TAC Times February 2015

Transcription

1 TAC Times February 2015 Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Annual Parish Gathering Our TAC Annual Parish Gathering will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 1 st. The State of the Church address will be given during the worship service, and this gathering afterward will be a time of food, worship, and celebration as we review the mighty things God has accomplished among us this past year, where we are now, and what we believe God will have us doing in the next year as we follow Him. Please join us! The Alpha Course The Alpha Course is for all who are seeking to grow in their knowledge of God, His Word, and His church, especially here at Transformation Anglican Church. It is for those investigating Christianity, for newcomers to Transformation Anglican Church, for

2 new Christians, and for a refresher course for membership at Transformation Anglican Church. The next course starts on Sunday, February 8th and consists of 14 weekly meetings. Participants will meet on Sunday mornings from 8:45 to 9:45 am in Heritage Hall (Cafeteria). Some of the topics are: Who is Jesus? Does God still heal people? Why did He die? Can we know God and how? How can I have faith? If God is real, how do I know what God wants for me? Should I pray and how? How could God make a difference in my life? How and why should I read my Bible? Who is the Holy Spirit & what does He do? Pancake Brunch On February 15 th, we will have our Shrove Tuesday on Sunday Pancake Brunch after the worship service. This brunch will be sponsored by one of our Small Groups to prepare us for Shrove Tuesday on February 17 th and Ash Wednesday on February 18 th. All food will be provided, and a short teaching will be given on the meaning of this special time of the year. Ash Wednesday Service Soup and Bread Sundays We will have our Ash Wednesday service on February 18 th at 7:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a season of penitence, prayer, and fasting which prepares us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Our foreheads will be marked with ashes, created through the burning of palms from our Palm Sunday service, to humble our hearts and remind us that life on earth passes away. Then we will share communion, a gift we receive through the redemptive power of Christ s sacrifice for us. For the five Lenten Sundays following Ash Wednesday February 22 nd through March 22 nd we will gather after the worship service for soup and bread. Various small groups will provide these humble meals as we fellowship through this penitential season.

3 This visual was posted on Facebook by Jim Elliott through a discussion group for Anglican and ACNA participants. It provides an excellent explanation of why we do what we do. THE OSL CORNER By Sharon Parker The Order of St. Luke the Physician is an inter-denominational, international ministry for healing of body, mind and spirit. Philippians 3:16 - Let us live up to what we have already attained. What does this Scripture say to you? To me it means to put into practice the truth we have already comprehended. We are responsible for the truth we currently possess. How do we get the truth? By reading the Word of God and letting His Holy Spirit teach us, by praying and praying and, when necessary, praying some more. By listening to what He is saying to us, and listening to others who may have more wisdom in the Lord than

4 we. What we do with that truth is also very important. We believe that the Lord would have us keep studying so that we will be able to impart His Word to others and continue to learn to believe that our God can not only do what He says He can do, but will do what He says He will do. In the Order of St. Luke, we are learning to believe God and take him at his Word for healing of those we come in contact with, whether at church, home, or out in the community. As we pray and lay hands on individuals, we can understand that Our Lord is touching them through us. After all, He has told us to pray for the sick and hurting and we are trying to be obedient servants. In OSL we can gather to learn from, and encourage, each other in our journey, as well as to share testimonies. That is one reason we, in the Order of St. Luke, gather once a month for brunch, fellowship, and a teaching from others who are prominent in the field of Christian healing. Our meetings are always open to the members and friends of Transformation who are interested in learning more about the healing process. Visitors do not have to be members of OSL, just curious. Our next meeting will be on Saturday morning, February 21 st, 2015 at Heritage Christian Academy. We are returning to our original time of now that the OSL Immersion series is completed and we would be glad to have you as our guests. Great News! The national director of OSL, the Rev. Jack Sheffield and his wife, Anna Marie, will be at St. Peter s Church in McKinney on May 1 st 2 nd, 2015 for a healing conference. You might want to start planning for that event now. I will let you know more info as I receive it. AUSTIN STREET CENTER MINISTRY NEWS By Sharon Parker God bless all of you who have contributed, in one way or another, to the Austin Street Center Ministry of Transformation Anglican Church. Because of your generosity, we are able to feed approximately 400 men and women, clients of the Center, four times a year, with meals that these people would not have otherwise. Our next visit will be Wednesday, April 29, In addition to the meals, we had enough money left over this year to purchase new underwear for men and women, which included 12 multi packages of men s briefs, 8 packages of women s briefs and bras. In addition, we were asked by the Center to purchase coffee so that the pots could be full all day during the cold weather when the clients are in the building longer. The face of Lottie, the volunteer coordinator, lit up when 14 big cans of coffee were wheeled in by the staff. So, there are lots of thank you s from our friends at Austin Street and from us. There are six of us in the ASC ministry who also go to the Center on the 2 nd Tuesday of the month to pray with individuals who come over to the chapel with needs. This is

5 always a rewarding experience, even if only 2 or 3 people show up. If you think this is something you have been called to and are interested in doing, please contact Sharon Parker at Thank you and God bless you all. Missionary Updates Message from Susan Meeder: Dear Friends, January 12, 2015 marked the 5th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that hit outside of Port-au-Prince in As you know, the majority of Haitians lived in poverty before the earthquake and struggled to have a meal for their family each day. Despite the hardships and lack of significant improvement the people remain resilient and hopeful for a better future. Still the lack of meaningful change for the good compounded by the three year delay in holding elections for local and national positions is a cause for great unrest. However, the Savanette area is a bright spot! Through your ongoing prayers, financial support, talents and time, the children have access to a good education near their homes, caring teachers and a meal each school day. Together we are raising up Christian leaders! Thank you for being an active part of this ministry! Please continue to pray for protection for Pere Colbert, his family, the school staff and students - to keep them from harm and illness and trusting in the Lord. Glory be to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God bless you! Susan Message from the Thielkers: Dear Transformation, We trust that you had a wonderful celebration of our Lord's birth. After a period of prayerful consideration over the past few weeks, we felt led to resign from Global Teams, which we did on December 17 th. We appreciate greatly your partnership with us these past two years. It has enabled us to do the work that has been accomplished with Global Teams. Global Teams will no longer be accepting financial donations in our name. If you would like to continue giving to the work of Global Teams, your gifts will be well used. Please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to share more with you. May your 2015 be filled with His joy and peace. Blessings, Bill and Susan

6 Testimony The following is from the heart of one of our members, Carrie Jones; may it inspire you as it has us: I want to take a moment and share my recent epiphany with you. This year was the pits. It began, as things will, at the beginning. In the space of three weeks at the end of January and the beginning of February, Mike lost his job, my car gave out, and we lost my grandfather. We lived on the paycheck of a second-year Texas public schoolteacher for several months, barely making ends meet. But the year wasn't over yet: we nearly lost Mike's mom, my father lost an eye, and I myself went through two months of illness I pray to never repeat, which resulted in medical bills we definitely were not prepared for. It's been tempting to allow myself to wallow in self-pity and frustration. We've been through a lot, and I'm tired. However, here's the epiphany: I've realized that being a Christian doesn't mean being immediately lifted to this cloud-top existence of plenty and harmony. Being a Christian doesn't automatically guarantee I'm going to be blessed with the creature comforts of this world. Being a Christian doesn't give you access to a miraculous bank account so that you never have to struggle or worry ever again. What a being a Christian DOES mean is that God can turn any ill to your gain. There's an old song about counting your blessings that I think fits this outlook very well, so I decided to give it a shot: 1.) Mike and I have weathered storms together that have made our marriage stronger. I feel like I know him better, having seen him at such low points as this year has provided. I have learned to be a better wife to him. 2.) My grandfather suffered for a long time before his death, and it was a release for him not to be hurting anymore. He spent his life in God's service, and I know he's sitting at the feet of the Master now. That's truly something to rejoice over! 3.) My father did not go completely blind. He lost his eye, but in discovering and removing the cancer, his life was saved. And, thankfully, he has a great sense of humor and appreciates all the pirate and Rooster Cogburn jokes I throw his way. 4.) Mike's mom survived her ordeal, and is coming out of it stronger than she was before. 5.) I'm stronger than I was before, too. My illness brought to light the underlying factor that had caused a handful of issues for me over the last decade, and now that it's been exposed, I can work with my doctor to treat it. It's opened up possibilities to me I'd long ago given up hoping for, and for that I am extremely grateful. 6.) It doesn't pay as much as I might wish, but I've discovered a new confidence and enthusiasm for my job. The students and coworkers I have this year make me HAPPY to get up in the morning and go to work (which is quite a feat, because I am NOT a morning person!). I am loved and supported in a way I never expected in a

7 professional setting, and my students make me want to be a better person because they deserve the very best. 7.) Mike and I have become better stewards of our money. We were never frivolous people, but the beauty of having less money is that you really have to prioritize. Not only have we increased our tithe, but we've committed to and are giving to the building fund. And all the bills get paid each month and there's food on the table, too. It's not perfect, by any means, and there are still times I want to pull my hair out, but it all manages to work out. 8.) Mike is going back to school to pursue his degree. It's tough, but he is dedicated to his goal. Being a "non-traditional" student is not easy, especially when he's working a full time job, as well, but his determination has reached 'force of nature' proportions, and I'm proud of how hard he's working. 9.) I am grateful for the medical insurance from my employer. My insurance covered most of my hospital stay, and the hospital was gracious enough to work out a payment plan with me so that I can honor my debt to them for their care of me in a manner that won't send me spiraling down into the red. 10.) I've been blessed with a loving family, and although we're far from perfect (and we argue with the best of them) one thing I've never had cause to doubt was that I am deeply loved and needed in my family. I know that no matter what trials and tribulations I face, they will still love and support me. When I forced myself to stop looking at all that went wrong, and instead focus on how I've been blessed, the list became so much longer! I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I realized THAT is the gift of Christianity to the world: the ultimate silver lining. God can turn the darkest of trials into the most shining of blessings. After all, he turned man's sin-the ultimate separation-into an opportunity to prove how far His love for us was willing to go. The most well-known figures in the Bible made the worst of mistakes, but God turned each one into an example of what His grace was capable of providing. Noah was a drunk, Joseph was abused and sold into slavery, Moses had a stutter, David was a murderer and adulterer, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Martha was a worrier, and Lazarus was DEAD. God can take ANY hardship and use it to prepare us for powerful things. This is the message we're supposed to share, that there's hope in a world full of darkness...and that even I can be a part of something powerful. So from now on, when hard times come and I am weary from what life is putting me through, I'm going to take the stance that God is preparing something wonderful for me...or rather, preparing me for something wonderful. Like Job, I will praise Him in the bad times and hold on to the certainty that He's going to work things for my good.

8 1 9:00 a.m. Bible Class Worship Service 11:30 a.m. 1 st Sunday Celebration/ Annual Gathering B Debby Pendergrass 8 8:45 a.m. Alpha starts 9:00 a.m. Bible Class Worship Service ~ February 2015 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :30 a.m. 7:30 a.m. Intercessory Women s Bible Men s Bible Prayer Intercessory Prayer B Tim Sharp 12 9:30 a.m. Women s Bible :30 a.m. Men s Bible 15 8:45 a.m. Alpha 9:00 a.m. Bible Class Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Pancake Brunch A Chris & Angelique Brugonone 22 8:45 a.m. Alpha 9:00 a.m. Bible Class Worship Service 11:30 a.m. Lenten Lunch A John & Linda Tomlinson 18 Intercessory Prayer 7:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service Intercessory Prayer A John & Peggy Ralston 19 9:30 a.m. Women s Bible 26 9:30 a.m. Women s Bible :30 a.m. Men s Bible Order of St. Luke B Robert Sharp :30 a.m. Men s Bible B John Oliphant

9 February 1, 2015 February 8, 2015 PROPERS OT Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 NT 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Gospel Mark 1:21-28 PROPERS OT Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-12, 20c NT 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Gospel Mark 1:29-39 LAY SERVERS Capt/CB...Myra Lenoir OT... Grace Mathews PS... Dawn Hall NT/CB... Christy Hopkins CB... Jimmy Seay PP/CB... Mary Kadane LAY SERVERS Capt/NT/CB... Bill Thorogood OT/CB... Glenna McLane PP/CB... Jim Blevins PS/CB... Don Lennert ACOLYTES AA1 Benjamin Craddock AA2....Jean Howk ACOLYTES AA1...Benjamin Craddock AA2. Daniel Mathews PRAYER MINISTRY Don Newman* TBD Daymon Schulgen Debbie Sharp PRAYER MINISTRY Sharon Parker* Dawn Hall Sue Griffin JoAnn Craddock USHERS Arvo Mallay Will Parker USHERS Ed Figueroa Nathan Figueroa GUEST RECEPTION TEAM Set up.. Ed Figueroa Greeter...Hal/Susan Meeder Guest Hosts...Larry/Susan Maupin Name Tags..TBD GUEST RECEPTION TEAM Set up...dick Davenport Greeter... Sue Orite Guest Hosts...Dick/Nancy Davenport Name Tags..Mary Kadane TELLER TEAM Bill Thorogood Hilda Blevins TELLER TEAM Sue Hesseltine Sharon Figueroa LAY EUCHARIST MINISTERS Betty Spillman Sue Orite LAY EUCHARIST MINISTERS Rick & Sara Maneval

10 February 15, 2015 February 22, 2015 PROPERS OT 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 NT 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Gospel Mark 9:2-9 LAY SERVERS Capt/CB... Hal Hines OT/CB... Marianne Gwinn NT/CB... Sara Maneval PP/CB... Debbie Sharp PS... Tim Sharp ACOLYTES AA1..June Hines AA2.. Trey Gwinn PRAYER MINISTRY Larry Maupin* Susan Maupin Ann Smith Holly Knickerbocker PROPERS OT Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 NT 1 Peter 3:18-22 Gospel Mark 1:9-15 LAY SERVERS Capt/PP/CB... Don Newman NT/CB... Mark Dillow PS... Sharon Barnett OT... Nathan Figueroa CB... Jim Messler CB.. Hal Hines ACOLYTES AA1..Nathan Figueroa AA Jim Blevins PRAYER MINISTRY John Shaver* Barbara Shaver Donna Miller Jeannie Filson USHERS Rick Maneval TBD USHERS Arvo Mallay Will Parker GUEST RECEPTION TEAM Set up... Don Newman Greeters. Elaine Smith & Donna Miller Guest Hosts... John & Frances Oliphant Name Tags..TBD TELLER TEAM Jean Howk Marvel Gates LAY EUCHARIST MINISTERS TBD GUEST RECEPTION TEAM Set up... John Shaver Greeter... Barbara Shaver Guest Hosts... TBD Name Tags.Mary Kadane TELLER TEAM Rick Maneval Linda Celaya LAY EUCHARIST MINISTERS Larry & Susan Maupin Ash Wednesday: February 18, 2015; 7:30 p.m. Acolytes: Jean and Pete Howk Lay Servers: OT (Isaiah 58:1-12)/CB Myra Lenoir PS (103:8-14)/CB/Capt. Hal Hines NT (2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10)/CB Don Newman PP/CB Bill Thorogood

11 Transformation Anglican Church Redemption Inspiration Transformation We are redeemed through faith, inspired with hope, and transformed in love. Office Location Address: 663 Justin Road, Rockwall, TX Phone: Website: Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday Heritage Christian Academy 1408 S. Goliad Street Rockwall, TX Worship Location Staff Don McLane, Pastor Matt Hill, Assisting Priest Bill Schulgen, Deacon John Shaver, Executive Director of Ministries Randy Wills, Music Ministry Jennifer Horan, Nursery Coordinator Anne Horan, Parish Administrator Jim Blevins Sharon Figueroa Rick Maneval Larry Maupin Ken Craddock-Treasurer Advisory Council The deadline for each issue is the 10 th of each month to be published in the following newsletter. Please send your articles to john@transformationac.org. ALL ARTICLES ARE SUBJECT TO EDITING AND MAY OR MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED.