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1 The Karusograph A ministry of Volume 54 November 20, 2012 Issue 47 Volunteers Needed for Grab n Go We need help during the week of December to help organize the donations. Would you be willing to help? The shifts are 1-3 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. People are also needed to help at the Grab n Go on Saturday, December 15 from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and also to help with the tear down from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. If you can help, please call the church office at or signup sheets will be available in this Sunday s bulletins. Bible School Christmas Program Sunday, December 16 9:30 a.m. The youth will present the program under the direction of Melanie Cheatham. Christmas Eve Services Monday, December 24 5 & 7 p.m. Come and enjoy a play entitled Christmas Rewind as we prepare for the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There will be a congregational meeting on Sunday, December 2, at both morning worship services to vote on the 2013 Ministry Action Plan (budget).

2 The Gospel According to Greg Greg Taylor I mentioned Sunday during the Thanksgiving quiz about the account in Luke 17 of Jesus healing the ten lepers in verses 11 through 19. Let me remind you of this incredible thanksgiving account: 11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have pity on us! 14 When he saw them, he said, Go, show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner? 19 Then he said to him, Rise and go; your faith has made you well. Do you ever consider why only one of the ten returned to say thanks to Jesus? Doesn t really make sense, does it? Christian author Charles Brown has speculated what the other nine might have been thinking: One waited to see if the cure was real. One waited to see if it would last.

3 The Gospel According to Greg (cont d) One said he would see Jesus later. One decided that he had never had leprosy. One said he would have gotten well anyway. One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "O, well, Jesus didn't really do anything." One said, "Any rabbi could have done it." One said, "I was already much improved." We are called to be thankful people all the time. I love the Message translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. No matter what living that is what the thankful life is all about! Have a great week see you Sunday for Ask the Pastor Sunday! Greg

4 November 18, Facts & Figures Our Witness Through Giving General Fund Giving this Week $17, M.A.P. Weekly Need $19, Shortage $ 1, Our Witness Through Attendance Worship: =694 ( 12 Ave. 638) Bible School: 281 ( 12 Ave. 274) Decisions for Christ & His Church This Week Yearly Totals Baptisms: 0 22 Transfers: 1 11 Rededications: 0 6 Christian Service: 0 0 Total 39 Sunday, November 25, :15 am 11:00 am Distributing Bulletins Vickie Moore Ellen Allen Linda Cooper Diane Larson Edna May Sprague Kenje Underwood Information Center Attendants Connie Bundy Cindy Taylor Debbie Followell Dan & Mary Holland Danny Bundy Allan Bell Bryan Martin Greeters Door Assistants Allen & Barb Trago Serving Outside Communion Shut-Ins: Jim Defebaugh Hospital: Dave Donnelly Liberty Village: Marvin Hubbell Ty Osterbur Information About the Church Greg Taylor Minister of Preaching & Teaching greg@clintonfcc.com (217) J. Kent Hickerson Minister of Pastoral Care (217) Ernie Harvey, Jr. Minister of Children & Jr. High ernie@clintonfcc.com (217) Adam Brucker Minister of High School, College Age & Technology adam@clintonfcc.com (309) Jim Coonce Minister of Worship jim@clintonfcc.com (217) Karen Rice Office Manager karen@clintonfcc.com Peggy Jones Ministerial Admin. Assistant peggy@clintonfcc.com Leslie Gwozdz Financial Admin. Assistant leslie@clintonfcc.com Office Phone (217) Office Fax (217) Office karen@clintonfcc.com or office@clintonfcc.com Office Hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday Lest We Forget Those We Love Memorials were given in memory of: Wade Lowrey Irene Bynum

5 Young at Heart David Buck, Coordinator We all make mistakes. We all have weaknesses. The Bible says that we are not to have a hard-hearted, critical spirit toward each other and to show mercy to one another just as God for Christ s sake has done for us. For there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:11 KJV We ll enjoy the 5 th of December, with the Heyworth choir coming to sing Christmas songs for us. We are so blessed to have them come each year and bring us seasonal joy. We will also have our Angel Tree Silent Auction (don t forget the item to be auctioned off) then we will have our gift exchange (bring a gift for the same sex). It will be a fun and very giving day. Thank you, all! So don t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time. Matthew 6:34 TLB Such a fine and happy trip we had to Branson. The shows were excellent and the food was glorious. On our last evening, the Sight and Sound Theater presented the story of Joseph and it really gave us an understanding of his life. Branson is such a nice place to start the holiday season and gave us such warm hearts. We ll be going to Lincoln Christian University on the 29 th of November for Christmas in the Chapel, an elegant production. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear Psalm 46:1 NIV The bottom line is this God s ways work, man s ways don t. God condemns judgment, criticism, and suspicion, and so should we. Love what God loves and hate what He hates. Allow what He allows and disallow what He disallows. Trust and faith bring joy to life and helps relationships grow to their maximum potential. Unknown Jack & Janine Swanson, missionaries to Chile, ask for support of their children s ministry in Santiago, Chile, through the sale of marble people nativity sets. They sell for $30 each and will be on display, in the church foyer, before & after services on Sunday, November 25th. These miniature marble figurines are all hand-made and hand-painted by one family in southern Chile. Ten sets are available for purchase. To learn more about this ministry, please visit

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 Hospital Prayer List John Warner Mabel Rich Bromenn Jim Staton Wanda Wilson Out of Area Luke Tarr (CA) Nursing Home Updates Delmar Foster to Manor Court/ Liberty Village, Clinton, IL Memorial Service for Norma Rich Saturday, November 24 1:00 p.m. First Christian Church Sanctuary Calvert Funeral Home in charge of service Released from the Hospital Chase Shiels Virginia Mitchell Carl Anderson Sadie Bell Linda Berry Garry Bryan Charles Buck Julie Burger Pat Butler Brad Campbell Edna Carter Kay Chapman Freck Cooper Bill Cox Merle Cox Hunter Craft* Jim Defebaugh Lois DeJaynes Patty Douglas Carol Duncan Candi Evans Allen Follis Betty Fortune Patricia Foster* Ron Fulfer Shelly Finfrock Gardner Special Prayer Requests Sandy Gaston Tim Greenwood Brenda Griffin Tricia Haley Elaine Hallick Cheryl Haynes Judy Hedrick Kyle Hendrix Jackie Hunt Jerrod Hurst Cooper Kennedy (infant) Kathy Kirchgesner Rachel Litherland Ed Martin Lauren Martin Mark Martin Carl Bud Miller Deloris Miller Roger Miller Alex Moore Jimmy Moore Tammy Moore Nick Nosbisch Lynn Norris * New Names Kirt Oakley Helen Perkins Robert Peters Nancy Remmers Raymond Rhoades Randy Roy Mary Shofner Bob Simmons Gary Simmons James L. Smith Shirley Smith Bonnie Sprague Deborah Strain Sheryl Swearingen Rebecca Tellefsen Emily Titus Jessica Torres Jill Monroe Utley Angela Walters Dave Ward Jerry Wesley Chris Winebrinner Vernadine Witt

7 This N That Angel Tree Adoptions Again this year, FCC has the opportunity to adopt children through Angel Tree. If you are interested in adopting a child this Christmas, please contact Leslie Andrews at or her at lkvolker@gmail.com. Help donate to Hurricane Sandy victims in New Jersey They need our help and they need it now! Items needed: blankets, all sizes of new or gently used hats, gloves, coats, mittens, socks, new underwear, Double D batteries, toiletries, masks and gloves for cleaning, formula for babies, food for workers and gift cards. Drop off sites are: First Christian Church, Clinton Kid Konnection, Clinton Washington School, Clinton Linda Latham, 4150 Washburn St., Decatur If you have any questions, contact Tammy Robinson at or Cathy Hickman at Decisions for Christ and His Church Scott Brendler, transferred his membership as an immersed believer in Jesus Christ on November 18, His wife, Casey Brendler, was baptized into Christ on June 26, We welcome them both to our church family. Their address is 821 S. Grant St. Apt. 2, Clinton.

8 More This N That Diaper Drive For Grab N Go (December 15th) Need all sizes of diapers but especially 3, 4 & 5 s Please place in crib in the foyer during the month of November. If you would prefer to give a monetary donation for diapers, there will be envelopes in the crib. Many families benefited from your generosity last year and were so happy to receive the diapers for their little ones! 2013 Purity Ball Planning for the 2013 Purity Ball will begin in January. If you re interested in being a member of the planning committee or if you would like more information about it, please contact Laura Keller at The choir will be singing at the beginning of first service on each Sunday in December. Practice will be from 7 to 7:30 p.m. each Wednesday through December 19. Singers from both services are invited to join with the choir as we proclaim the birth of our Savior. CHRISTMAS MEMORIALS I would like to donate poinsettias in memory or honor of my loved ones. (Please mark whether it is memory or honor.) Fill out this form and enclose it, along with $15 per poinsettia, in an envelope. You can put it in the offering or mail it to the church. All forms must be in by Wednesday, December 12th. 1. memory or honor. 2. memory or honor. 3. memory or honor. Given by

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10 Children, Jr. High & Sr. High Ministries There will be no Breakfast Club on November 23. We will resume on November 30. The High School Sunday School class meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Cable Building. The topic for November 25: Job: The Preschool and Grade School Youth Groups will not meet on Sunday, November 25, in celebration of the Thanksgiving weekend. We will meet again on December 2 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. There will be no Reveal for junior high or high school on Sunday, November 25. Enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend. Reveal will resume on December 2 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

11 Everyday Worship Worship As a Body - Part 2 Jim Coonce jim@clintonfcc.com We continue with the final five reasons Bob Kauflin shares for us to gather weekly for worship: Manifestations of God s Presence In the middle of adjusting the Corinthians love affair with certain spiritual gifts, Paul notes how these gifts can alert an unbeliever to God s presence. David Peterson writes, 1 Corinthians 14:24 25 suggests that God is present in a distinctive way in the Christian meeting through his word and the operation of his Spirit (Engaging with God, 196). Without making experiential encounters with God our primary goal, we should expect God to make us more aware of His presence with us when we meet together. God s Voice Through Preaching Technology now enables us to hear sermons we missed or messages from churches we don t even attend. But when the church gathers expectantly in one place at one time to hear God s Word proclaimed, it is a unique event. God Himself addresses us as His people. The Spirit works in our hearts to convict, comfort, illumine, and exhort. We hear God s voice through a human mouthpiece and are changed. Demonstrating Unity in the Gospel Being one in Christ is more than meeting regularly in the same room, but it is not less. Singing songs, reciting creeds, and reading Scripture together are ways of declaring to myself and others that I am part of a holy temple, not just a random brick or a loose stone (Ephesians 2:19 22). Christian proclamation might make the gospel audible, but Christians living together in local congregations make the gospel visible (see John 13:34 35) (Mark Dever, The Church: The Gospel Made Visible, p. xi). Dying to Self Let s face it it s easier to worship God alone than with others. Church meetings introduce many aggravations, such as insufficient parking, people taking my seat, obnoxious voices, songs I don t prefer, and people with problems. But this makes such meetings ideal opportunities for cultivating the humble attitude of Christ (Philippians 2:1 5) and dying to ourselves. Foretastes of Heaven Want to know what heaven is going to be like? Go to church. The singing may not be as stellar, the numbers might be drastically reduced, and the people might all come from the same ethnicity. But Hebrews 12 says we have already come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant (vv ). Jesus has brought us near to the Father through His finished atoning work on Calvary. We can draw near with boldness to the throne of grace with His people (Hebrews 10:19 22). That s heaven. So, the next time you re tempted to think cutting out on a Sunday meeting will not hurt, remember what you will be missing. And thank God you have both the privilege and freedom to enjoy corporate worship with the body of Christ each week. From Worship As a Body by Bob Kauflin,

12 This Lord s Day November 25, :15 & 11:00 am: This Sunday is Ask the Pastor Sunday. See you Sunday. 9:30 a.m.: Bible School classes for all ages throughout our building. 10:30 a.m.: Fellowship time for all adults in the Family Life Center First Christian Church THE KARUSOGRAPH (USPS ) is published weekly by Corner of W. Main & N. Jackson FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 100 N. Jackson St., Clinton, Illinois N. Jackson St. Periodicals postage paid at Clinton, IL. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Clinton, IL The Karusograph First Christian Church, 100 N. Jackson St., Clinton, IL 61727