The Reminder. Congregational Meetings IN THIS EDITION: Followed by an All-Church Brunch Fellowship Hall

Transcription

1 September 27, 2016 The Reminder IN THIS EDITION: World Communion Sunday Congregational Meetings Annual Garage Sale Blood Drive Notes from Jackie DOC Regional Assembly Real Options for Women LifeWalk Ongoing Activities DWM News Collection for Hope s Door TLC for October Request for ipad Donation Save the Date Followed by an All-Church Brunch Fellowship Hall Congregational Meetings There will be congregational meetings on October 9th immediately following both worship services. We will be voting on the proposed Sanctuary Renovation plan. Attendance September 18 Sunday School 145 9:00 Worship :15 Worship 64 Total 190 REMINDER DEADLINE: September 29 4:30 p.m. To be mailed on: October 4 Event Time Period Covered: October 8-14 Send to mwr_editor@fccplano.org Carter BloodCare is sponsoring a blood drive in the One5Twenty building on Saturday, October 15th, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Please come down and donate your blood then peruse the church's garage sale for something useful afterward. You can donate a gift then take one home for yourself. What a way to spend your Saturday morning! Contact Craig Richardson, Grover Brillhart, or Larry Weseman to sign up. Thank you. 1

2 N o t e s f r o m J a c k i e Beautiful Things Back in Virginia, a natural phenomenon occurred four times a year when the weather would change and all sorts of alterations in nature would happen as a result. Now, I know here in Texas you people are unfamiliar with such things, as it is now Fall and the temperature persists at a blistering 95. I've discovered that, in Texas, seasons are just in theory. (But I'm totally ok with it. I never liked the cold!) Even though there is no evidence of Fall outdoors, I see tremendous evidence of a sort of spiritual Autumn right now, both for me personally, and for FCC Plano. In Contemporary Worship, we as a ministry team are learning to let go of preconceived notions of worship. To stop feeding our own ideas and supporting our own agendas, and allow those things to slowly pass away as we turn our eyes upon Jesus and surrender control to Him in the depths of our hearts. We just started week 2 of a 9 week study called, "Pure Praise." This book study is powerfully challenging, calling us out as individuals and as a worship team and holding up a standard of holiness that is both mercifully convicting and gloriously inspiring. I cannot, cannot, cannot wait to see what the contemporary worship team looks like in 6 months, in a year... As we continue to learn to die to ourselves and make way for the new life that only God can create in our midst. In MidWeek for Young Adults, we are also experiencing a season change. We are in week 2 of a series called, "Boundaries in Dating." This is one book out of a series by Drs. Cloud and Townsend about establishing biblical, healthy boundaries in relationships. And man oh man, it's tough to lay down those things we hold onto so tightly - our dating relationships - at the feet of Jesus. To examine them against the plumb line of Scripture. To relinquish control to the urging of the ever present Holy Spirit. To love each other like God loves us, whatever the cost. I have already seen God move in our young adults through this series, and I pray that it spreads like wild fire... That healthy relationships, biblical boundaries and selflessness become the norm in our young people. Will you join me in that prayer? And if I may speak about my personal life, I am also going through a sort of Fall season. I just turned 32. I thought for sure that by now I would be happily married to a hunk of a man, with 2 or 4 kids (not 3, because I like even numbers) and a Siberian husky named Judah. I thought I would have released an album or two, and that I'd be a lot closer to paying off my student loans than I am! But none of those things are a reality for me. On this birthday, it would be easy to throw myself a pity party and blow out my 32 candles with no wish, no hopes, no dreams. But the Holy Spirit who lives inside me will not allow it. Instead, He demands that I release those things to my Father, my GOOD Father who sits on the throne of grace and reigns sovereign over the whole wide world and over my itty bitty life. In all these things, He gives beauty for ashes. He gives joy for mourning. He gives peace for despair. We go down to die in the waters of baptism and are raised again in the newness of Life, by the power of the Creator of the universe. At the dawn of time, He made beautiful things out of the dust. And, praise His holy name, He still makes beautiful things out of us. Jackie Albright FCC Contemporary Worship Leader/ Director to Young Adults 2

3 The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada is divided into 33 geographic regions. The Southwest Region encompasses Texas, New Mexico, the panhandle of Oklahoma and one congregation in Liberal, Kansas. The Southwest Region, due to its enormous size, is divided into 8 areas. First Christian Church of Plano is one of 80 congregations in the North Texas Area of the Southwest Region. Every two years, Disciples from all over the Southwest Region gather together for fellowship, worship, learning opportunities and a business meeting. This year the North Texas Area is hosting the Regional Assembly at Northway Christian Church in Dallas on Saturday, October 29 th and Sunday, October 30th. This year the Regional Assembly will kick off with a Mission First Gathering on Saturday afternoon. The intent of this activity is to gather information from members of Disciples of Christ congregations regarding the future direction of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Input from gatherings across all of the regions will be compiled and common themes will come out of that. The gathering at the Regional Assembly will start as one large group and then divide up into small groups for input and discussion. Therefore, this is an opportunity for you to have an active role in providing valuable input into this discussion. Information regarding Mission First can be found on the Disciples website The Disciples Women will have a luncheon on Saturday prior to the beginning of the assembly. Contact Linda Engelking for more info on the luncheon. There will be a number of workshops on Saturday and Sunday afternoon that deal with everything from church renewal to spiritual development to hands on mission. Saturday s activities will conclude with a worship service with Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, Professor of Old Testament at Brite Divinity School, bringing the message. Sunday afternoon s activities will conclude with a business meeting. Each church is allotted a number of delegates based on participating membership and any member of our congregation can be a delegate. While our church is locally governed, we are part of something much bigger and have an opportunity to participate when the Regional Assembly is just down the road from us. Information regarding the Regional Assembly is available on-line at You can register on-line or download a registration form to mail in. Linda Engelking, our Associate Pastor Rev. Casey Matthews and Danny Housewright will be attending the assembly. Will you join them? On Saturday, October 8th at 8:30 a.m. Real Options for Women will sponsor a walk to support their ministry at Bob Woodruff Park. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 9:00. All of their funding comes from churches and people like you. Can t participate? Reesa Haggard, Angela Hernandez, Silveria Hufstedler, Polly Murphy, Judy Richert, and Vicky Wales are already registered to walk and are looking for sponsors!! Want to walk but not available on that Saturday? No Problem. Walk when you can. Two miles in your neighborhood is perfect. Need help getting pledges? We will have stations set up before and after each service on October 2nd where you can sign a pledge form and someone will contact you later with details. Have more questions? Call Vicky Wales. 3

4 ONGOING CHURCH ACTIVITIES Sunday Church Services Traditional Worship & Communion: 9:00 a.m., Sanctuary; Nursery available Contemporary Worship Service: 11:15 a.m., Fellowship Hall; Nursery available ReNova: Hispanic Ministry Hispanic Worship Service: Sundays, 12:30 p.m., Chapel Sunday School Classes From Preschool age to Adult: Sundays, 10:15 a.m., Nursery Available Church Leadership Meetings Board of Directors: 2nd Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.; Open to all Cabinet: 4th Monday, 6:45 p.m. Deacons: As needed Elders: 1st Monday, 6:00 p.m. Ministry Teams Education Ministry Team: 4th Monday, 7:30 p.m. Church Life Ministry Team: As needed Church Growth Ministry Team: 4th Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. Outreach Ministry Team: 1st Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Property Ministry Team: As needed Safety Ministry Team: As needed Stewardship Ministry Team: 1st Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Worship Ministry Team: 2nd Monday - Bi-monthly, 7:00 p.m. Vision Task Force: As needed Music Ministries Handbell Choir Rehearsal: Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal: Wednesdays, 7:15 p.m. Contemporary Worship Rehearsal: Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Ongoing Outreach First Fruits Sunday: 1st Sunday of each month; please bring canned goods & nonperishable items to be donated to God s Pantry. Blood Drive: Next Opportunity - October 15, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Local Benevolence: Donations accepted weekly Bible Studies and Classes Women s Bible Study: Various times and sessions; For more information, please call the FCC Office Crown Financial Bible Study: Various times and sessions; For more information, please call the FCC Office James Gang Men s Bible Study: Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. Conference Room Men s Afternoon Bible Study: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m., Pairs & Spares Classroom Ongoing Church Activities Prayer Group (open to all): Mondays, 6 p.m., Seekers classroom Happy Days: (Seniors) Monthly gatherings and various scheduled events Mid-Week: (Young Adults) Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., One5Twenty LOGOS Ministry: (Children, youth, & adults) 3rd Sunday, 5-7 p.m. Men s Groups Sr. CMF: Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m., Poor Richard s Café F.A.T. (Faithful, Accountable, Teachable): Saturdays, 8:00 a.m., Bryan Sisters Lobby (just east of the sanctuary narthex) Disciples Men: Quarterly Area Breakfasts Women s Groups Disciples Women s Ministry (DWM): Executive Board, 2nd Monday, 9:00 a.m. Beatrice Haggard Group, 2nd Monday, 10:00 a.m. Youth Activities JYF (Grades1-5) Monthly Sunday Evening Activity, 5:00 p.m. Meet at One5Twenty Chi Rho (Grades 6-8): Sundays, 10:15 a.m.; Sundays, 5-7 p.m., One5Twenty; Various scheduled events CYF (Grades 9-12): Sundays, 10:15 a.m.; Sundays, 5-7 p.m., One5Twenty; Various scheduled events VBS (Ages 3-Grade 5) Make plans to attend VBS 2017! An updated FCC events calendar can be found on the FCC website: Back issues of The Reminder are also available at this site. 4

5 Disciples Women s Ministry News Be sure to join us on October 10th at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall for our October meeting. Jennifer Phillips will be leading us in worship and presenting a "Just Women Study program." All women are invited to come and bring a friend. Lunch will be catered following the meeting. Each person needs to sign up in advance and pay $7 at the door. Please contact Margaret Turner by , text, or phone by October 7th to sign up. NTA Women's Meeting Saturday, October 8th, 10:30 a.m. FCC Denton 1203 North Fulton St. Denton, TX "Message through Music" provided by FCC Denton Choirs & Soloists. Weather permitting we will then move out to the south lawn for "A Prayerful Labyrinth Walk" led by Charlotte Nabors which will include communion. Lunch will be provided by FCC Denton, $7.00 Please contact Linda Engelking for more information. The service project is canned food for North TX Area Food Bank and letters to veterans in the VA hospital. Bring any or all with you to the meeting or give to Linda. Judy Kidd DWM Director of Publicity Serving Families Suffering from Domestic Violence The FCC Plano DWM would like for everyone to help us collect items for Hope s Door throughout the month of October. Hope s Door is a shelter and counseling center that offers comprehensive programs and services that are designed to help break the cycle of domestic abuse. Hope s Door provides direct intervention and prevention services to Texas families affected by domestic abuse in Collin & Dallas Counties, as well as surrounding areas. In 2014, Hope's Door answered 2,907 hotline calls; served 21,000 meals; provided 6,800 hours of counseling; provided emergency shelter to 345 women and children; and volunteers in North Texas contributed 18,000 hours of community service. Hope s Door works everyday to change the lives of families affected by domestic violence. They never turn away a family in need. By generously contributing money, goods, or services, you can make the transition to a violence-free life possible for those who need it most. They are also always looking for volunteers. If you are interested in supporting the supply drive, please place any of the following items in the bin at the top of the sanctuary narthex stairs: Diapers/Pull-ups (Sm & XL) Personal hygiene items (full-size) Twin-size bedding Toilet paper/paper towels/tissues Gift cards (Target, Walmart, grocery stores, gas stations) TLC Co-Chairs: Joan Long Marilyn Nichols Helpers: Marge Brashear Linda Conkright Tami Hendrix Barbara Olsen Our youth program has been using more technology to teach! In order to help integrate our TVs and other media into lessons, as well perform other functional tasks, the Youth Program is looking for an ipad. If you have a used one you would like to donate, please contact rebekah@fccplano.org. Rebekah Cressman FCC Director of Youth First Fruits Sunday October 2 World Communion Sunday - One service October 2 All-Church Luncheon October 2 NTA Women s Meeting October 8 LifeWalk October 8 Congregational Meetings October 9 Annual Garage Sale October Blood Drive October 15 Kids against Hunger October 22 Regional Assembly October For a complete calendar of church activities, please visit our website at 5

6 Pastoral Staff Dr. Doug Deuel, Senior M inister Rev. Casey Matthews Associate Minister Rev. Miguel Aviles Minister to Hispanics Church Staff drdoug@fccplano.org revcasey@fccplano.org miguel@fccplano.org Jacqueline Albright jackie@fccplano.org Contemporary Worship Leader/Director of Young Adults Miguel Aviles miguel@fccplano.org Facilities Technician Rebekah Cressman Director of Youth rebekah@fccplano.org Debbie Johnson debbie@fccplano.org Director of Music Ministry Kelly Maxwell, Nursery Coordinator nursery@fccplano.org Michele Sargent organist@fccplano.org Organist & Bell Choir Director Melinda Shafer melinda@fccplano.org Administrative Assistant A-B C-D E-G H-J K-L M-O P-R S T-Z 2016 Elders Chet Hufstedler Linda Engelking Danny Amos Cam Lindsey Mary Ann Moon Kay Ellis Rick Saigling Daryl Bayle Matt Wadsworth 2016 Board Leaders Danny Amos, Chairman of the Board Daryl Bayle, Chairman of the Elders Corky Ellis, Chairman of the Deacons Church Office Hours Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact Numbers Office: Fax: Our Mission: To proclaim God s grace and truth in Jesus Christ. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 813 E. 15th Street Plano, Texas September 27, 2016