FIRST FRUITS WE GIVE OUR FIRST FRUITS BECAUSE HE GAVE US HIS ONLY SON

May 2020 Volume 23 No. 5

First Things First …

This I Believe “…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15 Belief exerts a powerful influence on every aspect of life. As Peter says above, there is a hope in everyone who believes in Christ the Lord. Each one of us should be ready, at any time, to make a defense (tell the reason) for that hope. In the series of statements which began in the February edition of First Fruits, I plan to share a summary of what I believe so that you may know me more fully and so you may see the reason for the hope that is in me. I continue the series with my belief regarding the nature of God’s Being in the second of three statements.

I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became the only sinless human, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin, Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. I believe for the duration of His life on earth He was fully human, during which He voluntarily and temporarily did lay aside some of His divine attributes. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished redemption through His suffering at the hands of sinful men and His true death on the cross as a reconciling and substitutionary sacrifice, and the redemptive satisfaction is authenticated by His bodily resurrection from death. This work of redemption satisfies the wrath of God for all who have lived: past, present and future. By His words spoken from the Cross, “It is finished,” Christ indicated that all and everything necessary for salvation had been completed. This propitiation is appropriated to each one who believes that Jesus’ sacrifice is a personal expiation. That is, when one believes the promise of God’s forgiveness, then there no longer exists any punishment for sin. That forgiveness is communicated through God’s Word (Romans 10:17) by the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The result becomes a profession of the faith (Romans 10:9) and a reborn life (2 Corinthians 5:17). All this is a gift of God (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8, et al). In fulfillment of the Scriptural prophecy, on the third day following His death, Christ rose from the dead, in His crucified body, through the glory of the Father. I believe Jesus is now in Heaven, a literal and actual place, exalted at the right hand of God the Father, once again having fully restored divine attributes, where He fulfills the ministry of intercession for all believers. I believe in the bodily return of Jesus as the righteous Judge of all people of all time. I believe when He comes all those who have died in faith will be resurrected with Him in glorified bodies which will never see corruption or disintegration. Likewise, all Christians alive at that time will be transformed into the same glorified bodies. I believe the millennial reign of Christ, as described in Revelation, will be a literal and physical presence on Earth*, preceding the dissolution of all creation and the subsequent creation of a New Heaven and Earth, wherein Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, shall reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, one God eternally.

(continued on page 6)

05/03 Psalm 12; Genesis 13, Acts 8:1-25, Matthew 5:17-30

05/10 Psalm 13; Genesis 14, Acts 8:26-40, Matthew 5:31-48

05/17 Psalm 14; Genesis 15, Acts 9:1-19a, Matthew 6:1-15

05/24 Psalm 15; Genesis 16, Acts 9:19b-31, Matthew 6:16-24

05/31 Psalm 16; Genesis 17, Acts 9:32-43, Matthew 6:25-34

First School

And Day Care ews First School has 44 children enrolled. We have 20 more

are on the list to return when things get back to normal.

We haven’t had high attendance the past month due to

the COVID 19 health crisis. Our state childcare licensing

mandated that only children of essential employees are

allowed to attend childcare. They also required health

screening at the door as well as parents to drop off and

pick up children outside the door.

So many day to day things have changed for the children

as well as the teachers. We have had all of the school

children here doing the online learning with their school

issued chrome books as well as their paper assignments

each day. With over 10 kids in the fellowship hall needing

schooling assistance has required a lot of extra hands and

effort! Throughout the daycare children miss their friends

they had and do not understand what is happening.

Continued on page 6

First School Board Meeting – Tuesday, May 12th – 5:30 p.m.

WE’RE HERE WHEN YOU NEED US

OR

Office hours: Tues & Thurs: 8:00am - 4:30pm Wed: 8:00am – 12:00pm

Phone: 979-543-5847 Email: office@firstlutheranec.com

05/01 Kim Kainer

05/05 Robert Hollingsworth

05/20 Emery Langston

05/23 Dagny Thane

05/25 Shane Langston

05/26 Kathleen Joines

05/30 Evon Atchetee

05/02 Kirk House

05/11 Ed Campbell

05/13 Sheila Herrington

05/14 Shane Langston

05/14 Sarah Langston

05/24 Jewel-Deen House

05/25 Daniel & Claudia Wilfert

COUNCIL MEETING Thursday, May 21st

6:00 p.m.

Pray for our loved ones

In the Military

Jake Barosh U.S. Armed Forces

Our FLC Family

Dorothy Atchetee

Harlo Atchetee

Charles Bard

Ron Chambles

James Herrington

Nora Hollingsworth

Jewel Deen House

Harry & Marilyn Kight

Kim & Larry Ledwig

John Nelson

Jimmy & Sharon Nielsen

Ruth Speckels

Charlotte Watson

Larry & Cheryl Young

Friends of FLC

Lucille

Pastor Clyde Grier:

Phone: 979-541-6173

List will be cleared on the 1st

in January, April, July

and October. Please help us stay current; call the

office with changes or additions.

WOMEN OF THE WORD

MEETING

Monday, May 4th

5:00 p.m.

WOW Food Drive

Sunday, May 3rd

A Prayer for the Day of Pentecost

God our creator, earth has many languages, but your Gospel announces your love to all nations in one heavenly speech. Make us messengers of the good news that, through the power your Spirit, everyone everywhere may unite in one song of praise; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. --- LBW, page 23

SUNDAY, May 31st

Kist By Grace will host our service

Please invite your family and friends to join us for this special service!

_ _ _ _

FLCEC Manna Meals Team

Our FLCEC Manna Meals Team will be serving

on Thursday, May 7th. Please let Cathy

Schoenfield know if you will be able to help.

The serving will be different as food will be

delivered to the vehicles rather than gathering

inside as in the past.

Where all are family and all are fed

Flower Chart The Flower Chart still has

available dates for the second half

of the year! Please sign up for the

Sundays when you would like to

provide flowers for our service.

1.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

3 Sunday School

9:30 AM Worship Service w/Communion

10:45 AM WOW Food Drive

4 WOW Meeting

5PM

5 6

7 National Day

of Prayer Manna Meals

5-6:30 PM FLCEC Team

serves

1/8

2/9

10 Sunday School

9:30 AM Worship Service

10:45 AM

11

12 First School

Board Meeting 5:30PM

13

14

15

16

17 Sunday School

9:30 AM Worship Service w/Communion

10:45 AM

18

19 Newsletter Items Due

20

21 Church Council

Meeting 6:00PM

22

23

24 Sunday School 9:30 AM Worship Service

10:45 AM

25

26

27

28

29

30

31 Sunday School

9:30 AM Worship Service

10:45 AM

May Responsibilities

ASSISTING MINISTER: Calvin Borak

SEXTON: Daniel Wilfert

USHERS: Calvin Borak, Daniel Wilfert

ALTAR GUILD: Jan Nelson, Kathleen Joines

ACOLYTES READER

3rd Ty Schoenfield 10th Kirk Marek 17th Ted Schoenfield 24th Sheila Herrington 31st Cathy Schoenfield

If you are unable to serve on your date, please find someone to take your place.

MAY FLOWER

CALENDAR

May 2020

3rd Open 10th Calvin & Nora Borak 17th Pastor & Alys Grier 24th Jimmy & Kathleen Joines 31st Open

(continued from page 1)

I believe this is most certainly true, Pastor Grier

*This statement frequently is charged as being contrary to Lutheran doctrine, specifically, as stated in the Augsburg Confession, Article XVII. The Return of Christ to Judgment, wherein the Reformers state:

It is also taught among us that our Lord Jesus Christ will return on the last day for judgment and will raise up all the dead, to give eternal life and everlasting joy to believers and the elect but to condemn ungodly men and the devil to hell and eternal punishment.

Rejected, therefore, are the Anabaptists who teach the devil and condemned men will not suffer eternal pain and torment.

Rejected, too, are certain Jewish opinions which are even now making an appearance and which teach that, before the resurrection of the dead, saints and godly men will possess a worldly kingdom and annihilate all the godless.

Regarding the third paragraph quoted from the Augsburg Confession, the Formula of Concord, the more complete illustration of Lutheran theology, rejects chiliasm, defining it as a Jewish kingdom lasting a thousand years.

I agree with the composers of this seminal profession and teaching of Luther and those who agreed with him. I reject with them that the prophecies of the Latter Days proclaim a worldly kingdom and annihilation of the godless before the resurrection of the dead. Neither does the Word teach a Jewish kingdom. I believe the Scriptures teach the resurrection of the dead and the concurrent rapture of all believers (the Church) will be followed by the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom, over which He will reign for a thousand years. At the end of this Millennial Reign, the final judgment will occur. This judgment will be on those who were not disciples of Jesus when He initially returned. Simultaneously, the dissolution of the present creation will occur and the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth will be accomplished. In this New Creation the Redeemed will know and fully experience the sinless perfection which the LORD intended from the beginning.

+ + + + + + +

Continued from page 2

Our teachers had to drastically have their work hours reduced and were financially struggling. We applied for the forgivable payroll protection loan through the C.A.R.E.S Act passed by Congress. We received the funds on the 23rd of April and it has meant so much to us that we can now have payroll relief! We were awarded $69,300.00 of forgivable funds.

Also, the Texas Workforce Commission was funded to disperse funds to essential frontline workers for free childcare through the end of July. I have been relentlessly helping parents apply and pushing through applications so each of our working parents can take advantage of this great opportunity. We have about twenty families we were able to help so far and more keep being added.

Over all this has taught us so many things and for those things in the midst of this we are so grateful. We are grateful for God’s provision to keep us afloat during this crisis. We are grateful for all of our supportive daycare parents that helped support us in so many ways. We are also grateful for our church family who stood by us and approved us to move forward with the payroll protection plan. Please continue to keep our daycare’s health and safety in your prayers!

Many Blessings,

Bree Joines

First Lutheran Church

304 Oscar

El Campo, TX 77437

979-543-5847

Email: office@firstlutheranec.com

ESTABLISHED FEB 1893

Worshipping Christ and Sharing the Word for over a century.

Clyde Grier, Pastor Helen Marie Kight, Organist

Christine Richter, Office Manager Bree Joines, Director of First School

Join us on FACEBOOK or check us out at

www.FIRSTLUTHERANEC.COM

CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS: Milton Johnson, David Kight, Kirk Marek, Sheila Miller, Jimmy Nielsen,

Cathy Schoenfield, & Lynn Talafuse

Our Newsletter

can be found on

our website at www.firstlutheranec.com

Join us for worship

on Sunday mornings!

Sunday School – 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service – 10:45 a.m.