Some people are really great at gardening and they have what we call a ‘green thumb.’ I am not one of those people. The only thing I can seem to grow are weeds. In fact, if I didn’t have weeds in my yard I probably wouldn’t have any grass at all.
But there’s something about watching a plant or fruit tree grow. What starts out as a seed planted in the ground, slowly over time begins to sprout. As the seasons move on, that one seed can grow into a fruit bearing plant. The fruit is the evidence of a strong and healthy trunk or in this case, the vine.
We live in the most connected time in human history with Facebook, Twitter, FaceTime, Zoom and an unending list. Yet the statistics remind us, that while we can be connected like never before, people are dealing with depression at an all time high. So why the point of Jesus’ statement as ‘the vine’ so important and valuable for the Christian?
In John 15, Jesus tells his disciples that he is the vine and that they are the branches. Following up with last week’s sermon on ‘the way, the truth and the life,’ we started to see that Jesus is the life. And if he is the life, then the implications of the passage are significant for you.
Join us this Sunday as we unpack why it’s absolutely vital to stay connected to Jesus.
Rob
We have been blessed here at FCC, and God loves to see His people share their blessings with others. As we enter the Christmas season, it is especially important for us to allow our blessings to overflow to show the love of Christ.
This year, we’ve chosen to connect with the families who are a part of the Your Other Mother ministry here in Union. So, we’re asking that you partner with us to help make their Christmas season one in which they feel the love of God through our church family.
Beginning this Sunday, there will be a Christmas tree in the foyer with ornaments representing the children in those homes. Each ornament will have a gift suggestion for you to select and provide. It may be clothing for the children, a special want that they have, or an item which is desperately needed.
Please pray about how you may be a blessing to these special kids, and then take an ornament or two that you will provide the gift for. Once purchased, please wrap and identify the gift with the ornament for that specific child so we know who the gift goes to, and then place it under the Christmas tree at the church.
There will also be an opportunity for those who desire to bless the ministry financially by taking a baby bottle and filling it with cash or coin. This monetary gift will go to help provide the utilities for the Transition House which is a place of refuge for single pregnant women and moms with young children who are working toward getting their lives in a position to be on their own.
Upcoming Events
December
2, Women's Christmas Dinner
4, Drop-N-Shop
5, Common Ground @ Sullivan Christian Church
24, Christmas Eve Service
Mark your calendar for these special events. All events are subject to change so keep an eye on the "E-newsletter" and the "First to Know" bulletin for more details.
Life is better in community! We have a handful of small groups that meet on various days and times and could be a great fit for you!
We gather weekly, share in fellowship and take the Word of God deeper into our hearts and lives.
If you are interested in joining a LIfeGroup or starting a LIfeGroup, please contact Rob and he will help get you started.
Last week we returned to our series, Freedom in the Kingdom, with a look at Galatians 5:23-26, and what it means to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) as we live out our lives in our newfound freedom in Christ. This week, we pause as the 212 family to break bread and celebrate Thanksgiving together during our "Thanksgiving in the Dark" special event. This is an opportunity for students to have some fun, to connect and relate to sponsor Greg Kruse in a way they’ve never considered, to eat some great food, and to pause from day to day to life to reflect on the goodness of God towards each of us with gratitude and appreciation for the life He has provided for us all. Students are encouraged to bring a side or dessert to contribute to dinner on what will certainly be a night to remember for everyone.
I’d like to leave you with a Word from the Apostle Paul, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Thankfulness. Gratitude. Contentment. Across the range of human emotions and attitudes, I don’t believe there could be a more under-valued set than these in Western culture. The desire for more or for better is so ingrained into our minds that vast portions of our population struggle with joyless discontent because they fail to recognize the blessings and care of God as He so graciously provides for each one of us daily.
To one degree or another we all can fall short in that area, we can all forget the words of our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He exhorts us to trust God to provide for our needs as we seek Him, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30), or the words of Paul as he proclaims, “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). There are reasons God in His wisdom has chosen to remind us of these truths: we all need these reminders!
That is a big part of why I love Thanksgiving so much, as we pause as a nation to reflect on the goodness and provision of the Lord our God. We stand today as a nation no less divided then when Abraham Lincoln first set apart the last Thursday of November “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, and likewise, in the midst of this divided nation, have no less reasons for gratitude to the Lord for His provision and care, nor any less reasons to “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation”.
Can I tell you a little secret? Thankfulness, gratitude, and contentment feel good, and they are genuinely good for our hearts. Think back to a time when your heart was truly abounding with gratitude. Perhaps it was that perfect gift as a child, the birth of your children, the day you said “I do”, or the moment you truly began to understand what the Lord Jesus Christ had done for you to secure your salvation. You couldn’t help it; could you? You smiled at just the thought of those moments, felt your heart well up with joy at even the quickest recollection of those precious memories. Gratitude is good for all of us; gratitude is good for you.
So, as I bid you ado this week I want to encourage you to take some time to pause, to reflect, to “count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings see what God hath done” as the old hymn goes, and to make this most of this season with your family to build an attitude of gratitude, a legacy of thankfulness to a God most worthy of our praise; Grace and peace to you friends, God bless and keep you in the week ahead.
As I Am Music, our student-led worship band and music ministry, has grown so has our need for leaders and teachers. If you are musically gifted and would be willing to spend Tuesday evenings from 6-8 PM pouring into our students, I Am Music is looking for you. Even if you could only spare one Tuesday a month, please contact Shaun at shaunratcliff@fccunion.org so we can work together to help our students grow as musicians, Christians, and leaders.
Tuesday mornings from 9-11 AM. The Bible is always applicable, so even if you can't make it at the beginning, you are always welcome! The gathering is in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
Men's Bible Study
Join us Saturday, November 20 @ 7 AM for a men's Bible Study at Red, White, and Brew Coffee Company.
Needs arise more than just on a Sunday morning. If you need prayer at any time, please know you can text ‘prayer2fcc’ to 94000 and a staff member will receive your request any time and be praying for you.
You can also email your request or call the church office to be placed on the prayer list. There is a prayer table in the lobby where you can place a prayer request in the box and we will pray for you!
We are family, and we want to support you in any way we can and prayer is always the first and best place to start. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Join us in the Fellowship Hall downstairs for Celebrate Recovery. We will start with a time of food and fellowship at 6 PM. We have childcare starting at 6 PM. Please follow the sign for check in. We want to spread the love of Jesus to everyone in recovery from life's hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
So many times we hear “leave a legacy'' which sure- we should leave a legacy; Dave Ramsey has spent the better part of his life teaching how to do just that financially with his ‘7 Baby Steps’. There are many people who have left legacies, like Albert Einstein in the educational world and who can deny the spiritual legacy left by Billy Graham? What if, instead of dying to leave a legacy we strive to live a life of legacy. Check out how Celebrate Recovery can help you start living your best life and living to leave a legacy. Click here to see our new blog!
Check out our Facebook page at @FCCUnionCR. If you have any questions, comments, or requests feel free to email us.
Tai Chi Fitness
Tai Chi Fitness Fun for All!
Monday's from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM, First Christian Church,Union will be a place to participate in a free class for (mostly) senior citizens, but anyone pursuing a healthier life is welcome. Tai Chi fitness is a program developed by Dr. Paul Lam, a Chinese physician living in Australia. It is used worldwide for anyone who wants to improve their physical health and strengthen themselves for fall prevention.
Tai Chi originated in the orient, but the emphasis will be on Christ, beginning and ending each session with prayer. Any reference to any kind of oriental philosophy will be turned toward Christ and His sovereignty.
The medical field and Medicare recognize its effectiveness in improving health and vitality. It is a slow-moving exercise designed to deliberately make a mind/body connection, enabling awareness of our center of gravity, weight distribution and where our balance lies. It is not rigorous, and we don’t get down on the floor. If necessary, this program of Tai Chi can be done by holding onto a chair or even sitting in one. So, if people can get into the building, they can do it! Sessions will be held downstairs in the large, blue room nearest the glass double doors.
Questions? Call the church office, ext 5, or Jenny Hannaford.
Have you ever wanted to do a Bible study with your spouse, kids or maybe a group of friends but you didn’t know where to start? Leading a Bible study can seem like such a big task. Planning what to say and what questions to ask can be one of the reasons people are so hesitant to lead a study. Well, what if we took all the planning and prep work out of it and made it easy for you to do right in your own living room?
As someone who attends First Christian Church you have access to RightNow Media, a website with hundreds of video-driven studies. There are studies on just about every topic you may want; from parenting to having “the talk” with your older kids, marriage, studies on books of the Bible and so much more. There are even cartoons for the kids that teach Biblical principles. And the best part is, it costs you nothing! If you would like to check out this incredible resource you can sign-up here.
