Holiday Schedule: The Church Office will be closed: Monday, December 24th Tuesday, December 25th Wednesday, December 26th Tuesday, January 1st

Transcription

1 theforecaster Wednesday, December 12, Volume 65, Number 49 Christmas Eve Services 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary Christmas Card Post Office Save some money on postage by bringing your Christmas cards for folks who regularly attend Fairmount. Alphabetize and rubber band your Christmas cards together and write the total number of cards on top. Our teens will organize them and have them ready for your friends to pick up from the tables in the front foyer. Card pickup will continue through Dec 23. Please do not bring cards for folks who do not or cannot attend church to pick up their cards. Thank you! Holiday Schedule: Christmas Campaign December 2 - January 13 Goal: $100,000 10% will go to IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) with the remainder being used to rebuild our General Fund. The Church Office will be closed: Monday, December 24th Tuesday, December 25th Wednesday, December 26th Tuesday, January 1st The Child Care Program will be closed: Monday, December 24th Tuesday, December 25th Monday, December 31st Tuesday, January 1st Inside Christmas Eve Services... Page 2 Digging Deeper... Page 2 Living Nativity... Page 3 Worship Choir Christmas Musical... Page 3 Beast Feast... Page 3 Book Signing... Page 3 Our Church... Page 4 Kid s & Teens Page... Insert

2 page two Wednesday, December 12, 2012 Feature: Christmas Eve Services By: Bonnie Norwood Our Christmas Eve services will be at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Sponsored by the Friends in Christ Bible School Class, these services provide a time of reflection as we prepare our hearts for the birth of the Christ Child. The Friends Class has members participate in as many aspects of this service as possible. The Christmas story is read, hymns are sung, and the Advent Christmas candle is lit, all in a traditional setting. Our speaker this year is Stephen Beadles, a member and substitute teacher of the class. Stephen is a graduate of Lee-Davis High School and Old Dominion University. He is currently a Senior Sales Representative with Abbott Labs. When asked to tell about himself Stephen said, Fairmount is the first church I can remember attending with my parents as a child over on Mechanicsville Turnpike My parents taught me how a husband and wife should raise a family and keep God first. They have instilled in me that life may not always go the way I have planned it to go, but it will always go the way God intends I understand what it means that we are at our strongest when we are on our knees praying. I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. We hope you ll attend one of the two Christmas Eve services this year. You will be blessed as your family comes together during this special time to worship our newborn King. (Child care is provided for those three and under.) By: Chris Branch Periodically, we will dig deeper into God s Word together in this column. Send your thoughts and experiences from your study time to cbranch@fairmountchristian.org, drop a note in the office, or let s do lunch! I ve just finished reading the first chapter of a new book called My One Word, by Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen. The subtitle of this book is what really caught my attention - Change your life with just one word. That sounded easy and intriguing. You see, change and I just don t get along - we re definitely not friends. But just one change - one word - maybe I could handle that. In January of 2007, Mike Ashcraft challenged his church family at Port City Community Church to ditch their New Year s resolutions and pick just one word to focus on for the entire year. By looking at our lives through the lens of that one word, Mike says, it enables us to focus more clearly on the things that God wants to do in us. For someone like me who likes to make detailed lists - and then promptly loses them, focusing on just one word sounds like a great plan! The one word I ve been led to for 2013 is SEEK. I ve chosen my word based on what Jesus Himself says in Matthew 6:33-34: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today s trouble is enough for today. (NLT) I m confident that any changes I d like to make in my own life, no matter how big or small, can be accomplished by focusing on seeking God, above all else. I invite you to join me in choosing your one word - a word that God wants you to focus on in the new year. Once you ve chosen your word, share it with someone! I d love to hear your one words. By sharing our one words with each other, we can encourage one another to spiritual growth and personal change in The book, My One Word, by Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen will be available in January of For more information or to pre-order a copy of the book, visit Bible Centered Committed to Growth Community Focused & Globally Minded Dedicated to Excellence

3 Kindergarteners 5th Graders Dec. 16 ~ 9:30-12:00 Go directly to your normal 9:30 classroom and the journey will begin! All elementary children are encouraged to devote this morning to journey with Jesus and stay for the entire event. Students needing to leave after 9:30 worship should put a colored sticker on their nametag at Check-In. Parents can pick them up from the Children s Worship Room (150). The REAL Christmas Story Sunday, December 16th 6:00pm, Family Life Center Join Jacob s Ladder and Branches choirs as they share the real message of Christmas. The children will perform just before the Worship Choir presents their musical, And on Earth Peace. Family Resources Available! The Children s Ministry has several Children s resources available for purchase in the front foyer Sunday mornings. All would make wonderful Christmas gifts! The Beginner s Bible ~ $10 Day by Day Begin-to-Read Bible ~ $13 The Young Reader s Bible ~ $14 Kids Quest Study Bible ~ $16 Day by Day Kid s Bible ~ $15 Count Down to Christmas Devotionals ~ $10 $2012 in 2012 FCC Kids Remember our goal to give $2012 in 2012 towards our Onward Campaign? Well, you have all done such an awesome job that we ve already blasted past our goal! So far, you ve given $2,370.11! Way to go! If you have any offerings still in your bank, bring them this Sunday, December 16th. Beginning in 2013, we will bring our Onward banks and offerings on the first Sunday of each month. Thank you so much for giving to God and Fairmount! Hi 3rd-5th Graders, Are you ready for a real memory challenge? When I looked at the number of verses each grade said during our October Memory Verse Challenge, I thought, Wow, I can say more verses than that! So I m joining the challenge and we will extend it through December 30th. Who can recite the most verses - 3rd Graders, 4th Graders, 5th Graders or me? I m already working on verses to say next Sunday. I hope you will too! Watch the bulletin boards to see if I can say more verses than your entire grade. The challenge is on! Love, Miss Rose Nursery and Special Needs Volunteers Needed: Helpers are needed on Sunday mornings at 11am in the infant nursery and mentors are needed to be a buddy to children with special needs. Training is provided. Contact Rose Williams at or rwilliams@fairmountchristian.org. Sunday, January 13th Children s Kickoffs & Choir Parent Meeting If you love to sing praise to God and perform for Him, you ll want to get involved in a children s choir and be part of an exciting musical! A parent meeting and sign-ups will be held on January 13th at 5:30pm in Rm. 132a. Children s Choirs meet from 6-7pm. **Branches (3 year-olds & young 4 s) - R.111 Jacob s Ladder (K s & older 4 s) - R.151** Musical Performance Date: April 21st **Joyful Sound (1-6th Graders) - R.150** Musical Performance Date: May 5th For K-5th Graders ~ 5:30-7pm, Room 174 For Elementary kids looking for an alternative to choir. Next Shares Store: January 13th Kids & Teens Insert Wednesday, December 12, 2012

4 Kids & Teens Insert Wednesday, December 12, 2012

5 page three Wednesday, December 12, 2012 Miracle of Christmas at the Richmond Metro Zoo Sunday, December 23rd, Meet at church at 5pm Join your church family at this live Christmas pageant featuring animals from the zoo. Special musical performances are presented before and after each 20-minute performance. The event is held outside so dress warmly! We ll meet at church at 5pm and ride together on the church bus. If you d like to know more about this free event, visit and click on the Miracle of Christmas tab on the top right. RSVP to the church office if you d like to join the fun! In the beginning was the Word. The Word - Holy, Sacred. Just. Eternal. God in Christ. Christ in God. In the beginning. And suddenly the Word was Flesh. Incarnate. Human. Breakable. Common. Morning light into darkness. And that life-light blazed out of the darkness and the darkness could not put it out. Redeemer, Savior. Messiah, Lord! His name - Jesus. This is the story of the birth of the Prince of Peace. The Worship Choir will present their Christmas Musical, And on Earth Peace on Sunday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. This wonderful new work by Randy Vader, Jay Rouse, and Rose Aspinall brings to life those amazing moments when our Savior took on And on Earth Peace Worship Choir Christmas Musical Sunday, December 16th Following The REAL Christmas Story presented by Jacob's Ladder and Branches flesh to be born in a manger. He is called the Prince of Peace and his coming brought the fulfillment of Scripture to pass. Featured will be a duet by David Rice and Sandy Sharp, and narration by Kenny & Rhonda Holley. This beautiful musical is a multi-media production that reminds us about the peace we can have and share in Jesus Christ. What a great and timely message to share this Christmas season. We hope you will join us. Prior to the 50-minute musical, two of our children s choirs, Branches and Jacob s Ladder, will combine to present a very brief preschool musical about peace, joy, hope and love entitled The Real Christmas Story. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 16, 2013 and join us for the third annual "Men's Beast Feast" hosted by Fairmount s Men's Ministry. Invite your sons, dads, uncles, friends - all the guys you know - to join you for a night of adventurous food, good fellowship, and lots of wildlife. Look for details and ticket information in the new year. Brutus says, Trust me guys, you don t want to miss this. Seriously. Capstone Christian Store in Mechanicsville (next to Target) is hosting a book signing on Saturday, December 15, from 1:00-3:00 pm for Tracy Thomas book, Say What?, a collection of hilarious statements made by his granddaughters. Tracy, Sarah Dempsey (illustrator), and Tia & Aly will all be there to sign books. You can purchase a copy of Say What? at Capstone, online from 067, or directly from Tracy. If you ve already purchased a copy, just bring it that day to have it signed! Tracy is donating the proceeds from the sale of the book to Fairmount s Onward Campaign. The book makes a perfect Christmas gift and is sure to keep your friends laughing. Book Signing Saturday, 12/15 1-3pm Capstone Christian Store Bible Centered Committed to Growth Community Focused & Globally Minded Dedicated to Excellence

6 page four Wednesday, December 12, 2012 NONPROFIT AUTO U.S. POSTAGE PAID RICHMOND, VA PERMIT #1479 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED P.O. Box 788 Mechanicsville, VA Phone: (804) Fax: (804) The mission of Fairmount Christian Church: To develop followers of Jesus who: Love God, Love People and Introduce the world to Christ Our Church: December 9, 2012 Attendance & Giving. The Forecaster best viewed online Sermon Series Continues... 8:15 Traditional Worship: 131 Children s Worship: 13 9:30 Contemporary Worship: 401 Children s Worship: 67 11:00 Traditional Worship: 202 Contemporary Worship: 164 Children s Worship: 94 Total: 1,072 Bible School: 622 Budget Requirements: $37, Budget Receipts: $37, Four Worship Services One Great Message! Your Church Staff: Rick Raines - Senior Minister Chris Santasiere - Associate Minister Mike Langley - Associate Minister Tracy Thomas - Worship/Music Minister Mike Campbell - Youth Minister Rose Williams - Children s Ministry Director Bob Massey - Business Administrator Veronica Brewster - Office Manager Jef Powell - Facilities & Grounds Manager Barry Will - Technology Director Pat Smith - Ministerial Administrative Assistant Chris Branch - Administrative Assistant, Editor Carolyn Holmes - Administrative Assistant Lauren McCormick - Administrative Assistant BIBLE CENTERED COMMITTED TO GROWTH COMMUNITY FOCUSED & GLOBALLY MINDED DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE