This Week at First Christian Church For the week of December 6, 2017 A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR I know this is a busy time of the year. Many of us are balancing many extra events. What this means is that you are likely consulting your calendar quite often. So, I m going to invite you to take a couple minutes to learn about things that are coming at FCC so you can add them to your calendar before it gets too full. We have scheduled three Advent Dinners. These meals are a time for folks from FCC to sit together and share food and conversation about the themes of Advent. For more information, read the article on page 2 of this newsletter. Christmas Eve falls on Sunday this year. That means you have TWO different opportunities for worship and both of them promise to be meaningful. The morning service at 10am will be observing the 4th Sunday of Advent as we anticipate love coming and ask how we can share it. The evening service at 7pm will be our Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service. I hope to see you twice that day, and bring your family...make worship part of your Christmas tradition. We will not have Sunday School on December 24 and December 31 (although you still have time to join an Advent class this month!), but we have exciting plans for Sunday School in January. There are two classes for youth (7th grade and up) and adults that promise to be really great. Julie Fitzpatrick and Beth Pelton are teaming up with a Health and Wellness Initiative. This class will run on Sunday mornings (January 7-28) and Wednesday evenings (January 10-31). The Sunday mornings will focus on conversation and the Wednesday nights on practical application. Themes include: wellness, nutrition, exercise for everyone, and brain health & mindfulness. You are invited to attend all or any of these sessions. Jay Thomas will be offering a Sunday morning class titled The Spirituality of Star Wars. This class will begin on January 7 and run for six Sundays. After two Sunday s off (12/24 and 12/31) Children s Sunday School will resume on Sunday, January 7 along with these classes. Being part of a faith community is about many things, but at the center of all of them is community. I encourage you now and in the year ahead to find ways to engage the life of FCC and to let FCC engage you. Hope to see you Sunday as we experience Peace Sunday! Jill YOU ARE INVITED When: Saturday, December 9 at 2pm Where: First Christian Church Please join us for sounds of the season as vocalists and instrumentalists, both beginning and advanced musicians share music to get us in the mood for the season. Each attendee is invited to bring a non-perishable food item to share with the Coralville Food Pantry. A reception will follow.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Advent Dinners Remember, there are three Advent Dinners happening over the coming weeks. Sign up to participate in one and get a chance to take some time out for good food and conversation. Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Michel home Friday, Dec. 15 at church with Laura Kittrell Monday, Dec. 18 at the Jensen- Fitzpatrick home To sign up, visit: http://www.signupgenius.com/ go/20f0f4ba9ae23a5fb6-advent or call the church office. Youth in 3rd 12th grades are invited to a Christmas Party at the Seaton home (2 Linder Lane NE, Iowa City) on December 10 from 5:30 7:30pm. A meal will be shared along with fun games and activities. Youth should bring a wrapped gift valued around $5 for one of the games. Please RSVP to Kara Seaton at: icdisciple.kids@gmail.com if your youth plan to attend. Make a Note The church office will be closed on the following upcoming times and dates: Disciples Christmas Offering We will be receiving the Christmas Offering on December 10 and December 17. This is one of our denominational offerings and this one goes to support the ministry of our region. If you have been part of a camp at the Camp and Conference Center in Newton, attended the All Congregations Gathering in Newton, or been part of a church that has recently gone through a search and call process (that s all of us!) then you have benefitted from this offering. Please give generously. Tuesday, December 12, 11:30am - 1:00pm Friday, December 22, all day Monday, December 25, all day Christmas Program Dress Rehearsal The children and youth will have their final dress rehearsal for the Christmas Program on Saturday, December 16 at 1pm. Sunday, December 17 the children will share the Christmas Program during 10am worship. Dec 16 at 1pm, parents and older siblings are invited to sort and prepare the Christmas gifts that have been received for the HACAP families from the angel tree. Dec 17, after worship, families are invited to stay and help wrap the gifts so they can be distributed to the families. SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY Please, join the Small Group Bible Study on Wednesday, December 13 at 12:30 to study, explore, and discuss Luke 1:46b-55. FCC BOOK CLUB Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout will be the book club topic on Thursday, December 28, at 7:00 p.m. We'll be meeting at the home of Mark & Beth Smith.
Children, Youth, and Families December 6, 6-7pm Children s Christmas program practice December 10, 5:30 pm Youth Group (3rd 12th) Christmas Party at the Seaton home. Please bring a wrapped gift (value $5) for a gift exchange game. December 13, 6-7pm Children s Christmas program practice December 16, 1 pm Christmas program dress rehearsal December 17, morning worship Children s Christmas program December 24 Don t forget to make worship part of your family Christmas. We will observe the 4th Sunday of Advent in morning worship at 10am and celebrate Christmas Eve with a Candlelight Communion Service at 7pm. Questions? Contact Kara (icdisciple.kids@gmail.com) LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? HELP THE CRISIS CENTER SPREAD JOY THIS SEASON WITH A DONATION TO PROJECT HOLIDAY! Project Holiday is the Crisis Center s annual holiday meal distribution which takes place the week before Christmas each year. The goal behind this drive is to provide families with the ingredients they need to create their own family traditions. Each year, the Crisis Center provides meals for over 1,700 families in our community. You are invited to help spread joy this season. Your $25 contribution covers the cost of the meal for one family, including a turkey, ham, or other entrée item, sides, vegetables, and a variety of other grocery items needed to prepare a holiday feast. By taking a tag (on tree at church) and returning it to the Crisis Center (instructions are on the tag for both electronic donations and for mailing in donations) you help brighten the holidays for hundreds of neighbors in need. The Crisis Center of Johnson County and the neighbors they serve thank you for your support. Gifts for Parents was a great Success! Thank you to each of you who participated in Gifts for Parents whether by donating items or volunteering time. It was a great success this year. Through this program, 356 children were able to choose gifts for their parents/guardians, which was made possible by 152 volunteers from at least 13 congregations. Thank you, First Christian, for your generosity! Sunday, December 10, 2017 Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11 Sermon: Holding Peace
December 3rd was the first Sunday of Advent. We had special music from David Raim during worship. There was Hanging of the Greens, and the Church has been decorated and readied for the holiday. Families stayed after worship to learn about Advent and make their own Advent wreaths to take home! HACAP HOLIDAY ADOPT-A-FAMILY PROJECT Donations and gift requests from the angel tree are due back at the church December 10. *We also need donations of shirt boxes, gift wrap and gift bags. Contact Kara Seaton with any questions. Thank you for helping with this project!
DECEMBER 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Gifts for Parents Set up at St. Mark s UMC 8 AM Gifts for Parents at St. Mark s 9AM IA Rockets/Pies 10 AM 8 PM Decorating 1:30 PM 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sunday School 9 AM Families Learning Together 11:30 AM Pack 2000 3 PM Disciples Ringers 5 PM S&F Mtg 1 PM Elders Mtg 6:15 PM Bible Study 12:30 PM Christmas Program Rehearsal 6 PM Love-A-Lot Program 6 PM Wedding in sanctuary 11AM Christmas Concert w/reception to follow 2:00 PM Advent Dinner @ Michel's - 6 PM 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sunday School 9 AM IA Rockets/Pies 12 6 PM Youth Party @ Seatons 5:30 7:30 PM 17 18 Staff Mtg 10 AM Office Closed 11:30 to 1 PM Board Mtg 19 Bible Study 12:30 PM Christmas Program Rehearsal 6 PM Disciples String & Singers 20 Cluster 12 @ FCC 12 PM Arrow Chapter BSA 21 Advent Dinner @ church 6:00 PM 22 Children s Program/ Dress Rehearsal 1:00 PM 23 Sunday School 9 AM Christmas Program in Worship 10 AM Pack 2000 3 PM Venturing Crew 6PM 24 Advent Dinner @ Jensen- Fitzpatrick Home 6:00 PM 25 Staff Mtg 10 AM Worship Committee CRC @ UU 10 AM Bible Study 12:30 PM 26 27 Ladies Night Out @ Texas Roadhouse 5:30 PM 28 FCC Office Closed 29 30 NO Sunday School Candle Light Svc. 31 NO Sunday School FCC Office Closed NO Bible Study Disciples String & Singers FCC Book Club Pastor Jill out of office December 25 31
Dear Church Friends, A Note from Your Moderator During this holiday season, when we all have so much to be thankful for, we choose this occasion to honor our church staff with gifts in appreciation of all they do to make First Christian Church shine with God s Light. These gifts are provided solely through the generosity of donations from the congregation. We will be collecting these gifts until December 17 th. When deciding on an amount that you might be able to give, I would ask that you prayerfully consider that most of our staff are part-time employees that have a set hourly limit each week, but yet always fulfill their duties with a round-the-clock mindset. Their dedication and devotion to First Christian Church is always apparent, and we are so blessed to have each of them. Let us use this opportunity to show our gratitude and be a blessing back to them. Thank you for your consideration, and I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas season, and a New Year filled with blessings! Malinda Thomas, Board Moderator Year End Giving Reminder Please remember that for your gifts to be included on your 2017 giving statement they either need to be received in the mail by Friday, December 29 or in the offering plate by Sunday, December 31. Anything received in the church office January 1 or after will be reflected on your 2018 giving statement. Thank you for your generosity as 2017 concludes.
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) 900 LINCOLNSHIRE PLACE CORALVILLE, IA 52241-3615 Sunday Services: 9 AM Sunday School 10 AM Church Service 11 AM Coffee/Fellowship Church Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 9AM to 1PM Phone #: 319-337-4181 Staff: Pastor: Rev. Jill Cameron Michel (home) 319-665-2276 (cell) 417-439-7391 icdisciple.pastor@gmail.com Office Administrator: Peggy Bothell icdisciple.sec@gmail.com Music Director: Laura Kittrell icdisciple.music@gmail.com Director of Christian Formation : Kara Seaton icdisciple.kids@gmail.com Janitorial: Michael Hull m.hull84@yahoo.com