The Christian Builder - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/firstchristianchurch12/documents/5-11-17.pdf · 5/11/2017 · The Last Week What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’

The Christian Builder May 11, 2017

A weekly publication of First Christian Church Midland Volume 61 No. 19

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

Sunday, May 14 9am Contemporary Worship 10am Sunday School 11am Traditional Worship

Monday, May 15 All Day Staff Retreat

Tuesday, May 16 1:15pm Food Pantry Stocking 7:30pmBoy Scouts Rm 105

Wednesday, May 17 7am Men’s Prayer Breakfast 12:30pm Food Pantry 1pm Bridge 6pm Cabinet Meeting 7pm Choir

Thursday, May 18 6pm Ladies Night Out

Friday, May 19 6pm Girls Night Out

Saturday, May 20 10am Little Playdates 1pm Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Sunday, May 21 Senior Sunday 10am Sunday School 11am Combined Worship 12pm Luncheon/Fundraiser 5pm CELEBRATE 5pm SOLID Pool Party 5pm Stephen Ministry

Sometimes it’s not what you pack; it’s how you pack it.

Long before YouTube, the object lesson about planning and placing your priorities made

the rounds, in staff retreats and teacher education events, with inspirational/motivational

speakers, and yes, even a few preachers…next Monday, during a daylong staff retreat, we

will begin our day by experiencing it again: Is the jar full?

Is the jar full? starts with an empty jar and someone begins to fill it. First with large items,

quickly appearing full; then smaller items, shifting down into the cracks and crevices, then

fine sand, and last water.

Each time something is place in the jar the viewers are prepared to believe the jar is full, yet more can be added as

long as the items are placed in the right order. If you filled the jar in the wrong sequence, perhaps with water and

sand first, then the larger items would never fit. But if you place the larger ones first, the others can still find room.

Is the jar full ? is the centering question we should constantly ask of ourselves.

My pastoral experience is filled with lives, churches, relationships and more that sometimes didn’t fill in the correct

order. We procrastinate; deadlines and assignments get out of whack. We try to carry too much and many things fall

short. We spend most of our time doing the things we enjoy to the detriment of those harder things that we enjoy less,

yet are still required of us to do. I sometimes fill my jar poorly or incorrectly. I suspect sometimes you do, too.

Most surfs of news and social media quickly reveal improper loading and the consequences that come from those

practices.

If we place first those larger things, our jars, and our lives have better balance and order. Healthy churches can help

flock folks to be healthier, too.

What are those most important things of your life? Do they fill your jar of living in the right order? What crowds out

or keeps you from filling your life days well? How can spiritual practices help?

Our staff, as team, will ponder these questions next Monday as we prepare and plan for the next programmatic year.

We don’t want to pack calendars or anything else before we pause and ask of ourselves…

Is the jar full?

Page 2 The Builder, First Christian Church

Thoughts… Rev. Mike Hunter Senior Minister

Bible Study

Topic: The Last Week

What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’

Final Days In Jerusalem Marcus Borg & John Dominic Crossan

This Sunday: Saturday

Leader: Rev. Mike Hunter

This Week’s Sermon

Living Stones

1 Peter 2:4-12

Youth Fundraiser

The Annual Youth Ministry Trip Fundraiser will be Sunday, May 21, 2017 immediately

following worship. The event will include a barbecue luncheon and a youth charity

auction. Come and enjoy great food and bid on a variety of services such as babysitting,

pet sitting, lawn care, heavy lifting, and much more. All proceeds will benefit the 2017

Mission Trip to Fort Worth, Texas. Our goal is to raise $2500 to help offset the cost of

the trip per each family unit. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to support the youth

of First Christian Church.

Why Fort Worth?

Nearly one in six Americans live in poverty. The face of poverty in the United States is often a person who works full

time, but still can't afford to pay for food, rent, childcare, medical bills, and transportation. The shortage of housing

that is affordable to the lowest-income renters continues to be the greatest cause of homelessness and one of the most

significant impediments to escape.

While in Fort Worth, we will serve with organizations offering affordable housing options and support for people

experiencing homelessness and for people at risk to become homeless. We will undertake low-skill home repair

and/or apartment make-ready, participate in a housing simulation, serve with local ministries assisting people

experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, and visit with local leaders.

Senior Sunday

It is our hope to do more than just raise money on May 21. We look forward to building relationships while

showcasing the youth of FCC. During the lunch, you will be given an opportunity to hear from 5 senior students in

the youth group. They will share why they value the youth ministry of FCC and events such as mission trips.

Thank you in advance for all that you do!


Topics… Rev. T.J. Shoop-York Associate Minister


Somewhere between the youthful energy of a teenager and the golden years of a woman’s life,

there lives a marvelous and loving person known as “Mother”.

A mother is a curious mixture of patience, kindness, understanding, discipline, industriousness,

purity and love.

A mother can be at one and the same time, both “lovelorn counselor” to a heartsick daughter, and “head football

coach” to an athletic son.

A mother can sew the tiniest stitch in the material for that dainty prom dress and she is equally experienced in

threading through the heaviest traffic with a SUV.

A mother is the only creature on earth who can cry when she’s happy, laugh when she’s heartbroken, and work when

she’s feeling ill.

A mother is as gentle as a lamb and as strong as a giant.

A mother has the angelic voice of a member in the celestial choir as she sings lullabies to her baby held tight in her

arms; yet this same voice can dwarf the sound of an amplifier when she calls her children in for supper.

A mother has the fascinating ability to be almost everywhere at once and she alone can somehow squeeze an enor-

mous amount of living into an average day.

But it doesn’t take having a child to make a woman a mother. There are those who have never had a child and

exemplify all the characteristics described above. These women serve as teachers, nurses, neighbors, friends, and

the list goes on.

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. FCC will be honoring all the women in our church family because at one time

or another they have touched the life of a child. At one time or another they have shown “motherly love” to a child.

Ponderings… Rev. Paula Brooks Associate Minister

FCC’s First Women’s “Mini” Retreat A Success It was an amazing day! On Saturday, May 6, 40 women gathered in our Family Life Center for our first Women’s

“Mini” Retreat. The theme was “Relax, Refresh & Renew” and that we did. The messages from our keynoter were

inspiring and uplifting. The music was breathtaking as a group of talented women led us. We laughed, shed a few

tears, renewed friendships and made new ones, created our own prayer journals, made relaxing hand scrub and shared

in communion. It was an amazing day!


Elder - On Call

5/7-5/13 Kelley McCullough

5/14-5/20 Bill McCullough

Visitors May 7, 2017

Taryn & Michael Bell Valerie Brady

Chaney Coffman Nita Fradenburg

Giese Family Russell Hill

Stephen & Rose Huskey James Family

Kubacak Family Deborah Lucas Amparo Olguin Aidan Ramsey

Rodriguez Family Nona Weber Kelby Winn

Lectionary Scriptures

May 14

Acts 7:55-60 Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

1 Peter 2:2-10 John 14:1-14

Contemporary 47 Children’s Church 5

Nursery 4 Total 56

Traditional 136 Children’s Church 18

Nursery 3 Total 157

Total Worship Attendance 213

Adult Sunday School

2 Chronicles 7:14 - Library

Topic: Angels Standing Guard

Leader: Members of the Class

Fellowship - Room 307

Topic: The Defender of the Weak

Scripture: John 8

Leader: Jim Mauldin

Young Disciples – Room 106

Topic: Experiencing God – God Speaks Part 1

Scripture: Various Scriptures

Leader: Paula Brooks

Genesis - Parlor

Topic: Death of Eli

Scripture: 1 Samuel 4:1-22

Leader: Jerry Floyd

Children’s Activities

Sunday School - 10am

Celebrating Mom’s in Kid Cave

Children’s Church Color Story of Jesus

CELEBRATE

No CELEBRATE. Spend the day with your mom!

Sunday Attendance May 7, 2017

Worship

Church Bulletin Board


Thank You!

Thank you for everyone who helped during

Ray Stailey’s recent illness. The Prayers,

Visits, Cards & the Support were appreciated.

Thank you

Ray & Pat Stailey

Up & Coming Children’s Activities

Sunday, May 14

Mother’s Day No CELEBRATE

Friday, May 19

Girls Night Out 6-8pm Grades 3-5

Saturday, May 20

Little Playdates 10-11:30am Preschool Age

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 1-2:30pm Grades K-2

Sunday, May 21

Family Night at CELEBRATE

Our Deepest Sympathy We extend our heartfelt sympathy and prayer to the following families who have recently lost a loved one:

The Family of Ray Ann Zant…Ray Ann passed away on Sunday, May 7, 2017 in Odessa, TX.

Memorial Services were held on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa, TX.

Ray Ann is the sister of Lyn Brown and Freda Kinsey and the sister-in-law of Gail Caudle.

The Family of Richard Cromwell …Richard passed away on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 in Boise, Idaho.

Memorial Services are pending. Richard is the father of Dave Cromwell

Please keep Ray Ann Zant’s Family & the Cromwell Family in your prayers.

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


Birthdays

5/1 Betty Couch

5/1 Julie Lastoka

5/2 Cierra Stanford

5/2 Char Womack

5/3 Matthew Glover

5/3 Adam Pollard

5/5 John Ross Espino

5/6 Ben Ellis

5/7 Gwyn Hill

5/8 Mark Branum

5/9 Barbara Estes

5/10 Linda Hyatt

5/11 Ricky Gonzalez

5/11 Tom Hill

5/11 Nancy Stanley

5/11 Lucille Vaughan

5/12 Kirk Branum

5/13 Bea Lea Somerville

5/15 Ernie Gilkerson

5/15 Ken Sneed

5/19 Paula Johnson

5/19 Jill Wright

5/21 Grayson Stanley

5/22 Brittani Beggs

5/22 Steve Vaughan

5/22 Adriana Cardozo

5/23 Gavin Magee

5/23 Sandra Wills

5/27 Amber Hopper

5/27 Brenda Morris

5/27 Chloe Wells

5/28 Justin Disney

5/28 Greyson Flores

5/28 Dean Rucker

5/29 Yvonne Scarbrough

5/30 Libbie Richards

5/31 Carol Thompson

5/31 Del Windle

Anniversaries 5/1 Albert & Teri Valero

5/3 Jeremy & Elizabeth McMellon

5/12 Mark & Pam Branum

5/17 J.R. & Amanda Bourland

5/18 Hal & Cindy Gill

5/19 Tom & Meta Jones

5/19 Morgan & Elizabeth Williams

5/26 Jim & Linda Blaisdell

5/28 Gaylon & Pat Howard

5/28 Mike & Enid Hunter

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

Disciples Food Pantry End of Month April

Families served 69

Total People 283

We continue to rejoice that resources for this

ministry are available.

Prayers & Praises

Those in need of prayer: Betty Whitmire June Jarrett Helen Estes Faye Casey Ray & Doris Stewart Robert Crudgingtion Dolores Hodges Clint Hurst Roberta Hurt Bill Schneider Sheila Crudgington Bill Griffin Johnny Espino Doris Stewart Mary Mauldin George Head Bruce Stanley Bill & Char Womack

Military: Joe Henderson - son of Holly Moore Nicky Miller - son of Vicki Miller Kinder McCullough-daughter of Bill & Kelley McCullough

Families/Friends beyond FCC: Peggy Ann Poss-daughter-In-Law of Martha Delnor Poss Heather Cisneros- niece of Jeweli Flores Sandi Nobles & Family -friend of Ginny Estes

Kairos Conde – nephew of Olivia Espino Megan Flores & Family – friend of Khrysti Bair Jay Cooper – nephew of Cecil & Betty Odom Gale Demlow- sister to Lois Lehtinen Kimber Brown- granddaughter of Lyn Brown Joyce Watkins- mother of Judy Spruell Oscar Garcia – brother of Amparo Olguin Sherri Ladd – daughter-in-law of Butch & Sherry Family of George Capps – cousin of Sara Cranford Mary Elizabeth Droddy - sister of Sara Cranford Jim Truitt- friend of Peggy Jones Bill Bowlin – brother of Mary Lightfoot Ray Ann Zant-Sister to Lyn Brown & Freda Kinsey Ferell Powell- friend of Sharon & Bill Boyd

Linda Odell-mother of Jeweli Flores Jessa Davis – grand daughter of Nell Coats Herb Miller – Disciples Minister known to many Family of Vicki Williams – Bea Lea Somerville Dustin Davis – grandson of Nell Coat Richard Smith – son-in-law of Ray Stewart Ed Shelton – nephew of Scotty Alcorn Joe Langford – father of Carol Cook Martha Pollock – friend of Sara Cranford

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.

For submission to prayer list contact any staff, submit via web, or e-mail [email protected]

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

432.682.2541

www.fccmidland.org May 11, 2017

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org US Postage

Paid Midland, TX 79711

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Documents

The Christian Builder - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/firstchristianchurch12/documents/5-11-17.pdf · 5/11/2017 · The Last Week What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’