Plucknett. The ACTS Class which meets in the Family Center coat room is studying the Biblical relevance in our society of A. W. Tozer s book Man The Dwelling Place of God. Jeff Wuenschel is the facilitator. Moms & Daughters of the King come to be refreshed, encouraged and challenged in the journey of motherhood. This class meets in the Family Room, upstairs of the sanctuary, behind the balcony. Nursery 8:30 AM P. Machacek, B. Hopkins D. Brown, M. Conley C. Repoff, D. Gerety TBA Nursery 10:00 AM A. Hayes, TBA B. Blum, C. Pettis B. Hulley, M. Hulley S. Johnson, S. Stuyvesant Nursery 11:15 AM TBA L. Anderson, E. Corbett M. Barlow, A. Ring C. Owens, M. Oaks Toddler 8: :30 AM M. Egli C. Durfee, E. Durfee T. Pratt, M. Pratt TBA Toddler 10:00 AM A. Glover A. Glover A. Glover, L. Burgess D. Snyder, T. Snyder Toddler 11:15 AM B. Hulley, D. Rogers J. Huntley, C. Huntley B. Crosby, S. Wohlford V. Sontheimer, K. Wurst January Childcare Schedule Congratulations to Kevin and Amanda Nagle on the birth of their son, Eli Richard, born November 10, 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 19-1/2 long. Eli is welcomed by big brothers Titus and Reuben. Proud grandparents are Andy and Becky Ward.

5 SUNDAY MON. TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURS. FRI. SAT AM Golden :30 AM Elders & Deacons Prayer 7 8:30 & 11:15 AM Worship 5 PM AWANA, Ignite, Praise Choir 8 Ladies Bible 9 9:45 AM Senior Center AM Golden AM Tabitha Team 13 9 AM PFL Breakfast 6-10 PM Student Ministry NERFNIGHT 14 8:30 & 11:15 AM Worship 5 PM AWANA Small Groups 15 7 PM FOCAS 16 Elders & Deacons Meeting AM Golden March for Life 20 8 AM Outdoor Expo Prep Day 21 8:30 & 11:15 AM Worship 5 PM AWANA, Ignite, Praise Choir 22 Ladies Bible Study 23 9:45 AM Senior Center AM Golden OUTDOOR EXPO 27 OUTDOOR EXPO 28 8:30 & 11:15 AM Worship 5 PM AWANA Small Groups 29 1 PM Mobile Food Pantry AM Golden AND JOURNEY