Church Life

COUNT YOUR BLESSING
Name them one by one
Count your many Blessings
See what God hath done!

As I step into November I can’t help but notice that the morning air is just a little crisper, the evenings a touch cooler, and oh how beautiful the trees dressed in their fall colors. What a time to stop and count our blessings as we go into this Thanksgiving season.

God has blessed us (FCC of Augusta) this year with many opportunities to minister to each other and to our community. Let me joyfully count some of my personal blessings:

I thank God upon every remembrance of each one of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. A big thank-you for setting aside October as Pastor Appreciation Month. I received so many cards and gifts! What an outpouring of love and encouragement. As a church family you have come along side me these last three years as my parent’s health concerns drew on more and more of my time and energy; Mom’s loss of sight, open heart surgery, and then her passing last May, and Dad’s continued decline. You gave me strength through your prayers and hours of help at home, the nursing home, and of course at the church.
As a congregation we have embraced God’s Call to “Let our light so shine among men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Indeed, we have lit up our community with many new and continuing ministries;


Our ministry of Hospitality is going strong! Talk about a Blessing…What about our record breaking Chicken “N” Noodle Dinner! Over 900 meals served in about two hours last February. Blessings upon Blessings for each and every “Church Lady” that organized and brought food for all those church fellowships…and the many celebrations of the church; Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings and Funerals. And our “Dream Walking” Ladies have been blessed as their Simple Saturday Suppers are becoming a fixture of the community.

Our ministry together in worship celebrates God’s ever present love and concern for all of creation. Our new Praise Band, Drama and Dance Team are introducing us to new expressions of worship. No Count of Our Blessing would be complete without Counting our Chancel Choir and Bell Ringers. Both our Causal and Traditional Services are welcoming new and familiar faces.

Terry Hutter, our own missionary, is off to Africa again this fall with renewed energy and a fresh vision for the people of South Africa. Come January, we will be sending Diana and Tori Hutter and our special missionary, Shelby Augur, to join Terry. There is still time to be part of this Blessing with your prayers and gifts.

When it comes to Home Missions, T.J. Wilson organizes our work with the Caring Center, Barrel Sunday, Blanket Fund, plus the Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes. Don’t forget to look for T.J. Sunday mornings to purchase your Dillon’s vouchers.

Nothing is closer to Home than our Youth and Children:

Our Youth Ministry continues to bless the Youth of our community through Bible Studies, 5th Quarter Fellowships, Silver Dollar City retreat, Valentine Dinner Theater, several mission projects funded by Bake Sales and Car Washes. And our annual Spring Ski Trip is already on the minds of both youth and adults alike. I count our Youth Leaders as some of our biggest blessings, Melanie Budda, Anna Wallace, and Sue Hourigan.

The Kids Club has blessed us this year with a wonderful turnout for a Beautiful Christmas Program along with their participation in Night in Bethleham. And of course the children enjoyed many outings including a trip to the Wichita Zoo.

What a bright shining forth of God’s love and grace is our newest ministry “New Generation Christian Learning Center.” An all day child care program where little ones ages 6 weeks to 5 years are cared for and nurtured by a certified staff trained in Early Childhood Education.

Prayer is the foundation of any church and our Caring Ministry ladies are the prayer warriors of this congregation as they continue to visit, send cards, and pray for all on our prayer chain.

The more blessings I count the more blessings stir my heart as I think of this past year. As Pastor, I have been blessed to serve side by side with a wonderful staff in the office and on the Church Board. Thank-you for giving me the opportunity to share the Gospel of Love and Grace from a pulpit maintained with love and gratitude by people after God’s own heart.

COUNT YOUR BLESSING
Name them one by one
Count your many BlessingS
See what God hath done!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! PASTOR PENNY

THE NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM VISION; NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM 2010

It happened over a year ago—the Bethlehem Vision. When it came, it came to one who could share that vision with all the excitement and awe that can be transferred to others. A company may have created the program, but a visionary guided it into the heart of our people. You could visibly see how the light passed from person to person – God’s light. That light ignited the beautiful experience we all shared last year as we recreated a” Night in Bethlehem”. Melanie Budda was the visionary who shared that vision with us all and set us all on fire to present this experience to the community around us. Her passion for this project ignited the passion of almost every church member, and we gratefully acknowledge her gift to us. We are grateful, too, to everyone who participated in some way to make it the amazing experience it was.

It is now a year later and Melanie has once again inspired us to share Bethlehem with our community. These days ahead will bind us together in only the way a truly blessed endeavor can. Already many have volunteered to participate in any way we need. There is so much to be done, and we look forward to gathering together to put it all together. December 3rd, 4th, and 5th are not far away.

Planning meetings have started and it is now time for us to start our preparations. The first “Booth” meeting will be held on Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We hope to add some new booths this year. We need supplies to create the authentic atmosphere we had last year.

Can you sew? We need more costumes. Can you collect rose petals and dry them? Do you have decorations at home that could be used to decorate the booths? Contact anyone working on the project & let them know. Bob & Shirley Stueven are coordinating the booths this year. They are creating a list of items needed from booth “leaders”. Look for signs around the church to guide where you can serve or provide needed items. (Thanks for all the spices already!)

Most important of all---PRAY---pray for the success of this experience, for the companionship we share as church members, for the blessings that those who come will receive, and for the Glory to God that we wish to give.

God bless you as we travel back again to Bethlehem!

PLEASE HELP THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE. Save “pull tabs” from aluminum cans. You can help make a difference in the lives of more than 1,700 children this year. Contact Virginia Belt if you have questions.
THANK YOU SO MUCH

THE CHANCEL CHOIR PRACTICE EACH WEDNESDAY at 7:00 p.m.
Come join us and invite that singer next to you in the pew!

THE CHALICE RINGERS PRACTICE EACH WEDNESDAY AT 6:00 p.m.
WE NEED “SUBSTITUTE RINGERS” SO THAT FULL-TIME RINGERS CAN CALL UPON THEM AS NEEDED. CONTACT JANELLE LEDGERWOOD IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A SUBSTITUTE