October 9, 2012 UPCOMING EVENTS
Transcription
October 9, 2012 UPCOMING EVENTS
October 9, 2012 UPCOMING EVENTS Friday - Saturday October 12-13 Ladies’ Fall Retreat North Florida Christian Camp Saturday, October 13 Bible Bowl Tournaments First Christian Church, Lake Butler, FL College Movie Night 4:00 p.m. Sunday, October 14 Special Guest Speaker: David Beamer 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 18 Prime Timers’ 11:00 a.m. Area Seniors’ Rally at Starratt Road Christian Church Friday, October 19 Prime Timers’ Trip 4:00 p.m. Aunt “B’s” and Woodbine Opry Middle School Game Night 6:00 p.m. Saturday, October 20 Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze for Kids in grades K-5 High School Movie Night 12:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Sunday, October 21 ECC’s 54th Homecoming Celebration Monday, October 22 Free Estate Planning Seminar 6:30 p.m. Homecoming We will celebrate our 54th anniversary at Englewood Christian Church on Sunday, October 21, 2012. We will recall God’s guidance and blessings throughout our history. We will take the time to renew our commitment to being God’s people and Christ’s Church in this area of Jacksonville. On Sunday, October 21, we will not have our 8:15 a.m. worship service. We will have our 9:30 a.m. Sunday School and our 10:45 a.m. worship service. After our worship time, at around 12:00 p.m., we will have a carry-in dinner to which we hope our church family and guests for that day will come. We will have a 1:00 p.m. celebration service after the dinner to round out the day’s festivities. Our guest speaker for the day will be Tony Krantz. Tony was the music and youth minister at Englewood in the mid-1980’s. Tony currently preaches in eastern NC. Tony will be preaching in the 10:30 a.m. service and singing in the 1:00 p.m. celebration service. Be inviting others and bringing them with you to be with us to celebrate what God has done since September, 1958. Please arrange your schedule to be with us for our homecoming services and dinner on October 21. Fall Festival Trunk or Treat Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Games, Inflatables, Food, Live Band, Ponies and Petting Zoo, Clowns, Decorated Vehicles, Candy! A Family Event for Our Jacksonville Community Our fall outreach event is coming right up! We will need 25-30 cars decorated for the Trunk or Treat. We are almost halfway to that number in commitments to decorate vehicles! Please sign up in the foyer or call the church office (733-2356) today if you would be willing to help in any way (kitchen, games, or decorating a vehicle). Talk about the Fall Festival Trunk or Treat with your neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers! Also, please bring individually wrapped candy which we will hand out to our guests. Thanks for your help! Reflections from Ken Christian Voting Is a Spiritual Matter All citizens and inhabitants of the United States, including Christians, should be versed in a study of civics and US history. One such topic that should be reviewed especially as we approach an election is that the United States is a representative republic. That means that we are to be a country governed by law, and we get to elect those who will fill the positions of government that will make and enforce law according to a constitution. Many are surprised to learn that we do not live in a democracy. That would be where the majority rules. That is not what was established by our nation’s founding fathers. They created a representative republic. That is where law is to rule. We do practice limited democracy by voting for our representatives to fill the three branches of our government: the legislative branch (House of Representatives and Senate) which are to make laws and control the nation’s finances; the executive branch (president and cabinet) who are to enforce the laws made by the legislative branch; the judicial (federal courts) who are the arbiters of the constitution applied to laws. That is why our government is called a representative republic. In a recent article entitled “Can a Christian Vote for a Non-Christian Candidate?” by Rebecca Hagelin (author and speaker on the subjects of family and culture), several thoughtful comments were presented. The next to last paragraph in part stated, “Christians need to vote responsibly. We have an obligation to be informed about issues and candidates, and then vote for those whose stances most closely align with Biblical principles. As voters, we share the responsibility of government and thus share accountability to God for what takes place in our nation.” Theologian Wayne Grudem was quoted in that article. “Christians should support the candidates who best represent moral and political values consistent with Biblical teaching, no matter what his or her religious background or convictions.” Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was also quoted as writing, “We must be honest and acknowledge that there are non-Christians who share far more of our worldview and policy concerns than some others who identify as Christians. The stewardship of our vote demands that we support those candidates who most clearly and consistently share our worldview and combine these commitments with the competence to serve both faithfully and well.” With this being said, when American Christians visit the voting booth on November 6 to select local, state, and national legislators, executives, and judges, each candidate’s position on God’s Biblical moral values should be discovered before we cast our vote. We have made available a morals voting record of many of the candidates who will be on our ballots. Those guides are located in the foyer. The moral values that should stand out in our minds are God’s Biblical values concerning human sexuality and sex education, marriage between one man and one woman, family duties including parental involvement in children’s lives, abortion and funding organizations that encourage and/or perform abortions, embryonic stem cell research and human cloning, religious freedom in the private and public arenas, spending money that we do not have and passing the debt to future generations, encouraging envy and jealousy toward those who have greater resources than others, use of illicit drugs, legal verses illegal immigration, etc. We must be alert to whatever issues God’s Word addresses that intersect with political decisions and choose those candidates who most closely align their views to what the Bible says. As Dr. Tony Evans has said, believers are to vote for the party, platform, and person that best reflects the Kingdom of God. That requires that we be informed voters! We must be aware of another facet of the upcoming elections. This is true for other areas of life as well. Not all that happens is God’s will. There is a deceptive thought being circulated suggesting that whatever the turnout of the election will be, that is God’s will. We must remember that God allows choices to be made by His free-will creatures called humans. Human choices are not always according to God’s will. This was made clear when Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. There are times when Satan influences people to follow another path than God’s. Whoever wins the election is not necessarily God’s choice. It could be His desired result, but we must not automatically jump to the conclusion that it is. If we see immorality winning (such as pro-abortion, the encouragement of homosexuality and pornography, the destruction of Biblical family values, the discouragement of Biblical morality, the encouragement of laziness, an emphasis of money and things), that is not God’s will. If we see oppression winning (encouragement of race and/ or class prejudice, etc.), that is not God’s will. If we see lack of compassion winning, that is not God’s will. If we see greed and covetousness winning, that is not God’s will. This list could be lengthened, but the point needs to be accepted. During our September 30 evening worship service we challenged each other to perform four actions on behalf of our nation with regards to the upcoming election that will have either a negative or a positive impact on the free exercise of our Christian faith. We must pray for God’s grace and help. We need to confess our national sins against God. We should stand for God’s values. We must vote according to God’s Biblical directions. Sound Training It was our great pleasure to host Mr. Bill Thrasher, Sr., founder and president of Thrasher Design Group in Kennesaw, GA, for the weekend of October 6-7. Mr. Thrasher came as a consultant for our sound team, and the group spent two days together in intense training with our sound equipment. Mr. Thrasher began his professional audio career mixing sound with various Christian singing groups before getting a position with Walt Disney World in Orlando. He has been on the staff of several large churches as director of technical services. Also, he worked for Billy Graham the last twenty years of his ministry mixing sound at the crusades. We were privileged to learn from him how to better serve the congregation. Work Day Thanks Approximately fifty-five people came for our work day on Saturday, September 29, and great things were accomplished. Mulch was spread; painting was done along with cleaning, straightening and sorting; mulch was spread; offices were moved; sidewalks were pressure washed; weeds were pulled; more mulch was spread; etc. Much work was completed, and the building is in good shape for the fall. We thank all those who gave of themselves to help with the work. Wednesday Nights In the Word Spiritual Warfare - Biblical Truth for Victory (college age and young adults) Room 203 Teachers: Vangie Solomon and George Kemp, Jr. Getting the Most Out of the Cross - Part 2 (Vintage Prayer Meeting) Room 209 Teacher: Ernest Barnes Judges - The Rise and Decline of Cultures Teacher: Ken Gemeinhart Kelli Vess c/o Susan Groves 2194 Lake Keziah Drive Southport, NC 28461 Billy and Patrice Bowser 374 Cherokee Drive Waleska, GA 30183 North Florida Christian Camp October 12-13, 2012 Guest Speaker—Kim Jackson Hope, Healing, and Hallelujah God Is Bigger Than . . . . The cost is $40 which will include dinner on Friday night and two meals on Saturday. There will be great teaching, great worship, a campfire, a prayer walk, hiking, canoeing, and paddle boats. Registration will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, and the retreat will conclude on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. If you would like to ride a van to the camp, please sign up in the foyer or call the church office. A special love offering will be taken to help purchase a new stove for the camp. Room 210 The Silencing of God Teacher: Charles Moseley Room 105 Have a New Kid by Friday (parents of young children) Teacher: Chris Kellar Room 308 Gods at War (women only) Teacher: harriett Moseley Changes of Address Room 314 Florida Christian College Roundup Saturday, November 3 “A Family Reunion” For a closer look at FCC, what is available there, and whether it would fit your student, why not be a part of this year’s Roundup! -Travel safety while visiting supporting churches -Need approximately $1500 increase in monthly giving so we can pay for rent while in the U.S. -Attending and working at International Conference on Missions (formerly called the National Missionary Convention) in November Area Seniors’ Rally Thursday, October 18 Starratt Road Christian Church Cost - $5.00 Entertainment by “Pure Heart” at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will be at 12:00 p.m. Aunt B’s and the Woodbine Opry Friday, October 19 We will eat dinner at Aunt B’s Restaurant in St. Mary’s, GA, and then go to the Woodbine Opry. We will leave the church at 5:00 p.m. Please contact Bill and Beverly Arnold at 219-1616 for more information. Highlighting Missions Phil and Kim Kornegay, Team Expansion Tokyo September 29, 2012 Dear Prayer Partners, We are getting adjusted to American life while on our home service assignment, and we’re looking forward to visiting with many of you. We and the boys are staying on a farm in Smithfield, KY, sharing the space with cows, wild turkeys, and the occasional mouse in the house - a huge contrast with our place in Tokyo. Kayla is in Florida attending Florida Christian College and doing well. Please lift up the following prayer needs to God on our behalf: -Our neighbors in Tokyo, still grieving the loss of their 1 month old girl -Missionary Dave Cole, shepherding the Tokyo house church attenders while recovering from neck surgery himself -Seth and Christian’s adjustment to a new school, making friends, missing Japanese life and friends -Our work with Team Expansion International Services (Louisville) doing interviews with potential missionary candidates -Our need for housing closer to our mission’s International Services office and the boys’ school -Sharing the gospel with a Japanese college student we met at a high school football game last week -We still need one-time donations to cover the cost of 2 airplane tickets ($2514) Thanks for your prayers! Phil and Kim Kornegay, Kayla, Seth, and Christian Team Expansion Tokyo Please be in prayer for the Kornegays and all of our missionaries. We are gathering a list of the addresses of military family members so that the church family may send cards of thanks and Christmas greetings in the months of November and December. If you have a member of your immediate family (husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandson, or granddaughter) who serves in the United States military, and if they would enjoy receiving mail from our church family, please turn in their address to the church office or send it to gayle@eccjax.com. These addresses will be published later in October. SPECIAL SUNDAY NIGHT GUEST SPEAKER Challenging Us to Champion God’s Values in Our Culture! October 14 - David Beamer David and his wife, Peggy, are the parents of Todd Beamer, hero of the 9/11/01 Flight 93 terrorist highjacking. Who doesn’t like watching movies, hanging out with friends, and eating pizza? Well, that is exactly what is going to be happening on October 13 and on October 20. These movie nights are for college and high school students. (Don’t worry, middle school students. We have a movie night planned for you in the very near future.) The college age movie night is October 13, starting at 4:00 p.m. at my and Tiffanie’s apartment. High schoolers, your movie night is October 20. It also starts at 4:00 p.m., and is also at my and Tiffanie’s apartment. If you need directions to our apartment, please see Tiffanie or me, and we will be happy to give them to you. We plan on movie nights ending around 8:30-9:00 p.m. Also, to help cover the cost of pizza and drinks, we ask that you bring $2-3 with you to the movie night. Fall Festival As you walk outside, you notice that the weather is starting to change. A little relief from the summer heat is on its way. The change in the weather brings about many holiday activities, one of which is our Fall Festival. It will be held on Halloween which is, of course, October 31. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. and goes until 8:00 p.m. This will be my first Englewood Fall Festival, and I am super excited. This Fall Festival is a great opportunity for the church to reach out and to serve those in our community. That service can’t happen without your help. We need candy, volunteers, vehicle trunks, and more. I pray that you are willing to help with this amazing outreach. There is a sign up sheet at the Hospitality Center. You may also call the church office to sign up. Reading the Bible in ONE Sitting When the high students attended CIY this summer, they were presented with 3 challenge cards for the youth group to do together. One was to read the Bible in one sitting. On November 3 the youth group is going to try and accomplish this challenging challenge. This event will start at 9:00 a.m. and will, hopefully, go until we are finished. Please be in prayer for this event, and pray that we are able to complete this challenge. Youth Led Service On November 4 we have the opportunity to see the students of Englewood lead the evening service. The very bright and brilliant Elijah Mize will be preaching. Please make plans to attend this event and to support the students as they serve God in ways that are outside of their comfort zones. Luke Swain, A Slave of Christ Jesus Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze Come join us for a bit of fall fun as we take a trip to Sykes and Cooper Farms on October 20. There are many fun things to do there, and we’re going to do our best to do them all! We will be leaving the church at 12:00 p.m. from the Barnes Road parking lot, and we will return at approximately 5:00 p.m. This event is open to all kids in grades K-5, and the cost is $15.00. This includes admission, any paid activities at the farm, and a mini pumpkin. We will also provide snacks and bottled water. Because we will be among many other guests at the Pumpkin Patch, I would also like to ask that everyone who attends wear a RED shirt. This will make it easier for our sponsors to keep track of everyone in our group. Your child will also need to have lunch before we leave, or they may bring a sack lunch to eat on the way. Parents, please note that you will need to fill out an emergency form as well as a permission slip before your child may attend. If you have not filled one out yet, they are available in the foyer and on our website at www.eccjax.com. If you are interested in coming along with us as a sponsor, please contact Serena at the office, 733-2356, or by e-mail at serena-eccjax@att.net. Sign up today to reserve your spot! FREE Estate Planning Seminar Monday, October 22 6:30 p.m. - Fellowship Hall Bill Twadell, from Florida Christian College, will be doing an Estate Planning Seminar at ECC. This is a FREE seminar and will offer vital and important information. If you would like to attend, please sign up in the foyer. POSTAL INFORMATION “The Echoes” (USPS 118270) Published Bi-Weekly by: Englewood Christian Church 4316 Barnes Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT: Jacksonville, Florida 32203-9998 POSTMASTER send address changes to: THE ECHOES, 4316 Barnes Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207-7099 October 9, 2012 Vol LIII, No. 7 ECC Scoreboard 09/30/12 Officers........................................................... 1 Birth to 1 year................................................. 4 1-2 years......................................................... 10 2 years........................................................... 11 3 years............................................................ 7 4-5 years.......................................................... 7 Grades 1 & 2................................................... . 9 Grades 3 & 4................................................... 10 Grade 5........................................................... 4 Middle School............................................... 11 High School................................................... 12 College.......................................................... 11 Converge...................................................... 25 Homebuilders............................................... 24 Seekers.......................................................... 50 Philathea....................................................... 19 Cornerstone................................................... 14 Saints............................................................... 7 Ambassadors................................................ 26 TOTAL...................................................... 262 10/07/12 .......................... 1 .......................... 5 .......................... 6 .......................... 6 .......................... 9 .......................... 8 ........................ 10 ........................ 11 .......................... 4 ........................ 15 ........................ 13 .......................... 5 ........................ 24 ........................ 20 ........................ 54 ........................ 13 ........................ 15 .......................... 5 ........................ 34 ...................... 260 ECC Statistics SS Sunday, September 30, 2012 262 SS 260 MW 316 EW 209 WED 175 Sunday, October 7, 2012 MW 309 EW 137 WED 155 ADD ADD Contributions - September 30, 2012 & October 7, 2012 Weekly Budget................................................................$ 9,794.00 Tithes and Offerings........................................................$ 8,651.69 Week 18 Average.............................................................$ 9,489.48 (TOTAL UNDER BUDGET) ($304.52 x 18 weeks)....................................................($ 5,481.36) Weekly Budget..............................................................$ 9,794.00 Tithes and Offerings.....................................................$14,905.08 Week 19 Average...........................................................$ 9,774.51 (TOTAL UNDER BUDGET) ($19.49 x 19 weeks)..........................................................($ 370.31) Faith Promise Budget.....................................................$ 3,355.00 Faith Promise Offering...................................................$ 2,650.00 Week 31 Average.............................................................$ 2,668.00 (TOTAL UNDER BUDGET) ($687.00 x 31 weeks)...................................................($21,297.00) Faith Promise Budget....................................................$ 3,355.00 Faith Promise Offering..................................................$ 5,491.00 Week 32 Average...........................................................$ 2,757.00 (TOTAL UNDER BUDGET) ($598.00 x 32 weeks)................................................($19,136.00) C H U R C H S TA F F Ken Gemeinhart, Senior Minister . Luke Swain, Student/Youth Minister Gayle Gemeinhart, Music Director . Serena Maerkl, Children’s Director . Stephanie Powell, Power Challengers’ Ministries Director Mary Worth, Bookkeeper . Pat Bacon, Secretary . Tisha Rivera, TLC Director