The Newsletter for Faith Community Church N o ve m b e r 2 0 1 4 IN THIS ISSUE Operation Christmas Child (Pg. 2) _____________________ ChildrenвЂ™s Ministry Updates (Pg. 3) _____________________ Student Ministry Updates (Pg. 4) _____________________ Mission Awareness Week Follow Up (Pg. 5) _____________________ AWANA 2015 (Pg. 6) Kevin Cassidy Lead Teaching Pastor Steve Bond Executive Pastor Jim Johnson Pastor of Care & Concern Amy McDougall ChildrenвЂ™s Ministry Administrator OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Nate Randall Student Ministries Director IS OFF TO A GREAT START Ed Regensburg See Page 2 (Inside) for more onвЂ¦ Founding Pastor, Retired 1306 Riedel Rd. Gambrills, MD 21054 410-451-1220 Building / Office www.faithcommunity.net [email protected] WhatвЂ™s Been Happening? & WhatвЂ™s Ahead? What's Been Happening? Operation Christmas Child (OCC) formally designated a Faith Community Church mission Kick Off Sunday on 28 September; this is our 8th year supporting OCC Izabel Bengough, Dee Buchholz and Cami Foster will be our teen leaders this year Youth Group, AWANAs and Annapolis Area Christian School Senior Practicum project onboard to participate Missions Week presentations by Debbie Guidry, former Bowie Collection leader and now OCC Regional Church Outreach Coordinator, and Ron Grahek to K-5th grade Sunday School Youth Group designates OCC as one of their three annual focal projects (this year's goal: 100 shoe boxes) Large table with ministry materials and shoe box packing instructions set up in the church foyer with 600 foldable shoe boxes; we have 1,000 shoe boxes available this year & you can use your own What's Ahead? Begin Congregation-wide shoe box assembly and packing (now through November 15) Final shoe box turn-in will be Sunday, 16 November Volunteers (7) needed for Bowie Collection Center, Saturday, 22 November, 9am-12pm Brand new Regional Collection Center will be located in Jessup to process shoe boxes from Maryland and surrounding states. A fabulous opportunity to volunteer anytime 27 Nov - 20 Dec, 9am-9pm Monday through Saturday. Walk-in volunteers and groups welcome Contact Ron or Iva Grahek if you have any questions; [email protected] Ladies, Mark Your Calendars! Come Join Us for our Ladies' Christmas Brunch Saturday December 6th, 10 AM - NOON As we Fix Our Eyes On the Light Of the World Enjoy food, fellowship and a dramatic presentation of the LIGHT messages throughout the Bible. Bring a friend! Look for more details in the bulletin. ChildrenвЂ™s Ministry News and Updates Our new KidCheck system launch date is Sunday, Nov.23rd It is important that you create your free account now at www.kidcheck.com so you will be ready! Please contact Amy McDougall at 443-883-1837 or [email protected] + = THE CHRISTMAS SHOE TREE! ThereвЂ™s still time to register your child for the Christmas Play. Auditions are over and roles handed out, but we need as many voices as we can to sing in choir for our Lord Jesus. Kids Can Serve 2 Service Projects for November & December Nov. 9th Your childвЂ™s class is packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes! Great time for your child to do extra chores and shop for shoebox items to donate. Nov.16th-Dec.14th Our kids can help the children of the Baltimore Rescue MissionвЂ™s Karis Home by donating new toys and clothing for Christmas. Your child will be bringing home a wish list of items for the Karis Home children. Contact Kara Floyd at [email protected] or find her in Activity Room 2 on Sunday after second service. Sign Up Ends Nov 2nd (This Sunday) Thanks, Kayla Student Ministry News IMPACT SUNDAYS: Our large group gathering has officially taken on a new nameвЂ”вЂњIMPACTвЂќ. Names donвЂ™t change hearts, but they do help us remember why weвЂ™re gathering. Our prayer is that studentsвЂ™ lives will be impactedвЂ”that those curious about God will find God as we worship Jesus Christ! SMALL GROUP WEDNESDAYS: On October 19, we kicked off our Small Groups for the semester. We are launching 8 groups of students who took a next step in their faith journey by committing to pursue authentic relationships that encourage spiritual growth. Pray that the Lord will add adult leaders to our Small Group Leader team so that we may see the work of the Gospel multiply in the next generation! OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD: Our youth ministry is excited to jump вЂњall inвЂќ with the Operation Christmas Child opportunity. We want to bless others as we have been so greatly and generously blessed by the Lord! WeвЂ™ll be having a packing party on November 8. PARTNERING WITH PARENTS: WeвЂ™re excited to unveil some new discipleship tools in the near future for our families! Hands down, parents have the biggest influence on studentsвЂ™ lives. We want to build bridges to the home, get communication going between kids and parents, and see our homes experience a life-giving Gospel-centered approach to everyday experiences. JOIN OUR TEAM! As we seek to effectively make disciples of the next generation, we are always looking for potential teammates who enthusiastically love Jesus Christ and who also really like teens. Email [email protected] if youвЂ™d like to begin that conversation! VISIT ONLINE TO STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST: Twitter @ fccyouthmd Facebook @ fccyouthmd Website: www.fccyouthmd.net FaithвЂ™sCommunity Newsletter is Heading for the Web!! We are excited to announce that FaithвЂ™sCommunity Newsletter is transitioning to be an Online publication each month! Beginning in January, we will no longer issue a printed version of FaithвЂ™sCommunity, but will continue to offer it online, with new features and greater access to information & church news. Each month, we will publish it at our faithcommunity.net website. Visit us Each Month at faithcommunity.net If you want to continue receiving a printed version, please email us at [email protected] and let us know. We look forward to the exciting features and expanded access our online version will bring to the congregation! Be sure to check us out online each month!! Mission Awareness Week Follow Up The week may be over, but thereвЂ™s work to be done! Going Beyond Awareness Faith Community Church recognizes the vital importance of missions at вЂ“ and beyond - our local address to introduce people to Jesus Christ and equip them to become His devoted followers. In October, a week of activities for all ages was dedicated to the theme of вЂњOn Mission with GodвЂќ to highlight FCC missionary progress locally, nationally, and internationally. Here are a few highlights: We had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of Alvin Hull of Pioneers Missions who exhorted us to вЂњlet God break our boxes and to live out loud our journey with GodвЂќ. Milly and Dillon Bateman transformed activity room 2 into a hands-on mission field (including real huts!) and helped the children visualize the many foreign destinations where God is at work. For the adults during Sunday School, several FCC-supported missionaries spoke about their contributions including our very own Jon Evans with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry. Throughout the week, several families hosted a meal at their homes to get an up close and personal look at the ministry of Pat and Lanette Hillman who live among Muslims in the Middle East. On Friday night and at a breakfast on Saturday morning Brian and Carole Wechsler shared the exciting ministry called Village Missions, which keeps country churches alive in the U.S. So, Now What? LetвЂ™s go BEYOND awareness and TAKE ACTION. Every week there is a list of FCC-supported missionaries at faithcommunity.net and the Missions board at Church. Why not begin praying faithfully for them and how you as well can join this incredible mission to make God known in our homes, neighborhood and to the nations? Have you ever checked out the PCвЂ™s website: pregnancyclinicministry.org. Find information about its history and mission of; and how this ministry is changing the world for Christ. Check out the вЂњFoundation of HopeвЂќ project, the many ways you can get involved and much more information about this vital ministry. The 2014 Walk/Run event, held on September 20th. Over 700 people, young and old, participated and helped raise over $80,000. THANKS to everyone who came out and supported it in any way! Rebecca Kiessling told her amazing story, вЂњConceived in Rape, A Story of HopeвЂќ, at Bay Area Community Church on Friday night, October 17th. Rebecca is THE top pro-life speaker in the Nation who focuses on the topic of abortion in the case of rape or incest, because of her own life story. Did you know that over 60% of вЂњPro-LifeвЂќ people believe abortion is wrong EXCEPT in the case of Rape or Incest? RebeccaвЂ™s own story highlights the fact that a stance of this nature would have meant a вЂњdeath sentenceвЂќ for her had she been born just 90 days later based on the approval of Roe vs Wade. For more information and to learn more about RebeccaвЂ™s, and other rape victimsвЂ™ stories visit rebeccakiessling.com . What is the best and greatest thing you can do for the Pregnancy Clinic? PRAY! PRAY вЂ“ as we fight not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual world. PRAY вЂ“ as we work to further GodвЂ™s Plan for each person who walks through our doors, all our employees and volunteers, and for this Nation. PRAYER вЂ“ you have the power to change our world. PRAYER вЂ“ the greatest force for any Christian! PLEASE keep the Pregnancy Clinic in your PRAYERS. Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed вЂњDo your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.вЂќ 2 Timothy 2:15 AWANA is in full swing this year with lots going on! Cubbies have 59 pre-school, 3 & 4 year olds, registered this year with an average of 45 per Tuesday night! They are still looking for an additional teacher; a helper for a special needs child and a puppeteer! SPARKS have had as many as 71 Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders in one night but averages about 65! TheyвЂ™ve had at least one new person every club night so far and as many as four new members in an evening. T & T, 3rd вЂ“ 6th graders, have an average of 45 clubbers each week who are not only from FCC but from 13 other churches, which is one of the reasons why we say AWANA is one of the greatest community outreach programs at FCC. These other churches do not have AWANA programs so they come to FCC! TREK (middle school) and JOURNEY (high school/young adults) each average 12 youth during their Monday night meeting time. They are still looking for some volunteers to be able to listen to verses and also two adults interesting in assisting as leaders. Key dates and activities for Tuesday nights in November: Nov 4 No AWANA (Election night вЂ“ FCC used as election location) Nov 11 Bring items for Operation Christmas Child Nov 18 Bring items and pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child Nov 25 No AWANA (Thanksgiving Holiday week) If you would like to assist in any way with our AWANA program, please contact Dave & Debbie Jarvis at: 410-729-7898 or Gary & Alice Glossop at: 410-987-4328. -- Iva Grahek To Submit an Item for the FCC Newsletter Please contact Chad Aleshire via e-mail at: [email protected] by phone on 443-336-7203. FAITHCOMMUNITY.NET Brings The Gospel To Your Fingertips Church IsnвЂ™t Just on Sunday. FCC Online is a Great Way to Stay Connected in Our Faith All Week Long Make faithcommunity.net A Resource You Use Every Day! News and Upcoming Events Stay Up to Date On WhatвЂ™s Happening at FCC Ministries & Missions News on Missions We Support & Ministry Opportunities Here @ FCC Church Calendar Plan Your Month, Find a Bible Study, Find Opportunities for Fellowship Recorded Pastor Messages Hear Your Favorite Messages on Your Phone, Tablet, or Computer Thought for the Month: Thanksgiving What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today? I googled вЂњChristian ThanksgivingвЂќ and one of the many pictures and word clouds that came up was the question above and it pierced my heart, causing me to Thank God for way more than I usually do in my routine bed-time prayer. I thank God for the big things every day: salvation, health, home, job, family, parents, food, church, etc. Then I began to thank God for the many things I obviously take for granted like my freedoms and rights as an American, the ability to think, create and innovate, the spare change in my pocket, limbs that work, life without persecution, His protection, His Peace, His Holy Spirit and His Soon Triumphant Return. He is the Life-giver, the Giver of all things вЂ“ and He gave His Life for us. We thank Him by giving him our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says вЂњIn all things, give thanks. For that is the will of God in Christ Jesus.вЂќ Happy Day of Giving Thanks! вЂ“ Carrie Aleshire Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favorвЂ“ and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. (Quote from the Thanksgiving Proclamation signed by U.S. President George Washington, October 3, 1789) 9:00 AM Worship ChildrenвЂ™s Bible Studies Adult Bible Studies 1 3 8:00 AM 7:00 PM 4 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 5 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 6 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM MenвЂ™s Bible Study (every Saturday) AWANA JV and Varsity (every Monday) Ladies Bible Study (every Tuesday) Homeschool Freeplay (every Tuesday) AWANA Cubbie, Sparks, T&T (every Tuesday) MenвЂ™s Bible Study (every Wednesday) Pre-school Play Group (every Wed.) Choir (every Wednesday) Youth Small Groups (every Wednesday) Deacons Meeting Ladies Bible Study (every Thursday) In-depth Discipleship Class (every Thursday) 10:45 AM Worship 4 Year Old - 6th Grade Junior Worship Adult, College-Age & Teen Bible Studies 7 9 11 13 16 18 24 26 27 30 9:30 AM 10:45 AM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 12:30 PM 12:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 6:00 PM Ladies Bible Study (every Friday) Knollwood Manor Ministry Youth Directional Team Meeting Elders Meeting Ladies Luncheon Orchestra Rehearsal Baltimore Rescue Mission Mission Meeting Choir Rehearsal Thanksgiving Communion