The Christian Builder

January 8, 2015 A weekly publication of First Christian Church Midland Volume 59 No. 1

www.fccmidland.org ● 1301 W. Louisiana Ave., Midland, Texas 79701 ● 432.682.2541

Church Calendar

Sunday, January 11 9am Contemporary Worship 10am Sunday School 11am Traditional Worship 5pm CELEBRATE, Kid Cave 5pm SOLID, Youth Building 5pm Mommy & Me 5pm JAM Monday, January 12 9:30am Staff Meeting Tuesday, January 13 9:30am Concerns 5:30pm Evangelism Team Mtg. 6:30pm Cub Scouts 7:30pm Boy Scouts Wednesday, January 14 7am Men’s Prayer Breakfast 5:30pm Breaking Bread 6pm Executive Meeting 7pm Sanctuary Choir Practice Sunday, January 18 9am Contemporary Worship 10am Sunday School 11am Traditional Worship 5pm CELEBRATE, Kid Cave 5pm SOLID, Youth Building

“Ice Storm” Clean-Up Day Scheduled

This coming Saturday, January 10, at 9am

please join us as we begin to clean-up around the church grounds after our recent ice storm.

There are a lot of trees that need to be trimmed and broken branches to be hauled off. Not only will we need a lot of helping

hands but a couple of trailers and chainsaws. There is a job for everyone!

For more information please contact Charles

(Cornbread) Parrino at (432) 853-1908. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!

Beginning this Sunday, January 11

We will resume our regular worship schedule, with two services.

9am Contemporary Worship Service 10am Sunday School

11am Traditional Worship Service

CELEBRATE Ministry for Children & SOLID Ministry for Youth will also begin

meeting again this Sunday evening at 5pm.

Our youngsters don’t want to miss these opportunities to grow and learn more about God with their friends,

so please come join us.

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Thoughts… Rev. Mike Hunter Senior Minister

2014, by any measure was a great year for our church:

*Children’s Learning Center begins its ministry with us

*Supporting TJ’s seminary expenses

*Building note current and pledged monthly payments for 2015

*37 New Members in 2014

*Increased average worship attendance

*50+ children adopted through the Chalice Fund Christmas Program

2015 has many opportunities and challenges:

*Find accountable ways to be the church in the changing environment of the Permian Basin.

*Continue to equip and inspire the elders to be the spiritual leaders of the congregation.

*Aggressively market the exciting things that are happening at FCC. We have a great story to tell!

I also want to thank you for your kindness and generosity to the staff during the holidays. Your visits, cards, gifts and the entire congregation’s support of the staff Love Offering is greatly appreciated. It is a privilege to grow and serve with this staff team in ministry with you. I am excited about all that is happening at our church, but I am most excited for you! You deserve the blessings and good things that are happening here. Tell someone about it. Invite them to join us this week. Now…let’s go take the next steps for 2015, together.

Here we go!

This Week’s

Sermon:

Christianity Has Cracks

Acts 19:1-7

Seeker’s Sunday

School Class:

Topic: Joseph and His Brothers

Scripture: Genesis 37

Leader: Rev. Mike Hunter

Check Out Our

Website

Previous sermon videos

are also available online at

www.fccmidland.org

Page 3 The Builder, First Christian Church

Visitors January 4, 2015

Laura Hamilton

Joe Hendrix

June Jarrett

Susan Marshall

John & Phyllis Mason

Dr. Teresa Mitchell

Curtis Pechacek

Aidan & Nic Ramsey

Bernice Varner

Karlee & M’Kaela Walls

Chad, Brandy, Randy & Ryanne Woods

Thank You For

Worshipping with us!

Attendance January 4, 2015

Sunday Worship Services

Combined Service 134

Children’s Church 14

Nursery 4

Worship Total 152

Sunday School

Nursery 4

Children 11

Youth 10

Adult 46

Total 71

CLC Update

Mother’s Day Out is 96% full with 120 children ages: (6 weeks – 2 year olds)

Preschool is 97% full with 90 children ages: (3- 5 year olds)

Overall we have a total of 207 children & 170 family units attending!

Thank You Note From Ski Trip Participant...

Thank you for allowing me to go on this trip to Santa Fe, it was an awesome experience. From, Christian Flores

SOLID Youth

This Sunday, January 11 at 5pm in the Youth Building.

Come join us in fellowship.

Page 4 The Builder, First Christian Church

Adult Sunday School Studies

Mixed Blessings - Room 102 Scripture: Acts 19:1-7 Leader: Bill Bucy

2 Chronicles 7:14 - Library Topic: The Star of Bethlehem Leader: Members Of Class

Fellowship - Room 307 Topic: Wisdom Of Solomon Focus: How to Build a Wise Family Scripture: Selected Proverbs Leader: Jim Mauldin

Faithful Parenting – Parlor Topic: Prayer - Before Amen Focus: They Need Help Scripture: Luke 11:5-13 Leader: Paula Brooks

Genesis - Room 107 Topic: Then and Now Scripture: Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33 Leader: Clint Hurst

Children’s Activities

Sunday School 10am Join us for our “Unfrozen Celebration” Children’s Church Miracle at Cana Helpers: 9am Jeannine Hurst/Linda Hyatt 11am Sarah Jones/Jennifer Winchester

Sunday Evening Activities for Children Mommy & Me 5-6:30pm JAM (Jesus & Me) 5-6:30pm CELEBRATE 5-7pm

We have come to a new year; a year to invest in happiness, a new year to invest in service and love. Many people, including myself, make resolutions and never keep them. Others make resolutions and keep them a short while. At any rate, it is better to try and fail

than never to try. Our resolutions range from exercising more to reading the Bible. Along with the usual resolutions did you make any regarding your spiritual life and your relationship with Jesus Christ? If not it’s not too late, it’s never too late to be more of a faithful follower of Christ. I fully believe that God has great plans in store for 2015 for First Christian Church. I want to encourage you to rethink your new year’s resolutions. I’ve listed some suggestions and I hope that you will prayerfully consider them and spend time in prayer asking God for guidance and direction as to how these resolutions can become your resolutions. Will you resolve to: to be of greater service to God and to your church? To study God’s Holy Word? To help another carry a heavy load? To tell someone who is lost of the great love that God has for them? To trust in God no matter what might cross your path? Be ready at the Master’s call for any task that God might ask you to do, specially when you don’t feel capable? Will you resolve to live each day for God who gave the life of His own son for you? What will you do for God in the year 2015?

In loving partnership,

Ponderings… Rev. Paula Brooks

Church Bulletin Board Lectionary Scriptures

January 11, 2015

Genesis 1:1-5;

Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11

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Elder - On Call

George Cooper 1/4 - 1/10

Kelly Cook 1/11 - 1/17

Mission Corner… Breaking Bread Kitchen (monthly mission) January 14 Members take a rotational turn with others in the community serving a daily evening meal. Memorial Food Pantry (ongoing mission) The blue tubs are in the sanctuary narthex every week. Protein, canned goods, rice and beans are always needed. Approximately 250 families are helped each month. We also need volunteers on Tuesdays at 2pm to help unload the truck, and Wednesdays from 1-3pm to help distribute food to clients. Family Promise (quarterly mission) Help needed in Spring, date TBA.

Online Giving

You can now give to FCC through our website! You can make a one-time donation, pay the fees for a children's or youth event, or set up recurring donations. Online giving is convenient, safe, easy to track, and easy to schedule on a regular basis.

Page 6 The Builder, First Christian Church

Happy Anniversary

1/12 Greg & Mary Anne Benton

1/9 Donna Lathrop

1/10 Betty Rodgers

1/10 Jake Spruell

1/10 Ray Berry

1/10 J.R. Bourland

1/11 Karen Pittinger

1/13 Martha Petraitis

1/14 Elizabeth Rae Williams

1/14 Dee Head

CLC Teacher

Birthday

1/15 Kristine Simmons

Our Deepest Sympathy

We extend our heartfelt sympathy and prayer to the following family who has recently lost a loved one:

The Family of Keith Somerville…….Keith passed away on

Sunday, January 4, 2015 in Big Spring, TX. Memorial Services are pending.

Keith is the father of Bea Lea Somerville.

Please keep the Somerville Family in your prayers.

“With the peace and grace of Christ, may the Spirit of God gently enfold all those who sorrow.”

We are excited to begin a new season serving with you in the

ministries you have pledged!

Thank You

In His Steps 2015

Page 7 The Builder, First Christian Church

Website Don’t forget to check out our

website (www.fccmidland.org) for news, publications, and

previous sermons!

Prayer Room Social Media

Become a friend of ours on Facebook and “Like” us.

www.facebook.com/fccmidland

Follow us on Twitter (@fccmidland)

E-mail Provider

Please be sure that your e-mail provider accepts e-mails from

fccmidland.org. We have had several e-mails sent

back to us, and solving the problem would help us get

accurate and up-to-date information to you.

Check out FCC’s Children’s page on Facebook and “Like” us.

www.facebook.com/fcccm

Special Notes: Prayer list names are renewed

every three weeks as we seek to keep the list as current as

possible and allow space for new requests. Our joys, concerns and

deepest needs are already on God’s heart long before we put

them to paper.

…for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:8

Please inform the church office if you or

a loved one are admitted into a hospital, so we may be there for you

& your family.

Those in need of prayer: Carl Rodgers Ginny Estes Jon Aaron House Roberta Hurt Gary Beckner Mary Mauldin John Midkiff Erlene Thomas George & Dee Head Bruce Stanley Bill & Char Womack Blanche Alcorn Those in extended/long term care: Jerry Johnson Jackie Hanna Charlotte Millican Dorothy Wadley Military: Joe Henderson - son of Holly Moore Nicky Miller - son of Vicki Miller Damon Darnell - grandson of Doris Miller Families/Friends beyond FCC: Kaitlyn McCarthy – Patty Walsh Liz Graves – friend of Lois Lehtinen Blake Medford – great grandson of Doris Miller Jean Clayborne – wife of Richard Clayborne Destiny Vargas – daughter of Tania Vargas Hoxie & Sally Smith – friends of Tim & Ingrid Miller Dennis Blevins – friend of Mary Beth Corbett Ed Shelton – nephew of Scotty Alcorn Aaliyah Strickland – infant granddaughter of Todd & Stephanie Strickland Smoky Hurst – father of Clint Hurst Talon Hepner – nephew of Damon Darnell Robbie Howell – friend of Dorothy Wadley Gale Demlow – sister of Lois Lehtinen Janice Smith – sister-in-law of Eveline Smith McCuan The DeLucas Family – friends of Sara Cranford Vickie Williams & family – friend of Bea Lea Somerville George Capps – cousin of Sara Cranford Betty Harvell – Sara Cranford Louella Cranford Smith – aunt of Mark Cranford Randy Quimby – uncle of Lynda Terry Nieta Stephenson – mother of Mike Stephenson & Michelle Hepfer Fred McCown – The Espino’s Albert Valero – husband of Tere Valero Wayne Cranford – cousin of Mark Cranford The Bill Kemp Family – friend of Sara Cranford Bobby Beckner – son of Gary & Janice Beckner Matt Vann – friend of Mark Cranford George Koehl – friend of Sharon Jones Charles Pechacek – father of Curtis Pechacek BJ Cranford – brother of Mark Cranford Daniel Odom – friend of Darla Fisher Pete Herndon – nephew of Vicki Miller Joe Langford – father of Carol Cook Martha Pollock – friend of Sara Cranford Liz Hickerson – friend of Leslie Vines Barry & Delia Hardaway – brother & sister-in-law of Erich Hardaway Abbye Irons – friend of Steve Vaughan Walker Hughes – grandson of Steve & Lucille Vaughan Charles Lout – friend of George & Dee Head Brenda Bradshaw – friend of Lucille Vaughan Jo Smith – daughter-in-law of Donna Lathrop Tom Hewitt - brother of Anne Schwiening Kim Walters - foster daughter of Diane Bailey Fisher

Families/Friends beyond FCC in long term care: Sonya Hopkins - friend of Kelley McCullough

For submission to prayer list contact any staff, submit via web, or e-mail prayerchain@fccmidland.org

The Christian Builder First Christian Church 1301 W. Louisiana Ave. Midland, TX 79701

432.682.2541

www.fccmidland.org January 8, 2015

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So if anyone is in Christ, there is a

new creation: everything old has passed away; see

everything has become new!

~2 Corinthians 5:17