the christian builder - clover...

The Christian Builder

September 1, 2016 A weekly publication of First Christian Church Midland Volume 60 No. 33

Sunday, September 4 10am Sunday School 11am Combined Worship

Monday, September 5 8:30am Labor Day Office Closed

Tuesday, September 6 12:30pm Food Pantry Delivery 6pm SHARE Parent Quest 7:30pm Boy Scouts Rm 105

Wednesday, September 7

7am Men’s Prayer Breakfast 12:30pm Food Pantry 5:30pm Girls Night Out 6pm Executive Meeting 7pm Choir Rehearsal

Friday, September 9 6pm Boys Night Out 6pm SHARE

Saturday, September 10 6pm SHARE Mom’s Night Out

Sunday, September 11 10am Sunday School 11am Combined Worship 12pm Church Luncheon

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

CHURCH CALENDAR

The Builder, First Christian Church

The article below is why I tell the story of First Christian Midland everywhere I go. Your willingness to adapt, grow and be flexible while maintaining a centeredness around the table is why our congregation is growing! Sadly, it is not true of many.

On an average day in America, ten churches permanently close their doors.

The reasons for closure are often necessary, unavoidable, and even healthy.

Rural communities dwindle in size. New traffic and mobility patterns leave

once vital churches far off the beaten path. Massive capital requirements overwhelm available resources. Small

congregations struggle to afford a pastor. Sometimes a church will shutter its ministry when an exciting new start-up mission opens nearby.

Often, however, churches close simply because someone missed a window of opportunity. The church lacked

the will or the nimbleness to flex with changing neighborhood demographics. Nobody put up a basketball hoop that

could have formed a beautiful bridge between the congregation and its neighbors. Hosting after-school programs or ESL classes never figured into the church imagination. Creative partnerships with area agencies or businesses went

unexplored. The nature of some opportunities is that they’re fleeting; once you’ve missed them, they’re gone, never to

return. Peter W. Marty Christian Century Journal

You, FCC, did see those opportunities as just that, a moment to move. Not just in the past few years with SHARE and the CLC and more recently the Food Pantry. You’ve worked with Christmas in Action since 1973, that’s 43 homes! Community Senior Service, Samaritan Counseling Center and Meals on Wheels can all have their origins traced to this congregation. Support from this congregation also helped provide the beginnings of Trinity Towers and Manor Park, Library for the Blind, Hospice and Casa de Amigos.

So this recent “willing to be flexible and open” isn’t new. It is your history, it is your present moment and it is your future.

I wonder what the next opportunity will bring? Stephen Ministry is being formed as I write this. Over a dozen of our members have already said YES.

But after that? What’s next?

I’m looking forward to it. I know you, FCC, are looking forward, too!

Bible Study

Topic

Ten Questions That Are Transforming The Faith

This Week’s Sermon

Title Kingdom Costs

Scripture Luke 14:25-33

Thoughts… Rev. Mike Hunter Senior Minister

What is God doing? This seems to be an ongoing question that the leadership of the church keeps asking. As a church, we continue to see God working in amazing ways. Ministries are at an all-time high and I cannot be more excited. Over the last few weeks I have been

constantly reminded of the importance of being curious. I believe that God is at work in the midst of curiosity! And yet we live in a society that has conditioned us to think, act, and be a certain way. For many of us, curiosity is not a part of our everyday routine. When thinking about curiosity, I am reminded of when Jesus was in temple at the age of 12. Jesus was curious! Jesus’ curiosity actually got him into some trouble. Can you imagine how angry Mary must have been? But nevertheless, Jesus stayed in the temple and asked questions. We do not know what these questions were but I imagine they were filled with curiosity. Jesus was coming into his own. Jesus was learning and growing. Jesus was curious about God. How are you learning? How are you growing? What are your curiosities about God? At the end of the story we are told that Jesus grew in wisdom. Jesus’ curiosity resulted in Jesus growing… How is your curiosity challenging you to grow? How is God working in the midst of your curiosity? What is God doing? I am curious for the future of the church. And please do not misunderstand me, I am excited for the future of the church! God is working and moving in amazing ways.


Adult Sunday School Studies

Mixed Blessings - Room 102 Leader: Dave Burgard

2 Chronicles 7:14 - Library Leader: Members of the Class

Genesis - Parlor Leader: Tom Jones

Fellowship - Room 307 Leader: Jim Mauldin

Young Disciples-Room 201 Leader: Paula Brooks

Children’s Activities

Sunday School 10am

Children's Church

August 24, 2016 Disciples Pantry Families 63 Total People 265

Topics… Rev. T.J. York Associate Minister

Church Bulletin Board

Lectionary Scriptures

September 4, 2016 Jeremiah 18:1-11

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33


Elder - On Call

8/28-9/4 Carol Cook 9/4-9/11 Austella Berry

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.


9/2 Kathy Landrum

9/4 Lyle Cannon

9/4 Chad Woods

9/4 Emmalynn Best

9/5 Lauren Disney

9/6 Bob Garrett

9/6 Freda Benton

9/8 Hunter Kilborn

9/12 Jakob Vines

9/13 Melinda Beggs

9/15 Joel Young

9/16 May Spruell

9/17 Kathy Cromwell

9/17 Michael Morgan

9/18 Justin Stephenson

9/20 Janice Ford

9/21 Victoria Gilkerson

9/22 Roxanne Gosch

9/1 Bruce & Nancy Stanley 9/3 George & Jennifer Cooper 9/5 Carl & Betty Rodgers 9/5 Bob & Shorty Williamson 9/9 Dan & Patty Walsh 9/17 Bill & Eveline McCuan 9/22 Doug & Sandra McDonald

Winter Ski Trip

This year we are going to Winter Park Resort, CO, December 27-January 1.

Check out www.skidaddy.com/fccmidland for all the information you could

possibly need and to sign up. The first $100.00 deposit is due Sunday,

September 4. The trip is limited to 30 students and 10 adults. Scholarships

are available.

“God caring for people through people” is the motto of Stephen Ministry. God cares for people, not only through ministers, but also through church members. Through Stephen Ministry, church members are trained to provide Christian care for those who are struggling with life’s challenges such as death, illness, job loss, and other crisis. Stephen Ministers provide one to one care for one care

receiver at a time. They communicate with a care receiver for one hour a week. Men are matched with men. Women are matched with women. Stephen Ministers are not counselors and are not there to fix people’s problems. They listen and let God work through them to care for his people. Stephen Ministers walk with a person through their darkest valleys and let them know that they are not alone. Interested in learning more or becoming a Stephen Minister? Contact Tom Jones 553-5456 [email protected] or Mike Hunter 682-2541 [email protected].

Busy week of CLC teachers preparing for the 2016-2017 school year.


Website & You Tube

Don’t forget our website (www.fccmidland.org) for news, publications,

and You Tube for previous sermons!

Social Media

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

www.facebook.com/fccmidland

www.facebook.com/fcccm

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.

Also check out FCC’s Children’s, Youth & Children’s Learning

Center pages on Facebook and “Like” us.

Follow us on Twitter (@fccmidland)

Special Notes: 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

Prayers & Praises

Those in need of prayer: Juanice Buie Bill Schneider

June Jarrett Sheila Crudgington George Cooper Bill Griffin Jerry Johnson Johnny Espino Doris Stewart Mary Mauldin Erlene Thomas George Head Bruce Stanley Bill & Char Womack

Military: Joe Henderson - son of Holly Moore Nicky Miller - son of Vicki Miller

Families/Friends beyond FCC: Jim Truitt-friend of Peggy Jones Becky Christensen – daughter of Margaret Christensen & sister of Lynda Terry Bill Bowlin – brother of Mary Lightfoot

Ray Ann Zant-Sister to Lyn Brown & Freda Kinsey Joann Scott – mother of Carol Thompson Alma Thompson – mother of Gary Thompson

Will Wright- nephew of Joe Wright Ferell Powell- friend of Sharon & Bill Boyd

Dianna Dickey-cousin of Sherry Ladd Linda Odell-mother of Jeweli Flores Ted Price-cousin of Sandy Davis Cheri Humphries-sister of Vicky Miller

Lesley Carter – nephew of Lori Mast Jessa Davis – grand daughter of Nell Coats Gail Pate – mother of Sara Cranford Louella Smith – aunt of Mark Cranford Herb Miller – Disciples Minister known to many Kimberly Smith & Family – Bea Lea Somerville Vickie Williams & Family – Bea Lea Somerville Bob Black Family – Janice Courtney Anderson Family – Janice Courtney Vark Family – Janice Courtney Barbara Brown – Dolores Hodges sister Dustin Davis – grandson of Nell Coats Donna McAdams – friend of Patty Walsh Richard Smith – son-in-law of Ray Stewart Marcia Chandler – friend of Ray Stewart Austin Millican – friend of Vicki Rymal

Patrick Mauldin – son of Jim Mauldin Melissa Thompson – daughter-in-law of Gary & Carol Thompson Ed Shelton – nephew of Scotty Alcorn Janice Smith – sister-in-law of Eveline Smith McCuan George Capps – cousin of Sara Cranford Randy Quimby – uncle of Lynda Terry Joe Langford – father of Carol Cook Martha Pollock – friend of Sara Cranford Liz Hickerson – friend of Leslie Vines Walker Hughes – grandson of Steve & Lucille Vaughan Brenda Bradshaw – friend of Lucille Vaughan Tom Hewitt - brother of Anne Schwiening 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.

The Christian Builder

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

432.682.2541 www.fccmidland.org September 1, 2016

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org US Postage

Paid Midland, TX 79711 Permit No. 145

the christian builder - clover...

Documents