FLUVANNA COMMUNITY CHURCH 3363 Fluvanna Ave. Ext. Jamestown, NY 14701 716-484-0553 Senior Pastor PASTOR’S MESSAGE A scripture for Christmas says in Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world….”(KJV) The Phillips translation reads, “Don’t let the world press you into it’s mold….” What does this have to do with Christmas? The Bible records the circumstances surrounding the conception and virgin birth of Christ the Messiah. Christmas celebrates the deity of Christ and then tracks His perfect life and therefore the perfect sacrifice of this Lamb of God. That is the focus of Christmas. However, as the years go by, the celebration of God’s gift of love morphed into more and more worldliness. The giving of gifts to one another is in my opinion a good and joyous custom. Indeed, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The world, however, has extended Christmas into a season of revelry and drunkenness. Instead of a holy day (holiday), the party atmosphere without any connection to Christ simply denigrates the beauty of that day. What can we do about it? Unfortunately, it is difficult to put the toothpaste back into the tube. We as believers can refuse to allow the worldly system to press us into its mold. We may not be able to stop what they do, but we can celebrate the birth of Christ in the purity and simplicity of our God. When the Lamb of God was born in the Rev. Dayle F. Keefer birthing stable of Bethlehem’s Migdal Eder, He did so with the shadow of Calvary’s Cross on that moonlit night. Whatever your family traditions are that surround Christmas day, keep the purpose of Christ’s birth the main thing. Pastor Dayle GOD’S GIFT John 3:17 “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Where is the “Merry” in Merry Christmas”? Where is the “Joy” in Joy to the World”? Where is the “Happy” in Happy Holidays”? Schedule of Weekly Services Sunday 8:30 AM Blended Service 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Contemporary Service Tuesday 10 AM – Adult Bible Study 7 PM Corporate Prayer Meeting Wednesday 6:45 PM Kid’s Power Company and Company 45 7:00 PM “Upward” Teens at the Church 6:45 PM Adult Bible Study Thursday 9:30 AM “Sippin” Seniors Answer: The soaring gladness of Christmas is directly linked to God’s gift of Jesus to us and for us. Apart from that glorious fact, there is no logic to the season’s existence, much less for our festive rejoicing. The celebration of Christmas derives its meaning and highest fulfillment from that radiant reality. God with us. [email protected] Assistant Pastor Richard D. Keefer [email protected] Family Pastor Robert Collinge [email protected] Director of Christian Ed Kimberly Park [email protected] MISSION STATEMENT Reaching Our Community with a Viable, Believable, Dynamic Gospel Witness Characterized by (Christlike) Love and Energized by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Inside this issue: December Birthdays December Featured Recipe December Anniversaries Jubilee Fellowship Christmas Caroling Missionary Moment New Sunday School Classes Christmas Card Box Blessed Acts Ambassadors Ladies Christmas Party Page 2 “The harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few” Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest:.” Matthew 9:37-38 AMBASSADORS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13th, 7:00 PM at Dennis and Sherri Goodwill’s home in Lakewood. Please bring your favorite appetizer or dessert and a white elephant gift. CHRISTMAS CAROLING WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17, 6:45 PM Meet at the church After caroling, we will have a time of fellowship with hot chocolate and Cookies Everyone is welcome!!! (If you would like to donate cookies, please leave them in the church kitchen) For more information please call Sherri at JUBILEE FELLOWSHIP Christmas Dinner at Alfie’s Restaurant in Lakewood SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13th 4:30 PM There is a sign up sheet in the back of the sanctuary. CHRISTMAS CARDS SAVE ON POSTAGE!! The Christmas card box will be in the Fellowship Hall on December 7th. You may send your Christmas cards to the church family without using any postage. Just put your Christmas cards in the box alphabetically. Please check the box weekly for Christmas cards that have been left for you. “BLESSED ACTS” is doing a Christmas cookie distribution for some families whose kids come to youth or KPC, but the rest of the family doesn’t attend. This project needs lots of hands!! We need people to bake cookies, assemble platters, and deliver. Mark your calendars for the following dates: DECEMBER 11th from 6:30 PM– 9:30 PM, we will bake at the church. One DECEMBER 14th after second service, we will eat lunch together. Chuck and I will provide lunch, then we will assemble platters and split up into teams to deliver. If you don't want to participate in these group events, you can bake cookies at your home and bring them to the FCC kitchen on December 14th, labeled for “BLESSED ACTS”. If you have any questions, please call Faith Baker at 708-0054. Page 3 Brenda Hoglin 12-03 Judy Keefer 12-19 Merle Spinler 12-03 Janice Steele 12-20 Noble Livezey 12-07 June Swanson 12-20 Joann Ward 12-07 Jason Johnson 12-21 Vi Curtis 12-08 Doris Depas 12-22 Kerri Harrell 12-09 Noreen Healy 12-24 Laurie Tanner 12-09 Autumn McCulley 12-25 Dan DeHaven 12-10 Diane Spangler 12-27 Dillon Cordner 12-11 Tom Stahlman 12-28 Jim Breth 12-14 Deborah Hammond 12-29 Jennifer Marsh 12-14 Bill Depas 12-30 Debbie See 12-17 Joyce Anderson 12-19 Chris Goodwill 12-19 Gary & Christine Krug 12-05 Jim & Diane Glenn 12-19 Dennis & Julie Davidson 12-06 Bob & Susan Collinge 12-21 Dan & Lynda Glassman 12-06 Bill & Doris Depas 12-22 Dick & Sue Wright 12-10 Don & Nancy Robison 12-23 Don & Wendy Howig 12-12 Larry & Denise Finch Wayne & Kathy Carroll 12-15 Earl & Nita Hespenhide 12-29 12-27 DECEMBER FEATURED RECIPE CHEESEBURGER BISCUIT BAKE 1 lb ground beef or turkey 1/4 c chopped onion 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce 1/4 c ketchup Dash pepper 2 c (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided 1 tube (12 oz) refrigerated buttermild biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits 1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. 2. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketcup and pepper. 3. Spoon half into a greased 8 in square baking dish. 4. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. 5. Place biscuits around edges of dish. 6. Bake uncovered, 14 400 for 18- 22 minutes or until the meat mixture is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Yield: 5 servings Page 4 WIDOWS and WIDOWERS You are invited to our annual CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON To be held in our church fellowship hall on Tuesday, December 9th - 12:30 PM We are looking forward to again sharing a time of fellowship with you. If you can join us, please sign up on the shelf at the back of the Sanctuary, or call the church office at 484-0553. Please try to call by December 5 Remember, If you need a ride we will be glad to pick you up….and if the weather is not great for driving, we will be happy to pick you up. Please let us know. The Pastors and Staff FREE TELEPHONE SYSTEM WITH ANSWERING MACHINE-Please contact Sandy Tellinghuisen at 489-1000 if interested Hello Ladies, Our Heavenly Red Hatters had some fun outings this past fall. We ate at the Mustard Seed in South Dayton and we enjoyed pizza at Buzzeto’s on Fairmount Avenue. We also enjoyed the beautiful trip to and from Sprague’s Maple Farm which is beyond Olean. Once there, we enjoyed delicious food. If you have ever thought about joining our Red Hat group, now would be a perfect time to do so. We are a group of Christian ladies who enjoy being with each other, going out to eat, playing games, doing crafts, and whatever else we can come up with to do. We share our concerns and victories with each other, and we pray together. If you are over fifty and looking for something else to do, making new friends, and having a good time, you should consider joining our group. We really look quite stunning in our red hats and purple tops. Our annual Christmas party is this month on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 at Lois McConnell’s at 1:00 in the afternoon. Everyone is to take a favorite food or a favorite dessert. We will also have a $10.00 gift exchange. If you have any questions, call Lois McConnell at 716-665-1252 or 487-0296. GIVING ENVELOPES for 2015 are now available (if needed to file tax return). Please contact Kathy Carroll if you need envelopes or let the church office know. We will need your address and phone number. If you have giving envelopes now, your 2015 envelopes will be available soon, in the Fellowship Hall. If you don’t need envelopes anymore please let Kathy Carroll know. Page 5 KERYX - Prison Ministry - Thank you for your many prayers of support for the residents/inmates of Gowanda State Correctional Facility. The Keryx weekend in Oct. was another GREAT success, because of all your prayers and support. Jesus is seen through his people when we listen to the call to pray and seek His will. Jesus is in the business of changing lives, and it is powerfully strong in the prison ministry, Inmates see the love of Christ through the Christian Community action, like Fluvanna Church. Men are taken on a weekend journey of talks and discussions where they become aware of how important they are to God. We talk about: Knowing Yourself, Goals, Forgiveness of self, Forgiveness of Others, Tearing Down Walls, Accepting God's Forgiveness, The Church, Studying, Action, and What it means to be a Christian. The men may know little or nothing about God, possibly slipped away from Him, or just want to draw closer to Him. Whatever the reason, our job as a Keryx team, is to be used by God and… Listen Listen---Love Love. This last weekend the inmates felt the presence of God in their mists and felt Loved and Accepted. Some felt it for the first time. A paper chain was made to show the men how many brothers and sisters in the community were praying for them. They had no idea, that so many people cared. They felt God's Love through your actions. You showed them they were valuable, and that God loved them. God showed them how to forgive themselves and others. One of the most powerful talks was about tearing down walls ( a talk that everyone needs to hear). I have a copy of that take and would love to share it with you. During the weekend we have seven round tables with (6) inmates, and (3) team members at each table. At each table, one team member is a Spiritual Director. On Friday, we bring out a prayer chain, showing them all the people praying for them on Thurs. and Friday. This takes them by complete surprise to think there are people out there, praying for men they don't even know. They sit there is awe. Saturday we add to the chain and again they are mystified. On Sunday morning we bring out more chain and show them people are still praying for them. The Love of God they feel grows and grows, and floods their hearts with joy and hope. Saturday evening at 8:00, we take the inmates outside for a "Big Surprise". A group of 60-70 community people, carrying lighted candles, have gathered outside the barbed wire fence to sing songs to the inmates. The people are too far away to see their faces, but now the inmates can see bodies to put with the links of chain they saw during the weekend. We do not try to get the men to ask Jesus into their hearts, but if they approach us with the desire to accept Jesus into their hearts, the Spiritual Directors are there to help them. This weekend seven of the inmates accepted Jesus as their Savior. It doesn't matter ………….where you've been. It doesn't matter ………….where you are. What does matters is……..Where Are You Going ? The number of men who return to prison is greatly decreased when the men find Christ. The return rate drops from 75% to only 15%. Thank-you for your prayers and the love you show the men who have gone astray. Thank-you for letting God use you to change the lives of these men Every Friday night, 8-12 team members go back to Gowanda Correctional Facility, and meet with the men who have gone through a Keryx weekend. We encourage the men to continue seeking God and His presence around them. We talk to them about what they've read recently, what they've heard recently (like on the Radio, or Bible studies), and where they've seen Jesus in the past week. We keep them focused on a one week window, of seeking and looking for Jesus since we saw tem last, just a week ago. They can be a witness to others and they can learn to recognize God's presence ….. even in a prison. God Bless You All, for your thoughts and prayers. Page 6 New Sunday School Quarter December 7, 2014-February 22, 2015 JESUS’ BIRTH – JESUS CARES – FAMILIES Taught by Judy Keefer and Jackie Atkins Pre-K Ages 3 & 4 (Pre-School Room) JESUS’ BIRTH – JESUS CARES – FAMILIES Taught by Connie Dahlin and Jackie Hopkins Kindergarten – 3rd grade (Room # “BIRTH AND EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS” Taught by Diane Spangler Grades 4– 6 (Room # “FOLLOWING JESUS ON HIS TERMS” Taught by Matt Johnson Youth Grades 7– 12 (Youth Room In Family Center) ADULT ELECTIVES “A PANORAMA STUDY OF “THE PLAN OF THE AGES” Teacher: Pastor Dayle Keefer The “Panorama” Bible Study follows the stream of the Bible Narrative, so as to aid the eye and the memory in grasping the whole. Presenting the important events, and gradual development of Bible history and keeping in view, throughout the spiritual purpose of divine revelation. Location: Triple Room – A Class for all ages!! “EXPECTING TO SEE JESUS” Teachers: Michelle Hamilton & Faith Baker For the Ladies Are you ready for that moment when your faith becomes sight? Join us on a journey thru the pages of the Bible as we experience a personal revival and deeper relationship with God as we live in the expectant hope of Jesus’ return. Location: Sunday School Room #6 “A STUDY FROM THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS” Teacher: Pastor Ric Keefer The book of Colossians is a Prison Epistle. It was written to counter and respond to heretical teachings and encourage believers to serve with fervor and passion. Location: Room off the Fellowship Hall Page 7 Ladies, please join us for our annual Christmas Party! Monday December 15, 2014 at 6:00 pm In the Fellowship Hall (This will also be our “wrap-up” for our Sisters of the Heart, so grab your sister and come out for our last planned event!). All ladies are welcomed and encouraged to attend! There will be good food, gift exchange and great fellowship! Please bring a dish to pass and a wrapped gift! As we enjoy the Christmas season, Let's keep in mind the sacred truth: Jesus is the reason. CHRISTMAS SHOE BOXES FOR MEXICAN CHILDREN Harvest Hands Ministries will collect materials for Christmas Shoe Boxes for Mexican children. Fluvanna Community Church has supplied many shoe boxes over the years to help Harvest hands meet its need for 250 shoe boxes. Please choose materials from these lists that you would like to give to Mexican children. You may choose from the following age groups: AGE: 2-4, 5-7, 8-10, 11-14, 15-18. Please choose Boy or Girl. Please provide NEW items. GIRL BOY Hair brush Comb Pony tail clips Tooth brush, Toothpaste Barrettes, Ribbons Shampoo Head Bands Pens, pencils Toothbrush, Toothpaste Pencil Sharpens Hand lotion Stickers Mirror Candy Shampoo Socks, Underwear Emory Board Nail File Yo-Yo Candy Rubber Ball Pen, Pencils Small stuffed toy Pencil Sharpeners Marbles Stickers T-shirts Small Stuffed Toy Crayons Socks, Underwear Coloring Books Crayons, Coloring Books Markers Markers Memo Pad Memo Pad Picture book in Spanish Picture book in Spanish Harmonica Knit Hats, Mittens Knit Hats, Mittens Please do not put candy and bar soap in the same box. Feel free to include a Christmas card and photo of yourself in your box. DO NOT INCLUDE Make-up Sharp items such as nail files Playing cards Alien Items Halloween items Evil Super hero items War-related items Santa Claus Empty shoe boxes are available in the back of the sanctuary. Please take a shoe box, fill it this week and bring it back next Sunday, December 7th. We will need volunteers on MONDAY, DECEMBER 8TH at 7:00 PM to wrap the shoe boxes and pack them in boxes to be sent to Mexico. The shoeboxes will be wrapped and packed in boxes to be sent to Mexico. December 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed 1 2 3 7 PM AllChurch Prayer Meeting 6 PM Light Dinner 6:45 PM KPC and Company 456 6:45 PM Teens at the Church 6:45 PM Bible Study for adults 9 10 6 PM Fill Widows and Widowers Baskets in Fellowship Hall 7 PM Deacons and Deaconesses Meeting 7 8 8:30 AM Blended Service 10 AM Sunday School 11 AM Contemporary Service 6:30 PM Packing Shoe Boxes in Fellowship Hall 14 8:30 AM Blended Service 10 AM Sunday School 11 AM Contemporary Service 1 PM Blessed Acts making Cookie Trays 21 7 PM Official Board Meeting 7 PM AllChurch Prayer Meeting 6 PM Light Dinner 6:45 PM KPC and Company 456 6:45 PM Teens at the Church 6:45 PM Bible Study for adults 15 16 17 8:30 AM Blended Service 10 AM Sunday School 11 AM Contemporary Service Fri Sat 4 5 6 12 13 9:30 AM “Sippin” Seniors 11 9:30 AM “Sippin” Seniors 4:30 PM Jublilee Fellowship at Alfies 6:30 Blesses Acts Making Christmas Cookies at the church. 18 7 PM Ambassadors Christmas Party at Goodwills 19 20 26 27 9:30 AM “Sippin” Seniors 6:00 PM Ladies Ministries Christmas Party 7 PM AllChurch Prayer Meeting 22 23 8:30 AM Blended Service 10 AM Sunday School 11 AM Contemporary Service 28 12:30 PM Widows and Widowers Luncheon Thu 6:46 PM Christmas Caroling. Meet at the church. 24 7 PM AllChurch Prayer Meeting 29 30 7 PM AllChurch Prayer Meeting 31 25
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