A Word from the Pastor

Transcription

1 Volume 10, Issue 51 December 19, 2018 Who We Are Liberty Road Faith Fellowship is a Multi-denominational gathering of Christians who enjoy traditional worship services. Where to Find Us We worship at 2734 Liberty Road. You can find us on the web at We Gather for Fellowship Coffee/Donut Fellowship Time: 9:00-10:30 a.m. in room 6 Thank you for helping us keep our church clean and tidy by keeping all the food and beverages in the Hospitality room (room #6) on Sunday mornings. We Gather for Bible Study The Living Faith Sunday school meets at 9:30 a.m. in room 9. Scot Reeves, teacher. The In Between Class meets at 10:00 a.m. in room 1. Hope Spoonamore, teacher. A Word from the Pastor pastor. My heart is merry, my spirit is light, and because of YOU, my beloved church family, I am truly at home in my new house here in Lexington where I get to live out my call to vocational ministry as your My prayer for you this Christmas is that your hearts are warmed by the Light of the World that is Jesus Christ. May you know the peace of Christ and take comfort in the Holy Spirit s abiding presence as you face the days ahead. May God guard you and sustain you in his loving kindness and grace that allows you to withstand hardship and heartache. May you be filled full-to-overflowing with the joy of living in an everdeepening relationship with God. May your hearts be open to our Lord s transforming work in you, for you are a child of God, an ambassador of goodwill to all people, and a harbinger of hope in this world; and finally, may you know the blessings of living as a holy priesthood, ministers to each other. Merry Christmas, brothers and sisters! Let us linger awhile at the manger and behold the miracle of God s love for us. Let us gaze, and be amazed at the almighty powerful, yet meek and innocent one who came to us in human form to walk among us and experience our pain, our frustrations, and our grief. Let us wonder how God could so love the world, that he would make a plan to restore our fallenness and make a

2 The Adult Bible Study meets at 10:00 a.m. in room 4. Bennie McWain, teacher. We Gather for Worship Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. way for our union with him forever. Such is the source of our hope! Such is the source of our peace! Such is the source of our joy! As beloved sons and daughters of God, let us keep these things, and ponder them in our hearts. Sincerely, Children s Church: 11:15 a.m. In room 5. Our Nursery is located in room 2. We re Looking Forward December 20 (Thursday) Girl Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. in Kearns Hall. December 23 (Sunday) Fourth Sunday in Advent 11:00 a.m. service. December 24 (Monday) Christmas Eve Service at 6:00 p.m.- Church Office Closed during the day. December 25 (Tuesday) Merry Christmas! Church Office Closed. No activities scheduled. December (Wednesday Friday) Church office closed due

3 to vacation schedules. December 31 (Monday) New Year s Eve Church office closed at NOON. Year-end contributions will be counted, deposited and posted for January 1, 2019 (Tuesday) Happy New Year! Church office closed. January 2 (Wednesday) The Current resumes. January 3 (Thursday) Girl Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 6 (Sunday) Epiphany Sunday Communion passed in the pews in the 11 a.m. service. January 7 (Monday) Women s Fellowship meets at 1:00 p.m. in room #3 for card ministry. January 8 (Tuesday) P.A.W. (Pray And Walk) from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 8 (Tuesday) Finance Committee meeting at 2:30 p.m. in the Library. Pause to P.A.W. (Pray And Walk) The new year is just around the corner! And with it, comes renewed efforts on our part to be better stewards of the condition of our minds, bodies, and souls. Beginning Tuesday, January 8, you will have the opportunity to begin addressing these facets of your life by attending Pause to P.A.W. Kearns Pray & Walk Hall will be open every Tuesday and Thursday for semi-directed prayer and walking from 11:00 to 1:00. You may come at any time during those two hours when it is convenient for your schedule. We will begin at 11:00 with a group prayer and sharing prayer requests, then begin walking (at your own pace) at 11:15. There will be a bowl of prayer requests from which participants may draw if they choose, or walkers may opt to pray their own prayers silently as they make their treks around the gym. Walkers may enjoy the reflective music being played each day, or you may choose to bring your own earbuds/headphones and listen to music of your choice. Your body will appreciate the physical activity in a warmer setting and you ll have the fellowship of others to inspire your progress. You will also have the opportunity to spend time in focused prayer and meditation as you walk with God. What a great way to begin the new year!

4 January 10 (Thursday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 10 (Thursday) Bridge Group resumes at 12:30 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 10 (Thursday) Girl Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 15 (Tuesday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 17 (Thursday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 17 (Thursday) Girl Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 20 (Sunday) Administrative Board Meeting at 12:15 in the Library. January 22 (Tuesday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 24(Thursday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Faith for the Holidays: Christmas By Jackie Bondurant... as the days on which the Jews had rid themselves of their enemies and the month in which their sorrow had turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday. He wrote that these were to be days of feasting and joy, of sending gifts to one another and to the poor. Esther 9:22 Our front porch is perfect for the Christmas season. Packages filled with surprise gifts for family members are frequently delivered to the door by UPS ready to be inspected and identified, marked as received, wrapped, and grouped by us according to family. The ring of the doorbell brings satisfaction and delight to the givers. You see, it truly is better to give than to receive. In case you hadn t noticed, God is very intelligent. He knows it s far better to be on the giving side. For example, one year we gave each of the grandchildren a suitcase with their name on it. Imagine the happiness of the parents knowing that each child had his/her own travel bag. Then, if you will, imagine their horror at discovering the insides were filled with hundreds of small trinkets and toys from a company that sells junk in bulk. Lol. Not that I don t want gifts! Bring them on. The simple truth is that the joy and gratification I get from seeing others eyes light up and/or the squeals of delight from grandkids fill my soul with happiness for about nine months when I begin searching for new sources of happiness. (BTW, they still use their suitcases all these years later!)

5 Hall. January 24 (Thursday) Girl Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 24 (Thursday) Missions Committee Meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Library. January 26 (Saturday) Legends Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. in Kearns Hall. Cameron Mills and Tom Leach will be our speakers. Be sure to mark your calendar. More information to come. January 29 (Tuesday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 29 (Tuesday) The Death and Resurrection of the Messiah Bible Study begins today at 1:00 p.m. in the Library. January 31 (Thursday) P.A.W. from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. in Kearns Hall. January 31 (Thursday) Girl Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. in Kearns Hall. Our Service Auction Is Growing! By Rev. Lisa V. Wood Landscaping, Honey-do s, and custom sewing! Oh my! Interest and support for our Service Auction is growing! These offerings of services will be auctioned off as a way of raising funding for some refurbishment of our sanctuary in Plan to attend our SOUP-er Bowl Sunday luncheon and dine on some hearty homemade soups and sandwiches following the morning worship on February 3, then stay and enjoy watching the fun of some lighthearted bidding competition as these and other services go up for bidding. If you would like to offer YOUR giftedness in the way of a service to be auctioned, please let Pastor Lisa know and she ll make a tag describing your service and add it to the bulletin board. Be sure to check the board each week for new services that may be of interest to you! This church is richly blessed with many talented folks who are willing to share their services. The auction is just another way of using our gifts to the glory of God and God s kingdom. A Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at the end of our morning service for the purpose of voting on the 2019 budget. Please make every effort to attend.

6 Prayer Requests To add a prayer request, please fill out a Prayer Request card, call the church office at , or submit a prayer request or update online by going to Libertyroadfaithfellowship.org. Most requests are left in the bulletin and newsletter for 2 weeks or so and will be taken out as space is needed for other requests. If you want your request to remain in for a longer period of time...please provide updates. Be joyful in hope, Patient in affliction, Faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 Pray for Ruby Ingram, who is dealing with multiple serious health issues. Ruby is a member, but lives at 60 Palmetto Loop, Apt. 1, Glendale, KY She enjoys reading The Current to stay in touch. Pray for Joey Maggard, a former student of Les Anderson. Joey is A New Bible Study in the New Year By Dr. Joanne Fortson Grasp new insights into the Bible and what it means for you as as we continue our Tuesday afternoon Bible study based on Ray Vander Laan's fascinating video series that weaves together the Bible's historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts. We will focus on "The Death and Resurrection of the Messiah" in a 10-week study beginning January 29. With two snow days planned into our schedule, we will finish this study a week before Easter. We look forward to your joining us at 1:00 in the church library (we will move to Kearns Hall if we get too many people to fit in the library). You do not need a book to participate in the study, but if you would like to have a study guide for additional materials you can go through at home, please let Joanne Fortson know. The books are $7.50 each. Women s Fellowship Update By Dr. Joanne Fortson The Women's Fellowship Group will meet Monday, January 7, at 1:00 at the church. We will decide what we want to "be" as a group for 2019, and also will prepare the monthly cards for our "Card Ministry." Whether you already are a part of this group -- or would like to be -- please plan on joining us. Please Note: There will not be a newsletter the week of Christmas. This is the last issue of The Current until Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

7 recovering from colon-rectal surgery. Pray for Joyce Reaguer, who is dealing with congestive heart failure at St. Joseph Hospital in room #420. Cards can be sent to 4232 Jasmine Rose Way, Lexington, KY Pray for Martha Lester, who is back at The Willows at Fritz Farm. You can send cards to 2710 Man O War Blvd., Room #215B, Lexington, KY Pray for Samuel Graham, grandson of Kimberly Youdell, who is now at home with daily seizure medication after experiencing a grand mal seizure. Kimm appreciates your prayers on his behalf. Pray for Jacob, a teenager in West Virginia, who is dealing with mental health issues. (M. Borders) Pray for the family of Jerry Gibbs, who died on 11/30. His wife, Jean, lives at 1800 Joan Drive, Lexington, KY It s Not Too Late to be a Bell Ringer! By Dr. Carolyn Purcell Those who have signed up will be ringing at the Richmond Road Kroger grocery entrance this coming Saturday, December 22. You can bring a stool if you can t stand for an hour, and I chose the Kroger on Richmond Road because we can be inside. The Army uses kettle money to provide Christmas for needy families and emergency shelter for the homeless all year long. Please check your calendar and sign up by calling Carolyn Purcell at (859) or ing her at cpurcellret1998@gmail.com. We continue to collect Mittens, Toboggans & Socks By Susan Slusher Women's Fellowship will collect these items all through the month of December for elementary children at both Liberty Road and Yates Elementary and will deliver the collected items the first of January God bless you for giving. Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8b

8 Pray for Jamie Svec as he prepares spiritually, physically and financially to leave for Jordan on January 2 January 30 to serve on a mission trip. Jamie s parents are Jim and Linda Svec. Pray for Jean Simpson, who is now at Baptist Health in S340. She has been diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a very serious illness that affects her muscles. She has had a slight improvement. Pray also for Jean s husband, Silver, who is dealing with serious health issues at home. Silver and Jean live at 1617 Cantrill Drive, Lexington, KY Pray for the family of Mike Rector, Jerrell Teague s cousin, who died on November 24 th. Pray for Chad Manley, as he begins four more chemo treatments; the first will be this week. Pray that he can tolerate these treatments so that he can have the second surgery on his liver. (Mary Anne Pollock) Congratulations!!! By Rev. Lisa Wood We join in celebrating Sonny Price s completion of his most recent Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) unit through St. Matthew s Counseling Center in Louisville. Sonny has been serving as our Spiritual Enrichment Coordinator since the fall and is facilitating our Care Team Leader reorganization sessions. His commitment to our church is evident in his willingness to involve himself in various aspects of our ministries. We are fortunate to have Sonny, his wife, Carrie, and daughter, Wrenn, sharing in the life of our church. Be sure to offer your congratulations and blessings when you see him. Christmas Schedule for The Current By Norma Smither Because of Christmas vacation schedules, the last issue of The Current for 2018 will come out on December 19. Our next issue will not come out until January 2, But because of the office being closed on Monday, December 31 st at Noon and Tuesday, January 1, 2019, any articles for the issue on January 2 nd will need to be sent to Norma by 8 a.m. on Monday, December 31, Our newsletter keeps us informed and connected. Thank you so much for all your help! Pray for Louise Sargent, who is

9 recovering from a broken femur and hip. Her address is 753 Glendover, Lexington Pray for John May, who is facing some serious health issues. His address is 104 Paige Drive, Nicholasville, KY Pray for Elmer Day, Kevin Maudsley s cousin, who has resumed chemo for pancreatic cancer. Pray for Steve Cohen, brother-inlaw of Kevin Maudsley, who needs prayers for recovery. Pray for our soldiers Faith Afield Pray for our service men and women who are active and also for our veterans who deal with difficult health issues every day as a result of their service to their country. Here are the names of the service people we currently know about. SSGT. Jamen Berry, son of Andy Berry, is in the Air Force in San Antonio, Texas. He will retire next Christmas Schedule for The Office Due to holiday and vacation schedules, the Church will be closed the entire week of Christmas, December On December 31, the office will be open until 12 NOON, so if you have any last minute contributions that you want to count for 2018, you will need to bring them to the office by noon that day. Contributions turned in that day will be counted, deposited and posted for Musings on a Day in December, 2018 By Roger Bain When we hear the hymns of old, the carols so new God s spirit flows through me and you. We love you, Lord, in Your arms we are held Save us from the world in which we dwell. A feeling came over me in the early dawn Was the Lord speaking to me, and leading me on? The sun rose in the sky and made me wonder, who was I? My mind is overcome with joy and memories of being a boy. Full of wonder of this vast universe And of our God, as the planets traverse. We are so small and quite ordinary, But God has made himself our sanctuary. He is the maker whom we seek, The spirit who dwells in us, each so unique.

10 summer. Senior Airman Benjamin Engelbrecht has completed his military service, has married, and is now living in Kentucky. Elnur Iskandarov nephew of Ginny Berry by marriage, is in the 10th Group, Special Forces Unit in Ft. Carson, Colorado. Capt. Ginny Iskandarov niece of Ginny Berry, graduated. Ginny is now attending the military college at Ft. Leavenworth for one year and is on the list for promotion to Major. Luke Pepperl, grandson of Jim Pepperl, is in Navy SEALs training at San Diego, California. Lt. Cameron Smith brother of Sean Smith, is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Jake Vessels grandson of Helen Crews, is in the National Guard. Jake has been deployed to Africa. Musings on a Day in December, 2018 By Roger Bain Forgive me, Lord, for my sins Those oversights which cause such pain. Help me - strengthen me - not to do them again. In my weakness my heart swells. Do not forsake me as you promised and in me dwell. Guide me, bless me, and those we love We praise you, Lord, in heaven above. Thank you, Sheri, Pam and Mitch! If you noticed these lovely arrangements outside by the benches this past Sunday, you can thank Sheri Seckman, Pam Gilkerson and Mitch Borders for taking the time and effort to get these together. Granted, Mitch did the lifting, but he was needed and he is always willing to help. Sheri is the artist and usually has a vision for things like this and Pam keeps her on track. (You would think they were sisters!) Our modest friends do not like to have their pictures made, so we will just say, Thank you, Pam, Sheri and Mitch for taking your time and using the gifts God gave you to make these pieces of art for everyone to enjoy! It s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

11 Please send Ginny Berry any updates on the status of these persons change in rank, address, new assignment Her address is Martha Ministry Team members for December are Ginny Berry, Ann Crowe, Tandy Haggard, Nancy Robinson, and Jeanette Grindstaff. If you cannot serve, please contact one of the co-chairs of the Martha Ministry: Susan Slusher, at (606) or Valda May at (859) and they will be glad to reschedule you for another month. Current Administrative Board for Roger Blair, Chair; Richard Baber, Paul Engelbrecht, Rachel Jones, Hope Spoonamore, John Leindecker, Ann Lucas, John May, Liz Peters, Jackie Bondurant, Bd. Secretary; Mitch Borders, Treasurer; Kevin Maudsley, Paul Taylor. Thanks Mitch and Paul! Mitch Borders and Paul Taylor were here for hours on Wednesday, replacing one of our water fountains. We were not able to repair the one we had because it was pretty old, so Herb Blakeman (who is not pictured), found us another one. We were so fortunate to have the expertise of these guys because it would no doubt cost a LOT of money just for the labor. Thank you, Mitch, Paul, and Herb for taking the time to donate your time in resolving this issue. You are all very much appreciated! Pictures from our Church Family Album... What a good picture of Annetta and Marsha! We love you girls!

12 Deadline for The Current Prayer requests, committee news or announcements, and personal interest stories should be submitted by NOON on Monday for inclusion in the next issue of The Current. Please send them by to libertyroadfaithfellowship.org Deadline for the Bulletin Announcements for the Sunday bulletin should be sent to Norma by NOON on Wednesdays at Ann Crowe will continue to post events/dates on our website calendar, so if you have an event that needs to be posted please notify her at by NOON on Wednesdays. Left: This is what Christmas is all about! Worshipping together and sharing the story of the birth of our Savior with our family! I m sure there is plenty of Christmas chaos in the home of Mike and Vicki Brown on Christmas morning, but oh what joy they share! What a beautiful family!!! Mike and Vicki are pictured on the left. Also pictured is their daughter, Stephani, and her husband, Johnny, with children: Lucy Edmund, Rhodes, Jack, Stefan and Reed. Mike and Vicki s grandson, Aidan, is in Florida. Above: Precious friends, Rev. Jim and Betty Hensley came to visit.

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