The Christian Builder

Transcription

1 The Christian Builder April 19, 2018 A weekly publication of First Christian Church Midland Volume 62 No W. Louisiana Ave., Midland, Texas Sunday, April 22 9am Contemporary Worship 10am Sunday School 11am Traditional Worship 5pm CELEBRATE 5pm SOLID 5pm Stephen Ministry Monday, April 23 9am Staff Meeting Tuesday, April 24 1:15pm Food Pantry Delivery 6pm CLC Program 7:30pm Boy Scouts Wednesday, April 25 7am Men's Prayer Breakfast 12pm Food Pantry 6pm Elders 7pm Choir Rehearsal Friday, April 27 6pm Boy s Night Out Saturday, April 28 8am Christmas In Action House 10am Race Car Fun for Little Boys 1pm Unicorn Excitement for Little Girls Sunday, April 29 9am Contemporary Worship 10am Sunday School 10am Town Hall Montgomery Room 11am Traditional Worship 5pm CELEBRATE 5pm SOLID

2 Page 2 CHRISTMAS-IN-ACTION 2018 When: Saturday, April 8am Through Saturday, 28 April Where: 310 East Hickory As we approach the end of April, it is time to remember First Christian Church s ministry of helping those less fortunate than ourselves repair their homes. This year we will be restoring the home of Ms. Danelle Tatum. We will enhance the structure, insulation and livability of her home by replacing 16 windows, front door and, of course, all new Hardiplank concrete siding. There will be much painting and caulking! Keep in mind that this is a project for those of all ages and experience levels. So look for your old clothes and work gloves. It is not necessary to bring any tools as everything will be provided. Though if you have a favorite hammer or paint brush, feel free to bring it. We can guarantee that you will have a good time (maybe sweat a little), laugh and definitely remember with pride how you were able to help someone have a better place to live. So please come! Kathy Cromwell (cell , and pnkbugs@suddenlink.net ), will be coordinating the food arrangements. She will prepare brisket on Saturday. If you would like to contribute some of the fixins to include chips, salads, desserts, sides, and drinks, that would be great. Just contact her. Lots of water and Gatorade will be consumed during the 10 day event. Donation of cases of these liquids will be welcome throughout the project. Friday afternoon (20 April) materials will be loaded onto trailers at the CIA warehouse, 500 S. Lee St. If you can help then, come by. Work will commence on Saturday 21 April at 8am and will continue thru the week and hopefully conclude on Saturday, 28 April. So if you are unable to participate on one weekend, perhaps you can help on another. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Morris (cell: ) or Dave Cromwell ( ). This year we are fortunate to have several organizations helping: Halff Engineering and Rotary. We sincerely appreciate this support and look forward to this camaraderie. P.S. Remember each one of us can contribute a little to greatly improve someone s home who is not physically or financially able.

3 Page 3 Topics Rev. T.J. Shoop-York Associate Minister In Micah 6: 1-8, in the midst of an disagreement between God and humanity, God cries out... O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; And the people respond with silence- because their specialness was being called into question. Which begs the question, is there ever an appropriate time to challenge God? To bring our grievances before the Maker of heaven and earth and before the Creator of all things seen and unseen? At first glance in todays text, my immediate response is, How dare you! How dare you challenge God! But isn t this something that we do all the time! Particularly in our grief In the midst of a challenging transition Or in our journey from point A to B. When things aren t going our way, we quickly cry out to God as if we deserve clarification. But let me caution you, be careful, because God might just summon the mountains to hear your case. I believe the problem with challenging God is that often we lack the integrity. Before we dare cry out against God when things aren t going our way, we first must praise God for all that is good! The challenge is to not let our privilege get in the way. We are called to recognize that God is working and moving in the world, even in our brokenness. He s finally done!! T.J is finally done! Please join him Saturday, May 12th at 11:30am for lunch at the Blue Mesa Grill. It is located at 612 Carrol Street, Fort Worth. Following lunch, at 2:00pm there will be a hooding Ceremony at University Christian Church, 2720 South University Drive, Fort Worth. Please RSVP at the church office at If you are interested in taking a day trip on the Church bus to attend lunch and T.J. s Hooding Ceremony, please call the Church office and let us know your interested. Sunday, May 13, during the Sunday School hour, there will be a graduation party just for TJ! He s spent more time in the car than the classroom, but he s also spent significant time in the classroom and has received his MDiv degree from Brite Divinity School at TCU. We need to PARTY ABOUT THAT!

4 Page 4 One of the greatest evangelistic hymns of all time was written by a woman who knew well the release and peace that come from confessing one s sins and failures to God. Just As I Am, a hymn frequently sung at the close of evangelistic meetings, was written by Charlotte Elliott, who at one time had been very bitter with God about the circumstances in her life. Charlotte was an invalid from her youth and deeply resented the constraints her handicap placed on her activities. In an emotional outburst on one occasion, she expressed those feelings to Dr. Cesar Malan, a minister visiting her home. He listened and was touched by her distress, but he insisted that her problems should not divert her attention from what she most needed to hear. He challenged her to turn her life over to God, to come to Him just as she was, with all her bitterness and anger. She resented what seemed to be an almost callous attitude on his part, but God spoke to her through him, and she committed her life to the Lord. Each year on the anniversary of that decision, Dr. Malan wrote Charlotte a letter, encouraging her to continue to be strong in the faith. But even as a Christian she had doubts and struggles. One particularly sore point was her inability to effectively get out and serve the Lord. She longed to be a servant, a vessel for God to use, but she felt that her health and physical condition prevented it. Then in 1836, on the 14 th anniversary of her conversion, while she was alone in the evening, the 47 year old Charlotte Elliott wrote her spiritual autobiography in verse. Here, in the prayer of confession, she poured out her feelings to God feelings that countless individuals have identified with in the generations that followed. The third stanza, perhaps more than the others, described her own pilgrimage. Just as I am, tho tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! God calls us each and every day to come. Wherever we may be, whatever we may be doing, whether we are joyful or have a heavy heart, whether we are at our best or at our worst, God calls us to come, to come to Him just as we are! In loving partnership, Ponderings Rev. Paula Brooks Associate Minister

5 Page 5 Adult Sunday School All of our adult Sunday School classes meet at 10 am. Each class is based on studies of particular scriptures and related topics. 2 Chronicles 7:14 - Library A class for adults of all ages. This class is doing a series on the Minor Prophets called Prone to Wander. Fellowship - Room 306 A class for adults in their senior years. They are currently doing a Bible Study of 1 Peter. Jim Mauldin is the leader of this class. Young Disciples Room 106 Parents of children of all ages are welcome to be a part of this class. They are studying 12 Ordinary Men a study on the Disciples. This Sunday the focus is on Nathaniel the Guiless One. Paula Brooks is the leader of this class. Genesis - Parlor A class for adults of all ages. The topic for Sunday is The Songs of Faith - Hymn Stories Keith Gibbons is the leader of this class. Guests April 15, 2018 Ronny Aaron Harold Boze Frances Buzard Chaney Coffman Sylvia & Allyna Conde Dziuk Family Diego Estrada Saxton Greer Katherine & Michael Grier Kosanke Family Justine Lopez Mady Mapp Bardena Matthews Terry Oliver Aidan Ramsey Carol & Roberta SoloRio Jerome & Betsy Youngers Worship Attendance April 15, 2018 Contemporary 57 Nursery 3 Children's Church 4 Total 63 Traditional 142 Children s Church 11 Special Needs Sensory Room 5 Nursery 4 Total 152 TOTAL 215 Disciples Food Pantry April 18th Families served 62 Total People 240 New Clients 28

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7 Page 7 Birthdays 04/01 Adam Bourland 04/07 B.H. Spaw 04/09 Brenda Harrison 04/11 Carolyn Jones 04/12 Rebecca Bell 04/12 Roy Bermea 04/13 Susie Edwards 04/14 Jackie Hendricks 04/16 Bill Griffin 04/18 Jim Burnett 04/18 Jack Campbell 04/19 Jessica Garrett 04/19 Ambrey Stone 04/20 Chandler Carter 04/20 Lisa Kilborn 04/22 Emily Fentem 04/23 Morgan Brown 04/25 Christian Flores 04/26 Kelly Cook 04/26 Brooke Ellis 04/26 Jerry Watson 04/27 Clint Hurst 04/27 Gene Jones 04/27 Albert Valero 04/28 Pat Vincent Anniversaries 04/06 Victoria & Ernie Gilkerson 04/13 Cathie & Del Windle 04/21 Susie & Jerry Edwards 04/24 Megan & Ben Best Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18 Lectionary Scripture April 22 Prayers & Praises Those in need of prayer: Janell Burnet Carolyn Dixon Ralph Miller Leland Franz Twila Griffin Betty Whitmire June Jarrett Helen Estes Faye Casey Ray & Doris Stewart Robert & Sheila Crudgington Clint Hurst Roberta Hurt Bill Schneider Mary Mauldin George Head Bill & Char Womack Special Notes: Our joys, concerns and deepest needs are already on God s heart long before we put them to paper. for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8 Military: Joe Henderson - son of Holly Moore Kinder McCullough-daughter of Bill & Kelley McCullough Families, Friends Beyond FCC Courtney Bradley friend of Jeweli Flores & Amanda Bourland Pat Gee-friend of Joy Singleton Maureen Singleton-niece of Joy Singleton Adrian & Katherine Milton Gloria Brenneman Corcoran-sister of Brenda Nance Aaron Krauch-friend of Janis Courtney Leigh Irwin mother of Jana Floyd Millie Duncan friend of Butch & Sherry Ladd Rita Jones-friend of Celia Ambrose Keith Miller-friend of Anne Schwiening Patricia Petosky Darby-cousin of Ginny Estes Kay Kinsey friend of Vince Curry Debbie and James Van Stavern-friend of Austella Berry Butch Broom-friend of Sara Cranford Jim Crumrine uncle of Todd Wells Mark Hendricks-son of Jackie Hendricks Dick Cranford uncle of Mark Cranford Tom Bauer-friend of Jeweli Flores Margie Singleton-daughter-in-law of Joy Singleton Barbara Williams daughter of Ray Stewart Kairos Conde nephew of Olivia Espino Oscar Garcia brother of Amparo Olguin Kathy Dunnan- friend of Peggy Jones Ferrell Powell- friend of Sharon & Bill Boyd Joe Langford father of Carol Cook Martha Pollock friend of Sara Cranford Please inform the church office if you or a loved one are admitted into a hospital, so we may be there for you & your family. For submission to prayer list contact any staff, submit via web, or prayerchain@fccmidland.org

8 April 19, 2018 The Christian Builder First Christian Church 1301 W. Louisiana Ave. Midland, TX Non-Profit Org US Postage Paid Midland, TX Permit No. 145 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED