january 2016 vol. 49 no. 1 “the great bend christian”“the great bend christian” january 2016...
TRANSCRIPT
“The Great Bend Christian”
January 2016
Vol. 49 No. 1
Sermon Series beginning
January 3rd where we will be
delving into the
mission that God is
calling us into as the
First Christian Church
of Great Bend!
God has some big
plans for us!
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
SPECIAL PRAYERS:
Cancer: Dade Can-
non; Teri Everett; Ash-
ley Olivier Gorney;
Brian Hutchinson; Ryley
Martin; Virginia
Noffsinger; Sammy;
LeAnna Soehner; Susan
Wilson
Other Needs: Jenny
Allford; Ellen Baldwin;
Doug Bender; Bob
Bixby; Bob Brown;
Tracy Curtright; Ruth Dailey; Lola Donecker; Mel Enabnit; Dorothy Fross; Berneice George; Bar-
bara Hoar; Lois Johnson; Deserai Klug; Carol Langen; Shelly Leroy; Amber Lloyd; Earlene Nairn;
Carolee Nolte; Steve Ritter; Hazel Scheuerman; Sapphire Shewbart; Ione Strohm; Terry Utley;
Sam Ward
CONTINUED PRAYERS: Cancer: Laura Brown, Corina Dean, Amanda Degenhardt, Shelby Jones,
Shelly McFarren, Leona McIntosh, Lance Morris, Steve Rusco, Doug Schenkel, Donna Stejskal,
Kerry Watkins, Kadin White
Other Needs: Bob Allford, Mabel Bender, Ted Brown, Myrna Campbell, Derek Christendon, Bev
Christiansen, Cody Clark, Larry Dannebohm, Jane Daraio, Marguerite Davidson, Aaron Deason, Dale
Deaver, Denise Ehrlick, Mildred Harders, Dixie Hughes, Rowen Hughes, Don Jones, Scott Jordan,
Babette Kinderknecht, David Kirby, Todd Klein, Martha Knight, Marvin Koch, Jaxon Kretchmar,
Emily Ledford, Gayl Lee, Michele Martin & Baby Girl Elizabeth, Doug Nairn, Brad Patzner, Terry
Piland, Haley Rader, Donna Rusco, Juanita Thomas, Connie Weiser, Larry Weiser, Cory Yadon, Mike
Zager
MILITARY SERVANTS: Derrick Deason, Steven DeWhitt, Blake Frager, Dan Fritz, Ted Jack-
son, Steven McGee, Cody McNorton, Adam Schwartz
Please welcome
our newest members,
Lisa Ferguson and Jason Whiting,
to our church.
We’re glad to have you!
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
Lunch Bunch
January 20, 2016, 11:30 am
Joy Group
Hostesses: Jean Berger/Carolee Nolte
Program: Dolly Gaede
January 26, 2016, 12:00 pm
New Day Group
Hostess: Jenny Colglazier
Lesson: Julie Ford
January 25, 2016, 7:00 pm
Web Site: www.fccgbk.com
FCC's podcast:
http://bit.ly/1CCGBPodcast
Facebook: www.facebook.com/firstchristiangb
HELP NEEDED! Anyone willing to learn how to
prepare communion for the Late Service
Please contact Sharon Engle
at 817-929-9824
Save the Date!
The Bell Choir and Choir will be hosting what
promises to be a very fun evening for Valen-
tine’s Day in February! On Sunday evening,
February 14th, we will be serving a dinner and
having a talent show. You are an important part
of this. Not only will you be able to go out for a
lovely dinner on Valentine’s Day, you are invited
to participate in the talent show. Everyone
start practicing now - polish up your tap shoes,
work on learning lines to your skit, warm up
those rusty vocal chords, pull out that talent
that you have hidden deep inside yourself. No
prizes will be given, but we promise to love and
appreciate your talent offerings! Plan now to
join us for an evening of big fun with your
friends! All proceeds for the evening will be
used to help pay for new hymnals for the
church. If you would like to sign up for the
talent show, or would be willing to help in the
kitchen or set up and clean up for the talent
show, please contact Mary Hunter (email
[email protected], text 620-285-9775,
or just talk to her!) If you plan to attend the
dinner, please let the church office know so
that we have an accurate count. No admission
fee will be charged, but we will be taking an
offering to cover the cost of the meal and
raise money to pay for the hymnals.
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
The LeRoy Smith Fam-
ily would like to thank
the ladies of the church
that made the desserts
for Jean’s Memorial Din-
ner. It meant a lot to us.
The Smiths
First Christian Church-
We want to thank you for
blessing the Dream Center
with your servant-hood on
your work day. We pray
blessings over you!
Kimberly Becker Dear Friends,
Thank you so very much for the prayers,
calls, visits, flowers and food during my sur-
gery.
Especially thank you to Rev. Josh, Rev. Ken
and Roger Butler for being there the morn-
ing of my surgery. Thank you also for the
calls after my surgery from Rev. Josh. It
meant to so much to me.
It is so wonderful to have such a suppor-
tive congregation.
Again, thank you all for being so thought-
ful and caring. Merry Christmas to every-
one! Love, Bill and Lois Ann
Josh & Church Family,
Thank you for all the visits, calls, and
prayers during the time my mom, Carolee
Nolte, has been hospitalized and in rehab.
It means so much to my family, knowing she
has an extended family who cares!
Mom’s recovery is going really well!
Thank you again!
Blessings to you at this Christmas Sea-
son! Mel & Debbie Orebaugh & Family
November 24, 2015
Dear Pastor Josh and First Christian Church members,
Thank you for giving us the opportunity of sharing our ministry with you on Sunday eve-
ning, November 22, 2015. Thank you, too, for the love offering of $449.00 plus $195.00 for
CDs we sold for a total of $644.00 for Frankie Valens Ministries. And please feel free to share
this with the congregation so they will know how they blessed us.
Thanks, too, for those helping us unload and load our equipment back up. That was definitely ap-
preciated and Frankie's back thanks them, too.
May God bless each one of you in great abundance as we all serve our soon-coming King of Kings.
PraiSing Jesus,
Phyllis and Frankie Valens [email protected] www.frankievalensministries.com
We want to thank our
church family for their
thoughts, prayers, notes and
concerns from Rowen’s birth,
through surgeries and now his
catching up as a typical 8
month old. “ Baby Row-row”,
as sister Blakely calls him, is
quick to smile and such a joy
to all of us. God Bless and
Merry Christmas!
Rick & Terri Hughes,
Nathan, Erin, Blakely &
Rowen Hughes
Thank you for your
outpouring of love and gifts
for Christmas and especially
for Ryley and my family. You
are an amazing church!
Rev. Sue
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
Women’s Bible Study
January 12, 2016
6:30 pm
Please contact Marta Edmonds or
Kim Guesnier with any questions.
9-Week Class begins January 25, 2016
7:00 pm in the Church Parlor
Please call Randy Goering (620-786-5881),
Clayton Noffsinger (620-617-3364) or
Debbie Noffsinger (620-793-0604)
with any questions.
Karen Lindberg and Courtney Brunswig will
be hosting a baby shower for Ashley Leu on
Saturday, January 9th, at 2:30 pm in the
church parlor. All church members are invited
to attend.
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
6th-8th Grades 9th-12th Grades
To better accommodate our Children’s Sunday School class sizes, we are taking
our two age divisions and making them three!
DISCOVERERS—K & 1ST GRADE EXPLORERS-2ND & 3RD GRADES
NAVIGATORS-4TH & 5TH GRADES
Be sure to check the directional arrow at the beginning of the dock as to what
Workshop and Where your child will be that morning.
Remember, we ask parents to drop children off and pick them up at the
classroom door to help in keeping our kids safe!
NEW PROGRAM -FAITH & FAMILY We are starting a new program for parents! Deuteronomy 6 tells us to teach our children about God and faith. Yet, it’s not always easy to know what to say and do. If you were blessed with a baby in 2015, you are invited to join us on Weds., Jan. 20th 6:30-7:30 pm. Come and explore ways to begin your baby’s spiritual walk with God. —-Yes, you really can start this early!! This is hands on—so bring your babies!!! (There will be a nurs-ery for your older children.—As this program de-velops, there will be opportunities for sharing with them. )
Our Family Dinner and Children’s Programs are
now on break. We will resume in Feb. 2016.
NO MEETING
JAN. 3RD.
SAVE THE DATE:
CHI RHO RETREAT
FEB. 26, 27, 28
(More info coming!)
SAVE THE DATE-JAN 2 Late afternoon, the high school youth will travel to Wichita and paint the town! Activities will
include dinner, UrbanAir Tram-poline Park, late night snack, and more. We will end with
worship at the Early Service on Sunday, Jan. 3. Text Sue by Dec.
30 to reserve your spot !!
SUNDAY MORNINGs 9:00-10:00 am
CHILDREN’S CLASSES (West Wing)
PRESCHOOL (3 & 4yr & PreK)-meets in Preschool Rm
YOUTH (6th-12th Grades)- meets in the Youth Rm
DISCOVERERS ( K-1st Gr.) EXPLORERS (2nd-3rd Grade)
NAVIGATORS (4th-5th Grades)
Jan. 3 DISCOVERERS—Art Workshop
EXPLORERS—Science Workshop
NAVIGATORS– Storytelling Workshop
Jan. 10 DISCOVERERS—Science Workshop
EXPLORERS—Art Workshop
NAVIGATORS—Movie Workshop
Jan. 17 DISCOVERERS—Movie Workshop
EXPLORERS—Movie Workshop
NAVIGATORS—Art Workshop
Jan. 24 DISCOVERERS—Storytelling Workshop
EXPLORERS—Cooking Workshop
NAVIGATORS—Bible Time Workshop
Jan. 31 DISCOVERERS– Cooking Workshop
EXPLORERS—Bible Time Workshop
NAVIGATORS—Game Workshop
ADULT CLASSES (East Wing)
FELLOWSHIP CLASS FRIENDSHIP CLASS
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
Merlin and Nelva Grimes will be
celebrating their
60th Wedding Anniversary
on January 29, 2016.
Their winter address is:
Merlin & Nelva Grimes
4501 E. Cortez Street
Phoenix, AZ 85028
They would enjoy hearing from their
church family.
They send blessings to all of you!
Please make plans to join us on
January 24 at 3 pm for a Service
of Christian Unity. This event is
put on by the Barton County
Association of Churches once a
year to bring all the churches in
Barton County together for a time
of worship and celebration. It is a
service that helps us tear down the
barriers that separate us so we can
grow closer as the Body of
Christ. Hope to see you there!
From the Staff at First Christian Church
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
First Christian Church Board Meeting Minutes
December 09, 2015
Those present: Nels Lindberg, Rev. Josh Leu, Kim Guesnier, Leesa Butler, Roger Butler, Jennifer Keener, Lewis Burkes, Glen Hughes, Bill Fairchild, John Sheets, Vicki Sheets, Dennis Heinrichs, Donna Marston, Diane Engle, Lynne Scheuerman, Nadine Maier, Mary Drake, Rev. Sue Bishop, Annette Goering, Becky Hill, Clayton Noffsinger and Debbie Noffsinger.
A quorum was present.
Nels Lindberg opened with prayer. It was moved and seconded to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. The motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report: Lewis Burkes presented the treasurer’s report. Rev. Josh presented the Proposed 2016 Budget. After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to approve the 2016 Budget. Motion carried.
November Expenses $ 32,661.02 Year to Date Expenses $312,912.66 Annual Budget $330,614.00 Budget Remaining $ 17,701.34
Outreach: Annette Goering reported seven college boxes were sent out. All items were donated. Lynne Scheuerman showed a sample of the Arm Chair Caddies the ladies made for our Shut-Ins. There will be a sign up poster in the Nar-thex for volunteers to work at the Food Bank in January on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:45 to 3:00.
Membership/Evangelism: Nels reported for Karen Lindberg and Rachelle Sheets. They wanted to express their thanks for all those who helped with the Thanksgiving Dinner. Leftover food was given to the Boys and Girls Homes.
Membership Development: – Becky Hill – No Report
Marketing: Nels Lindberg stated they are in the process of putting together a radio campaign to use the $7,000 award Rev. Josh won.
Worship: John Sheets stated the Cantata is the 13th during the second service. They are also planning the Christmas Eve Service. He is still in need of people to sign up for greeters and communion trays, and added the need for more early song leaders. Another training session for Elders and Deacons will be planned for after the first of the year.
Administration: Mary Drake went over the Support Staff Agreements and Policies for each position. These will be effec-tive January 1st, 2016. Nels opened discussion for Paternity Leave for Rev. Josh. A motion was made and seconded to allow 2 weeks, or 10 business day, off when the baby arrives. Motion carried.
Property: Rev Josh stated there was another leak in the youth room that was covered under warranty. After further research there was no need for a height sign on the awning in the front of the church. He was checking with Wray Roof-ing on a warranty for the Sanctuary roof and after numerous calls to Garden City Roofing Company, he received no calls back. The painting is almost done at the parsonage, and the tree damaged by the storm was taken out. There will be new lights used in the parking lot for better lighting. John Sheets commented that we all need to watch for lights left on in the church and at times the thermostats have not been turned down.
Christian Education: Donna Marston reported that although the attendance was low for the Family Christmas Program last Sunday, she received positive comments and everyone had a good time.
Pastoral Relation: Dennis Heinrichs stated they met with Rev. Josh and Rev. Sue last month and was a good meeting. They will meet again in one year, unless problems arise. Continued on next page…….
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
Board Minutes Continued…. Long Range Planning: Rev. Josh presented the finished Mission Statement. He will be presenting a sermon series after the first of the year and will be implementing the Statement in many various ways.
“At Great Bend First Christian Church, our vision: to bring heaven to earth in all that we do. Our mission: to inspire or-dinary people to live extraordinary lives for Christ by fostering faith, cultivating kids, connecting community, and serving the world”.
Elders Report: Bill Fairchild stated that the 2016 Elders Schedule was completed. Rev. Josh presented the 2016 Officer Nominations.
Elders: Mary Drake, Janis Fairchild, Randy Goering, and LaDonna Moore
Deacons: Jann Curtright, Kenny Reneau, Lori Reneau, Angela Schepmann, Ted Schepmann, Rachelle Sheets, Kevin Stansfield, Kenzie Unruh, and Pollie Unruh
Junior Deacons: Skylar Burkes
Scholarship Committee: Sharon Engle
Outreach Chairperson: Lynne Scheuerman
Property Chairperson: Bob Hiss
It was moved and seconded to accept the 2016 Officers. Motion carried.
Deacons Report: Donna Marston stated that after the Congregational Meeting there will be a schedule for Deacons to sign up for specific times if they wish. She is still in need of Deacons to volunteer for January until she can get the schedule completed.
Pastors Report: Rev Josh reported he will be attending a Preachers Creativity Seminar in California, January 11th and 12th, 2016. The Barton County Association of Churches will be having their Christian Unity Service at our Church on January 24th, 2016 at 3:00 in the afternoon. Rev. Josh went on to thank everyone for their service to the church and community, and asked for continued prayer for Rev. Sue’s grandson.
Rev. Sue Bishop reported there were 9 youth from Middle School and High School age, plus 2 other adults that attended the Kansas Disciples Youth Convention. She helped Donna with the Christmas Program, organized the Children’s Church Schedule for 2016, and made visits to the hospital, shut-ins and one bereavement while Rev. Josh was gone.
Old Business: Nels opened discussion about the struggles with quorum being met at our Board and Cabinet meetings and about online action to get business done. Dennis Heinrichs stated our constitution had no provision for online vot-ing. He presented the ways the Board or Cabinet deal with this issue when there is not a quorum. He suggested we table it for now, read it, study it and pray about it until our next Board or Cabinet Meeting. (See Attached)
New Business: Nels stated that since no one has volunteered to organize the garage sale, there will not be one as planned. If anyone has any ideas on the Coffee Bar, please contact Nels, Rev. Josh or Merlin Grimes when he returns to Great Bend.
Since it was too late to give $10,000 to the Golden Belt Foundation for this year, we will look at that possibility next year, or sooner if they have another match drive.
For IRS purposes, the Board moved to allocate $12,000 each for Senior Pastor and Associate Pastor for housing ex-penses.
Rev. Josh closed the meeting with prayer.
Submitted by Debbie Noffsinger
“The Great Bend Christian” January 2016
Past 5 Weeks Attendance and Gifts
*Special Offerings include donations to: Operation Christmas Child, Wednesday Night Dinner Donations, Thanksgiving Dinner Donations,
Sound System Fund, Outreach, Water 4 Foundation, Wedding Deposit, Calp Funeral Dinner Donation, DMF Christmas Offering, Golden Belt
Foundation
22 29 6 13 20
Sunday School 76 Ice 70 58 65
Early Service 25 Ice 32 26 36
Late Service 210 40 120 158 177
Children’s Church 10 N/A 11 10 11
TOTAL 245 40 163 194 224
General Offering 4,932.74 2,138.00 10,320.17 4,299.27 14,889.55
Special Offerings 2,093.00 1,901.75 754.90 120.00 325.00
TOTAL 7,025.74 4,039.75 11,075.07 4,419.27 15,214.55
First Christian Church
5230 Broadway
Great Bend, KS 67530
The Great Bend Christian (USPS 576-380)
Published Monthly
By First Christian Church 5230 Broadway
Great Bend, KS 67530
Postmaster Send Address changes to: First Christian Church
5230 Broadway
Great Bend, KS 67530 Periodicals Postage Paid
At Great Bend, KS 67530
Sunday Services
8:15 am Early Worship
9:00 am Sunday School
10:20 am Morning Worship
5:00 pm Chi-Rho
6:00 pm CYF (6th-12th)
Wednesday Activities
5:30 pm Family Fellowship Dinner
6:15 pm Pre K–2nd Grades (Discoverers)
6:15 pm 3rd - 5th Grades (Navigators)
6:15 pm Chancel Bell Practice
7:00 pm Chancel Choir Practice
If you need to contact our staff:
Rev. Josh Leu, Minister
Rev. Sue Bishop, Associate Minister of Children
and Youth
Kathy Rose, Church Secretary