Pilgrim s Progress November 2010 Issue The purpose of this church shall be to bind together followers of Jesus Christ, for the object of sharing in the worship of God and in seeking His will for our lives, especially as that will is set forth in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Page 1 Pastor s Message HERITAGE MONTH Page 2 Upcoming Events Page 3 Birthdays, Anniversaries Members in Care Facilities Our Soldiers Asst. Moderator Page 4 & 5 Sabbatical Synopsis Page 6 Financial Update Operation Cmas Child Thank You Page 7 Church Calendar Stats Corner Soft Hearts Are a Necessity PASTOR S MESSAGE... I think it is no accident that Jean Bower left us with a biblical theme to ponder. I believe, and the Bible supports, a soft heart as a necessity if a believer is to bear good fruit. The following Scriptures document the importance of bearing good fruit: Psalm 1:3, Proverbs 11:30, Matthew 7:16, John 15:2, Galations 5:22, and Revelations 22:2. Jesus in His parable of the soils, emphasized good soil as a metaphor for a soft heart, which produces good fruit (see Matthew 13:23). In this harvest season it would serve us all to stop and ask God to survey the soil of our hearts. What fruit are we capable of producing and more importantly is it the kind of fruit that God can use. Page 8 Church Contact Info Think about it! Yours In Christ, Pastor Barry Page 1
Men s Breakfast Club EVERY WEDNESDAY HyVee Deli, 7 am All men are welcome! - - - - - - - - - - - Women s Coffee Club EVERY MONDAY HyVee Deli, 9 am All women are welcome! Monday Morning Prayer Group Every Monday at 7 a.m. in church library Marshalltown Cancer Support Group Nov. 2, 7 p.m. FCC s Fellowship Hall This month s program will be presented by church member Danielle Propst who will be sharing information and pictures on her summer adventures to Alaska and Washington DC. Attendees are reminded to please enter through the 4 th Street entrance on the west side at the ground level. The Marshalltown Cancer Support Group meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month and are free and all are welcome to attend. For more information or to make an appointment for the resource center, please call and leave a message at 641-752-5931. Page 2 Hosts: Larry Koepnick, Ron Rainey, Joan Carter, Arlene Selby & Dee Norton Program: Sisters Arlene Selby and Carol Altenhein Turkey, potatoes and dressing are being provided please bring a covered dish to share and come join the fun! Church Women United World Community Day Friday, November 5 noon Salad Luncheon New Hope Christian Church 3901 S. Center St. Marshalltown DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME begins November 7. DON T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR BEFORE GOING TO BED SATURDAY NITE, NOVEMBER 6 TH!! Hostesses: Sanny Thompson, Eleanor Tjossem, Lenora Brown Program: Main Street Revitalization Susan Malloy Women's Fellowship Thursday, Nov. 18 1 p.m. Hostesses: Jan More & Beth Tigges Program: Wolves Miriam Bryant o 50 yr. Members acknowledged during 10:30 a.m. worship service. o Annual Harvest Dinner follows the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Please call or email your dinner reservations into the church office.
2... Jody Brintnall... Olivia Storjohann 3... Logan March 5... Brian Berg... Marcus Woerner 6... Breana Gruver 7... Olivia Hawkins 10... Kenton Kirk 11... Esther Riley 12... Conner Beaty 13... Janet Allbee 20... Georgia Thomas 24... Nancy Grabe... Jim Mairs... Nancy Urbanowski 25... Shirley Nott... Harry Wilson 27... Sharon Propst 30... Greg Ellcey Al & Judy Hays 11/9/63 Ken & Anita Niehouse 11/10/57 Cliff & Lori March 11/10/84 Don & Jane Benbow 11/15/58 Barry & Renee Sedlacek 11/28/73 Craig & Cynthia Ragland 11/29/96 Rod & Kristi Hassler 11/29/08 Lee & Valois Brintnall 11/30/52 Please keep our Members in Care Facilities in your Thoughts and Prayers: Mary Wilson Helen Berg Olive Showalter Woody Shives Zora Dysart Esther Riley Delores Bavender Don & Connie Lyman Please pray for our soldiers that are serving overseas: Paul & Julianne Packer s daughter (Madelyn s mommy): SSG Sarah Latham CJTF C12 RFC Army APO AE 09855 There s been a bit of confusion when making a donation to the church s Endowment Fund please make your check payable to: FCC ENDOWMENT FUND You may put In memory of in the memo portion of your check. Thank you from your Board of Trustees. From FCC s Assistant Moderator Don Benbow The Iowa-Nebraska Association of Congregational Christian Churches held their annual business meeting at the LaMoille Congregational Community Church on October 9. The main concern was Interconnectedness : how can fifteen congregations spread over 65,000 square miles work together for common goals? Some churches are doing fine and have good ideas to share with others. Some are struggling and need the group s support. The youth programming could benefit by combining forces among churches. As the group grappled with these issues, I thought about the similarities with the first century church. Paul and others worked with widely scattered groups, visiting and writing the letters that make up much of the New Testament. Let us strive to work together within our congregation and with other groups to glorify God and be an instrument of his will. As the human body, which has many parts, is a unity, and those parts, despite their multiplicity, constitute one single body, so it is with Christ. (I Cor. 12:12, Phillip s translation) FYI: Don was elected and accepted the position of Executive Memberat-Large of the Iowa-Nebraska Association. Congratulations, Don! Page 3
SABBATICAL SYNOPSIS At the beginning of the sabbatical process, we set some goals to give us some direction for the sabbatical. Starting with thinking about what would make my heart sing, based on the Lilly Foundation suggestions, I thought about wanting time to do the things that mean the most to me. There were originally 5 or 6 goals, and that was narrowed to 3. With that in mind, I would like for you to be informed of how those goals were met and give some reflection on the process. Goal 1: To spend time in personal devotion and rest. This was the best part of the sabbatical! We were cautioned not to cut this part short, and the advice was correct. We had worked on not filling up the time with classes, etc.- but almost overscheduled. It took us a couple of weeks just to settle down enough to relax. We had not realized how consumed we had been with the church, even though we tried to take time in small doses. The experts were right. It was a blessing to spend time in prayer, especially in the outdoors. We did not finish the 12 week Bible Study- but much rich conversation about personal revival, repentance, and grace filled most of our days. Another aspect of this was listening to worship music and just being quiet. Our TV and computer consumes way too much of our time, and it was nice to be in places where that wasn t available. Our rest came in our time camping, time spent in quiet cabins, and time spent enjoying nature. Goal 2: To spend time refreshing Biblical knowledge and getting a fresh perspective on preaching the Gospel. It was amazing to me to see how God put this part together. I was in the presence of some people with impressive credentials and from all sorts of places. In each portion, no matter where the event took place, the importance of the Word of God and the power it has was emphasized. The message that we need to return to the roots of what Jesus has called us to do was evident in everything we did. I was challenged in the seminar From Text to Sermon to let the Biblical text speak for itself. It was also a fresh look at organizing my sermons and bringing the text to life. Even though the Living Prayer seminar at Hemlock Inn in Bryson City, NC was a part of the devotion, I also gained a refreshing from the Bible lessons in the sessions. Since my preaching style is storytelling, it was a great privilege to attend the International Storytelling Festival. While this was not a religious gathering, so many of the stories told gave me ideas and inspiration for how to use the power of story in my sermons. The last seminar was quite a surprise! I attended the Rethinking the Funeral Sermon Fall Workshop for the Fred Craddock Center in Cherry Log, Georgia. Again, the emphasis was on returning to our original intent for the funeral service- to usher people into the presence of God and to celebrate that transition. I was not expecting to truly rethink - but I did- and I am! Page 4
Goal 3: To spend time gaining new ideas for moving the church into the next steps. Cheryl and I returned to Asbury Seminary and took a class on Leading Change. We gained insights for that, read some books and literature, and are still processing this aspect of the sabbatical. We are ready to begin dialogue about changes that need to happen for our church to become even healthier. * There was a 4 th Goal that got cut early in the process, but was an underlying theme during the entire time. This goal was to reconnect with the people and places that have been a part of my spiritual formation. God gave us blessing after blessing those gifts to Cheryl and me. Feeling lost in unfamiliar territory in Michigan, and a camper with Auburn stickers all over it drives into the campgrounds. The couple are dedicated Christians who shared their testimony and prayed with us. Visiting a sister Congregational Church and having the privilege of baptizing the baby of Rob and Jess Brink- a minister in the NACCC that has become a friend of ours. Returning to Asbury and participating in a very meaningful Communion Service intended to not only remember Christ s sacrifice, but to remember our calling. Spending time with our Seminary Buds at a retreat center- but unstructured so that we could sing, pray, hike, read and spend time together and alone. Visiting in Tennessee with Jack Noble, my pastor mentor, and with Earl and Ann Crutchfield who were a part of our lives when we began the journey in the ministry. They serve the Crossville Congregational Church and are also active in the NACCC. Getting to be with Cheryl s parents at the Francis Asbury Society Retreat in Bryson City, NC. It s always spiritually refreshing to be with them. We had an added bonus of some other friends from their church who have a heart for missions. Being present for the first birthday of our grandson Cason in Lawrenceville, GA Attending church with our daughter and her husband and seeing them truly engaging the gospel in a way they never have before. It does a daddy good to see prayers answered, to listen to his daughter read the Bible with her heart, and to hear her husband pray from his heart. Time with individual family members that would have usually been one or two big gatherings where you have a great time, but you don t get to really be with them. We were able to be with almost all of our family for quality time and sharing. Surprising my sister by showing up at their campsite before they got there. It was her 50 th birthday, and she is hard to surprise! I could go on and on. Thank you for the cards and letters- thank you for your little surprises in the cards and letters- thank you for giving us this opportunity! Page 5
FCC FINANCIAL UPDATE September Year To Date Budget Actual Over/Under Budget Actual Over/Under Tithes/Offerings $12,289 $7,550 -$4,739 $119,816 $113,735 -$6,081 Other Income $738 $546 -$192 $7,200 $5,865 -$1,335 TOTAL INCOME $13,027 $8,096 -$4,931 $127,016 $119,600 -$7,416 TOTAL EXPENSES $16,862 $175,832 OVER/UNDER -$8,766 -$56,231 Note: Other Income includes basket collections, Sunday school offerings, special offerings, interest income, Weight Watchers and miscellaneous income. Expenses are the operating expenses of the Boards and committees. Average worship attendance year-to-date: 8 a.m. = 16 9:30/10:30 a.m. = 96 Operation Christmas Child 2010 Boxes due: Nov. 7 In conjunction with Samaritan s Purse, Operation Christmas Child is gifting to children all over the world! Last year FCC donated 37 boxes to this cause! Here is how you can donate to this cause this season: Choose what age group you d like to fix a box for & whether it will be for a boy or girl. The age groups are: 2-4 yrs. old, 5-9 yrs. old & 10-14 yrs. old. Pick up a shoe box (or 2 or 5) and the special form w/envelope from the church office. Fill it with gifts (unwrapped) and put a rubber band around the box. Include $7 per box for shipping using one check made out to Samaritan s Purse. Take box to FCC no later than Nov. 7. IT S THAT SIMPLE! Here are some suggestions for gifts: School Supplies: pens, pencils, sharpener, crayons, markers, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring books Toys: small cars, small balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, Slinky, toys that light up or Page 6 make noise (extra batteries) Hygiene Items: toothbrush, paste, bar soap (in plastic bag), comb, washcloth Other: hard candy, lollipops, mints, gum (please place all candy in zip-lock bags), t-shirts, socks, ball-caps, sunglasses, hairclips, toy jewelry. Items NOT to include: used or damaged items, toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or out of date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as glass containers; aerosol cans. You may wish to include a personal note with your name & address and perhaps you ll receive a note in return. Mildred Lathrop would like to extend a very special thank you to all those who visited her and Bob before his passing. She is so very grateful for the additional support you all have shown through cards, calls and visits since his death. God Bless You All!
NOVEMBER 2010 WORSHIP SERVICES: 8 & 10:30 A.M. SUNDAY SCHOOL: 8:50 A.M. ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:30 A.M. Bell Choir practice: 8:30 am Chancel Choir practice: 9:30 am SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 Cancer Support Group 7 pm 3 * Women s Bible Study 1:00 pm Cum Double 6:30 pm 4 **Evening Bible Study 5:30 7 pm 5 6 ~Youth of Grace & Glory 6:30 pm 7 NOOMA Nites 5:30 pm Operation Cmas Child boxes due back at FCC. 14 Cabinet Mtg. 11:45 am 8 9 10* Youth Nite 6 pm 15 Ben & Missions Com. Mtg. 5 pm 16 Nominating Mtg. 5 pm ~Youth of Grace & Glory 6:30 pm Trustees Mtg. 6:30 pm 17 * ~Youth of Grace & Glory 6:30 pm 11 ** Amity noon 18 ** Women s Fellowship 1:00 pm 12 FCC Stamp Club 10 Noon 13 19 20 Deacons Mtg. 6:30 pm 21 Heritage Sunday 50 yr. members Harvest Dinner 11:30 a.m. 22 23 24 * Youth Nite 6 pm ~Youth of Grace & Glory 6:30 pm 25 ** 26 FCC Stamp Club 10 Noon 27 Meals-On- Wheels 11 am MMSC 28 1 st Sunday in Advent 29 30 Youth of Grace & Glory: Middle & High School D.O.G. s Club: Kindergarten 6 th grades = Weight Watchers STATS CORNER: Births: September 21: Calvin McKibbin Ogle, Parents: Mandi & Scott Ogle Evergreen, CO Grandparents: Gary & Vicki McKibbin Great-Grandma: Esther Hougham Deaths: September 30: Bob Lathrop, 95 October 13: Mary Young, 96 Page 7
First Congregational Church 312 W. Main St. Marshalltown, IA 50158 Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 33 Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 - Address Service Requested -