JANUARY 2014 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Jacksboro Parish CALENDER 2 THE POWER OF INVITATION 3 BOOK CLUB, MDO 4 STEWARDSHIP 5 CAROLING, YEARLY PLANNING RETREAT, BIBLE BABES 6 YOUTH 7 PASTOR S PRATTLE 8 WELCOME To our new Parish Council who, over the next year offer their wisdom, leadership and enthusiasm to our church and ministries! Those new members are: Jerry Mower, Tina Mower, Mitchell Davenport, Karen Davenport, Clint Strickland, Martha Salmon, Rod Hammond, and Bob Maddox. To our new Elders for 2014-2015 who provide spiritual leadership and remain in fervent prayer for our church and each person in our church as well as those God wishes us to embrace: Martha Salmon, Jerry Mower, and Tina Mower. To our new Deacons/Junior Deacons for 2014-2015 who willingly give of their time through service to the church and caring for the physical needs of our ministry: Brian Davenport, Debbie Colbert, Roxanna Maddox, Tom Loftin, Wanda West, Mary Ellen Cooper, Anita Hackley, Reuben Gonzales, and Caleb Martin. To our new trustee of 2014-2016 who oversees the financial care of our the MCC church: John Hackley. To Our 2014 MCC Board who give their gifts and talents to the care of MCC: Moderator, Martha Salmon; Vice Moderator, Wanda West; Treasurer, Tom Loftin; Assistant Treasurer, Tina Mower; Clerk, Pat Loftin; and Assistant Clerk, Debbie Colbert. To our 2014 FPC Session members who give their time and talents to the care of FPC: Mitchell Davenport, Clerk of Session; Anne Dyer, Treasurer; and Liz Spears and Edwina Swan Session Members. WELCOME to each and every one of you and thank you for giving your time to the various ministries of Jacksboro Parish. You help lead our congregation into a bright future with God! May our Lord bless us in the new year where we see a need, may we meet that need; where we see hurt, may we offer healing; where we see joy, may we join exuberantly in praising God, and where we see the lost, may we welcome them home!
THE JACKSBORO PARISH PAGE 2 January 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 Office Closed 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 6:30 MCC Mtg 12 13 14 15 16 6:30 Parish Council Mtg 17 18 Planning Retreat 9:30-3pm 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6:30pm Book Club Noon Bible Babes 26 27 28 29 30 31
NEWSLETTER TITLE (Rev. Paul Ganther adapted this article from an on-line blog by Matthew Porter of England on Discipleship. Blog-applies here, too!) Most people love receiving invitations. To a party. A meal. Wedding. A celebration. A special event. It s nice to be included-to feel part of something. It s good to know that you belong. But many don t feel like they belong. They feel lonely. In fact we live in a lonely society. That s why Mother Theresa is right when she famously said: The greatest disease today is not starvation but loneliness. Loneliness is one of the greatest ills of 21st Century Britain, and we re not immune to it here in York, or the North of England. Recent published research by the Mental Health Foundation shows that over 1 in 10 UK residents often feel lonely; just 1 in 5 people say they never feel lonely and half think that people in the UK are, in general, getting more lonely. People want to be included. They want to be invited. That s because we re made by God to live in The Power of Invitation community, in families, in homes, with a network of friends. That s a massive part of what church is about. And that s why all the evidence shows that most people today belong before they believe. They want to see what kind of community we are, before they commit to the head of the community, Jesus Christ. But how are they going to find out, unless they come? And how are they going to come unless someone invites them? You see, invitation is crucial. That s the power invitation. In John chapter 1, Philip meets Jesus and decides to follow him. He then wants his friend, Nathaniel to meet Jesus too maybe like you want your friend, or your family member, or your work colleague, to meet Jesus. So what does Phillip do? He tells his friend that he s found someone amazing-jesus Christ. But Nathaniel isn t sure and so Phillip replies: Come and see. He invites him. Simple as that. And Nathaniel agrees and meets Jesus and his life is transformed. But it wouldn t have happened unless Phillip had invited PAGE 3 him. Take out the invitation and Nathaniel would not have met Jesus. That s the power of invitation. But how does God normally invite people? On occasions he just intervenes and sovereignly does it himself. But normally he does it through his hands and his feet-his body. The church. That s how he operates. Through you and me. I was speaking with a man at the weekend who d become a believer in the last two weeks. He was very excited as he told me about his journey to faith! One crucial part included a friend inviting him on a Christian skiing holiday which opened up all sorts of conversations and opportunities for him to discover who Jesus is. Take out the invitation and this man would not have met Jesus. That s the power of invitation. So, who are you inviting? Have you got your invitations? Are you giving them away? Are you praying for invitation opportunities this week? Because this is the time to be inviting. This is the time to be maximizing the power of invitation.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 4 BOOK CLUB Book Club meets monthly and discusses a book we ve all been reading. We visit each month at 6:30pm and we discuss a new book that makes us think and contemplate God, our relationship with God and one another. January Book: The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle February Book: Amistad by Alexs Pate March Book: Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole by Angie Smith Join us January 9th for The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle. Tickle is the founding editor of the Religion Department for Publishers Weekly. She is a respected scholar and this book is praised by the likes of Diana Butler Bass and Katharine Jefferts Schori. Upcoming books for the rest of the school year include: April Book: The Case for Christ by Lee Stobel May Book: The Wedding Planners of Butternut Creek by Jane Myers Perrine MDO Closings Reminder: MDO will be closed the first week in January and we will reopen on Tuesday MDO Xtreme greatly appreciates everyone who helped provide refreshments for our Christmas
THE JACKSBORO PARISH UNWAVERING CONFORMITY: A SAVE THE DATE--Yearly Planning Ret reat Equitable Distribution of Resources: January 2014 Every year we come t ogether as a congregation t o plan f or t he New Year. More details are coming, but please put on your calendars t o be in attendance on January 18, 2014 f rom 930am t o 3pm. Lunch will be provided, bring snacks f or sharing if you d like f or a morning snack. Your voice needs t o be part of t hose discussions, your ideas needs t o be part of t hose discussions, and YOU need t o be part of planning t he New Year! See you in 2014! God told Moses that the promised land was to be distributed according to the relative size and needs of the various tribes: To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one (Nu 126:54). In this way, socioeconomic equity was ingrained in the DNA of Israel s agrarian economy. Biblical scholar Craig L. Blomberg observes, The ideal PAGE 5 contrasts markedly with arrangements in other feudal kingdoms near Canaan in that day, in which by far the more common pattern was the concentration of vast tracts of land among the royal and aristocratic elites, leaving a majority of the people in considerable poverty. Similarly, when we look to the New Testament, the book of Acts provides an outstanding example of how the equitable distribution of resources became an important characteristic of the early church (see Ac 2:42-47; 4:32-37). Today the same principle should govern our financial decisions. Second Corinthians 9:11 tells us that God makes us rich in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion. Thus, distributing resources equitably means recognizing the fact that in God s economy he equips some with more so that they can bless others who have less. Based on 2 Corinthians 8:13-14: Paul warns, however, that equality in giving should not cause the saints in one area to be eased while givers become burdened. The Jerusalem saints were not to enjoy plush seats while the Corinthian Christians sat on hard benches. On the contrary, there should be wisdom and a sense of balance in the matter of sharing the resources of a local church. We are also to be gracious receivers when it becomes necessary: Some people will not accept gifts lest they should be obligated to the donors. This, in Paul s view, is unethical (see 2 Co 8:13). We should gratefully receive all that God gives us through our brethren because the time may come when we must reciprocate. This truth was not for Corinth only; it is relevant today! Today we may have abundance and tomorrow we may be in want. Today we may live in luxury and tomorrow we may suffer need. Today we may have the privilege of giving and tomorrow we may have the equal privilege of receiving. As you read through today s Scripture please reflect on the following questions: what is one way in which you are rich, and how do you share your riches with others? Number 26:52-56
THE JACKSBORO PARISH CAROLING 2013 SAVE THE DATE--Yearly Planning Ret reat Many joined in joyful singing if nothing more than a joyful noise! We were like the reindeer Dasher going from place to place, Prancing and dancing with a smile on our face. Cupid came along with hugs all around, and one little vixen even hit the ground! Donning our Christmas festive gear, we were like a comet spreading cheer! Every year we come t ogether as a congregation t o plan f or t he New Year. More details are coming, but please put on your calendars t o be in attendance on January 18, 2014 f rom 930am t o 3pm. Lunch will be provided, bring snacks f or sharing if you d like f or a morning snack. Your voice needs t o be part of t hose discussions, your ideas needs t o be part of t hose discussions, and YOU need t o be part of planning t he New Year! See you in 2014! After spreading the light of Christ like Rudolph the red nose reindeer we blitzed back to the fellowship meal and carried on with SAVE THE DATE Yearly Planning Retreat Every year we come together as a congregation to plan for the New Year. More details are coming, but please put on your calendars to be in attendance on January 18, 2014 from 9:30am to 3pm. Lunch will be provided, bring snacks for sharing if you d like for a morning snack. Your voice needs to be part of those discussions, your ideas needs to be part of those discussions, and YOU need to be part of planning the New Year! See you in 2014! PAGE 6 Bible Babes RETURNS for another great year of womanshipping! It is a true blessing gathering as women with no concerns but building relationship with one another. It warms our hearts as we share laughter and tears, a nice meal and devotion. Join us January 22nd at noon. Drop your kids off at the MDO hall and then meet us at the activity center! Can t wait to see what God brings us in the New Year!
THE JACKSBORO PARISH PAGE 7 Youth Group Never see this much concentration on their faces during our lessons on Wednesday There is nothing like opening your gift to find a Youth Group is always up for new & different challenges. Even singing some carols that are not familiar. We were a little off key but no one seemed to mind Singing to Loyce Ingram at Greystone He had a hard time deciding what gift to open. Youth had a blast singing carols to the residents of Jacksboro Health Care Center What a great meal for our Christmas Dinner! Joy to the World
THE JACKSBORO PARISH PAGE 8 PASTOR S PRATTLE Dear Church Family, I m sitting here pondering what 2014 will be like. This time of year we say such things as out with the old and in with the new, can t wait for this year to be over, looking forward to a new year, and I m so glad that 2013 is done! We relish looking toward new and exciting time, but we neglect remembering the good times that have just past. For instance, this past year was not the easiest for me and my family. However, we had a church family that surrounded us in love, that were here for us, that offered us grace, that cheered us on, that extended a helpful hand, compassion, and most importantly prayers. 2013 would have been completely unbearable if we did not have the church. So for me, I am thankful for the gifts of this church and I will treasure every memory and every kindness that you extended to me and my family in 2013. As we usher in 2014, may we also reflect deeply on the past year and genuinely appreciate 2013...A year that offered laughter, tears, tender moments, family, friends, and a lifetime of experience. Just as every Sunday we come to the table in remembrance, may we also remember the lessons of 2013 as we welcome in 2014 and the lessons that this new year holds for us. God bless each and everyone of us in our remembering and in our expectations. Love and prayers, Pastor Ana Dear Church Family, Thank you for the gift you gave me and my family this Christmas. It truly is appreciated and we look forward to some special family time that this gift makes possible. Again thank you all! Much Love, Ana
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