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Growing Deep Roots to Share God's Love
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In this edition, you won't want to miss these stories:
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This Sunday, we'll hit on one of the most common FAQs of church: "Why are there so many different ones?" It is true that different churches speak different languages. Some are focused on justice, while others build their foundation upon heavenly salvation. Some honor the traditional prayers of the church, while others value the Pentecost experience that the disciples had. Certainly human pride has caused divisions, but yet, most churches are earnestly seeking to be God's voice in the world, each in their own way. Perhaps the question ought not to be "Why are there so many churches?" but rather, "How do we appreciate each church?" Let's explore together on Sunday.
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Feedback on the sermon series? What new information have you learned? We'd love to hear from you.
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January 22
Explore Church
"Why are There So Many Churches?"
January 29
Explore Church
"What Does the Church Believe?"
February 5
Explore Church
"What's Next for YOU?"
Creekwood 15th Birthday Celebration!
One Church-Wide Worship 10:15 a.m.
Followed by Lunch at 11:30 a.m.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
January 21
Creekwood Habitat Build
January 22
Lunch With the Pastors, a Gathering For Any Potential New Members, 12:30 p.m., Worship Center
Club 56, 11:30 a.m., Children's Center Tile Room
Family Promise Training for New Volunteers, 11:30 a.m., Student Center
January 26 - 28
Created By God, 5th and 6th Grade Human Sexuality Class, Creekwood Worship Center
(Class is Full.
Click here to request a spot on the waiting list.)
January 30
Church Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Creekwood Worship Center, Open to Everyone
February 5
February 11
Habitat for Humanity Build
February 19 & 26
Creekwood Missions Kick-Off and Fundraiser, Zoe Mission Trip Recap
February 21
Creekwood MOMtourage, 6:30 p.m., Worship Center
February 26 - March 5
March 1
Ash Wednesday Service, 6:30 p.m.
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A young Zoe participant shows off one of her business assets.
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 Zoe India Mission Trip
Our Zoe missionaries are presently in route back home to us. We invite you to join us in prayer for their safe return. Director of Missions, Annmarie Barajas, has been sharing in real-time some of the group's experiences via Facebook. We thought we'd share her entries here. Mark your calendars now for a Zoe Celebration during our 2017 Creekwood Missions Kick Off Sunday, February 19, where members from the mission group will share their experiences and findings with us.
January 13
"Our Creekwood Zoe crew visited the "challenge" group today in India and had lots of fun interacting with them! We taught each other words, they showed us their businesses and we even danced together."
January 14
"Zoe day 2. Our groups visited the Way to Success and Help Hand groups from the slums in Chennai, India. They seemed very hope filled and ambitious as they proudly showed us their various businesses. One sweet girl choked back tears as she expressed her thanks to us. Another highlight was an 8 year old girl singing "Yes Lord" in English. We definitely had some Holy and tender moments today!"
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Chennai, India
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January 15
"Zoe mission trip day 3. Our group started the day off with a very spirit filled worship service! They then met the "Never give up" group. The spirit, determination & risk-taking of these kids is truly awe inspiring! One girl whom our group met last year is still raising ducks. She sleeps out in the dark of night, every night, to protect
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Missionaries from Creekwood join other missionaries in a picture with the young woman raising ducks. |
them from predators. She had a setback earlier this year as 100 of her ducks were killed in the floods. It did not stop her. She continues to grow her flock, support both she and her grandfather & hope for her future!"
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Of Rachel, Annmarie shared, "What a beautiful spirit!"
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January 17
"Meet Rachel, a Zoe group leader and testimony of success, empowerment and
dreaming BIG! She started out with 1 cow from Zoe, sold its milk and from there was able to build her businesses to have 2 calves, 15 rabbits, a sewing
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Jana gets a hug from Rachel
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machine (to do tailor work), and some chickens. She also purchased a scooter so she can haul her cattle feed
& is building a house! She says the house is larger
than she & her grandmother need so that she can take in &
empower
more orphans from her village!"
Click on the image below for the video the group shared and we played during worship this past Sunday.
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Lunch With the Pastors
We will be hosting Lunch With the Pastors this Sunday, January 22, immediately following the 11:30 a.m. service. This is the perfect opportunity for someone interested in our church to share a meal and discuss Creekwood with our ministerial leadership. Recurring visitors are encouraged to attend. Members are welcome to invite a neighbor. RSVP to Pastor John at
jthornton@creekwoodumc.org. Childcare will be available.
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Don't Be Afraid
Seriously, you can handle it. And, if you are a parent of a 3rd or 4th grader, this might be one way to get ahead of the curve.
We are in need of small group leaders for our Created by God human sexuality class taking place next Thursday through Saturday.
This is not a teaching position: you will be leading activities and conversations about topics (like peer pressure, not anatomy). It's actually quite fun. If your child is taking the class, do know that you will not be p
laced in your child's small group (because what could be more horrifying for a 5th or 6th grader).
Participating in the class gives you and your child a shared vocabulary and shows your child that you are willing and open to conversations after class as well. We need 6 adults. Let Donna Bartholomew know if you are available to help. Below is the class schedule.
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Thursday, January 26
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Parent meeting
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7 to 9 pm
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Friday, January 27
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Student session
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6:30 to 9 pm
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Saturday, January 28
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Student session
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9 am to 2:30 pm
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Saturday, January 28
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Student/parent session
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2:30 to 3:30 pm
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Mark Your Calendars!
We invite you to join us on February 5 for a special celebration. It's Creekwood's 15th birthday! We'll hold one church-wide celebration at 10:15, followed by lunch in the Lovejoy Elementary Gym next door. Save the date!
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Name Tags
Did you pick up your name tag last Sunday? (Once we got them out! Sorry about that....) Be sure to grab yours this Sunday if you haven't!
Worth repeating:
Don't you find it easier to talk with someone you don't know that well, when you at least know their name? How many times have you been talking with someone, thinking:
What is your name? I know I know it.... Did I have a trick I had made up to remember it; what was it?
How many times have you wanted to make a proper introduction, but could not recall the name of the person you were seeking to introduce? Sure, "my friend" works, as does, "Oh, Hey...." but a name is so much better, don't you agree? This is why we have name tags. Did you know you have a name tag? Maybe not, because most name tags, though designed to be put on each Sunday, stay on the board in the Gathering Area. This Sunday, plan to pick up your name tag, use it, and then stick it in your purse or your car for next Sunday. Wouldn't it be great to have a Gathering Area full of people with name tags? Let's try to make it a reality. We'll have the name tags out, readily available near the south entrance of the Gathering Area this Sunday.
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Some of the Faithworks Group
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Small Group Highlight
We're highlighting the Sunday morning Faithworks small group this week, which meets during the 9:15 worship hour in Room 106, and is made up primarily of parents of high school and college-aged kids. Former Church Council chairwoman, Sara Genrich, leads the class alongside her husband, Jim (one of our Growing Roots campaign co-chairs). The group officially has 20+ on their roster, but due to travel, etc., on any given Sunday they have around 16 participants, and discussion facilitators rotate each week.
Sara explained, "We enjoy learning, serving and sharing together." In addition to their Sunday studies, the group has an annual Christmas party and typically a couple of other social gatherings throughout the year. They also participate as a group in a number of mission/service activities. Recent events have included adopting a family for Christmas,
preparing and serving a meal at a local nursing home, completing yard work for a widow in need of assistance, providing a meal for our Youth Rise service on Sunday evening, and providing a meal for Family Promise hosting in the Student Center. The group also painted the deck on the church office building, painted the Creekwood Youth Center, and assisted with landscaping cleanup at Creekwood, among other things.
We asked Faithworks member Dana DiCristofaro what's her favorite
thing about being in this group and she shared, "[I'd say it is] t
he Support and relationships that are built that become more like a family than a group. Knowing you have someone invested in you and vice versa. It's not a casual passing but a building of deeper relationships with those in the Sunday School class."
Faithworks is currently in the middle of a 4-week study of
Shiny Gods, by Mike Slaughter, which encourages participants to reassess their priorities with the goal of creating a culture and lifestyle of giving.
Does Faithworks interest you? Contact Adult Ministries Director, Molly Trank, or Faithworks leader Sara Genrich, to learn more and join.
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Habitat for Humanity
Great news! We have our 20 volunteers in place for our first build this
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The Carter Family
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Saturday. The group will be cutting and installing siding. We invite you to join us in
prayer for our team's success, and for the Carter family we're building the house
for
over the next few months.
Click
here
to learn about the Carters.
A big thank you goes out to Gail Anderson for volunteering to provide lunch for our team onsite.
Our next build will take place Saturday, February 11. We would love to have you
join us.
Click
here
to sign up for that build.
There is required training for first time
volunteers, but what is great is that this training can now even be completed very
simply online!
Click
here
for the training. The steps you'll take are also outlined in the image here.
Contact
Christina Shepherd
with any questions.
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Family Promise
Training for First-Time Volunteers
This Sunday January 22
As you may know, Creekwood will next be hosting Family Promise families in our Student Center
February 26 - March 5. Click here to sign up to help us show these families "church" in its truest sense.
First-time volunteers are asked to attend a brief training. Our next training will be this Sunday, January 22, at 11:30 in the Creekwood Student Center. "What is Family Promise?" you ask? Click here to learn more about this empowering program.
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Teach With Us
With growth comes the need for more resources, and that is no less the case within our Children's Ministry. Due to expansions in adult ministry small group activity at the 11:30 worship hour, we are adding another Explorer Sunday School offering during this hour. The offerings of this class will be in addition to the Explorer curriculum we offer at the earlier services.
For the next 6 weeks the children will be learning about "The Fruits of the Spirit." (Do note that this new offering will not eliminate Children's Choir. MPKids will still be the only 11:30 offering on the 1st Sunday of each month.)
To make this happen, we need a teacher, or a few teachers, to serve during the 11:30 worship hour on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays of the month. We can rotate teachers; this does not have to be an every-week commitment. We ask you to consider serving Creekwood in this capacity. All curriculum will be provided for teachers. Email Wendy McConney to let her know of your interest to teach.
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VBS JUNE 5-9
Save The Date
for Vacation Bible School!
At "Maker Fun Factory" kids will discover that God made them--and he made them for a purpose! Kids will participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, make and devour yummy treats, experience one-of-a-kind Bible adventures, and test out "Sciency-Fun" Gizmos they'll also be able to take home and play with all summer long.
Kids will learn to look for evidence of God all around them through something called "God Sightings." Each day will conclude with the "Funshop Finale" that gets everyone living what they've learned. We will also have a mission for the week where the children will learn the importance of serving others. Registration will open in March. VBS is designed for children 3 years of age (by June 1) up to those who've completed 5th Grade.
Co-Chair Needed. Come Have Fun With Us.
We're currently recruiting someone to work with our VBS co-chair, Melissa Potts, who has stepped up to serve as our
registration and volunteer director. The second co-chair will handle
crew leader recruitment and vacation Bible school operations. Here's what the job entails:
- Order VBS t-shirts
- Work with Wendy McConney to get Coordinators for each rotation; music, games, snacks, etc...
- Work with Wendy to get adult and youth crew leaders
- Organize crew bags
- Work with Wendy and co-chair Melissa Potts to organize rotation schedules
- Work with Wendy and co-chair Melissa to allocate space and overall layout
- Obtain supply lists from each coordinator to share with Wendy
- Communicate with coordinators, distribute manuals, circle back with coordinators to ensure they are ready to go
- Assist with volunteer training (to be held two Sundays after 11:30 service)
- Be present the week of VBS to answer questions and solve problems
- Work with Wendy to decide on a mission project for the week
You certainly don't have to have a child attending VBS to be one of our co-chairs. This is a great way to serve and "be the church" to others. VBS brings in many visitors from throughout our community. Please
email Wendy McConney if you are interested in learning more about this volunteer position.
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Have an infant through 4th grader and not currently receiving our weekly Children's Ministries' newsletter, Explorers' Times? Please
email us to be added to our distribution list.
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Sunday school
is held each Sunday from 10:15 - 11:15 a.m. 5th - 6th graders will meet in the
tile room of the Children's Center.
7th - 8th graders meet in the garage of the Student Center and 9th -12th graders meet in the Student Center.
The Rise
is held in the Student Center on Sundays, from 5 - 7 p.m. All 7th through 12th graders (and beyond) are welcome to these evenings of worship, fellowship and fun. Meals are provided; a $5 donation is encouraged.
If you are looking to help our awesome Student Ministry by providing a meal, or part of a meal, for The Rise, click here to pick a date and sign up. We promise you'll have fun feeding and visiting with our students.
Club 56, designed for our 5th and 6th graders, meets once a month for fellowship and
 mission. Here's what's coming up.
- On January 22, Club 56 will meet at the Allen Natatorium at 1:00 to swim and goof-off. Families are welcome.
- On February 19, Mike McKee's Bishop's Rally will be held at Lover's Lane in Dallas from 2-5 p.m. The Club 56 group will meet at Creekwood at 1:15 to carpool.
Please RSVP to
Donna Bartholomew if your child will be attending either of these events. Chaperones needed. Join us! These are also great activities to invite a friend to Creekwood!
Junior High Small Group
will start back up on Wednesday, January 18. The meeting has been moved to a new time: 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Sr. High Small Group meets at the Edwards house on Wednesday nights from 7 - 8:30. Contact Jared Phares for more information.
Middle School Bible Study is held Wednesday evenings, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Bring your Bibles (and dinner, if you'd like) and join us for fellowship and study. Contact
Donna Bartholomew for more information.
Let's stay in touch.
Students and parents wanting to stay up to date with current activities, events and services, please text @elevatecu to 81010.
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Summer Youth Activities
We may be in the dead of winter, but plans are underway now for summer youth trips! Below is a schedule of events for your calendar planning. Contact
Jared Phares with any questions and watch for more info to come.
June 12-16 Middle School Camp at Bridgeport
June 25-July 1 High School Mission Trip
July 17-21 High School Camp at CIY MOVE
July 27-30 Middle School Mission Trip
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Have a 7th - 12th grader and not currently receiving our weekly Youth Ministries' newsletter? Please
email us to be added to our distribution list.
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See what is happening on our Creekwood social sites.
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