Branson First Church of the Nazarene

Transcription

1 Branson First Church of the Nazarene BOARD MEETING UPDATE S Ten board members met on January 9, 2017 to take care of the church business. The Board voted to not accept the invitation from the District to pay for a consultant to look at the health of the church. It was felt that $5,000 was too much to spend at this time without a full explanation of procedures and services offered. It s time for a new church directory. The Board accepted the offer to have Kathy Hager take photographs so we will have a pictorial directory. The church will soon provide an option for e-giving through Church Link, a company located in Springfield. A free app will be available for smart phones. Watch for more details. Rev. Jim Cariker, Senior Pastor Rev. Gloria Cariker, Assoc. Pastor Rev. Bob Alarid, Hispanic Pastor Sunday School at 9:30 am Adult Bible Study Fellowship at 9:30 am Worship Service at 10:30 am Sunday Evening Worship at 6:00 pm Wednesday Bible Study at 6:30 pm FEBRUARY THE MONTH OF... For being such a short month, February certainly has some significant days in it! First there s Ground Hog day February 2. Let s cheer that he won t see his shadow and climb back into his hole. I m ready for spring! Then there s Valentine Day. Some people think it s a day developed by Russell Stover and Hallmark, but that s not really true! Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentines didn t begin to appear until after W Hensley PO Box 988 Branson, MO bransonnazarene@centurytel.net On February 12, we older folks know that it s Lincoln s birthday...a day we talk about Honest Abe and celebrate with tall stove-pipe hats, long beards and cherry pie. Following that, February 22 is Washington s birthday. However, we ve modernized Lincoln s and Washington s birthdays into Presidents Day, which means the banks are closed as well as no mail delivery. Volume 2, Issue 2 February 2017 Monthly Publication Rogene Clements, editor

2 Page 2 FROM THE DISTRICT Mark Bane, the District Superintendent, has submitted his resignation effective July 2. He has been the DS for almost four years. God has done amazing things through your faithfulness, hard work and responsiveness to His high calling. Because of these things, it is with deep gratitude and great hope that I submit my resignation to you. He continues,...we are confident God has called us to move and discover a new chapter in ministry as Director of Evangelism and New Church Development for the USA/Canada Region. The District Advisory Committee will begin a due diligence in finding his replacement with input from our Jurisdictional General Superintendent, Dr. Warrick and our Regional Director, Dr. Broadbooks. Delegates at this year s District Assembly will be voting on the new DS. District Assembly will be May 30-June 3, 2017 in Carthage. Let us pray that God will make it clear who He has in mind for Rev. Bane s replacement. ALABASTER SUNDAY It s a term we ve heard many years. But what exactly is an alabaster offering? Perhaps it refers to the story in scripture:...a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as He was reclining at the table.. Mathew 26:7 NIV This scripture is a story of a lovely thing. It shows us love s extravagance. The pouring ointment upon the head of Christ was a token of the highest respect. The perfume was the most precious thing Mary had. This jar of perfume was nearly worth a year s wages. Where there is true love in the heart to Jesus Christ, nothing will be thought too good to bestow upon Him. William Barclay tells us that love never calculates; love never thinks how little it can decently give. Love s one desire is to give to the uttermost limits and when it has given all it has to give, it still thinks the gift too little. We have not even begun to be Christian if we think of giving to Christ and to his Church in terms of as little as we respectably can. According to the Alabaster Offering provides funds for property and buildings around the world. Buildings include churches, schools, medical facilities and homes for missionaries and national workers. While we understand the church consists of the people of God and not a building, buildings erected for the purpose of ministry help provide a sense of permanence, functionally enhance ministry efforts, and convey an attitude that the Church of the Nazarene intends to "put down roots." Alabaster funds help provide land for many Work & Witness projects, and the entire Alabaster Offering goes toward the purchase of land and construction of those buildings. Sunday, February 26, is designated as our Alabaster Sunday. Coins, bills and even checks will be welcomed that day. This act of faith and love was so remarkable, that it was shared in the scriptures and is a memorial of Mary's faith and love, to all future ages.

3 Page 3 PAPER PULPIT BY PASTOR JIM A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13: 34-35, NIV) Christianity is a religion of Love. The two greatest commands are Love God with all you heart, soul, and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself. (see Matthew 22:36-40). There are many evidences that a person is a follower of Christ, but the primary one is this one found in the words of Jesus in John 13:34-35 our love for one another. February is upon us. It is the month that emphasizes hearts and romance. Florists, candy makers, and card companies make many sales as lovers purchase these symbols of affection. But the real evidence of true love is in our attitudes and actions every day of the year. Notice that Jesus said, As I have loved you, so you must love one another. His love was pure and selfless and sacrificial. Perhaps the best description of His love is found in 1 Corinthians 13 the Love Chapter of the Bible. But it is also described in Ephesians 5:25-27 in Paul s description of how a husband should love his wife--- just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In our fallen world where love is so often depicted in a perverted manner, we must keep our eyes on Jesus and let His love guide us in our love for others. His love in us reveals that we belong to Him! BIRTHDAY CALENDAR February 2 February 17 February 19 Sheila Pollard Myla Tabuchi John Tomey AFTER LUNCH If you struggle with typos or grammatical errors, it s best to write your most important s in the afternoon, according to a recent survey. CHURCH EVENT CALENDAR February 4 8:00 am Men s Breakfast at Davis home February 4 10:30 am Ladies Craft Day, Fellowship Hall February 10 6:00 pm Valentine Dinner & Fun February 12 6:00 pm Family Film Fun Night February 13 7:00 pm Church Board Meeting February 20 Thru 23 District Ministers Retreat February 21 11:30 am Circle of Sisters February 26 Alabaster Sunday! Grammarly, a virtual grammar and spell check service, analyzed a billion words it corrected to figure out what the time of day has to do with these mistakes. People who wrote their communications between 4 am and 8 am made an average of 11.8 mistakes per 100 words written. And those who wrote between 10 pm and 2 am tended to make 14.3 mistakes for every 100 words. People seemed to write most accurately in the middle of the day: they made the fewest mistakes only 3.7 for every 100 words during the afternoon from 1 pm to 5 pm.

4 Page 4 OPPORTUNITIES For the ladies, Pure Joy is coming to the Mansion Theater on Friday night, March 31. Doors open at 5:30; the event begins at 7 pm. It s an event for women 15 to 115 in age. No cost; free will offering will be available. At this event you will see women from our community being honest and transparent telling their stories and being real about how God is working through their imperfections. We invite you to come see what Pure Joy is all about. For more information see purejoyonline.com.org. If you are interested in attending and want to carpool, talk to Rogene Clements. For Mature and Senior Adults: Springtime Jubilee is coming to Branson April AND April two dates to chose from. It will be held at the Welk Resort Theater. The itinerary includes the first evening from 7 to 10 a concert by the Lefevre Quartet, speaker Johnny Hunt or Will Graham (depending on which event attending) and Guy Penrod in concert. The next morning begins at 9:30 with a speaker followed by a concert; afternoon is free. That night s agenda is concert, comedy and concert. The next day begins at 9:30 until 11:30 with a concert by Allison Speer followed by a speaker. Rogene has a brochure if you are interested. Or go to jubileeconferences.com for in depth information about the speakers. Will Graham is the grandson of Billy Graham. For conference only (not staying at the resort) the cost is $99 per person. Springtime Jubilee will also be in Myrtle Beach, SC on May 1-3 if you want to go there. Speakers and music will be different from Branson. This event is marketed as Singin Laughin & Preachin for mature and senior adults. PICTORIAL DIRECTORY What fun! A pictorial directory is in the works so we can match names and faces! Kathy Hager has volunteered to take the photos and Steve Hager has volunteered to put the directory together. Photos will be taken on February 5, 12, and 19 after the worship service in the Teen Room, lower level. Please reserve your photo-taking time on the sign-up sheets in the foyer. Everyone is encouraged to have his/her picture in the directory. E-GIVING COMING SOON Times are a-changing! Most of us carry very little cash or our checkbooks; instead we carry plastic cards. Very soon you will be able to give your tithes and Faith Promise pledges to the church by using your plastic card. There will be a free app that can be downloaded on your smart phones to make this process very easy. Watch for more information on e -giving. SOCIAL MEDIA! Did you know that First Church of the Nazarene Branson, MO has a Facebook page?! Go check it out. Facebook.com/fconfamily Are we living in the 21st Century or what?! The church has a Facebook page! Wow!! We are hip, cool, swell, sweet AWESOME! MERRIMENT Seven wheelchair athletes have been banned from participating in the para-olympics after they tested positive for WD40.

5 Page 5 VALENTINE DINNER & PARTY Kathy and Steve Hager will host this year s Valentine dinner and party in the Fellowship Hall at the church. The event is scheduled for Friday night, February 10, at 6 pm. All are invited to attend...single, married, young and not-so-young! Adult tickets are on sale now for $10 each; after February 3, ticket prices will increase to $12.50 and will be $15 at the door. Children tickets are $7.50. See Steve Hager or John Clements for tickets. FAMILY FUN FILM NIGH T Family Fun Film Night is the second Sunday of the month. Everyone is invited to come eat popcorn, Chex mix and drink a beverage while we are entertained with a wholesome, family movie. Twenty-eight people enjoyed the January movie. The movie for February is War Room, a compelling drama with humor and heart that explores the power that prayer can have on marriages, parenting, careers, friendships, and every other area of our lives. Produced by the Kendrick brothers (Fireproof and Courageous), it promises to be a fantastic movie. So circle Sunday night, February 12, on your calendar and come have a good time. Dinner, games, music and fun are on the agenda. So come enjoy the fellowship and the fun PRAYER REQUESTS Dixie Burch Dianna Warrick Duane & Norma Solvie Graham & Diane McAfee Roni Fletcher Nancy Plummer s sister Marianne Robb Connor June Lints Linda & Monte Millikin Bob Alarid and the Hispanic ministries Money counters are still needed Sunday School teachers are needed CONGRATULATIONS! On Saturday, January 28, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Norma Dominguez-Muñ oz will graduate from the Hispanic worship dance school. We ve enjoyed her dance presentations in the past and look forward to more dancing during our upcoming Worship services. HISPANIC MINISTRY Rev. Bob Alarid asks that if we meet folks that might be interested in attending an Hispanic worship service to pass along their names to him and he will follow up with them. Starting Sunday, February 5, there will be an Hispanic worship service at 7:30 pm in one of the Adult Fellowship rooms on the sanctuary level.